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1. Nearly 2,000 hospitality workers in Norway go on strike
As negotiations broke down between unions and the hospitality employers in Norway over the weekend, nearly 2,000 hotel and restaurant workers are on strike, the Sweden Herald reports. The strike affects more than 100 hotels and restaurants in Oslo and Bergen.
The sticking point during negotiations was wages as well as conditions for sick pay, the newspaper reports.
"Hotel and restaurant workers have some of the lowest salaries in the country, but they face the same food and rent costs as everyone else," said Dag-Einar Sivertsen, head of negotiations for the trade union Fellesforbundet. "Without a real wage increase, we see no other option than to strike."
2. Oman hotel industry hits revenue record for 2025
The hotel industry in Oman saw annual revenues reach 297.3 million Omani rial ($773.2 million) in 2025, a record high, the Oman Daily Observer reports, citing information from real estate consultancy Cavendish Maxwell. The country welcomed 2.4 million hotel guests last year, a 11% year-over-year increase.
"After a robust, record-breaking performance in 2025, Oman's hospitality sector entered this year with strong momentum," said Khalil al Zadjali, head of Oman at Cavendish Maxwell. "We are now in a phase of sustained growth, supported by a more diversified mix of source markets, rising domestic demand and higher occupancy levels."
3. Berlin's Primestar enters luxury space with June Lux
Berlin-based hotel owner-operator Primestar has entered the luxury space with its newest brand, June Lux. In an interview with CoStar News Hotels' Terence Baker, Primestar chairman and co-owner Roland Rausch said the company already has three or four June Lux deals near completion.
“There is demand for luxury in Germany,” a market that often is described as price-sensitive, Rausch said, adding that 82% of Germany overnight stays are from Germans themselves. He and his team analyzed 15 cities in Germany, and the conclusion is that they did not “have a lot of fresh product” in terms of hotels.
4. Trump administration to begin tariff refunds
The Trump administration will start the process to return more than $166 billion collected from the tariffs it enacted since April 2025 after the Supreme Court struck them down in February, the New York Times reports. Starting today, businesses can submit documentation to the federal government to recover the money they paid on these tariffs.
Only the companies that directly paid the tariffs are able to recover this money, however. That means the companies and consumers who bought these products further down the supply chain cannot apply.
"The extent to which consumers realize any gain hinges on whether businesses share the proceeds, something that few have publicly committed to do," the newspaper reports. "Some have started to band together in class-action lawsuits in the hopes of receiving a payout."
5. MGM Grand Las Vegas to close buffet
In another sign of changing food and beverage trends, the MGM Grand Las Vegas will close its buffet May 31, KLAS 8 News Now reports. Buffets were once a staple at resort casinos across the Las Vegas Strip, but they have since fallen in number, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All-you-can-eat buffets were a way to draw in guests and keep them on property. Now many resort casinos offer celebrity chef restaurants, food halls and high-end dining.