A decree dated 12 June 2026 now regulates the length of medically prescribed sick leave in France, coming into force on 1 September. For a hotel industry structurally exposed to absenteeism in physically demanding roles, the measure is being greeted with both reassurance and questions from HR leadership.

From 9 September to 4 October 2026, Madrid hosts two major events back to back: the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix and the first nine dates of Shakira's world tour, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. According to Amadeus Travel Intelligence, air bookings to the Spanish capital are up 5% year-on-year, while Demand360 forecasts average room rates rising by 25%. A dual events calendar that is reshaping Madrid's hotel demand curve for a few weeks.

With 793 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, Europe remains the world's leading hospitality market. Yet it is still largely absent from the design and manufacture of the robots set to equip its hotels — a paradox that neither investors nor hotel groups themselves have so far addressed, risking a repeat, in room housekeeping, of the dependency already experienced with OTAs.

According to a new report published by Hotels.com on 1 September 2026, nearly one in two French professionals (44%) say they adopt a different personality between their working life and their personal life, a proportion that rises to 55% among Generation Z. The study, conducted by OnePoll among 1,000 working adults in France, accompanies the launch of a new booking experience dedicated to business travel on the Hotels.com website and app.

From Dubai to the Maldives, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa have unveiled two new concepts in quick succession: Aurōm, a botanical beverage laboratory, and ŪRJĀ, an island dedicated to naturopathy. Two separate announcements, but a single signal to the market: wellness is becoming a central axis of differentiation in international luxury hospitality.

Unveiled with great fanfare in 2021 as the twelfth jewel in the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts collection, the 58-room project tucked into Benedict Canyon ran into six years of regulatory battles before being permanently shelved by the City of Los Angeles. A look back at the reasoning behind the decision — and at the fate of the site, now back on the market.

The French hotel group and the online travel agency are strengthening their collaboration to accelerate hotels' sustainable certification and its visibility at the point of booking, as corporate demand hardens around these criteria.

Ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS° Living, the new format of the Branded Residences Forum taking place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai as part of FHS World), several industry leaders reflect on what is driving the rise of branded residences in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Susanna Mander (Meliá Hotels International), Makram El Zyr (Rotana), Victor Abou Ghanem (STORY Hospitality) and Mohamad Haj Hassan (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) analyse a segment fuelled both by growing lifestyle demand and by investors seeking yield and capital protection.

🔎 Today's trend: Rabat, the new showcase for international luxury hospitality. Between the arrival of the Four Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, the Conrad and now the Waldorf Astoria, the Moroccan capital is asserting a positioning that complements Marrakech, driven by business, institutional and MICE tourism.

From cabaret to hospitality, a new chapter is being written in Kirrwiller. As the Royal Palace unveils its very first four-star property, international hospitality continues its openings and expansions across the globe — not without a few controversies and sanctions along the way.Hospitality news of the day, 26 August 2026: openings, strategic expansions, appointments and air connectivity — here's what you needed to know today in the sector.

Blocked by the courts since 2019, the ultra-luxury Emeraude hotel project, backed by Champagne Hospitality in Saint-Barthélemy, has just secured a favourable ruling from France's Conseil d'État. Handed down on 7 July 2026, the ruling dismisses the fraud claim brought against the building permit and redefines the conditions for admissibility of appeals lodged by competing establishments, including Eden Rock. The case now returns to the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal, with a fresh ruling expected within four to six months.

British hedge fund TCI has taken positions on loans linked to four landmark Italian hotels, including Venice's Danieli, betting on the sector's ability to sustain rate increases.