The Hospitality Newsletter
Today Tuesday, August 25, 2026
MGM Resorts Reports Record $4.5B Q2 2026 Revenue
FeaturedfinanceLodging Magazine··1 min·For: Owner, Investor, Revenue, GM

MGM Resorts Reports Record $4.5B Q2 2026 Revenue

MGM Resorts International achieved record consolidated revenue of $4.5 billion in Q2 2026, driven by growth on the Las Vegas Strip and a 20 percent boost in its digital sector. Net income saw a sharp increase to $292 million compared to $49 million in the prior year quarter.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Consolidated Q2 revenue rose 1% year-over-year to $4.5 billion.
  2. 2Las Vegas Strip Resorts revenue grew 3% to $2.2 billion with EBITDAR up 3%.
  3. 3MGM Digital revenue expanded by 20% year-over-year to $196 million.
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Top Stories

11 stories
US Makes Visa Bond Rule Permanent as Arrivals Drop 83%
operationsSkift··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Marketing

US Makes Visa Bond Rule Permanent as Arrivals Drop 83%

The U.S. has finalized its visa bond program, requiring select foreign tourists and business travelers to deposit up to $20,000 to secure a visa. While the program successfully reduced overstays, visa issuances from targeted nations plummeted by 83%.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Tourists from select high-risk nations must deposit $5,000 to $20,000 for B1/B2 visas.
  2. 2Bonds are fully refundable upon departure compliance via commercial airlines.
  3. 3Visa issuances to targeted countries fell 83% during the initial pilot phase.
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Expedia Acquires AI Trip-Planner Layla to Boost Tech Talent
technologySkift··1 min·For: Owner, Revenue, Marketing, IT

Expedia Acquires AI Trip-Planner Layla to Boost Tech Talent

Expedia Group has acquired Berlin-based AI trip-planning startup Layla to accelerate its deployment of specialized AI agents. Layla will continue operating independently while its team works across Expedia's brand portfolio.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Expedia acquired Berlin-based AI trip-planner Layla for an undisclosed amount.
  2. 2Layla had previously raised $5.7 million from investors including First Minute Capital and M13.
  3. 3The startup will continue operating while its tech talent collaborates with Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.
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Accor and Treebo Call Off India Expansion Deal
financeSkift··1 min·For: Owner, Investor, GM

Accor and Treebo Call Off India Expansion Deal

Accor and Treebo Hospitality Ventures have mutually terminated negotiations for a master licensee partnership in India. The deal was intended to scale Accor's Ibis and Mercure brands into secondary and tertiary Indian cities.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Accor and Treebo mutually decided to disengage after failing to reach definitive agreements.
  2. 2The partnership aimed to help Accor reach its ambitious target of 300 hotels in India by 2030.
  3. 3The split removes Accor's primary local partner for rapid expansion into tier-two and tier-three markets.
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UK Hotels Excluded from Government Business Tax Cuts
financeSkift··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Investor

UK Hotels Excluded from Government Business Tax Cuts

UK hotel operators are pushing back after being left out of the government's latest round of business rates relief, which favored pubs and clubs. Industry leaders argue the current tax structure unfairly penalizes top-performing hotels despite rising operational costs.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Hotels were excluded from the UK government's recent business tax relief cuts.
  2. 2Whitbread CEO Dominic Paul warned the policy will not help most hospitality businesses.
  3. 3Industry experts argue revenue-based business rates disconnect tax liabilities from true profitability.
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Hotels Shift Budgets Upstream to Win AI Search Visibility
marketingSkift··1 min·For: Revenue, Marketing, Owner, GM

Hotels Shift Budgets Upstream to Win AI Search Visibility

With 94% of hotels invisible in AI search results, hospitality leaders are rethinking commercial ownership and moving budgets into upper-funnel content to capture early travel demand. Success requires tighter cross-functional collaboration across revenue, marketing, and analytics teams.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Research shows 94% of hotels are currently invisible in AI search results
  2. 2Hotels are shifting investment upstream into earned media and third-party storytelling
  3. 3Cross-functional alignment across marketing, revenue, and IT is becoming essential
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Business Travel Costs to Keep Rising Through 2026
financeasianhospitality.com··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Revenue

Business Travel Costs to Keep Rising Through 2026

Global corporate travel expenses will continue climbing in 2026, driven by higher airfares, increased hotel daily rates, and rising meeting costs. Hotel ADR is projected to hit $168 in 2026 before rate growth slows slightly in 2027.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Global hotel ADR is forecast to increase 3.7% to $168 in 2026, with Latin America leading growth at 9.5%.
  2. 2Average airfares are projected to jump 4.7% to $756 in 2026 due to limited capacity and aircraft delivery delays.
  3. 3Meeting cost per attendee per day will rise 3% to $263 in 2026, pushed up by food, beverage, and production expenses.
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Hyatt Posts 5.9% Q2 RevPAR Growth Led by Luxury Segment
financeasianhospitality.com··1 min·For: Owner, Investor, GM, Revenue

Hyatt Posts 5.9% Q2 RevPAR Growth Led by Luxury Segment

Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported a 5.9% increase in Q2 RevPAR, driven primarily by luxury and upper-upscale performance despite Middle East conflicts and Mexico demand softness. The company maintained its full-year outlook and expanded its pipeline by 10% to 154,000 rooms.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Comparable systemwide Q2 RevPAR grew 5.9%, led by luxury and upper-upscale segments.
  2. 2Development pipeline expanded 10% year-over-year to 154,000 rooms.
  3. 3Full-year 2026 outlook maintained with RevPAR growth projected between 3.5% and 4.5%.
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US RevPAR Up 6.3% Driven by World Cup Surge in NYC
financeHotel Business··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Revenue, Investor

US RevPAR Up 6.3% Driven by World Cup Surge in NYC

U.S. hotel performance posted positive year-over-year gains for the week ending July 25, led by strong RevPAR and ADR growth. New York City recorded massive surges due to the World Cup final, while Las Vegas saw notable declines due to tough event comparisons.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1U.S. RevPAR increased 6.3% to $125.72, while ADR rose 4.9% to $173.47 and occupancy climbed 1.3% to 72.5%.
  2. 2New York City led major markets with a 35.0% RevPAR spike, boosted by a 179.6% gain on the night of the World Cup final.
  3. 3Las Vegas posted the steepest declines, with RevPAR falling 20.4% due to strong concert comparisons from the previous year.
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Driftwood Capital: Hotel Credit Demonstrates Market Resilience
financeLodging Magazine··1 min·For: Owner, Investor, Revenue

Driftwood Capital: Hotel Credit Demonstrates Market Resilience

Driftwood Capital's latest report highlights that hotel real estate credit outperforms corporate direct lending and office CRE, supported by low supply growth and brand workout incentives.

Key Takeaways

  1. 176% of maturing lodging CMBS loans were repaid on time from 2020 to 2025, beating office and mixed-use segments.
  2. 2Lodging delinquency sits at 6.5%, well below office CRE delinquency rates of 11.7%.
  3. 3Top-50 market supply growth has slowed significantly to 1.0-1.3%, restricting new competition.
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Mexico Allocates $115M to Fight Sargassum Seaweed Surge
sustainabilitySkift··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Revenue, Ops

Mexico Allocates $115M to Fight Sargassum Seaweed Surge

Mexico is investing $115 million into specialized vessels, offshore barriers, and monitoring systems to combat record levels of sargassum washing up on Caribbean beaches. The influx has forced local hotels to absorb clean-up costs and discount room rates to attract guests.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1Government spending $115M on barriers, collection vessels, and monitoring to control seaweed.
  2. 2Record sargassum levels are harming coastal ecosystems and driving down hotel room rates.
  3. 3Tourism leaders are urging officials to prioritize long-term environmental solutions alongside short-term cleanup.
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APPG Warns UK Visitor Levy Risks Hospitality Jobs
financehotelowner.co.uk··1 min·For: Owner, GM, Investor

APPG Warns UK Visitor Levy Risks Hospitality Jobs

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism warns that a proposed 5% UK visitor levy could reduce tourism spending and employment without proper safeguards. The report urges a full impact assessment, a lower hospitality VAT rate of 10%, and ringfenced revenues if implemented.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1A proposed 5% visitor levy threatens jobs and tourism spending, particularly in rural and coastal areas.
  2. 2APPG calls for hospitality VAT to drop to 10% and strict ringfencing of levy revenues for local destination investment.
  3. 3Recommendations include a 12-month implementation period and a consistent national framework.
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