Why World Cup hotel demand is falling short in the U.S. - Hotels expected a major international booking wave for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but travel friction, political uncertainty, and operational missteps are weakening demand.

May 28, 2026 • Hospitality

Hotel brands are winning the economics of direct booking — even as OTAs keep the volume - A decade after “book direct” campaigns began, major hotel groups have improved margins, loyalty power, and customer ownership without significantly reducing OTA market share.

May 28, 2026 • Hospitality

The view from the front desk - The richest guest profile in the building no longer belongs to the building.

May 28, 2026 • Hospitality

Travel companies are losing visibility into the customer journey - AI-driven discovery is making it harder to understand where bookings, traffic, and traveler decisions originate.

May 28, 2026 • Hospitality

Nobody gets bypassed - Agentic commerce was supposed to route around the OTAs. Google's partner list routes straight through them.

May 27, 2026 • Hospitality

Long Lake’s transformation plan for Amex GBT will take years - The $6.3 billion acquisition signals a long-term AI rebuild of corporate travel infrastructure — with potential ripple effects for hotel distribution.

May 27, 2026 • Hospitality

AI and digital RFPs are resetting planner expectations - Hotels are facing growing pressure to acknowledge meeting and event inquiries within hours as automation accelerates sales cycles.

May 27, 2026 • Hospitality

Airbnb deepens hotel push with Booking.com veteran hire - The leadership change signals Airbnb’s growing ambition to compete more directly in the global hotel distribution market, especially among boutique and independent properties..

May 27, 2026 • Hospitality