🔎 Today's trend: hospitality caught between labour tensions and reinvention. From Scotland to the Côte d'Azur, restructurings and workplace disputes are multiplying, while Lyon, Saint Lucia and the Algarve show a sector that continues to innovate and reposition itself.

The global luxury travel advisor network reports a 20.8% rise in sales in 2026, driven by experiential luxury, wellness and a fast-growing ultra-high-net-worth clientele.

London luxury operator Maybourne, owner of Claridge's, The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory, is redirecting its commercial efforts toward the US, UK and Europe following a sharp downturn in Gulf clientele since February 2026. The rebalancing allows the Qatari-owned group to forecast rising revenue in the first half of 2026, in an increasingly competitive London five-star market.

Hotelier Daniel Shamoon, co-shareholder of Luxury Hotel Partners and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is partnering with Dutch entrepreneur Albert Hartog to develop a luxury resort within Pearns Point, a residential community on Antigua's west coast. The deal, announced on 27 August 2026, introduces a hospitality component to a development that has until now been exclusively residential, adding resort accommodation and villas for sale. It reflects the growing strength of the Caribbean's luxury residential segment, driven by sustained international demand.

Wynn Al Marjan Island has announced the Townhomes, a new accommodation category within Enclave, the boutique hotel at the heart of the future integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah. These two-level private residences, ranging from 630 to 1,110 sqm, draw inspiration from Parisian hôtels particuliers and complete the ultra-high-end offering alongside the existing Marina, Ocean Estates and Apartments.

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled NY Loves Canada, a discount programme for Canadian travellers, after visits to New York State fell more than 26% in 2025. Led by I LOVE NY, the initiative offers savings on accommodation and attractions for late summer and autumn, with some deals running through December. It aims to stem a decline that is hitting hotels and tourism hardest in the state's border regions.

Swedish hotel property company Pandox has signed a new long-term, revenue-indexed lease with Norwegian operator Strawberry for its hotel in Bodø, northern Norway. The agreement takes effect on 1 January 2027, when the current contract with Radisson Hotel Group expires, and will be accompanied by a joint renovation of the entrance and lobby along with a rebrand to Clarion Hotel Bodø.

After a little over two years leading Avani+ Fares Maldives, where he was named Resort Manager of the Year 2025 at the Hospitality ON Awards, Australian hotelier Judd Rabbidge joins Avani Singapore to lead its pre-opening, the first property from Minor Hotels' lifestyle brand in the city-state.

Marco Benvenuti, co-founder of Duetto and creator of the Open Pricing method, passed away on 28 August 2026 in San Francisco following a three-year battle with cancer. He founded the company in 2010 with Patrick Bosworth before helping build it into one of the leading revenue management software providers for the global hotel industry.

Dubai-based Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is welcoming two independent hotel brands from Turkey and Poland: The Marmara Hotels and PURO Hotels. Together, they add 15 properties to the GHA Discovery loyalty programme, in a move announced on 27 August 2026 that highlights the growing appeal of the alliance model among regional hotel groups keen to preserve their local identity while gaining international visibility.

Crescent Hotels & Resorts has announced the promotion of Kristi Kastrounis to Senior Vice President, Digital Marketing. In the role since October 2025, she now leads the group's marketing and eCommerce strategy across a portfolio of more than 120 hotels in the United States and Canada. The appointment forms part of Crescent's internal promotion policy, coming just weeks after two other executives within its commercial organisation were similarly elevated.

CUSTARD chief executive Petra Clayton has taken control of Set-Jet, the world's summit dedicated to screen tourism, acquiring it from Martin Evans, founder of The Tourism Business. The takeover comes a year after the inaugural edition, which drew 220 delegates in the UK, marking a new chapter for this emerging event at the crossroads of the tourism and screen industries.