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1. AI stands out as top hotel tech trend for 2025
Looking at the tech trends likely to shape 2025 and beyond, everything is about artificial intelligence, which will continue to have a massive impact on the hotel industry, writes Hotel News Now’s Natalie Harms. She added AI is no longer its own tech vertical but instead is affecting the sector across the board and is rapidly improving.
“Data is the fuel for AI and its large language models, so harnessing that data is key to better optimization,” said David Sjolander, vice president of hospitality tech next generation operations at the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
He added the hotel industry “always had way more data than we know what to do with. I think it’s getting marginally better, and I think AI will help us with that, but we’re still at a fairly low maturity level in terms of data usage.”
2. Canada, Mexico could see 25% US tariffs starting Feb. 2
President Donald Trump has said that he might impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as this Sunday, Feb. 2, but he has not made it clear if oil will be included in the basket of goods that are to be taxed.
The BBC reports the move is “aimed to address the large amounts of undocumented migrants and fentanyl that come across United States borders, as well as trade deficits with its neighbors.”
The BBC added “around 40% of the crude [oil] that runs through U.S. oil refineries is imported, and the vast majority of it comes from Canada.”
The two affected countries replied that they were working on addressing Trump’s concerns but that they, too, are not ruling out retaliatory measures aimed at U.S. goods. The Wall Street Journal reports the Trump administration is looking at ways of settling the situation.
3. Economists cheer US fourth quarter GDP growth of 2.3%
The numbers are in, with the U.S. Commerce Department stating that for the fourth quarter of 2024, the country's gross domestic product increased in year-on-year terms by 2.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which added the year-over-year increase for the third quarter of 2024 was 3.1%. The BEA said the downturn was due to a decrease in investment, even though consumer and government spending increased in the quarter.
The New York Times reports economists are pleased with the numbers, stating that “for the year as a whole, measured from the end of 2023 to the end of 2024, GDP increased 2.5%, far ahead of forecasters’ expectations when the year began.”
“We ended on a pretty strong note," Diane Swonk, chief economist and managing director, KPMG, said. "It’s stunning how resilient and strong the economy has been.”
4. Lunar New Year hotel guests staying shorter, spending less
Guests have flocked to Hong Kong hotels for Lunar New Year celebrations, with hotels reporting for Wednesday, Jan. 29 occupancy of more than 90%, but numbers are lagging behind 2024, with guests staying for shorter periods and spending less on food and beverage and other non-room revenue streams, according to the South China Morning Post.
The holiday runs between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. Hoteliers stated that guests for the period are preferring to find cheaper restaurants. Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chair of Hong Kong’s Travel Industry Authority said the TAI had predicted 1.45 million mainland Chinese tourists for the entire period of the festivities, an increase of 15% than for the same holiday in 2024.
5. New $575 million Omni hotel part of New Orleans convention center renovation
Officials in New Orleans have announced plans for a 1,000-room Omni Hotels & Resorts property expected to come in at a price tag of $575 million in conjunction with a $557 million renovation of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
The project has been in discussions since 2018, with ground-breaking in 2026 and a projected opening in 2029.
The marks the second hotel for Omni in the city, following the Omni Royal Orleans.