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1. Canada's inflation holds at 3%
The consumer-price index dipped 0.1% in August, maintaining the annual rate of inflation at 3%, according to Statistics Canada data reported by the Wall Street Journal. Experts continue to be concerned about energy costs amid the Iran War and ongoing trade conversations between the U.S. and Canada.
"Stripping out gasoline, the consumer price index rose 2.4% in August, speeding up slightly from July’s 2.2% advance. Still, the trimmed mean and weighted median measures of underlying inflation preferred by the Bank of Canada were unchanged, averaging 1.95% annually," the newspaper reports. "Canadians faced a 22.8% jump in prices at the pump last month, a slowdown after a 25.7% jump in July as energy costs remain elevated as the Middle East conflict continued."
This week in Toronto, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting dozens of global investors for a two-day summit discussing over 160 economic projects hoping to bolster the country's economy, per Reuters.
2. Marriott plans company's first all-inclusive resort in Turkey
In partnership with Turkish real estate investment trust Özak GYO, Marriott International announced plans for its first all-inclusive resort in the Europe, Middle East & Africa region. The Ritz-Carlton, Kemer, All-Inclusive is slated to open in 2028, per the news release, and will have 141 rooms, suites and villas, as well as a spa, swimming pools, kids club and sports courts.
“The signing of The Ritz-Carlton, Kemer, All-Inclusive reflects our continued focus on expanding Marriott’s luxury portfolio in sought-after leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East & Africa," said Neal Jones, president, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. "The project speaks to the evolution of the luxury resort segment, where guests increasingly seek the exceptional service, refined design and personalized experiences synonymous with The Ritz-Carlton, delivered within a fully immersive all-inclusive resort setting.”
3. Fourth-quarter calendar shifts hoteliers should know about
The stars seem to be aligning for the hospitality industry in the the fourth quarter of 2026, reports CoStar News' Trevor Simpson. December holidays all fall on a Friday, a favorable occurrence for hotel bookings, and October gains a Saturday, which lines it up for a positive year-over-year comparison.
"It's encouraging for leisure demand, allowing many to tie in time off into a three-day weekend," Michelle Westbrook, vice president of revenue management at Island Hospitality Management. "In 2025, we saw an immediate holiday lag starting a weekend earlier when Christmas Eve kicked off the holiday mid-week. This should be tempered this year with the holidays falling later in the week."
4. Oil prices jump to four-month high
The price of Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, jumped to $108 Monday, which is the highest it's been in about four months, CBS News reported. Additionally, U.S. crude rose to over $103.26 a barrel, a 20% increase from a month ago.
The prices increases are due to the continued war in Iran. Officials from Oman were set to meet with Iran leaders Monday to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz, but the meeting was postponed.
5. Saharan dust cloud looms over Florida
A collection of dust that measures to be about half the size of the continental U.S. loomed large over much of the Caribbean Saturday and crept toward South Florida, reports the New York Times. It's an unusually large cloud for this time of year, and the worst of it has cleared from the Caribbean but parts of it were still dissipating over Florida.
“These plumes are still coming off Africa in September, but they’re smaller and they usually don’t reach a place like Miami,” said Jason Dunion, a research meteorologist at the University of Miami who monitors Saharan dust.