Marriott International has published Future of Food 2027, its report on F&B trends across Asia Pacific excluding China. The study draws on chefs, hospitality experts and the group’s properties in the region. It describes hotel dining that is more local, more intimate and shorter, which the group sums up in a single phrase: the rise of place. For operators and owners alike, this bears directly on the programming of F&B spaces and the organisation of service.

🔎 Trend of the day: demand for accommodation remains robust, from the mountains to the campsite. Two 5-star hotels open in Courchevel Moriond, Paris suites post 82% occupancy, outdoor hospitality breaks records and a new TUI hotel opens in Phnom Penh: the appetite for travel shows no sign of fading – the challenge now is to capture more of its value in the face of the platforms.

The Groupement national des chaînes hôtelières (GNC) is changing its name to France Hospitalité, a federation chaired by Serge Trigano. Announced on 6 October 2026, the new identity marks the hotel chains' independence from UMIH after more than 30 years of association, giving a portfolio of 3,500 hotels employer representation devoted entirely to the hotel industry.

A year apart, the Paris Economic Activities Court (Tribunal des activités économiques de Paris) handed down two rulings in favour of franchisees, on 17 December 2025 and 30 September 2026. The first holds a franchisor liable for damage to its brand's image; the second for approving an unsuitable location. Although delivered outside the hotel sector, they touch two cornerstones of hotel franchising – site selection and brand value – just as the major groups are accelerating their shift to an asset-light model.

On 2 October 2026, the Singapore High Court upheld the removal of Gregory Clerc and Pierre Baer from the board of Investment Beverage Business Management (IBBM), validating the voting rights exercised by Romy Castel. Castel Group's management disputes the scope of the ruling and is preparing to replace IBBM. For one of the leading beverage groups in Africa, the question of effective control remains open.

On 30 September 2026, Hilton published its 2027 Trends Report, "The Great Rebalance", based on a Morning Consult survey of 14,744 travellers across 14 countries. The study identifies five trends expected to shape how people plan, book and experience travel next year, from the rise of "good-ish" travel to micro-trips. For operators, it highlights the growing weight of trust, loyalty and short stays in guests' decision-making.

According to the latest edition of Amadeus's Global Travel Agent Report, based on a survey of more than 750 travel agents, global distribution systems (GDS) are gaining ground and artificial intelligence is taking hold in sales tools. For hoteliers, the study sets out clear expectations: consistent rates across channels, rich property descriptions that address sustainability, and targeted advertising at the moment the agent is booking.

Brazil bans online sports betting and digital casinos. In New York, the Attorney General is taking on Polymarket, which has hit back in federal court. In France, the platform is challenging its block in the courts. Meanwhile, the prediction market leader has raised $1bn from Donald Trump Jr's fund, raising the question of the balance of power between states and the new players in online gaming.

In mid-August 2026, Expedia Group launched a reorganisation of its Product and Technology teams around artificial intelligence, with the departure of at least eight vice presidents and senior vice presidents, before filing notice in September of 58 further job cuts in Seattle. Born of the internet revolution, one of the world's leading online booking platforms must now reinvent itself in the face of AI agents, which could eventually hand control back to hotel groups and brand owners.

On 1 January 2027, GHR Paris Île-de-France, the leading hospitality employers' organisation in the Paris region, will become Union CHR Paris Île-de-France and join Umih as an associate union. The move gives the sector's largest national employers' organisation the added weight of a body representing 60,000 employees, in the run-up to France's 2027 presidential election.

On 24 September 2026, Accor announced the large-scale roll-out of ALL Concierge, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant that supports guests from inspiration through to post-stay, across ALL.com, the ALL Accor app, WhatsApp and iMessage. The tool was refined through more than one million conversations during its pilot phase. Alongside it, the group is launching the Butler, an AI tool for hotel teams.

Deputy editor-in-chief of Le Figaro's Art de Vivre desk, Alyette Debray-Mauduy died accidentally in Paris on 21 September, aged 57. For several years she had covered hospitality and gastronomy news for the newspaper.