🔎 Today’s trend: hotel fire safety in India back under the spotlight. After the New Delhi tragedy in June (at least 21 dead), a hotel in the temple town of Tarapith, West Bengal, has now been struck by a deadly fire – reviving questions over compliance with safety standards in India’s hotel industry.
🇫🇷 National
💳 Digital tipping, a divisive system? | A growing number of French restaurateurs are now offering to settle tips directly by card via the payment terminal, rather than in cash. While some customers welcome the simplicity of the gesture, others say they feel pressured into it – a practice that operators also present as a recruitment argument for a sector under strain. #Tipping #Restaurants #France
🌍 International
🔥 Safety | Fire In the state of West Bengal, a fire at a hotel in the temple town of Tarapith has killed eight people among pilgrims who had come to honour the god Shiva during the sacred month of Shravan, the state’s chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, announced. The cause of the blaze has not yet been established. Last June, a fire at a New Delhi hotel had already killed at least 21 people. #India #Fire #Safety
✨ Appointment | Lars Pursche has been appointed General Manager of the Hilton Doha The Pearl, a role he has held since June 2026. With more than twenty years of experience within the Kempinski group, notably leading hotels in Soma Bay, Huizhou and Bahía, he now joins the Hilton brand in Qatar. #Qatar #Appointment #Hilton
👨🍳 Appointment | Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach has appointed Rami Nasser as executive chef. With more than 21 years of international experience, he will oversee all of the property’s restaurants and bars, including Jou Jou Brasserie, Sea Fu and Shai Salon. #Dubai #Gastronomy #FourSeasons
📈 Appointment | BSG Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. has appointed Sunny Haroon as Chief Operating Officer. With more than 25 years of experience in India and internationally, he will lead the group’s strategic expansion in hotel consulting and management. #India #Appointment #Consulting
🚀 Appointment | Gabriel García Pardo becomes Vice President of Operations for Mexico and Jamaica at Royalton Hotels & Resorts, a role he has officially held since 1 August 2026. He will oversee operations at 11 of the group’s hotels across these two strategic Caribbean markets. #Mexico #Jamaica #Royalton
👋 Departure | Andres Londono is stepping down as General Manager of Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa, a Relais & Châteaux property, after three years in the role. He is returning to Edmonton to be closer to his family, with his last day set for 20 August 2026. #Canada #RelaisChateaux #Career
🚨 Safety | In Catalonia, a 39-year-old man has been arrested for repeatedly stealing tip jars from restaurants and bars in the Tarragona region. He has been charged with four counts of theft and one of theft with violence, after being identified through the targeted establishments’ CCTV footage. #Spain #Catalonia #Safety
