Top News

🔔 Nearly 10,000 hotel sector employees across the U.S. have been on strike since Sunday, demanding wage increases and new hires, as reported by the Unite Here union. Amid post-pandemic recovery challenges, including new organizational practices reducing staff-related expenses, significant departures of professionals due to poor working conditions and low wages, and a sharp decline in tips - referred to as "tip fatigue," the hotel industry workers face hardships. In Canada, particularly in Quebec, hotel workers associated with the CSN launched an unexpected one-day strike last Friday involving 2,600 employees. Five unions have recently obtained a mandate potentially leading to an unlimited general strike.

🏦 Hyatt expanded in French secondary cities with a new hotel opened on August 27 in Rouen, located in a former teachers' training school from 1886. The Hyatt Place Rouen features 85 modern-designed rooms, a French regional cuisine restaurant named Zoom with a bar, outdoor terrace, and garden, plus three meeting rooms combinable into a 135 m2 space. Guest amenities include a spa with a heated pool, treatment rooms, and a fitness center. The building, owned by insurer Matmut since 2014, also houses 8,000 m2 of office space over two floors.

😋 Ankur Chakraborty co-founded Dubai-based LemonButter, managing Seeklo Indian Grillbar under it. Seeklo, part of LemonButter, features "Seeks & Grills" priced between 11-14 euros, including dishes like Poulet au basilic and Keema kebab d’agneau. It offers cocktails such as Kashmiri Kawa Martini and Mysore Manifestation. Designed by Lucie Rosenblatt and Benoît Huen, the restaurant has a 14-meter bar with 28 seats and a custom-made banquette adding 30 seats.

🏠 Strong shifts in exchange rates, like the high value of the dollar and the weakening yen, have influenced travel choices, causing over-tourism in Japan. Travel costs are up by 20-40% post-Covid. International tourism reached 88% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, expected to grow in 2024. Bleisure travel is on the rise, with 78% of business travelers considering adding personal vacations to business trips in 2024, and the market is projected to reach $731.4 billion by 2032. Sustainable travel is important to 45% of people but isn't a top priority when booking. Digital transformation in travel is ongoing, with an emphasis on online presence and personalization. New European train routes are launching, such as Brussels-Berlin and Paris-Berlin by Nightjet Sleeper, and a second ICE route from Vienna to Berlin-Hamburg. Travelers are opting for alternative destinations to avoid over-tourism and embrace local travel and farm-to-table dining, but the trend's longevity is uncertain.

🐟 Cheffe Nathalie Beauvais leads Le Jardin gourmand in Lorient for 35 years, experiencing fish supply decreases and price hikes, stopping use of expensive species like bar and turbot, over 20 €/kg. She advises chefs to monitor product traceability and adapt menus to quality and seasonality, like offering rouget under 15 €/kg. Patrick Pignol warns of diminishing fish in the sea, suggesting chefs buy in bulk and focus on sustainable fish, with Ethic Ocean advocating for durable fishing practices. Highlighted species include merlu (8 €/kg), maquereau (5.50 €/kg), and tacaud (1.70 €/kg), with respective high seasons and stock conditions.

🏨 During the first half of 2024, Radisson Hotel Group saw solid growth with over 130 new signings and openings in EMEA and APAC regions. Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, and Radisson RED brands expanded, including Radisson RED's entry into new markets like Ireland, New Zealand, Thailand, Laos, and China, growing its global portfolio to nearly 90 hotels. Radisson Blu added nearly 20 new properties, with Radisson Collection and Radisson RED launching in several new locations. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, highlighted the significant international portfolio growth, relevance to customers, and value to owners.

🏨 Marriott, an American giant, opened its 9,000th hotel in mid-August in Florida. The new partnership with Sonder adds over 10,500 rooms (9,000 already open) to the new Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy collection. Sonder, founded in 2014, caters to a young, urban clientele with a digital operational model. The first Sonder Atala opened in Paris in August 2021. Marriott now targets a net room growth of 6 to 6.5% for 2024. Tim Grisius, Global M&A and Real Estate Officer at Marriott, believes this will provide more urban apartment-style lodging options within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, catering to the growing extended-stay market.

📈 Booking for Business reveals a shift in business travel accommodations from 2019 to 2023 with apartment stays increasing from 5.77% to 8.87%. Hotels still lead with 71.6% of reservations, despite a 17% rise in hotel rates over two years. Other popular choices include guesthouses (4.17%) and B&Bs (2.37%). Business travelers are booking longer stays, averaging 3.5 nights, with France seeing an 11.1% increase in stay duration. Short-term rentals are facing regulatory challenges in cities like NYC and Barcelona which may affect future trends.