Hospitality Net

Starwood Hotels' VP of Digital Strategy discusses how hotels can optimize for AI-driven search discovery, build data foundations as the source of truth for LLMs, and convert AI recommendations into direct bookings.

Drawing on interviews with 38 leaders across 13 countries, the author argues hotels must build a hospitality strategy first and use technology to enable it, not the reverse.

JW Marriott , part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of more than 30 brands, today announces its collaboration with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as a Global Brand Ambassador. Through this, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will elevate and bring renewed expression to the brand’s global “Stay in the Moment” platform, bringing a thoughtful, globally resonant perspective that deepens its relevance across key international markets.

Independent hotels often can't afford pricing errors, and modern RMS platforms now cost a fraction of enterprise pricing, with setup fees of $7K-$10K and interfaces designed for small, non-specialist teams.

Black Label Hotels appoints Richard Koeken as Chief Financial Officer. As of June 1, 2026, he will be responsible for the organization's financial strategy. The appointment marks a deliberate investment in the financial professionalism of a company that is expanding rapidly – ​​both nationally and internationally.

Actabl appoints Rob Bahl, former Marriott Global VP of Engineering, as SVP of AI Asset Management to lead AI-driven asset and operational strategy across its platform.

Dr. Adrienne Boissy draws on healthcare's measurable approach to empathy, burnout, and system design to challenge hospitality leaders to move beyond aspiration and build human connection into operations.

Mews CEO Matt Welle outlines how cloud-native PMS, mobile housekeeping apps, online check-in, and lobby kiosks can eliminate front desk queues while adding measurable ancillary revenue.

CHMWarnick's Proph+IT platform gains a Performance Quadrants Dashboard for portfolio-wide visualization and a new Select module for select-service assets, covering 22,000 rooms and $12B in managed value.

Remington Hospitality takes over management of Aruna Resort Villas in Ambergris Caye, Belize, as part of its strategy to grow its independent and boutique portfolio across the CALA region.