A Decade of Innovation in Just One Year: Seven Surprising Ways the Pandemic Has Changed Hotels Forever

For more than a century, Hilton has pioneered many of the elements that define the hospitality industry today. In the last year, the pandemic has accelerated our innovation engine – we’ve thought of it as a decade of change in just 12 months. And though the experience in our hotels will be different as people begin to travel more freely, our Team Members around the world are eager to welcome our guests, sharing the light and warmth of our hospitality once again.“ – Chris Nassetta, president & CEO, Hilton

After more than a year of canceling family vacations, postponing bucket-list trips or attending virtual conferences, travelers are looking forward to packing their suitcases and making new memories with family and friends. In fact, Hilton’s recent To New Memories campaign revealed that 94% of Americans surveyed plan on doing just that once travel restrictions lift, and that 91% of those who travel say that their hotel experiences are a memorable part of their trip. 

But how has the pandemic changed that hotel experience? And what can travelers expect as they hit the road now and in years to come?

Marriott International Teams With Shinhan Card and Visa For Korea’s First-Ever Co-Branded Hotel Credit Card

‘Marriott Bonvoy The BEST Shinhan Card’ combines the competitive advantages of a major card company with the reach and choice of the highly awarded travel program

Marriott International today announced the launch of Marriott Bonvoy® The BEST Shinhan Card, offered exclusively by Visa, enabling cardholders to accelerate the number of Marriott Bonvoy points they earn, which can be redeemed for free nights at more than 7,600 hotels across 30 extraordinary brands around the world. This launch is set to be the first hotel industry credit card in South Korea where Cardholders can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and enjoy member benefits that come with elite status.

Super 8 Teams Up with Actor Oliver Hudson to Inspire Travellers to #JourneySafe

Award-winning, PSA-style campaign gets reimagined to promote safe travel as increasing numbers of travellers prepare for a return to the open road ......<

Super 8® by Wyndham, one of the world’s largest economy hotel brands, today unveiled the latest instalment of its award-winning #JourneySafe campaign. Featuring the voice of actor, family man and avid road-tripper Oliver Hudson, the reimagined, multi-channel campaign—best known for its use of iconic dashboard bobbleheads—takes a light-hearted, PSA-style approach to promote the continued importance of safe and responsible travel.

#JourneySafe returns as millions of travellers—many showing increasing levels of consumer confidence—look to balance a new willingness to travel with the continued desire to do so safely.

According to a recent third-party travel study shared by the United States Travel Association with its members, close to 9 out of 10 American travellers now have travel plans in the next six months1.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts continues its growth programme.....

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company by number of properties with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries, continues to cement its presence across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA) with a series of recent hotel launches and a strong line-up of openings for 2021.

In a year of historic challenges for the travel industry, in 2020 Wyndham achieved 38 new hotel signings in the region, a host of important openings, in addition to launching multi-faceted initiatives to support and empower hotel partners across EMEA to help re-build demand in response to changes and on-going travel restrictions.

Some of Wyndham’s key 2020 openings included the European expansion of Ramada by Wyndham in Madrid, Valencia, Leeds and Budapest and continued momentum in India and Pakistan. Other highlights included the expansion of La Quinta by Wyndham in Turkey, and the debut of the Super 8 by Wyndham brand in the UAE alongside more openings in Germany.

Hollywood Beach redevelopment gets top ranking.

A top 10 ranking in Conde Nast Traveler, AAA Four Diamond status and resilience through the pandemic have proven the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort to be one of the best public/private redevelopment projects in the nation.

Margaritaville looking east from the Intracoastal. (Photo: Lojeta Group of Fla. Inc.)

Best Practice Cities (www.bestpracticecities.com) Founding principal Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, while serving as City Manager for Hollywood Florida, steered the project through uncharted and difficult waters. Her leadership created not only the #7 resort among all Florida resorts ranked by Conde Nast readers but also an anchor for redevelopment and reinvestment that has kept hundreds of small businesses on Hollywood Beach alive even in unmatched challenges during COVID-19. The Margaritaville development created hundreds of jobs, a revenue stream for the city that will be worth hundreds of millions and an activity generator that has boosted tourism in the historic beach district between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.