Evolution of the Hotel Front Desk and 8 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.

>>Even consumers who embrace technology may worry that companies are exploiting them through so-called personalization. Hoteliers need to balance digital ingenuity with a human touch: The Evolution of the Hotel Front Desk: Why Tech Can Only Go So Far

>>Marriott’s Tina Edmundson has plenty to say about the value of brands, and how hospitality companies need to respond to changing consumer demands and needs, especially when it comes to the lifestyle and luxury spaces: Skift Forum Europe Preview: Marriott Exec on the Luxury Evolution

>>Airbnb always gives us plenty to talk about — and this episode of the Skift Podcast features a lively conversation about the many ways the homesharing company is venturing beyond its original focus and disrupting wide swaths of the travel industry: Skift Podcast: The Airbnb Threat to Hotels and Booking Sites

>>Paris is following the positive tourism trend that the rest of Europe enjoyed last year, thanks in large part to business travel and companies like Airbnb. But with another terrorist-related shooting in France last weekend, it remains to be seen whether the city can continue to prove it’s safe to visit: Paris Hotel Stays Rebound to Record Level in 2017

>>It sounds antithetical but, in their efforts to make everyone feel “like a local,” perhaps hotel brands should be taking a look at The Curtain and Karl Lagerfeld Hotels, seeing how the private club model could work for them: New Private Member Clubs Take On Soho House to Redefine Hospitality

>>Luxury travelers are seeking out experiences that enrich their lives rather than isolate them from adventures. That’s why The Thief in Oslo is one of a growing number of luxury hotels that are pursuing more informal and instantaneous relations with guests: Being Informal Is the Future of Luxury Guest Relations

>>Gone is the buttoned-down, forced formality, and in its place comes the freedom and confidence to treat guests as individuals. A new generation of hoteliers is learning to embrace informality: High-End Hotels Embrace Informality

>>Hilton following Marriott with a commission cut is no surprise, really. The writing is on the wall for a larger upheaval in meetings’ distribution. The innovation of small upstarts will play an important role, as well: Hilton Follows Marriott as Meetings Disruption Is on the Agenda

>>Aman wants to create more customers for life by catering to families with kids and teenagers. It’s a smart long-term strategy, but the company will need to involve younger travelers in a way that makes sense for a luxury brand: Aman Exec Wants Luxury Travel to Be a Family Affair