The landscape of travel, spa, and wellness is always transforming with technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and shifting global paradigms.

With the peak travel rush behind them, accommodation owners are eyeing 2025 and beyond, setting their sights on strategic investments they believe will help drive and sustain positive industry growth and provide a sharp competitive edge. Where do they see they’ll get the most bang for their buck?

The role of a Hotel General Manager is evolving rapidly. As the industry navigates a complex landscape of economic challenges, technological advancements, and changing guest expectations, the qualities of a successful leader are undergoing a transformation. To gain insights into the key characteristics required for hotel GMs in the future, we sought perspectives from industry experts: Matthew Engel, James Flynn, Frank Otero, and Dakeya Christmas.

Ahh, budget season… a time every hotelier knows all too well. It’s that annual crunch when departments scramble to justify their numbers, and finance teams work around the clock, pulling their hair out trying to predict next year’s revenue.

The strength of a business partnership lies in the ability to adapt, innovate, and evolve together. Such is the case for High Hotels, a Lancaster, Penn.-based hotel management company that has been working alongside asset management and service optimization software company OpsTechPro for more than five years to automate its back-of-house workforce communications. Initially, High Hotels deployed OTP to streamline its maintenance and engineering processes. Today, the vendor/client relationship has evolved, and all 13 hotels in the company’s portfolio are leveraging the dynamic and scalable operations platform to manage and track additional workforce services, from housekeeping inspections, front desk requests, and lost and found inventory, to cash counts, push reports, capital expenses and more.

As the hotel industry becomes increasingly digital, payment facilitation is evolving into a critical area of focus. Hotels face numerous challenges, from managing payment timing to ensuring a seamless guest experience while balancing costs and risk. Hoteliers are increasingly optin to integrate a payments platform directly into the hotel’s Property Management System (PMS). By embedding payments within the PMS, hotels can streamline processes, reduce risk and improve guest satisfaction, offering a holistic solution to payment complexities.

The leading global hospitality and travel technology company, HotelRunner, is excited to announce its attendance at The Phocuswright Conference, running from November 19 to 21, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. As a proud sponsor, HotelRunner will join the top industry thought leaders at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa this year.

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University continues to remain in the upper echelons of international rankings, claiming the top spot in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category of ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024.

Shiji, the hospitality technology innovator, announced today, that Van der Valk Hotels has chosen Shiji Group’s Enterprise Platform PMS for a comprehensive, portfolio-wide rollout. The decision brings 74 hotels, over 10,000 hotel rooms, and over 800 conference and event spaces across 7 countries under one unified property management system. The partnership is part of Van der Valk’s strategic digital transformation, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, data security, and scalability across its extensive hospitality network.

Global Asset Solutions has marshalled EBITDA growth of 34.63% YoY to August 2024, across its expanding portfolio of luxury hotels.

By 2030, direct digital bookings are expected to reshape the landscape of hotel distribution, overtaking online travel agencies (OTAs) as the primary channel for global hotel reservations. Skift Research’s 2024 Hotel Distribution Outlook reveals that while OTAs currently dominate the market, hotels are increasingly focusing on direct digital channels to engage travelers more effectively and reduce dependency on intermediaries. This shift is projected to generate $409 billion in global hotel bookings through direct digital channels by the end of the decade, marking a pivotal transition in how consumers book travel accommodations.

Jerne (www.jerne.com), the leading platform connecting digital-focused travel curators with experience providers, is celebrating reaching 10,000 registered curators with the launch of an industry-first rating system to help experience providers efficiently and effectively manage their sales and marketing strategies through influential communities.

The Covid pandemic amplified an existing challenge in hospitality: staffing shortages. When hotels shut down, many employees left the industry, finding better hours and pay elsewhere. As a result, hoteliers now face a staffing crisis, exacerbated by legacy systems and repetitive tasks that can deter new hires.

Located just off the coast of Belize, Four Seasons Resort & Residences Caye Chapel will include a 104-key luxury hotel composed of expertly-designed guest rooms and suites, including a collection of 18 overwater bungalows. Designed by Mauricio Gomez de Tudo and Taller G, the hotel seamlessly blends the natural island allure with the five-star service attributed to the Four Seasons brand. Guests will enjoy world-class amenities, including two beach clubs, a full-service, cenote-inspired spa, and select access to a 10-hole championship, reversible course designed by Greg Norman—part of the Caye Chapel Golf & Ocean Club. The Resort will also feature a collection of 24 Four Seasons branded residences lining the Northern perimeter of the island, ranging from 2- to 4-bedrooms and available fully turn-key. The residences are expected to be delivered alongside the hotel in 2025, and begin at $4.5M, inclusive of full membership to the Caye Chapel Golf & Ocean Club.

IDS Next is thrilled to share the news of the opening of our latest office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With our established market presence in the Middle East and the expanding Saudi client base, it was a strategic decision to further solidify our presence in the region. The Middle East has witnessed a remarkably strong recovery in its tourism and hospitality sectors in the post-pandemic era. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular, has made significant strides by offering a blend of ancient heritage, luxury stays, and modern amenities.

citizenM, a global leader in modern, affordable luxury hotels, has long prioritized offering a premium level of service. For that, they believe in empowering their team, rather than having them hindered by manual processes. This led them to seek a solution that could optimize their workforce capabilities.

Design Hotels, the community-driven portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels, announced 29 signed agreements and 10 percent growth of its global portfolio within the last 12 months. From the under-the-radar Black Sea coast of Batumi, Georgia, to the bustling, residential neighborhood of Tribeca, New York, each of the new and upcoming Design Hotels properties embodies the values of the brand and the singular vision of the property owner.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a resolution to suspend MPs Nakul Nath, Deepak Baij and D.K. Suresh for misconduct and storming the Well in the Lower House