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🏨 Vilnius, Lithuania, awarded the European Hospitality City 2025 on November 17 by the European Hotel Awards, hosted a gala at the Grand Hotel, Vilnius. The event recognized Vilnius’ creativity and growth in hospitality. Honorees included Radisson Collection Astorija (Hotel of the Year) and Evalda Šiškauskienė (Lifetime Achievement). The award highlights Vilnius' status as a thriving European capital. Vilnius hosts major events and offers easy access from London with frequent direct flights.

📱 Over the past few months, DialZero has emerged as a vital tool in global hotel operations. Developed to address labor shortages and guest service demands, it replaces traditional in-room phones with a guest messaging platform. Guests scan QR codes for service requests, which are automatically routed and tracked. This innovation leads to faster response times, lower costs, and higher guest satisfaction, offering a modern solution to the hospitality industry's operational challenges. #HotelTech #Efficiency

📈 In 2025, Lighthouse acquired The Hotels Network, integrating AI-driven personalization into its platform. Hotels can tap into the growing power of AI, like ChatGPT, to enhance bookings. Small teams benefit from Vibe Marketing automation, while The Sofia Hotel blends AI and tradition using an AI receptionist. Emphasizing cross-selling and sustainability appeals to Gen Z. Direct bookings improve with strategies like rate transparency and personalized offers, positioning hotels to thrive in 2026.

📈 U.S., 2025: Hotel transactions slow initially, but a significant increase is anticipated in 2026. Cap rates for Q4 2025 fall as buyers focus on renovation potential, with 8% as the average stabilized asset cap rate. Occupancy is predicted to rise by 0.5% in 2026, with ADR increasing by 2%. International travel, supported by the FIFA World Cup 2026, is expected to boost occupancy. ✈️ Canada, 2025: RevPAR growth is expected to be nearly 5%, driven by a domestic travel surge and demand peaks. Over 9,000 rooms are under construction, with $2 billion in transactions predicted. The World Cup in 2026 will drive demand. ???? Latin America faces 2025 uncertainty due to internal factors and U.S. policy, with demand stable yet unchanging. Opportunities in Mexico and markets like La Paz and Huatulco-Puerto Escondido are promising. ???? In Asia-Pacific, 2026 anticipates steady growth, led by robust domestic and international demand in India and Vietnam. ???? Europe reports a 3% RevPAR rise in 2025. Spain, Greece, and Portugal lead the way, with €20 billion in transactions expected.

📈 A 50-room boutique hotel could benefit from outsourcing, accessing a six-figure Revenue Director's expertise for less. Outsourced agencies provide year-round coverage, avoiding "single point of failure" risks when in-house managers are unavailable. However, it can lead to "disconnect," "cookie-cutter" strategies, and technological inefficiencies. Ensure direct tech ownership to avoid "hostage situations." Aim for automation over manual data entry, preserving value. Secure a "data ownership" clause for transition safety. Choose outsourcing based on property size, budget, and market dynamics.

📈 Mews transformed the hospitality industry in 2025. Through key acquisitions—Clarity in APAC and the UK, Flexkeeping in September, and DataChat in October—Mews expanded operational strength and AI capabilities. With $75M from Tiger Global, Mews powered over 12,500 hotels across 85+ countries, marking an 85% increase. Highlights include smoother payments, 3 million kiosk check-ins, and accolades like Best PMS at HotelTechAwards. Events like Mews Unfold drew 700 hoteliers, reflecting Mews's global reach and innovation.

🗺️ Peru's hospitality scene is evolving with boutique hotels led by Ignacio Masias, CEO of Andean. By mid-July 2025, Andean's Tinajani Canyon hotel joins its five other Peruvian locations. These properties capture the essence of Peru, offering immersive cultural experiences. Approximately 33% of guests hail from the US, 33% from Europe, and 33% from other regions. This shift reflects a global appetite for genuine experiences, moving away from luxury to authentic connections with landscapes and local cultures.

📖 In 2025, Mirai's top blog posts focused on AI's impact on hospitality. Key topics included AI's role in marketing, guest interactions, and hotel operations, with insights by Pablo Delgado and others. Google Ads' AI Max revolutionized hotel marketing, while Booking.com's U.S. credit card strategy posed new challenges. AI-driven personalization and metasearch developments were highlighted. Hoteliers were advised on leveraging demand and optimizing Google Hotel Ads. AI's present influence underscores the need for strategic adaptation.

🏨 U.S. hotel occupancy in November 2025 dropped to 57.9%, a 2.8% decrease from November 2024, according to CoStar. The average daily rate increased slightly by 0.6% to $153.77, while revenue per available room fell by 2.3% to $88.97. Tampa saw significant declines in occupancy (-21.1%), ADR (-7.7%), and RevPAR (-27.1%) due to Hurricane Milton's aftermath. Minneapolis and Detroit had the lowest occupancies, at 51.9% and 55.9% respectively.

🍴 Bret Thorn is the Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, and hosts the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn." He won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and was IFEC president in 2005. Thorn's career includes roles at The New York Sun, Asia Times, and Manager magazine. A magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University, he studied at Nanjing and Peking universities, and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Thorn resides in Brooklyn, NY.