TOP NEWS

🏨 On November 20, 2024, in Houston, TX, SHR, a hotel technology specialist, partnered with Saudico Electronic Systems, a leading Oracle Hospitality provider in Saudi Arabia, to revolutionize the kingdom's hotel loyalty programs. Saudi Arabian hotels, facing low direct bookings despite high repeat business due to undeveloped loyalty programs, will now have SHR's advanced software solutions integrated with Saudico's local expertise. This includes SHR's Central Reservations System (CRS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Revenue Management System (RMS), and digital marketing solutions. The collaboration aims to decrease OTA dependency and enhance direct bookings. Saudi Arabia expects to add 320,000 hotel rooms by 2030 and aims for 150 million tourists annually, presenting significant revenue opportunities for hoteliers. Alexander Barder of SHR and Soufyan Al Kabbani of Saudico expressed enthusiasm about bolstering the Saudi hotel industry and improving guest experiences through this partnership.

💾 Zoox, Amazon's autonomous vehicle company, plans to introduce custom robotaxis in San Francisco and Las Vegas, initially for employee use, with public roll-out set for the following year. AI-powered booking agents like Bookline.io and HotelPlanner.ai manage thousands of calls daily, despite 22% of hotel bookings still being made over the phone. Klairhaus offers high-quality home office accessories made from natural materials by European artisans. McKinsey report points out the $1 trillion potential value of travel experiences, noting that nearly 50% of these bookings occur offline. Hopscotch Labs introduces AI and headphones for location-based information, suggesting a screen-free future for augmented reality. In the hotel industry, top talent retention is linked to structured environments, not freedom. Citate.ai aims to influence AI chatbots, raising questions about AI's role in reputation management.

📌 Choice Hotels International, Inc. opened the first MainStay Suites in Chesapeake, Virginia, featuring the new Lobby in a Box and Kitchen in a Box packages for extended-stay consumers. The three-story, 77-room property caters to local military, defense contractors, universities, and corporations like Dollar Tree and Northrop Grumman. Developer Ray Patel and Parth Hospitality designed the hotel, with construction by Thor, Jr. Inc. and architecture by Tymoff + Moff Architects. The hotel features over 330 solar panels and was partially financed through an SBA loan for energy efficiency.

🚌 BWH Hotels, known as Best Western, operates 4,300 hotels in 100 countries. In 2024, the chain added nearly 300 properties and achieved $8.5 billion in international hotel revenue, ranking as the world’s 10th-largest hotel company by room count. At its Accelerate 2024 conference in Charlotte, BWH highlighted its record profit and growth, including $64 million in profits for members in 2023, a $17 million increase from 2022. The brand also reached $1 billion in sales revenue for the first time and saw a 6.2% increase in North American revenue ($1.75 billion) in 2023. BWH Hotels plans to open Zion Wildflower Resort in Utah in March 2025 and expand into Vietnam with properties like the Noble Crystal Tay Ho, set to complete in December 2026.

🏨 In Q1 and Q2 2024, the US hospitality industry leveraged technology for competitive advantages, enhanced the guest experience with digital tools, and emphasized sustainability. The bleisure tourism market reached nearly $594.51 billion in 2023. Performance scores for US hotels improved from 79.3 in Q1 2023 to 80.8 in Q2 2024. Challenges included intense competition, staffing shortages, and evolving consumer expectations. Room cleanliness negatively impacted scores by -9.52 points, while great service improved them. The US hotel market is valued at over $106 billion, with 90,000+ hotels and an average occupancy rate just under 65%. Looking into 2025, resilience, tech-driven solutions, and environmental sustainability are expected to be key trends.