Airbnb releases transparency report: Airbnb is publishing its first transparency report as part of its Community Compact, an initiative to make the company more transparent to the general public a well as to the local governments where it operates.
NH Hotels faces lawsuit: NH Hotels received a lawsuit from HNA Group against a motion approved by other shareholders in June to fire HNA-appointed board members. HNA’s Spanish subsidiary Tangla Spain, which owns 29.5% of NH Hotels, filed the lawsuit with a Madrid. Almost 60% of NH’s shareholders had backed the original motion.
Hotel Jen grows in China: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will open Hotel Jen Beijing in January 2017 as part of the China World Trade Center development. The 450-room hotel will be the third Hotel Jen to open in mainland China since Shangri-La launched the brand two years ago.
Mantra to operate in Albury: Mantra Group executive an agreement to operate the Mantra Albury Hotel in Australia. The 158-room hotel is scheduled to open in early 2018.
Park Hotel Group enters South Korea: Park Hotel Group will manage Park Hotel Yeongdeungpo in Seoul, South Korea. The 150-room hotel is scheduled to open in early 2017.
Read more at The Straits Times
JPTD, Swiss-Belhotel enter partnership: Jordan Projects for Tourism Development (JPTD), through its Swiss holding company Jordan Hotels Holding (JHH), signed an agreement with Swiss-Belhotel International to co-manage JHH’s existing hotel portfolio and the upcoming new expansions in the group’s hospitality division.
Read more at Hotelier Middle East
Brexit boost: According to a survey of fall booking data from Travel Leaders Group, Brexit, Great Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, which lowered the value of the British pound, has been “highly favorable” for American leisure and business travelers. Forty-five percent of respondents booking Europe said the increased value of the U.S. dollar compared to the British pound increased clients’ interest in countries within Great Britain.
Read more at Travel Market Report
Data breach at Hutton Hotel: Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, announced a “serious data breach” that has affected customers using their credit and debit cards at the hotel since September 2012. The hotel’s point-of-sale systems used at its check-in counter and on-site food and beverage outlets were infected with malware.
Read more at Hutton Hotel’s website
Russian flights to Turkish resorts resume: The first Russian charter plane carrying tourists to Turkey since Moscow lifted travel sanctions landed Friday at the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. Russia had banned charter tourist flights to Turkey in response to Ankara’s shooting down of a Russian war plane in November last year on the Syrian border.
Chicago Sofitel name change: Sofitel Chicago Water Tower’s name was changed to Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile. The name change is meant make guests aware of the hotel’s location near the Michigane Avenue strip.