Distribución y Revenue Management

🏦 KKH Property Investors is set to transform the old Altadis Tobacco Factory in Sevilla into the Vera Sevilla complex, a luxury hotel and office project, with a €250 million investment. Completion is targeted for autumn 2026, featuring over 12,000 sqm of multifunctional space, a 300-meter riverside walk, and a five-hectare urban park. The Imserso travel program started reservations on September 23, offering stays at 203 hotels, a 5% increase. A new traveler registration deadline by the Ministry of Interior is extended to December 2, due to technical reasons for data transmission with regional police forces.

🚩 Hotel early bookings in Spain surged from 11% to nearly 20% year-over-year due to the conflict in the Middle East. Following the Hamás attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, early bookings at 90 days increased notably. By late August, bookings were 12%; by early September, they rose to 16%, hitting 18% mid-September and 19% by the third week. Growth in hotel reservations by destination showed increases across Spain, with País Vasco leading at +15.41%, and Aragón down by -4.99%.

🚀 Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Globalia, stated on record he doesn't recall his actions on July 16, referencing meetings with Begoña Gómez, spouse of Pedro Sánchez, on June 24 and July 16. These meetings occurred at Globalia's Pozuelo de Alarcón headquarters. Subsequently, the government approved a €475 million bailout for Air Europa. Hidalgo admitted focusing on Globalia's €6 million daily losses rather than on cargo flights for the 'caso Koldo' mask acquisition, negotiated by Aldama who had signed two contracts with Globalia since 2018.

🏖 Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt, showcases a vertical integration model and experience in vacation property conversions. It offers a powerful distribution network, including major tour operators and online agencies, as well as a loyalty program with tens of millions of users. Of the 121 hotels in its portfolio, 84 (70%) are operational conversions. Hyatt Inclusive Collection targets hoteliers looking to improve resort performance in a challenging financial climate, presenting itself as a consistent ally for resort renovations, especially for family-owned hotels seeking operational solutions or investor sourcing. The Global Head of Hyatt, Javier Coll, emphasizes the support for both maintaining family heritage and managing sales. Catering to young clients, Inclusive Collection distinguishes itself in the ‘all-inclusive’ segment, emphasizing quality in food and beverages, cost-efficient structures, and appealing to investors interested in sophisticated products with high margins.

🏨 Riu chain ended 2023 with a 24% increase in turnover, reaching €3.607 billion, and a global average occupancy of 89%. The company operates 97 hotels in 21 countries, featuring 50,088 rooms and employing 35,808 workers. In 2023, Riu hotels welcomed 6.4 million guests, with a remarkable 38% being repeat customers. Opened its first city hotel in the UK, the Riu Plaza London Victoria, and completed major renovations on four hotels. In 2024, Riu plans to open the Riu Plaza Chicago, its seventh hotel in Jamaica, and two new establishments in Mauritius. Riu also commenced construction on new hotels in Cancun, New York, Thailand, and its second hotel in Dubai. Riu owns 1.1% of TUI Group shares since 2005.

📌 The private sector has warned of issues with the technology platform for the control system, potentially affecting the marketing of Imserso travel trips, starting in some communities on Wednesday, September 25. CEOE, through its Tourism Council, and travel agencies like CEAV, UNAV, and ACAVE have expressed concern over RD 933/2021, which mandates businesses to report reservation data to the Interior. Travel platform Hospedajes, activating on October 1, could slow down agency work, especially for small businesses with limited staff. Over 886,000 Imserso travel packages could be impacted. Interior has not announced a delay as the date approaches.

🏨 Casual Hoteles, from June to August, increased income by 7.2% compared to summer 2023, earning €8.6 million with a 94.8% occupancy rate. RevPAR grew to €111.24, a 6.91% rise over last year's €104.05. International guests accounted for 73.78% of stays, while the Spanish market slightly declined by 0.56%. The top five nationalities were Spaniards, Italians (14.43%, up 9.93%), French (6.85%), British (5.45%), and Americans (5.26%). The hotel chain, with 25 properties (881 rooms) in 13 cities, plans expansions into Ibiza and Naples in 2025.

📍 Play, an Icelandic private airline inheriting a legacy of predecessors' failures, is making a profit and expanding its European routes, including twice-weekly flights to Valencia, Spain, on Tuesdays and Saturdays starting next summer. The airline, which flies to Madrid, Barcelona, and other Spanish destinations, also plans a new route to Porto. With ten single-aisle aircraft, Play connects 40 destinations in Europe and North America, leveraging Iceland's strategic location for transatlantic flights.

🏖️ TikTok's study by FreeSpinsTracker shows top travel destinations based on hashtag views. Seoul leads with over a billion, followed by Paris with over 481 million views and Barcelona in third with 101+ million. Europe has five spots in the top 10, with Amsterdam and Singapore rounding out the top five. Bangkok, Rome, Istanbul, New York, and Tokyo also feature in the list, with views ranging from 34 million to 23.6 million. The study highlights the influence of TikTok on travel decisions.

🏨 Booking.com critiqued for being favored over hotel websites despite hotels' ability to offer lower prices without contractual obligations to the American portal. Travelers often find hotel direct booking prices higher than on Booking.com, except for one major hotel chain promoting direct purchases with slightly better rates. Hotels faulted for not understanding consumer price-searching behavior and not offering the lowest prices on their websites, contrary to the practice of low-cost airlines. ????️