Brands

  • Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Shomotion
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    Hotel loyalty programs are a key cost-saving tool for travelers

    Loyalty perks such as free stays and upgrades are increasingly important in making travel feasible, per a new Marriott Bonvoy survey.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
  • Hyatt Hotels opened its first Hyatt Studios extended stay hotel in Mobile, Alabama.
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    Courtesy of Hyatt Hotels
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    Hyatt names Jason Ballard global brand leader for Essentials portfolio

    The company veteran is tasked with overseeing strategy, performance and brand evolution for the division as it enters its next phase of growth.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
  • The exterior of Lotte New York Palace, on Madison Avenue in New York City.
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    Retrieved from Lotte New York Palace on December 16, 2025
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    Lotte buys land under New York Palace hotel for $490M

    The company bought the premises in an all-cash sale from the Archdiocese of New York after a previous extension of its long-term ground lease.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 16, 2025
  • A rendering of a hotel and residences project in Miami
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    Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
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    Mandarin Oriental shareholders approve go-private offer

    Jardine Matheson’s bid to acquire the remaining shares of the luxury hotel company, valued at $4.2 billion, moved closer to completion following a majority vote.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 12, 2025
  • A headshot of CEO Arash Azarbarzin
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    Courtesy of Viceroy
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    Viceroy Hotels & Resorts taps Highgate CEO Arash Azarbarzin for top role

    The luxury hospitality brand also named a new chief commercial officer, as well as several other executives, to “guide its next phase of growth.”

    By • Dec. 10, 2025
  • A rendering of a LivAway Suites hotel.
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    Permission granted by Sarah Wilson
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    LivAway Suites breaks ground on 4th Phoenix-area location

    The new hotel will be the extended stay brand's fifth property in Arizona and is part of LivAway’s rapidly growing national development pipeline.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 10, 2025
  • A cruise ship sails around the Amalfi Coast
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    Courtesy of 2025 Hilton
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    Hilton sets sail on loyalty growth with Explora Journeys partnership

    The tie-up is part of the new Hilton Honors Adventures immersive loyalty program extension and will allow members to earn and redeem points on luxury ocean travel.

    By • Dec. 9, 2025
  • Marriott added Sonder's portfolio of more than 9,000 rooms to its system in 2024.
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    Courtesy of Sonder
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    The top hospitality industry CEO moves of 2025

    Yotel, Vail Resorts and Remington all named new chief executives during the year, while the heads of Virgin Hotels Collection and Six Senses bade farewell.

    By • Updated Dec. 16, 2025
  • An interior view of Bunkhouse Hotels' Hotel Daphne in Houston, Texas.
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    Courtesy of Hyatt
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    Bunkhouse Hotels opens another boutique property in Houston

    Hotel Daphne comes after Hotel Saint Augustine debuted in the Texas city earlier this year, following Hyatt’s 2024 purchase of the brand’s parent company, Standard International.

    By • Dec. 8, 2025
  • Aimbridge Hospitality filed a lawsuit against Avion Hospitality and its president and CEO, Robert Burg.
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    Courtesy of Aimbridge Hospitality
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    Aimbridge adds first US all-inclusive property

    IHG’s Voco Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is in the midst of a $50 million renovation, with the first phase slated for completion in early 2026.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 5, 2025
  • An aerial view of The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California.
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    Courtesy of Marriott International
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    Marriott unveils St. Regis brand extension in latest luxury play

    St. Regis Estates will focus on hotels with “significant history, expansive grounds, and extraordinary amenities,” catering to the evolving demands of today’s high-end travelers.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
  • An aerial view of Miraval The Red Sea hotel.
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    Courtesy of Hyatt
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    Hyatt taps Tamara Lohan as luxury brand leader

    The Mr & Mrs Smith co-founder will guide Hyatt’s global luxury strategy on an interim basis as the company announces multiple high-end property openings in the coming year.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 4, 2025
  • A view of the dining room at Four Seasons San Francisco overlooking downtown San Francisco
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    Retrieved from Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco on December 04, 2025
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    Blackstone buys San Francisco Four Seasons amid market’s ‘AI revolution’

    The deal, reportedly priced near $130 million, comes as the city’s beleaguered hospitality market makes a comeback thanks to its growing AI sector, per Blackstone COO Jon Gray.

    By • Dec. 4, 2025
  • An phone screen with the Expedia icon.
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    Getty Images
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    Expedia names its first chief AI, data officer

    Xavier Amatriain, a former Google executive, will don dual hats for the travel company. The move is a nod to data quality's criticality for IT initiatives.

    By Nicole Laskowski • Dec. 3, 2025
  • An aerial image of Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall
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    Courtesy of Hyatt
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    Tortuga Resorts names CEO to usher in next phase of growth

    Leo Schlesinger's appointment comes after the company acquired the Playa Hotels & Resorts real estate portfolio from Hyatt for $2 billion.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
  • An aerial view of Aria Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas
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    Retrieved from Marriott International on December 03, 2025
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    Realty Income invests $800M in 2 Las Vegas resorts

    The perpetual preferred equity investment in Aria Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa builds on the firm’s relationship with owner Blackstone Real Estate.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
  • The Kessler Collection's Grand Bohemian Orlando is part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection.
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    Permission granted by Nike Communications
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    Q&A

    Kessler Collection CEO on the balancing act of hotel brand partnership

    Richard Kessler, who helped found Marriott’s Autograph Collection, shares the pros and cons independent hoteliers weigh when considering partnerships with larger hospitality brands.

    By • Dec. 2, 2025
  • Las Vegas Skyline
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    Getty Images
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    MGM rebrands NoMad Las Vegas as The Reserve at Park MGM

    The brand transition will take effect in mid-December, and the property is expected to join Marriott Bonvoy's Autograph Collection in early 2026.

    By Lara Ewen • Dec. 2, 2025
  • The inside of a hotel room at a Cambria hotel in Nashville.
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    Courtesy of Choice Hotels International
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    The key to hotel guest loyalty? Flexibility and value.

    Choice Hotels VP of Loyalty Nandika Suri shares how evolving traveler demand shaped the hotel company’s latest loyalty program enhancements.

    By • Dec. 1, 2025
  • In this photo illustration, the home page for the OpenAI "ChatGPT" app is displayed on a laptop screen on February 03, 2023 in London, England.
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Small hotels, big advantage: AI evens the playing field

    While big chains are flexing their tech muscles, independents have the advantage when it comes to flexibility.

    By Chris McPherson • Dec. 1, 2025
  • Two businesses executives shake hands in office
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    Getty Images
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    Ashford Inc. names new president, chief operating officer

    Hector Sanchez was previously CEO of Ashford Inc. subsidiary Premier, while Eric Batis was most recently the asset management firm’s executive vice president of operations.

    By Lara Ewen • Nov. 26, 2025
  • An interior shot of Cirrus, a Sonder-owned hotel.
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    Courtesy of Sonder
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    From Bonvoy to bankrupt: Sonder’s end outlined

    A timeline recap details Sonder’s history of financial woes, Marriott’s breaking point and where the industry stands after the failed partnership.

    By • Nov. 26, 2025
  • The exterior of a CitizenM hotel.
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    Courtesy of Marriott International
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    CitizenM rebrands to Another Star

    The name change follows Marriott International’s acquisition of the citizenM lifestyle hotel brand earlier this year.

    By • Nov. 25, 2025
  • A guest room at Sofitel New York
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    Courtesy of Sofitel
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    Accor’s Sofitel completes renovation on Manhattan flagship hotel

    Sofitel New York refurbished all of its public spaces, as well as its 398 guest rooms and suites, adding a bistro and an expansive penthouse.

    By Lara Ewen • Nov. 25, 2025
  • An exterior image of New York Marriott Marquis
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    Retrieved from Marriott International on November 24, 2025
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    Hotel Tech-in: The cinematic drone tour showcasing New York Marriott Marquis

    A drone flies through the Times Square hotel’s lobby, rooms and amenity spaces highlighting the guest journey from start to finish.

    By • Nov. 24, 2025