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1. Disney's Star Wars Hotel To Close
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will close this September, CNBC reports. The two-day immersive experience opened in March 2022.
The cost to stay at the hotel was about $1,200 per person per day, and family packages are nearly $6,000, according to the article. The experience includes a hotel room, a day trip to the Hollywood Studios park, all food and drink except alcohol and specialty beverages, a Magic Band and valet service at drop-off. Guests could interact with cast members acting out different roles on board the ship.
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” the company said in a statement. “This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”
2. Weekly Jobless Claims Fell to 242,000
The latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows the number of first-time claims for weekly jobless benefits fell to 242,000 the previous week, down 22,000 from the week before, CNN reports.
Additionally, continuing claims dipped to 1.779 million for the week ending May 6 from a revised 1.807 million the previous week.
"A week ago, the Department of Labor’s report on unemployment insurance filings showed that the number of weekly initial claims jumped by 22,000 to land at their highest level since October 2021. However, a large share of those new claims came from Massachusetts, where the state labor department said the reported gain was a reflection of an increase in fraudulent activity and not necessarily a spike in people filing for unemployment benefits," the news outlet reports.
3. Demand Trends for Summer Travel
While demand for hotels this summer travel season is trending up year over year, some typical destination markets such as Miami and Daytona Beach are shaping up to be less popular after a healthy run of demand growth since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Hotel News Now's Trevor Simpson.
Michele Mainelli, senior vice president of revenue management at Island Hospitality Management, said her team is planning for a decrease in summer demand at its Florida hotels.
“I do think we expected it to scale back because it has been so strong the last three years. Now that international travel has ramped up, I think we expected it,” she said. “We didn’t budget as aggressively for the Florida properties as we had in previous years.”
4. Southern Europe Could See Record Tourism
Tourism in southern Europe is back with a vengeance as travelers seek to make up for lost time from three years of COVID-19-related restrictions and rising energy costs, Reuters reports.
Destinations such as Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal could experience record tourism revenues in the year, according to the news outlet.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Italy was up 70.5% in January and February this year compared to the same period in 2022. If this trend remains, Italy could reach or exceed 2019 levels.
"Today in Italy, we have this boom in terms of tourism that is unbelievable," Carlo Messina, CEO of Italy's Intesa SanPaolo, told investment analysts during a call. "It is impossible to find a place in a five-star hotel if you want to make a vacation."
5. Bill Gates Wins Bid for Hotel Near St. Peter's Basilica
American businessman Bill Gates has officially been awarded a contract for a new luxury hotel under his Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Chain that will be near St. Peter's Basilica, Crux reports.
A statement notes the agreement was signed with Miami-based Fort Partners Group leasing the Palazzo di Domenico della Rovere in Borgo "for hotel use under the management of the Four Seasons group," the news outlet reports.
The article cites reporting by the Corriere della Sera that the the multi-million-dollar contract sets an annual rent of slightly more than $1 million and would include the reconstruction of the property and restoration of the frescoes, Crux reports.