hotels

A Sri Lankan court has handed down convictions over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, in which coordinated bombings of churches and hotels in Colombo and elsewhere killed more than 250 people. The verdict marks a significant step in a long-running legal process that families of victims and religious communities have followed closely for years.

Consumers are spending more on hobbies and entertainment closer to home as the rising cost of travel reshapes leisure habits, a trend CNBC has dubbed 'funflation'. With flights, hotels and trips growing more expensive, households appear to be redirecting discretionary budgets toward accessible local activities. The shift highlights how price pressure is changing where and how people spend their free time.

A UK court has extended an injunction preventing a former soldier from publishing a book about the 2019 DusitD2 hotel terror attack in Nairobi, in which militants killed more than 20 people. The ban restricts the ex-soldier from releasing his account of the siege, and the case continues to draw attention in both Britain and Kenya over questions of secrecy and publishing freedom.

The Carabinieri of Trecastelli have identified and reported the person responsible for a scam carried out against a hospitality facility in the Senigallia area. The news, published by local outlet QuiSenigallia, is drawing attention in Italy, where discussions about payment and cheque-related fraud remain high following repeated reports of scams targeting hotels and accommodation businesses.

New statistics released in Turkey show the number of accommodation facilities and rooms across provinces as of August 2026. Industry publications highlight that one in every three tourism beds in the country is located in Antalya, underlining the province's dominance in Turkish tourism. The figures give an up-to-date picture of where the country's hotel capacity is concentrated.

APA Group president Motoya says the company will keep investing until it reaches 30,000 hotel rooms, as it changes the brands and room layouts of two hotels planned near Hiroshima Station. The move is aimed at meeting growing demand from inbound foreign tourists. The announcement was reported by RCC Chugoku Broadcasting and picked up by Yahoo! News in Japan.

A performance of "Hotel Lobby" by Quavo and Takeoff has become the basis of a viral AI-generated meme circulating online. The clip has been reworked with artificial intelligence tools, prompting confusion and amusement as the altered versions spread. The rapper duo, formerly of Migos, released the track as part of their collaboration, and fans are now sharing the AI edits widely across social platforms.

Hotel workers in Chicago have voted to authorize a strike after major hotel brands rejected demands for wage increases. The authorization allows union negotiators to call a walkout if talks stall, though it does not guarantee a strike will occur. The dispute highlights ongoing friction between hospitality workers seeking better pay and hotel operators citing cost pressures.

Designer Tory Burch and singer Art Garfunkel are reportedly in a dispute with Cantor Fitzgerald's Howard Lutnick and members of the Khashoggi family over the sale of co-op apartments at the Pierre, the luxury hotel on New York's Fifth Avenue. Curbed reports the disagreement centers on whether units in the storied building should be put up for sale, pitting some of its most famous resident shareholders against one another.

A new Dolly Parton-themed hotel, the Songteller Hotel, has opened in Nashville, but the country star herself was absent from the launch, prompting the question of how a celebrity-branded hotel functions without the celebrity. The opening has drawn attention in travel and music circles, with discussion focusing on the hotel's attempt to channel Parton's persona and legacy in her hometown.

A new analysis from consultancy Bain & Company argues that travel operators risk losing control of the customer journey as artificial intelligence reshapes how travellers search, book and manage trips. The piece urges airlines, hotels and other providers to adapt their distribution and service strategies now, rather than standing by while AI platforms intermediate their direct relationships with customers.

A 19-year-old has been charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a hotel in Bluffton, South Carolina, according to local reporting from Live 5 News. Few further details about the incident, the victim's condition, or whether other suspects are being sought have been made public so far.

Fox 59 is warning travelers to watch out for common scams during the holiday season, one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Typical schemes include fake booking sites, too-good-to-be-true flight deals, and fraudsters posing as airlines or hotels. Officials urge travelers to book through trusted sources and verify offers before paying.

Reservations Group, the company formerly known as Hotelplanner, has released its AI-powered travel booking app on both iOS and Android. The move puts an artificial intelligence assistant for finding and booking accommodation directly in travellers' pockets. The rebrand to Reservations Group signals a broader ambition beyond hotel booking, though the company has not detailed how the AI differs from rival booking tools.

Developers in Noida are increasingly steering their luxury housing projects toward serviced residences, a format combining ownership with hotel-style amenities and management. The shift reflects changing buyer preferences in the Delhi-NCR property market, where premium buyers are showing interest in managed, low-maintenance homes. Industry observers say the trend could reshape how upcoming luxury supply in Noida is planned and marketed.

Hilton is promoting a concept called the Travel Trust Equation, framed as a look at what makes travellers choose and stay loyal to a hotel brand. The piece presents trust as a key factor in travel decisions, but no specific findings, data or events are given beyond the brand's own storytelling.

Choice Hotels International has acquired an RV travel company in a $130 million deal. The acquisition signals the hotel group's push into outdoor and road-trip accommodation as RV travel stays popular. Details about the target company, the deal's structure and how the business will be integrated have not yet been laid out in full.

Choice Hotels has announced an agreement to acquire Harvest Hosts, a membership-based RV travel company that connects travelers with farms, wineries, breweries and other unique overnight stops. The deal signals the hotel group's push into the fast-growing road trip and outdoor lodging market, extending its reach beyond traditional hotels and adding a new audience of RV travelers to its loyalty and booking ecosystem.

Indonesia is on course to overtake Thailand as Southeast Asia's largest travel market, according to industry reporting. The shift reflects Indonesia's growing domestic and inbound tourism, potentially reshaping how airlines, hotels and online travel agencies allocate investment across the region. Observers point to Thailand's reliance on international arrivals, particularly from China, while Indonesia's huge domestic base gives it scale and resilience.

South Florida's hotel construction boom is prompting property owners to treat electric vehicle charging as part of their parking budgets rather than an optional extra. As new hotels rise across the region, developers and operators are weighing how to install and maintain chargers to meet growing guest demand for electric vehicles.

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC has acquired 16 hotels in Japan operated by Marriott International for about ¥125 billion. The deal, reported by The Japan Times, underscores continued investor interest in Japanese hospitality assets as international tourism to the country remains strong. GIC becomes a major hotel owner in Japan, with Marriott expected to continue operating the properties under its brands.

Luxury hotel group Four Seasons has announced a set of new travel itineraries, expanding the curated journeys and experiences it offers guests across its global portfolio of properties. The travel trade press has picked up the announcement, highlighting the brand's continued push into bespoke, multi-destination trips aimed at high-end travellers seeking personalised, hotel-arranged adventures.

Fifteen men have been sentenced over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, a coordinated series of suicide attacks on churches and hotels that killed hundreds of people. The sentencing marks a significant step in the long-running judicial process over one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history.

Hotel group Hilton has declared 2027 the year travellers give up on the idea of the perfect trip. The company frames the shift as a move away from meticulously planned, flawless holidays towards more flexible, realistic expectations of travel. The announcement is drawing attention within the travel industry as an early signal of changing consumer attitudes.

Skift reports that the traditional travel distribution funnel is breaking down, arguing that the established path from suppliers to global distribution systems, agencies, and travelers no longer works as it once did. The analysis points to shifts in how flights, hotels, and other travel products are being sold and distributed across the industry.

Travel Tuesday, the post-Thanksgiving sales day focused on discounted flights, hotels and vacation packages, is drawing attention from travelers looking to book trips at lower prices. Airlines and booking platforms promote one-day offers, and news outlets are flagging the best deals for consumers planning holidays or getaways.