Hospitality, Travel & Events

Irvine – November 03, 2026 -- K1 Speed, the indoor kart racing operator, has signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with 10-year-old driver Zayne Burgess, who has won 11 of 16 races in 2026 and is targeting Formula 1.

Burgess posts 15 podiums in 16 races this season

Beyond the 11 wins, Burgess finished second four times. His 2026 titles include the WSK Super Master Series, Trofeo Andrea Margutti and the Italian Championship. He raced in Europe in the Champions of the Future Academy in 2025.

Youngest driver in the top 10 takes second at the IAME World Final

At the IAME World Final in Viterbo, Italy, Burgess entered at short notice with no prior testing in the Mini X30 category and an unfamiliar engine. Against 72 drivers from 39 nationalities, he finished top three in every qualifying heat, including one win. He then took second in the final as the youngest driver in the top 10.

Honolulu – November 03, 2026 -- Renue Hawaii has launched a low-moisture commercial carpet restoration program that promises drying times under 2 hours and targets luxury hotels, resorts and convention venues on Oahu ahead of the peak winter travel season.

Program follows IICRC and AATCC protocols for high-traffic hospitality flooring

The program is built to comply with Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) Commercial Carpet Maintenance standards and American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) technical protocols. It covers woven and synthetic installations, with particular focus on large hospitality ballrooms.

ZHONGSHAN – November 03, 2026 -- Elephant Sculpture Art Co., Ltd. (ESAC) will use IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando on Nov. 17-20 to pitch its themed family entertainment center (FEC) design approach to operators, investors and developers, led by its roughly 5,000-square-meter WUNPARK project in Shanghai.

ESAC books Booth W1433 at Orange County Convention Center for Nov. 17-20

The Zhongshan-based design and construction company plans to meet FEC operators, themed entertainment investors, commercial property developers and industry partners from North America and other regions. Project teams planning to build, renovate or upgrade are invited to arrange discussions with ESAC before the event.

Austin, Texas – November 02, 2026 -- Oasis Management, whose funds own about 9.6% of Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN), a stake worth more than half a billion dollars, has launched a proxy contest. It is seeking two board seats at the ski operator's annual meeting on December 14, 2026, and argues that the stock has lost more than $8 billion in market value over five years.

Oasis has nominated Robert Chapek and M. Ashton Hudson and is urging shareholders to vote for them on its BLUE proxy card. It also launched a campaign website and published an open letter to shareholders. Oasis founder Seth H. Fischer said the aim is to make Vail Resorts better, "not break it up."

NEWTON, Mass. – November 02, 2026 -- Sonesta International Hotels Corporation will add 19 Boyd Gaming casino resorts, with more than 9,700 hotel rooms, to its distribution platform under an exclusive strategic affiliation announced with Boyd Gaming Corporation.

The first phase is the launch of the Boyd Collection, which also brings 600,000 square feet of meeting and event space onto Sonesta's platform. The collection will appear on Sonesta's signature list of brands, giving Boyd properties exposure to visitors of Sonesta.com. Boyd properties will stay available on Boyd's traditional distribution channels.

Sonesta gains full-service resort inventory in regional markets

Sonesta travelers get direct access to Boyd resorts for leisure and business travel in key regional markets. Boyd customers gain access to Sonesta's distribution platform, its expanding brand portfolio and the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.

NEW YORK – November 03, 2026 -- Equinox appointed Brendan Whitworth, most recently CEO of Anheuser-Busch, as Chief Executive Officer, as a completed refinancing gives the luxury fitness operator more than $1 billion of capital planned for investment in its club portfolio, member experience and growth initiatives. Whitworth also joins the Equinox Board as a Director.

Spevak moves to Chairman after leading Equinox since 1999

Harvey Spevak, who has run Equinox since 1999, becomes Chairman. He said he was personally involved in recruiting Whitworth and has known him for several years.

Whitworth held several commercial leadership roles at Anheuser-Busch, including Chief Sales Officer, before becoming CEO. He previously held senior commercial roles at PepsiCo and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds an economics degree from Bucknell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Shanghai – November 03, 2026 -- Yum China Holdings (NYSE: YUMC; HKEX: 9987) grew third-quarter operating profit 13% year over year to $451 million on revenue up 8% to $3.5 billion, and raised its 2026 net new store target to more than 2,400. Revenue growth was 2% excluding foreign currency translation. Diluted EPS rose 20% to $0.91, or 12% excluding F/X and 8% when mark-to-market equity investment effects are also stripped out.

Record 692 net openings push store count to 19,989

Yum China opened 692 net new stores in the quarter, a quarterly record, and franchisees opened 44% of them. Total stores reached 19,989 at September 30, 2026, with 19% operated by franchisees. The company now expects to surpass 20,500 stores this year, with a 40-50% franchise mix of net new stores for both KFC and Pizza Hut.

Capital expenditure is guided at approximately $600 million to $700 million for 2026.

Orlando – November 03, 2026 -- Xenia Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: XHR) raised its full-year 2026 guidance after third-quarter Adjusted EBITDAre rose 26.0% to $53.2 million and Adjusted FFO per diluted share climbed 56.5% to $0.36.

Same-Property RevPAR rises 12.5% on higher occupancy and rates

Same-Property occupancy reached 70.0%, up 380 basis points year over year. Same-Property ADR increased 6.4% to $264.00, lifting Same-Property RevPAR 12.5% to $184.75. Same-Property Total RevPAR gained 12.7% to $325.71.

Same-Property Hotel EBITDA grew 29.3% to $60.2 million, and the margin widened 295 basis points to 22.9%. Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Diego, Santa Clara, Pittsburgh, Houston, Key West and Orlando led RevPAR growth.

Chairman and CEO Marcel Verbaas said results "significantly surpassed our expectations," citing group and corporate transient demand plus leisure demand from several large events.

Dallas and Fort Worth – November 03, 2026 -- The oneworld alliance's branded lounge at Seoul Incheon International Airport has been named "Asia's Leading Airline Lounge - Business Class" at the World Travel Awards for a second consecutive year. The lounge receives 150,000 guests annually.

World Travel Awards select winners through a vote of professionals and travellers

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards cover the travel and hospitality sectors. Winners are chosen in a voting process that includes both travel professionals and travellers.

Gerhard Girkinger, oneworld's vice president of Customer Experience & Airports, attributed the result to consistent service quality for the lounge's annual visitors.

ATLANTA – November 03, 2026 -- Scientific Games will present its instant games, digital portfolio and retail technology at the World Lottery Summit in Sydney from November 9-12, targeting lottery executives, product managers and technologists from more than 75 countries.

Scientific Games builds its Sydney exhibit around connecting retail and digital play

The company's Powering Possibilities exhibit at the International Convention Centre combines instant games, digital games, loyalty, CRM, player marketing and retail technology. Data and analytics inform game creation and personalize engagement across channels, the company said. Chief Communications & Brand Officer Beth Bresnahan said the goal is helping lotteries build stronger player relationships and create new opportunities for responsible growth.