Hospitality employs 2.6 million people in the UK, 7.1% of the entire workforce. It generates £69.5 billion in gross value added. It contributes £54 billion in gross tax receipts annually. It is, by any reasonable measure, not a peripheral cottage industry but a cornerstone of the British economy.
Our bar was founded to be a third space for our local Brooklyn neighborhood - somewhere other than work or home where friends could gather, have a drink and connect more deeply. Our business model was built around earning the trust of repeat guests from our community, not charging tourists $22 for a cocktail. But today, tariffs are making that model more difficult to sustain.
As global markets continue to navigate economic uncertainty, one theme dominates business leadership discussions in 2026: decision quality under pressure. From capital allocation to talent retention, success increasingly depends on how well leaders assess environments, manage risk, and act decisively with limited information. Interestingly, these same principles are now being examined through the lens of the leisure and hospitality economy.
New data from Bristol-based hospitality recruitment platform Limber shows that average shift hours posted by hospitality businesses in 2025 are down 30% compared with 2022, underlining the depth of pressure facing operators across the industry. According to Limber, average monthly shift hours per business have fallen from 112 hours in 2022 to just 79 hours in 2025, as venues attempt to control costs by running leaner rotas and reducing reliance on flexible labour.
Imagine a beautifully appointed rooftop lounge right on the water, skyline views in all directions. Vaulted ceilings, gold trim, velvet seats, lighting so dark that even on a tame night it encouraged all sorts of bad behavior. The kind of bar where you'd learn more about human anatomy just by watching the crowd than you ever thought possible. I'm pretty sure I received an MD after working there.
The owner of a South Dakota hotel who said Native Americans were banned from the establishment was found liable for discrimination against Native Americans on Friday. A federal jury decided the owner of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City will pay tens of thousands of dollars in damages to various plaintiffs who were denied service at the hotel. The jury awarded $1 to the NDN Collective, the Indigenous advocacy group that filed the lawsuit.
But there are also those among us who would prefer not to have random drunk family members passed out in our living room and instead opt for a night out at our favorite restaurant. This is a story about those unlucky few of us who, year after year, open our establishment's doors to the masses and serve hundreds of turkeys, thousands of potatoes, and an incalculable amount of wine. There are two types of people that volunteer to work at
The Sonesta ES Suites hotel at 1602 Crane Ct. in North San Jose could be converted to apartments or condominiums under a very preliminary proposal on file with the city's Planning Department. The 114-room hotel consists of a cluster of seven buildings, according to the project proposal. The applicant is interested in investigating the possibility of remodeling the hotel suites into multi-family rental apartments or for-sale condominiums, the project plans state.
In the past week, chaos ensued at short-term rental company Sonder's properties after Marriott ended their licensing agreement on Sunday. A day later, Sonder announced that it would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Guests staying at Sonder properties were given notice at the eleventh hour to vacate their rooms, forcing them to book alternative accommodations at sometimes- exorbitant prices. A pair of crisis communications experts say Marriott's biggest mistake was losing control of the narrative.
Former FBI special agent Tom Simon, who spent 26 years investigating financial crimes and national-security matters across the U.S., says he has a straightforward philosophy when it comes to business travel: the people who deserve recognition the least often get it the most, while those who deserve it most are routinely overlooked. And so, through much practice, Simon says he's developed a trick to getting some of the best rooms in any hotel, which he calls a "gift" for frequent travelers.
About 72% of Americans plan work-and-play hybrid vacations, combining work duties with time to unwind. Many families are adopting this setup, with parents taking calls from rental homes, coworking spaces and even mountain resorts before joining their kids for outings or shared meals. The shift is turning family travel into longer getaways that keep paychecks steady while giving families more quality time together.
Restaurants have always been a tough business, made even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurant bankruptcies seem to happen on a fairly regular business, even to big name chains such as Red Lobster and TGI Friday's. Filing bankruptcy (especially chapter 11 bankruptcy, which is basically a restructuring) does not necessarily mean the end of a restaurant chain. Some companies have declared bankruptcy more than once, including Friendly's, which has beat it twice and avoided total failure.
The hunt is on for great autumnal dining, so let our critic clue you in on the 20 hottest tickets in the capital Despite the trials and tribulations of the hospitality industry, chefs still chef and diners still dine.
Raise a glass, New York-literally anywhere from a board game café to a batting cage. The State Liquor Authority just rewrote its rulebook, opening the door for dozens of adult-oriented recreational businesses to snag liquor licenses. The policy, approved at a board meeting last week, takes effect immediately. That means comedy clubs , pool halls, axe-throwing spots, laser tag arenas, shuffleboard lounges, VR arcades and even climbing gyms can start applying for on-premises licenses. Mini-golf with margaritas? Pottery class with pinot? Suddenly possible.
Directors said the outlook "remains challenging," blaming Reeves's decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions and cut the payment threshold. They warned that the "service-led nature" of hospitality meant the sector was being "severely impacted" by higher staffing costs, with nearly 90,000 hospitality jobs already lost nationwide since the October Budget.
exposing the cracks and toxicity behind the scenes. Last year, Baby Reindeer, a Netflix show about a bartender being stalked by a customer, elucidated something that civilians (those outside the industry, in bartender speak ) don't always understand. It showed, plainly, that "bartending is an office that makes its holder a captive audience in a way that few other jobs do," Rosie Schaap wrote for Punch .
Las Vegas has always been synonymous with excess, entertainment, and endless opportunities. But in 2025, the city that never sleeps is experiencing what many industry experts are calling its most significant downturn since the 2008 financial crisis. The numbers don't lie: visitor counts are plummeting, restaurants are closing, and the hospitality industry that built this desert oasis is fighting for survival.
The food and beverage industry has a problem. Despite women making up a significant portion of the workforce in restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues worldwide, fewer than 7% of the world's top restaurants are led by women. It's a staggering statistic that reveals just how much untapped leadership potential exists in our industry. But here's the good news: Rosewood Foundation is doing something about it.
When London's Unity Diner wrapped up 2024 with the announcement that it would soon be shutting its doors for good, it expected some sadness from its customers. After all, the not-for-profit restaurant had been an innovator in the city's vegan scene, serving up 3D-printed vegan steak (made of plant protein with the fibrous feel of the real thing) and disarmingly realistic tofish (tofu fish) alongside the classic burgers and chips.
I started my career working for the Philippines tourism board. At that time, the Philippines - and its 7,000 islands - as a destination was relatively unknown in UK and Europe. In my 10 and a half years there, I had all sorts of roles learning about the industry and learning about marketing in general. My first task was to build the website, at a time when online travel portals were pretty much in their infancy.
Soho House, a self-described members-only club for "creatives," announced in August that it's ending its yearslong stint as a publicly traded company. The London-based company has helped sparked a private club boom and has more than 40 houses across the globe, which have been the site of pivotal networking connections. While the company caters to the wealthy, its own finances have faltered.
Chipotle's use of AI for smarter scheduling has led to labor costs dropping significantly, adapting staff schedules to meet real demand and improving operational efficiency.
Chipotle's food safety crisis in 2015 demonstrated that the commitment to quality can create vulnerabilities in maintaining high-integrity supply chains at scale.
Hotel rewards programs allow members to earn points or credits during eligible stays and while spending at participating hotels. These points can typically be redeemed for free nights, room upgrades, dining, and experiences, or transferred to airline miles.
James Taylor, chief executive of BrewDog, announced the closure of 10 bars, including the flagship location in Aberdeen, due to viability issues related to size and location.
