Hotels Are Inspired By Airlines and 7 Other Hospitality Trends This Week

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines hospitality.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

>>Historic hotels should do a better job in playing up what has occurred behind their walls. The hard-earned patina can be unique in a world that emphasizes the sparkling and new: Historic Hotels Need to Flaunt Their Best Attributes

>>So much for taking a summer vacation. This year, the hotel industry was busy making major moves and investments, as well as launching new brands, properties, and policies: 10 Biggest Hotel Headlines of a Busy Summer 2017

>>One big difference between hotels and airlines is that hotels want their consumers to actually like (maybe even love) them. While with airlines, that might be a different story as some recent events would demonstrate (we’re looking at you, United): Are Hotel-Fee Initiatives Inspired by What the Airlines Have Accomplished?

>>When it finally launches, West Elm Hotels’ loyalty program may feature some keen integration with the Williams-Sonoma network at large. It’s a smart business tie-up that could eventually end up in other brands: Business of Loyalty: West Elm Hotels Program Will Tie Into Williams-Sonoma Brands

>>Balancing all the data a restaurant can collect about its customers with the need for the human touch is the perennial challenge for restaurateurs. Knowledgable is good. Creepy is bad: Chefs+Tech: How Big Data Enhances Good Hospitality

>>It’ll be interesting to see how Pat Pacious’ understanding of digital technology and online distribution will inform Choice’s future business strategy: Interview: New Choice Hotels CEO Is Ready to Dominate His Sectors

>>Hyatt is taking the concepts of wellness and “adjacent spaces” very, very seriously: Hyatt Buys Yet Another Wellness Brand, Exhale

>>Restaurant menus aren’t random, they’re carefully crafted and chosen with more in mind than taste alone — especially when it comes to chains: Chefs+Tech: How Food Psychology Affects Restaurants Large and Small