Wishes and dreams, in front and behind the scenes

19.6.2026

Dear Insider,

Bold aspirations, shattered dreams, green buildings, a windfall, the courts, AI and mega-projects are the focus of today's edition. Marriott's management in Bethesda is unhappy that 51 Marriott owners, who own nearly 1,000 hotels, want a larger share of Bonvoy’s revenue and are also demanding transparency. Sarah Douag has taken a look behind the scenes.

Saudi Arabia has lost face. The colossal NEOM project is scaling back, and with it, its financial clout. There is a shortfall of $16 billion needed to terminate the contracts that are still in force. The damage this project has caused to nature, the environment and people is incalculable. Sarah – who was in the mood for writing this week – was on the hunt for figures.

The architects at the renowned Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates quarried the material for the façades of the new Silk Towers from a tuff quarry – right on their doorstep in Batumi, Georgia. Local resources, wood and precise wind measurements, for example, point the way to the future of urban life. This is about the harmony between nature, living and social. Susanne Stauss reports: The presentation and discussion were part of our HITT Think Tank in Brussels.

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The pressure from the system and genuine hosts

12.6.2026

Dear Insider,

There was no new news from Revo Hospitality this week; it appears that the contracts with the five identified operator groups have not yet (all) been signed.

There are other topics though, positive ones too: For example, independent hotels that are weathering the crises successfully thanks to their KPIs, cost management, investment strategy and staff. Karin Leeb and Martin Klein, the third generation to run the Wellnesshotel Hochschober in Carinthia, are disruptors and innovators in their own right. Since taking over the business 12 years ago, they have invested €41 million. This 116-room hotel is one of Austria’s pioneers in wellness: it boasts a perfect lakeside location, complete with a lido, a pool and sauna area, and a Chinese tower as an exotic landmark; it is a trailblazer in vegetarian-vegan cuisine, and employs 130 staff from 22 countries. Plus over 100 free (!) services and activities included exclusively for their guests. From yoga to herb walks and cold baths to dance classes… No, it's not a commercial "All-in" package; quite the opposite: This hotel is a cut above the rest and thinks differently. It is outgrowing its values. And the calculations are precise. And with success.