UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
6 hours agoThe UK's rental hotspots where asking prices have surged in 12 months
Average asking rents outside London remained unchanged in early 2026, marking a significant shift in rental trends since 2017.
Digital-savvy airlines use their socials to advertise special offers as a way of strengthening relationships with both new and repeat customers. This can be a win-win for both the customers and the airlines. Travelers get access to limited-time fares, and airlines can boost revenue by filling seats during slower travel periods, such as Caribbean routes during hurricane season.
It isn't a universal truth, but a vast number of goods and services have their own full-circle moments. While there are still plenty of travel agencies in the U.S., the overall number is still down considerably from a peak in the 1980s. For some industry forecasters, though, the future looks a lot like the recent past, except that instead of travelers trusting human agents with making their travel plans a reality, they'll use AI agents for the same purpose.
Travelers are always on the lookout for easy ways to save money, and a new report reveals there is one particular day of the week that is better for booking flights than others. That day happens to be Fridays, according to new data from Expedia that was shared with Travel + Leisure. That is because the end of the week sees less business and corporate travel, the booking site noted.
"We continue to see extraordinary demand for travel and experiences," Capuano told Yahoo! Finance. "It feels like a fundamentally permanent shift that consumers are prioritizing spending on travel and experiences versus purchase of hard goods." The hotel chain expects earnings growth in 2026, with revenue driven by adding rooms to its portfolio and higher co-branded credit card fees. While U.S. business was slightly weaker in the fourth quarter due to the government shutdown, Capuano says the fundamentals remain strong.
As investors become more sophisticated and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) lending continues to grow, the appraisal has moved from a back-office requirement to a central risk-control mechanism, especially for income-driven loans. STR income does not behave like traditional rental income; yet, it is often evaluated using tools and assumptions designed for long-term leases. When nightly pricing, seasonality, operational intensity and regulatory exposure enter the equation, the old appraisal playbook starts to break down.
Construction of hotels has plunged in the Bay Area, a nosedive that was unleashed by stubborn problems for hotel financing and elevated construction costs, a new report from Atlas Hospitality Group shows. An estimated 15 hotels with an aggregate 1,610 rooms were under construction in the Bay Area during 2025, representing a sharp decline from the equivalent totals in 2024, according to the report from Atlas Hospitality. This news organization derived the totals from figures that Atlas Hospitality compiled for its report.
The off-season practically vanished in many parts of the world. Remote work, social media frenzy, and ruthless dynamic pricing have turned fall and spring into peak-season clones. Even winter is no refuge anymore. The idea of an off-season is 100% disappearing.
InterContinental Hotels Group, owner of Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Hotel Indigo, reported robust revenue and profit growth for 2025, driven by a record hotel rollout and strategic acquisitions. The group opened 443 new hotels over the past year - adding more than 65,000 rooms - and completed its acquisition of the European hotel brand Ruby. Financially, IHG posted total revenue of $5.19 billion (£3.8 billion), up 5% from 2024, while operating profits rose 15% to $1.2 billion (£880 million).
On a recent two-week trip to Japan with my fiancé - six cities, six hotels - every stay was gorgeous and perfectly appointed. We wanted for nothing. Except, in most cases, a proper bathroom door. Instead, we spent the better part of two weeks making accidental eye contact through frosted glass and translucent panels while one of us was otherwise occupied. A design choice, apparently. A test of intimacy, definitely.
Years later, after countless nights in hotels from budget chains to five-star establishments, I've noticed something interesting. Those of us who grew up in lower-middle-class households carry certain behaviors with us into these spaces. They're not necessarily bad habits, but they're telling. They reveal a childhood where every pound mattered and waste was practically a sin. I've seen these patterns in myself, in friends from similar backgrounds, and in countless fellow travelers over the years.