Staff at six downtown Chicago hotels, including the Palmer House Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria and the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, walked out on Friday 9 October 2026 at the call of the UNITE HERE Local 1 union. The action comes during Chicago Marathon weekend, one of the busiest periods of the year. It forms part of negotiations covering more than 7,000 workers across 46 hotels in the city.

Viceroy Hotels & Residences has appointed Nicholas Untermann General Manager of Viceroy Park Avenue, the brand's future New York flagship, scheduled to open in February 2027 in the NoMad district. A veteran of Terranea Resort and Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, he joins the pre-opening team of a project that marks Viceroy's return to Manhattan.

🔎 Trend of the day: AI, the new engine of hotel performance. From conversational distribution to real-time pricing, industry players are embedding artificial intelligence at the heart of their value chain, from booking through to profitability management.

Hilton has entrusted the general management of Conrad Hong Kong to Conor Hadlington, who took up the post on 28 September 2026. A veteran of Mandarin Oriental, InterContinental and Shangri-La, the British executive now oversees operations, commercial strategy and the delivery of brand standards at the 513-room hotel in Pacific Place, in the Admiralty district.