TODAY: Marriott cuts third-party commissions, Virgin Hotels plans first European property and growth & change: The shifting luxury travel market.

Marriott cuts third-party commissions
Monday, 5th February 2018

To all my friends at Marriott International and the meetings and incentives industry, this is a really unfortunate choice and business decision from what was a long time partner and champion of third-party planners. Allow me to cut through the BS and tell you what this really should say. >>

Virgin Hotels plans first European property
3 Feb 2018 : Virgin Hotels has announced plans to open in Edinburgh, Scotland, expected to open in 2020, the development marks an important moment in Virgin Hotels' history and is expected to be joined by more UK and European projects in the coming years >>

Growth and change: The shifting luxury travel market
2 Feb 2018 : The ITB Berlin Convention is in touch with the latest industry trends too, international experts will be explaining the real needs of the high-end travel market >>

Sabre launches pilot of AI-powered chatbot
4 Feb 2018 : Pilot explores how artificial intelligence can help travel agencies serve travelers better by fulfilling their most common service and support requests with smart technology >>

Element Hotels to help travelers on the road to wellness
5 Feb 2018 : Marriott International’s eco-conscious longer-stay brand Element Hotels and S’well, the fashionable, reusable hydration accessory company, are launching a national partnership, which will be activated at all 26 Element Hotels in the United States >>

IHG signs third HI Express in Singapore
5 Feb 2018 : InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the signing of a new property in Singapore: Holiday Inn Express Singapore Serangoon, this latest addition to the fast-growing Holiday Inn Express portfolio, in partnership with Toledo International, is located at the emerging hip and creative area, Jalan Besar >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Five Reasons Why Travel Brands Need to Take Notice of Alibaba’s Fliggy
Monday, 5th February 2018

Crafting a unique user profile from 1000 petabytes of data! Yes, this is what Alibaba is attempting to do as an ecosystem and in this context, it isn’t surprising to find more than 70 domestic and foreign airlines opting to establish flagship stores on Fliggy
Crafting a unique user profile from 1000 petabytes of data! Yes, this is what Alibaba is attempting to do as an ecosystem and in this context, it isn’t surprising to find more than 70 domestic and foreign airlines opting to establish flagship stores on Fliggy.

The more a user sticks to an ecosystem, tougher it becomes for merchant/ advertiser to ignore the strength of such 3rd party platforms >>

Important Factors to Consider When Getting a Property Management System for Your Hotel
A good property management system is the backbone of a hotel, and though invisible, its scope affects different parts of a hotel’s functioning and with operational efficiency and guest relations riding on the PMS, it’s extremely important you bring a system that’s best suited to the needs of your small hotel >>