Attack in Tunisia claims lives: At least 27 people were killed in an attack on a beach near the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba in Sousse, Tunisia. At least one gunman has also been killed.
Airbnb-style listings top Spanish hotels: In 2014, online bookings on vacation rental websites like Airbnb were higher than the number of hotel reservations in Spain. According to a study released by Exceltur, Airbnb and similar sites listed a total of 2.7 million beds.
Waldorf Astoria reaches union deal: The owners of the Waldorf Astoria in New York have reached a record deal with the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council in which the hotel could pay almost US$149 million in severance packages to its employees over the next two years. The average payout will be more than US$142,000.
Read more at The New York Times
Rosewood grows in China: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts was appointed by the CMT Group of Taiwan to manage Rosewood Clearwater Bay, Hainan, in 2018. The resort will be Rosewood’s second on Hainan and the fourth property in mainland China.
Hotel Syracuse joins Marriott: Hotel Syracuse in New York will become part of Marriott International’s Marriott Hotels brand. Marriott will work with the hotel’s operator, Crescent Resorts & Hotels, as part of the ongoing restoration of the hotel, scheduled to open as Marriott Downtown Syracuse in 2016.
Read more at the Central New York Business Journal
Increasing efficiencies with eRFPs: The Global Business Travel Association Meetings Committee and the Convention Industry Council APEX Workgroup released a new joint whitepaper revealing several emerging best practices to reduce the number of eRFPs coming to market and increase satisfaction of stakeholders. Best practices include sourcing professionals to educate buyers on the impacts of over-issuing eRFPs, adopting standardized templates and using technology to facilitate lead management processes for hotels.
TripAdvisor adds private feedback option: TripAdvisor announced a free add-on to its Review Express option allowing guests to complete a private survey.