Skift

Episode Notes The global hotel industry has seen some markets thrive this year while some others have struggled, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  A recent report by CBRE Hotels Research revealed U.S. revenue per available room would grow roughly 1% for the full year. That’s close to a 2 percentage point drop from its forecast in February. O’Neill notes that U.S. urban and airport hotels are set to overperform while those in resort locations will likely underperform relative to their post-pandemic boom.  However, hotels in the United Arab Emirates saw their revenue per available room jump 30% from 2019 levels during the first half of this year. And Saudi Arabian hotels registered a 44% increase during the same period.  Next, Priceline is the first travel company to say it’s incorporating the latest voice tech from OpenAI into its AI chatbot, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  Users can interact with its AI chatbot Penny by speaking or typing to search for hotels — but not flights