Hospitality, Travel & Events

Shanghai – November 12, 2026 -- Shanghai aims for major sporting events to generate an average annual economic impact of at least 35 billion yuan ($5.21 billion) by 2030, according to its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for sports development.

Plan sets 2.2 percent GDP share for the sports industry

The sports industry's value added is targeted at about 2.2 percent of GDP. On the public side, around 58 percent of residents should take part in sports regularly, and sports venue area per capita should reach approximately 2.9 square meters.

SYDNEY – November 12, 2026 -- Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) has named Dafne Guisard CEO (elect) to succeed Trevor Croker in April 2027, ending a CEO tenure of more than a decade in which the company's market capitalisation grew fourfold to almost $40 billion.

Board picks internal candidate after external search

The Board sought external advice and considered both internal and external candidates before choosing Guisard. Her appointment is subject to receipt of any necessary regulatory pre-approvals. Chairman Neil Chatfield cited the benefits of an internal appointment, including performance continuity and scope for a seamless transition.

Guisard joined Aristocrat's executive team in early 2026 as Chief Commercial Officer for EMEA and has since also taken responsibility for the Product Madness operating business. She will relocate from Aristocrat's London office to Las Vegas to take up the role.

Washington – November 10, 2026 -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) recognized 36 units and individuals from seven military branches and components at the 2026 Military Foodservice Awards, and is pairing the honors with a push to move service members into restaurant careers.

Military foodservice teams prepare and serve billions of meals each year at home, on deployment and at sea, according to the Foundation. Winners came from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Military Sealift Command, Air Force, Air National Guard and Coast Guard. Judges rated them on food safety, sanitation, preparation and execution.

Houston – November 10, 2026 -- Citizen Pilates, an independent boutique fitness company, generates approximately $2 million in annual revenue while classifying its full-time instructors as salaried W-2 employees, a model that founder and president Jess Schindler says is rare among independent studios.

Citizen Pilates runs three studios with four profit and loss centers

Schindler founded the Houston-based company in May 2015 and retains full ownership and direct oversight of operations. The business oversees 180 weekly classes and employs more than 22 people.

Company pays full medical and dental premiums for instructors

Most boutique fitness operators rely on 1099 contractors. Citizen Pilates instead covers individual medical and dental premiums in full, offers optional spouse and dependent coverage, and provides a 401(k) plan with an employer match.

Hollywood, Florida – November 10, 2026 -- Accor and Hard Rock International have announced a global strategic partnership that gives Hard Rock hotels access to ALL Accor's more than 125 million loyalty members, with loyalty, distribution and international development all in scope.

Hard Rock hotels can opt into the ALL Accor platform

Hotels in the Hard Rock brand portfolio will be able to join the ALL Accor distribution and loyalty platform. Accor will connect participating properties to its global sales and distribution network. Hard Rock will keep running its own direct marketing and distribution channels alongside it.

Two loyalty programs to be bridged, subject to closing

Once the deal closes, the partnership aims to link ALL Accor and Unity by Hard Rock. The source names point conversion and status matching for existing members as planned benefits. The announcement does not disclose financial terms or a closing date.

Winooski, Vt. – November 10, 2026 -- Marriott International has opened Sugar House Hotel in Winooski, Vermont, its first property worldwide designed to achieve all-electric, net-zero energy operations and LEED Platinum certification. The 115-room hotel, part of the Tribute Portfolio brand, runs entirely on electricity, including its commercial kitchen, with no gas lines or fuel tanks serving the building.

Rooftop solar and geothermal wells carry the energy load

Rooftop solar panels are designed to generate roughly one-third of the building's energy needs. A geothermal well system provides heating and cooling and supports hot-water production.

WASHINGTON – November 10, 2026 -- Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has released the first volume of its free Best Practices in Hotel Accessibility Guide, giving hotels a checklist of barriers that make travel unsafe or impossible for guests with mobility disabilities.

The first installment, "Welcoming Mobility Device Users," draws on the experiences of guests who use wheelchairs, scooters, canes and other devices. It covers the full guest journey, from researching and reserving a room to hotel transportation, bathrooms and meeting spaces. The second volume, "Planning and Hosting Wheelchair-Accessible Events," launches Dec. 4. It addresses access routes, food and beverage service, wheelchair seating, accessible staging and overnight stays.

SEOUL – November 10, 2026 -- The Shilla Hotels & Resorts won 11 awards at the 2026 World Luxury Awards, four of them at Global Winner level, across properties in South Korea and Vietnam.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards, established in 2006, and the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, established in 2015, select winners through online voting. Categories run from global and continental to regional and country level.

The Shilla Seoul and its two restaurants take three Global Winner titles

The Shilla Seoul was named Global Winner for Best Luxury Culinary Hotel. It also won Best Luxury Wedding Hotel in South Korea and Best Luxury City Hotel in South Korea.

FORT LAUDERDALE – November 10, 2026 -- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has appointed Alan Leibman, former CEO of Kerzner International, as chief executive officer and promoted Tatiana Ferreira to president, consolidating sales, IT, marketing and guest experience under a single executive for its three-yacht fleet.

Ferreira takes on four functions in expanded role

Ferreira, previously chief sales officer, will continue to oversee sales and commercial activities. She now also oversees information technology, marketing and guest experience. The company says combining these functions will speed growth and improve the end-to-end guest experience.

Her background spans nearly 25 years at Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and The Walt Disney Company.

Miami – November 10, 2026 -- Biomolecular Life Holdings, Inc. (OTC: BIOM) has agreed to acquire land in Llanogrande, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia, from a company owned by its own President and CEO, paying entirely in BIOM shares to fund a planned wellness spa and longevity retreat.

Related-party all-stock deal sets share count by independent appraisal

The seller, BSD SAS, is a Colombian company owned by Jessika Wiesner, BIOM's President and Chief Executive Officer. The number of shares to be issued will be set by an independent appraisal of the property. Because the seller is controlled by the CEO, the transaction is classified as a related-party deal.

Management says the structure adds a real estate asset to the balance sheet and preserves cash for development.