Profit per room at hotels in Europe fall again, Airbnb introduces Adventures, why don’t luxury hotel brands truly differentiate? and why it is so hard to get a culture right.

Profit per room at hotels in Europe fall again
Monday, 17th June 2019

Profit per room at hotels in mainland Europe fell for a fifth consecutive month in April, as revenue levels continued to weaken across all departments, GOPPAR fell 8.4 percent year-over-year.

This was led by a year-on-year drop in Food & Beverage (down 8.4 percent) and Conference & Banqueting (down 16.6 percent) revenue, on a per-available-room basis >>

Airbnb introduces Adventures
16 Jun 2019 : Airbnb unveiled Airbnb Adventures – an expansion of Airbnb Experiences that includes the incredible opportunity for daring guests to channel their inner Phileas Fogg and travel Around the World in 80 Days >>

The first Hyatt-branded hotel in Malta
17 Jun 2019 : Hyatt Regency Malta will mark continued growth for Hyatt in Southern Europe, located on the scenic coastal destination of St Julian’s, the 153-room resort is expected to open in 2021 as the ideal destination for every occasion – from seamless business meetings to memorable family vacations >>

Four Seasons to expand Bay Area portfolio
16 Jun 2019 : Currently known as the Loews Regency San Francisco, the Hotel will be renamed Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero in 2020 following renovations. It will be the second Four Seasons hotel >>

Global sports tourism start-up competition launched
15 Jun 2019 : The World Tourism Organization in collaboration with Barça Innovation Hub and with the support of the Qatar National Tourism Council, has announced the launch of the 1st UNWTO Sports Tourism Start-up Competition, the initiative is designed to identify projects and innovations that can transform the sports tourism sector in the near future >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Why Don’t Luxury Hotel Brands Truly Differentiate? Have They Run out of USPs?
Monday, 17th June 2019

So, the question is, beyond W, are there any truly differentiating luxury hotel brands? Let’s face it, the vast majority of 'luxury' hotels still fall into the category of 'traditional' luxury. There are numerous hospitality brands these days competing in the luxury realm and there is no real definition for, and distinction between, what is luxury vs. for example, upscale.

In addition, there are some iconic, and in some cases legendary properties that have managed to become brands themselves over the years >>

Converting More Direct Bookings through the Front Desk
If you are not proactive in capturing more direct bookings now, you may soon find yourself paying OTA commission on more than half of your bookings. If that happens, profits go down and you very well may find yourself looking for a new job simply because your front desk staff did not ask one simple question >>

Why It Is So Hard to Get a Culture Right and What To Do About It
Part 1: Does culture matter? Google, Facebook, and Amazon: If you think about these companies, their culture is often one of the things you first picture and identifying and building a strong culture has allowed them to increase efficiency, improve morale, and decrease turnover, and all this has ultimately led to greater profitability >>

Reputation Management Companies are Failing Hoteliers
Opinion: Why simply managing your hotel reviews is no longer enough for reputation management companies, saying this may get some flak, but it’s not to say that reputation management companies are bad or inherently trying to fail their customers >>

Global Newsletter from June 14, 2019
Rise in alternative accommodations, Accor’s renewed focus – aspirational and experiential aspects of a guest, strategies to prepare for design thinking and revenue-killing Wi-Fi mistakes >>