5 things to know for July 18
Today’s Headlines: Sri Lanka repeals 1954 law banning hotel waitresses working at night; Economists predict more growth, lower chance of recession in US; Costa Rica’s Tabacón resort sells for $111 million; Guest psychology plays bigger role in designing hotel rooms, shared spaces; In the European Union, Dutch employees tend to work the longest
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5 things to know for July 17
Today’s headlines: Indian Hotel Company acquires $19 million of shares in ELEL Hotels; EU and Japanese exports to US fall amid tariffs; UK hospitality jobs drop by 84,000 since October budget; US hotels post negative metrics across the board; BWH signs Philippines master development deal with Savers Group
Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
5 things to know for July 16
Today’s headlines: UK inflation rises to 16-month high in June; Marriott CFO Oberg announces retirement; The numbers behind the growth of the extended-stay hotel segment; Weeklong vacations not in reach of 27% of European Union citizens; Las Vegas Sands starts work on $8 billion Singapore resort
Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
5 things to know for July 15
Today’s headlines: Ireland's Dalata Hotel Group agrees to €1.4 billion takeover bid; New York’s Waldorf Astoria to reopen after eight-year renovation; Zara billionaire Ortega acquires Paris hotel for €97 million; Eid festival in Abu Dhabi sees performance hit 16-year highs; Arora acquires fellow UK airport-hotel specialist Bloc
Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
Hotel industry in Africa adapts to meet travelers' desires
Marriott moves into safaris; Sun International tweaks timeshare model
CAPE TOWN — Hoteliers in Africa are setting their expansion and portfolio strategies around new types of travelers to the continent.
Europe’s second-richest person acquires Paris hotel for €97 million
Autograph Collection Hotel Banke Opera changes hands for €1.07 million per key
Amancio Ortega, the founder of Spanish clothes retailer Zara, has acquired the 90-room Autograph Collection Hotel Banke Opera in Paris for €97 million ($113.3 million), according t...
Pandox, Eiendomsspar to acquire Ireland’s Dalata Hotel Group for €1.4 billion
The Irish company previously rejected an offer worth €1.27 billion
Dalata Hotel Group has accepted a higher offer from Pandox AB and Eiendomsspar AS to acquire the Irish hotel firm, subject to shareholder approval.
5 things to know for July 14
Today’s Headlines: Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed by fire; More men than women are returning to the office; UK government to ban new upward-only rent reviews; Wyndham signs Cygnett Hotels alliance deal in Asia; Hilton signs its first 'cave' hotel in Turkey
Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
Organizations for good, and gardens for hotel roofs
The Social Hub opens two Italian gardens at its newest hotels
Last week in this blog, I wrote about South Africa and global inequality.
Experts say Africa is ready for wave of hotel franchising, but companies must be flexible
Brands, property owners and operators must collaborate to achieve return on investment
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — As global hotel brands have proliferated across the world via the franchise model, hotel experts in Africa view the continent as the final franchising fro...
Europe, Middle East and Africa hospitality hires and promotions: Edvaldo Brito appointed general manager of the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort
Luca Finardi joins Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as vice president of operations, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Caribbean Atlantic
Read the latest roundup of hotel industry hires and promotions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Tourism must work however slowly toward achieving greater equality
South Africa tops the Gini index, the most inequal country on the planet
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille kicked off the Future Hospitality Summit Africa held in Cape Town last month.
How a London general manager plays on dual-branded hotels' connections and individuality
Accor credited with first dual-branded hotel opened in 1984 in Paris
Dual-branded hotels have been popular for more than a decade as the hospitality industry seeks to streamline operating models and cater to different guest segments.
Singapore's Furama acquires Skye Suites Sydney for $44.5 million
Receivers put serviced apartment on market following dispute between former owners
Singapore-based Furama Hotels International has acquired the 73-room Skye Suites Sydney serviced apartment in Sydney, Australia, and the adjacent, ground-floor shopping mall from r...
Hoteliers in Africa devise novel financing options to increase openings
Lenders shy away from large swaths of the continent due to risk and uncertainty
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Hoteliers are increasingly devising their own solutions — particularly with financing — to get hotels open across Africa, citing the absence of a required...
Largest hotel deal in Spanish history, Mare Nostrum Resort Tenerife sells for €430 million
The resort last changed hands in 2021 in a portfolio with additional hotels
Spanish hotel firm Spring Hotels Group acquired the 1,037-room Mare Nostrum Resort Tenerife from Brookfield Asset Management for €430 million ($506.7 million). Business advisory Co...
APA Hotels acquires fellow Tokyo-based hotel firm Ishin Group
Ishin has 17 urban hotels in its portfolio
In mid-June, APA Holdings, the hotel ownership division of Tokyo-based APA Group, acquired 100% of the shares of Ishin Hotels Group for an undisclosed price.
Valor Hospitality grows management portfolio across Africa with franchising focus
Operator prioritizes alignment with African hotel owners as it expands to Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Africa believes in the hotel business model of franchising, and Valor Hospitality Partners believes it's at the forefront of the trend across the continen...
Cape Town urban retreat leads to tales of 16 war zones
Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Mowbray has a history dating 365 years
On my visit to Cape Town to attend the recent Future Hospitality Summit Africa 2025 a couple of weeks ago, I first chose a hotel a few kilometers away from where the conference was...
BDPST Group acquires Marriott Budapest for €115 million
Ownership consortium headed by Hungarian prime minister’s son-in-law
Austrian hotel owner S IMMO Ag, 100% owned by CPI Europe, has sold the 364-room Marriott Budapest for €115 million ($134.6 million), or approximately €316,000 per key.