Direct booking increase: Six of the top 10 hotel brands had direct bookings increase from May 2016 to May 2017, according to Hitwise; three of the top eight online travel agencies had more bookings during that period, evidence that hotel companies attempts to divert customers away from OTAs may be working.
Illegal in Phuket: Six months after an amnesty deadline to license hotels in the popular resort island of Phuket, Thailand, only 429 of the 1,724 hotels are currently licensed, according to a report by C9 Hotelworks. Data from Phuket’s Provincial Administration Office shows that of the 1,295 unlicensed hotels identified in Phuket, only six have had their licenses approved. A further 1,001 are pending approval, while 288 have not yet applied.
Record occupancy in June: The U.S. hotel industry reported that occupancy rose 0.7% to 73.4%, — a record, ADR rose 2.1% to US$129.12 and RevPAR rose 2.8% to US$94.73 in June year over year, according to STR. Demand is driven by individual travelers. RevPAR has grown year over year for 88 consecutive months in the U.S.
Ovolo in Brisbane: Ovolo Hotels of Hong Kong purchased the New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites in Brisbane, Australia. A purchase price for the Heritage-listed hotel, which will be rebranded an Ovolo starting later this year, was not given.
Deutsche, GBI to develop together: Deutsche Hospitality and GBI AG are partnering to develop new locations for the IntercityHotel and Jaz in the City brands, starting with lease agreements for four IntercityHotels totaling about 800 rooms in Heidelberg, Wiesbaden, Bielefeld and Graz.
Groups urge divestment: Advocacy groups are asking two of the biggest U.S. public pension funds, in California and New York, to divest from an investment fund linked to a Trump company managing a New York hotel.
Travel ban: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court opinion that temporarily exempts grandparents and other relatives from President Donald Trump’s travel ban. It also lifted an order exempting a travel ban on a category of refugees.