Resort Fees Come Under Fire in DC and 6 Other Top Hospitality Stories This Week

New Resort Fee Legislation Would Disrupt How Hotels Are Sold Online: This is going to be a slugfest. Some hotels view resort fees as key to business and argue that they are already transparent in how they advertise them. Consumers, states, and now federal legislators are putting great pressure on that notion. Something’s gotta give — and the status quo is not a likely winner.

MGM Resorts Leads U.S. Travel Sector With Job Cuts So Far in 2019: The U.S. is enjoying a tight labor market. But not every company is thriving. Data exclusively compiled by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reveals the most notable job cutbacks in 2019 by companies in the hotel, attractions, airline, and airport sectors.

IHG’s Six Senses Goes a Step Further on Being Green Among Hotel Chains: While other chains may have difficulty getting owners to spend on sustainability, Six Senses commits them by management contract. And while other chains are just getting rid of single-use plastic straws and bottles, Six Senses wants to be completely free of plastics by 2022. Will parent IHG follow suit?

Hotel Data Giant STR Acquired for $450 Million: Data and analytics are not just vital in the contemporary hospitality ecosystem but also big business. CoStar’s acquisition of STR shows the overlap between traditional commercial real estate and the global hotel market.

Asian Resorts Drive Forward in Being Green: Beyond the glare of overdevelopment, Asia’s resorts want to be a pioneer of the sustainability movement. Here’s how they say they will do that.

Budget Hotels Drive Southeast Asia’s Online Travel Growth to $34 Billion: Like low-cost carriers before them, low-cost hotel chains are playing a big role in the growth of online travel in Southeast Asia, according to a Google report.

Park Hyatt’s Blade Runner: Knife Concierge Offers Cutting-Edge Service: It’s not enough for the waitstaff at The Argyle Steakhouse in San Diego to pick up on the personalities of their customers. The staff of this high-end Park Hyatt Aviara eatery also has to learn about the personalities of their steak knives.