Miscellaneous

🌎 In McCall, Idaho, a man bought a cabin 45 years ago for $10,500 during a foreclosure crisis, negotiating with three creditors. Today, the property's value is nearly $1,000,000. Similar tales are recounted from Crested Butte and Telluride, Colorado, where real estate once sold for little is now worth millions. The story highlights seizing subtle opportunities and the transformative potential of visionary individuals in undervalued places.

🎲 Chuck E. Cheese, approaching 50 years, launches Chuck’s Arcade for adults, blending nostalgia and innovation. Locations in St. Petersburg, Trumbull, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Victor, Buford, El Paso, Nashua, Salem, and Kansas City. Features: iconic games like Ms. Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat, plus new experiences. Kansas City’s location includes a pizzeria and unique artwork. Each arcade is unique, with animatronic characters and retro-themed merchandise. Expansion showcases a legacy of fun for lifelong fans and new generations alike.

💸 In 2023, 60%+ of retail sales are digitally influenced, projected to reach 70% by 2027. L'Oréal achieved over 100 million AR try-on sessions across 31 brands in 72 countries, leading in beauty influencer marketing with a 29% market share and seeing 20-80% higher conversion rates. Digital tactics include geo-targeted ads with a 23% in-store sales lift and proper attribution improving marketing ROI by 15-25% within a year. Brands creating discovery ecosystems see a 35% higher conversion rate.

📚 Edward Mady discusses his insights from baseball in his latest discussion. He introduces his new book, "Honing the Human Edge." For additional resources, listeners can explore Hospitality Daily's platform, engage with content on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, or subscribe for daily episode summaries and insights delivered via email.

🗺️ April/May 2025, the best hotels list featured 42 global hotels, with only nine being hard brands. Examples include Populus in Denver and Hotel Hana in Paris. Independent hotels often provide unique experiences compared to known brand hotels like SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai versus Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Barry Sternlicht, speaking at NYU IHIF in June, noted the rise of independent startups, and Hailey Bieber sold her beauty brand for $1 billion, illustrating market dynamics. ????????

📰 Every week, the HON team offers an expert perspective on hospitality. Members gain access to exclusive content, including industry insights and job opportunities. Join the community to explore this comprehensive ecosystem and stay informed about the latest trends and developments.

🌊 Explora Journeys, part of the MSC Group, launched a new digital initiative for travel advisors in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and Germany on July 2025. This includes free access to digital marketing tools in collaboration with Rallio. Advisors can use brand-approved content for social media and track performance. The initiative also enhances their partnership with Approach Guides, supporting advisors with co-branded landing pages and resources to boost luxury travel sales.

📈 The U.S. economy added 147,000 jobs in June, dropping the unemployment rate to 4.1% from 4.2%. June marks the 54th consecutive month of job growth. Eating and drinking establishments added 6,500 jobs, compared to 27,400 in April and May. As of May 2025, full-service restaurant jobs are 226,000 (4%) below pre-pandemic levels, while quick-service jobs exceed by 115,000 (2.5%). Uneven recovery persists: Idaho (16%) and Nevada (14%) lead, while Massachusetts and West Virginia lag (-6%).

🏨 Luxury hotel group paid $200K to McKinsey for a flawed members club strategy. Key frameworks include: 1. Hotels with Full-Service Clubs (e.g., Aman NYC) focus on exclusivity, premium rates, and ancillary fees. 2. Private Dining Clubs (e.g., Doubles Club) use invite-only dining, annual dues, and F&B margins. 3. Clubs with Hotels (e.g., Soho House) emphasize lifestyle, global fees, and travel perks. 4. Clubs without Hotels (e.g., Chez Margaux) focus on F&B, low infrastructure, and community building. 5. Legacy Clubs like NYAC thrive with generational memberships and non-profit structures. Mistakes arise from unclear identity and incoherent strategy.