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🏠 Luxury train travel sees resurgence with the revival of the famed Orient Express, once a symbol of opulent travel in the last century. The Orient Express, synonymous with luxury since the 19th century and featured in Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," was conceived by engineer Georges Nagelmackers after a US trip in 1872. He founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, launching the first Orient Express in 1883 from Paris to Constantinople. A new route through Switzerland and Italy avoiding Germany was established in 1919.

💸 An Opinionway survey for Adyen, involving 1043 French travelers, reveals that 50% prefer cash to avoid bank fees during travel. 60% find single-use cards and installment payments appealing, with 26% trusting neo-banks. 47% use instant transfers to dodge caps, and 20% have faced blocked payments abroad. Despite potential deals, 60% book early, valuing security over less reputable platforms, a sentiment shared by 82%. The study was conducted online from February 19 to 21, 2025.

📍 Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts, established in 1981 and managed by PT Grahawita Santika, is a prominent hospitality player in Indonesia offering authentic Indonesian hospitality across its properties. D-EDGE is a SaaS company providing advanced cloud-based e-commerce solutions to over 17,000 hotels in more than 150 countries, backed by a team of 500 experts in over 25 countries and a network of 550+ partners. D-EDGE, a subsidiary of Accor with over 5,700 hotels and 10,000 dining spaces in 110 countries, offers an ecosystem for business growth including a range of integrated solutions—CRS, Guest Management, Data Intelligence, Connectivity Hub, Digital Media, and Website Creation.

⚽ Zinédine Zidane, a football legend and World Champion in 1998, has become the ambassador for Italy's first medical spa, Palace Merano, after a nearly 30-year association. The venue, honored to have Zidane, previously won the "Wellness & Spa Award 2025" by Condé Nast Traveller and was titled “Best Global Spa Hotel” by The Luxury Spa Edit. Zidane will aid in developing new wellness programs and initiatives.

🍴 Chakaiseki Akiyoshi, recently awarded its first Michelin star in 2025, launched an online shop for gift boxes as a strategy to manage demand and maintain service quality. Michelin-starred restaurants often face booking saturation post-award, leading to potential customer disappointment. The restaurant's gift boxes distribute customer influx over months or years, securing immediate cash flow and ensuring personalized, delayed experiences for patrons, addressing notoriety management, cash optimization, and customer satisfaction.

🏖️ In February 2025, Madrid welcomed 379,430 international travelers, 51.3% of 739,938 total visitors, marking a 7.8% increase from the previous year. The city saw a 4.5% visitor growth over 12 months, with international tourists up by 7.8% compared to just 0.7% for domestic tourists. Despite a stable population of 7,001,715 in 2024, the surge in tourism highlights the issue of overtourism. Madrid, which lacks a tourist tax unlike Barcelona and the Balearic Islands, considered implementing one in 2023 to manage visitor influx and combat overtourism, facing opposition from the local hotel association.

🏈 Palace Merano, Italy's pioneer of medical spas and creator of Méthode Revital® over 20 years ago, celebrates having football icon Zinédine Zidane as its new ambassador. Winner of the "Wellness & Spa Award 2025" by Condé Nast Traveller and "Best Global Spa Hotel" by The Luxury Spa Edit, Palace Merano has been a retreat for Zidane for nearly 30 years, who visits at least twice annually for a week or ten days with family or friends. Zidane credits the spa for his sustained high-level performance and well-being.

📝 Online customer reviews influence 92% of consumers, as noted by the IFOP x Guest Suite study. In 2019, a franchisee's contract was terminated due to numerous negative customer reviews, marking a legal precedent where online feedback was used as evidence of severe contractual breaches. This case remains relevant in 2025, highlighting the importance of managing online reputations, where positive experiences can strengthen a brand, while negative feedback can expose risks and drive improvements. Guest Suite offers tools for businesses to collect, distribute, and analyze customer feedback, ensuring a consistent and positive customer experience across franchises.

💲 In March 2025, Business Travel Show Europe surveyed 115 travel and procurement professionals, revealing that 60% believe business travel can be more sustainable. France aims for a 50% carbon emission reduction by 2030. Around 73% of buyers have incorporated sustainability into their travel policies, yet a TravelSmart poll found almost half of 326 multinationals lack carbon reduction targets for travel. Popular strategies include investing in sustainable aviation fuels (55%), reducing travel (50%), choosing carbon-neutral suppliers (42%), and adopting emission compensation mechanisms (36%). However, 27% don’t prioritize sustainability due to perceived management disinterest (26%), costs (15%), and incompatible booking systems (14%).

📈 Covivio disclosed a first quarter 2025 revenue increase of 5.4%, reaching €162 million, with occupancy rates in their office portfolio climbing to 95.7%. Key sectors like hospitality and residential properties contributed to this growth, with residential rents in Germany seeing a 24% rise upon relocations, especially in cities like Berlin. The company invested €52 million in the renovation of ten newly acquired hotels in France and Belgium, anticipating a return of over 20% by 2026.