Market Trends

🍍 Gusto Snacks, valued at £1.2m and available in major UK outlets like Selfridges and WHSmith, now sells in Germany via Amazon. The company, founded in 2018 and launched in 2020 by Guiseppe Baidoo and Claudio Owusu, turns imperfect fruit into vegan, gluten-free, high-fiber, low-calorie snacks with no added sugar. Their 20g bags contain less than 80 calories. With 5 flavors, they plan new products by 2025. Guerrilla marketing and a Selfridges collaboration in 2021 enhanced their visibility.

🏨 The Intercity Hotel at Wilhelmshöhe station in Kassel, open since 1995, closed in April 2025 for renovations and will reopen as a B&B Hotel by spring 2026. With 148 beds, this renovation reflects B&B Hotels’ expansion strategy, following their acquisition of an Ibis hotel in Kassel in December 2023. B&B Hotels opened 170 new hotels in 2022. The Wilhelmshöhe station hotel, formerly managed by HR Group, will continue to offer convenient access to city attractions.

🍳 FB Society plans to open Shaver Hall, a 35,000-square-foot food hall in New York City's former Lord & Taylor building at 424 Fifth Ave, expected to open later this year. The hall will feature 11 food stalls, including an omakase concept, wine and cheese bar, steakhouse, and modern bodega. The Food Hall Co. and FB Society operate multiple venues including Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas, and Assembly Food Hall in Nashville, Tenn. Shaver Hall is named after Dorothy Shaver, Lord & Taylor’s president from 1945 to 1959. ZGF Architects designed the hall, paying homage to the building's rich heritage.

🏧 European budget and economy hotel segments saw RevPAR declines of -10.2% and -2.4%, respectively, while the midscale segment fell slightly at -0.5%. Upscale hotels bucked the trend with a +0.9% RevPAR increase. In Eastern Europe, Latvia and Hungary continued to lead with strong RevPAR increases of +10.3% and +7.3%, respectively, despite Hungary's average daily rate being down by -2.8%. Greece showed a significant recovery with an +11.9% RevPAR boost after a -1.1% dip the previous month, attributed to a +4.2 point rise in occupancy and a +4.1% increase in average daily rate following a decline due to earthquakes in February 2025.

🏡 UK-based luxury hotel group The Stafford Collection sold their country house hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant, Northcote, to Silkstone Finance. Alf and Clare Ellis of Silkstone Finance, also owners of kitchen manufacturer Ultima, aim to enhance Northcote by introducing a fine-dining restaurant under Michelin-starred chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen and adding a wellness space. The Stafford Collection, led by managing director John McLean, plans to refine The Stafford London, leveraging Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines as a culinary strategist. Further developments for The Stafford Collection will be announced later.

🏢 RateHawk celebrated nine years with a net booking value increase of 1.8 times and a 67% growth in bookings compared to 2023. Emerging Travel Group, its UAE-based parent company, reported a $3.7 billion gross transaction value in 2024, with RateHawk as a key contributor. Last year, RateHawk expanded its inventory to include over 120,000 directly contracted properties and over 2.6 million accommodation options. Transportation bookings doubled in 2024, and within three months of launching railway ticket services in Europe, over 25% of hotel booking travel professionals also used this service. The company doubled its API integration contracts in 2024, partnering with over 500 new entities, including Ctrip. RateHawk now supports 32 languages, opened a new Singapore headquarters, and saw a 50% increase in partners, reaching over 93,000 travel professionals. In the UK and Ireland, there was an 80% growth in net booking value year-over-year.

🏛 W Hotels and Opry Entertainment Group unveiled a multi-million-dollar renovation of W Austin, offering Penthouse I, Austin's largest suite at 1,798 sq ft. Four of the 32 premium suites feature two bedrooms and bathrooms and luxury amenities like marble bathrooms, Miele espresso machines, and personalized concierge service. Exclusive Texas artworks decorate the suites, with panoramic views inspired by the "Violet Crown" moniker. Located near Austin City Limits Live, W Austin connects guests to the city's culture.

✈ American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) partnered with Finnair to offer NDC-enabled deals to corporate clients, with no surcharges on Finnair’s best available fares. Amex GBT’s NDC program has over 20 airline partners and has processed one million NDC tickets since January 2024 across 16 countries. The partnership aims to provide value and maintain travel program integrity through NDC technology.