The Spotlight: A Lighthouse Podcast

In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake explores how market dynamics influence direct booking conversion using Lighthouse data from calendar year 2025. The analysis compares two US markets, New York City and Denver, to show how differences in traveler intent, market structure and pricing environment shape direct channel performance. While New York City hotels see more visitors engaging with booking e...

In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake explores the gap between what travelers search for and what they ultimately book, focusing on length of stay differences between solo and group travelers. Using direct channel benchmarking data from The Hotels Network, now part of Lighthouse, the analysis compares solo travel demand in Tokyo with group travel demand in Cancun. The data shows solo travelers tend...

The viral Netflix show 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' created a significant impact on South Korea's tourism and hotel industry in 2025. The movie became a global phenomenon with four soundtrack songs hitting the Billboard Hot 100, leading to a 56% increase in flight searches and 26% jump in hotel searches to South Korea by June 2025. While demand spiked immediately after the movie's release, hotel pricing...

In this podcast episode we explore the key trends in the hospitality and travel industry as we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026. Blake and Daniel cover the divergence in spending power, the resilience of travel despite economic pressures, the impact of AI on travel planning, and the importance of personalization in hospitality. We'll also follow up on persisting trends, like the challenges f...

Sometimes you see a piece of analysis that’s so cool you have to share it—so welcome back to Lighthouse Quick Takes ⚡️ Now that the World Cup group stage matchups are set, which host cities are positioned for the biggest travel + lodging demand impact? In this episode, we break down Daniel Forman’s Host City Power Rankings (16 → 1)—based on matchup quality, star power, weekend timing, repeat team...

On today’s Quick Take, we’re stirring up a little friendly rivalry: Milan vs. Paris. We'll explore how each city’s Fashion Week impacts hotel pricing and performance. We break down year-over-year trends by star class across both seasonal collections: 📉 Milan: pricing softness for Spring/Summer and only modest improvement for Fall/Winter 📈 Paris: strong pricing growth across every segment, with s...

In this episode of the Spotlight Podcast, we were lucky enough to land an interview with Fernando Vives, Chief Commercial officer of one of the fastest-growing hotel chains in the world. Fernando is a seasoned hospitality industry expert, and in this interview he shares his journey from a computer science enthusiast to a C-suite executive at Minor Hotels. In this podcast episode, Daniel and Laura...

Can a Netflix drama drive real-world hotel bookings? In this episode of Lighthouse Quick Takes, Blake Reiter breaks down how the Season 3 premiere of Bridgerton created ripple effects in the hospitality market of Bath, England – the show's real-life backdrop. We dive into three key hospitality metrics around the May 16, 2024, release date: 21.5% surge in hotel search volume in just two weeks 2.4%...

The Winter Olympics are coming to Milan—and hoteliers across the globe are watching closely. In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake Reiter dives into the hotel pricing trends leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympiad in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Drawing comparisons to Paris 2024, this video breaks down how three-star, four-star, and five-star hotel pricing is evolving in the months before the games.

In this conversation, Daniel and Blake examine the shifting balance between hotels and short-term rentals, drawing on new data from Booking.com searches. They discuss why the share of short-term rentals surged and then stabilized, how seasonality and market size shape visibility, and what the new Listing Multiple metric reveals about distribution strategy. The discussion also explores regulation’s...

In this episode of the Spotlight podcast, Daniel and Blake discuss the pricing and revenue management implications of playoff games for hoteliers. They explore how playoff games can significantly impact hotel pricing and occupancy rates, emphasizing the importance of understanding market dynamics, star power, and strategic pricing. The conversation covers various sports, including NFL, MLB, and Ch...

In this Episode of the Spotlight Podcast, we talk with Jason D'Agostino of Visions Hotels about the evolving role of revenue managers in the hospitality industry, particularly in the context of increasing data complexity and the integration of AI technologies. We'll talk all about how revenue managers are adapting to new tools and challenges as data gets more complicated and AI becomes commonplace...

This episode of the Spotlight podcast was recorded live in London at our first ever Lighthouse Luminate London event in April 2025! Daniel and Blake sat down for a interview with Ingela Heintz (Norlandia Hotels) and Kelly Cronin (Village Hotels), two industry leaders who are re-shaping commercial strategy at their organizations. In this episode we touch on the theme of how revenue management is ev...

In this episode of The Spotlight podcast, we were lucky enough to have 2 special guests, Nadine from our Product team, and Jordan Hollander, Co-Founder of Hotel Tech Report! In this conversation we'll explore the transformative impact of AI on the hotel technology sector, discussing how it unlocks underutilized software features, the evolution of funding in hotel tech, and the future of jobs in ho...

In this conversation, Ed and Daniel talk through the rise of multi-generational travel, what makes the Evermore Resort so unique, the growing demand for larger accommodations, the competitive landscape of short-term rentals in Orlando, and the strategies employed to attract international guests. Ed also shares insights into the luxury resort market and the innovative revenue management practices a...

In this live episode of The Spotlight Podcast, Daniel, Blake, Kerry, and Jennifer share stories of successes (and failures), innovative approaches to revenue management, and how to go against the grain and make an impact in the organization. They emphasize the importance of collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and the balance between intuition and analytics in the hospitality industry, but...

In this conversation, Daniel and David delve into the current state of revenue management education, discussing its evolution, challenges, and the importance of applied learning. They explore the integration of sales and revenue management, the role of creativity in commercial strategy, and the need for efficiency in sales models. The discussion also highlights the founding of FUSED Topline and it...

In this episode of the Lighthouse podcast Daniel discusses some recent case studies involving 3 different hotels and 3 different revenue managers. In the first case study, Aditya Patel explains how creative pricing studies helped him improve his occupancy ranking. In the second case study Virginia McShane explains how optimizing her marketing mix (and taking less group business) at a popular bouti...

00:00 - 00:53 - Intro 00:54 - 04:05 - [1] Hotels hit affordability ceiling 04:06 - 05:30 - [2] Latin America breaking the mold 05:31 - 07:08 - [3] A tale of cautious optimism in Asia Pacific 07:09 - 08:20 - [4] Sun and Sand Destinations Reign Supreme 08:21 - 10:15 - [5] Riyadh and Saudi Arabia's fast growth bucks Middle East Trends 10:16 - 13:08 - [6] Struggling Asian Markets In this conversation,...

In part two of our interview, we continue the deep dive into cancellations with Daniel Foreman and Connor Vanderholm as they explore effective oversell strategies. Learn how to confidently oversell rooms to ensure full occupancy, even with last-minute cancellations. This episode equips you with best practices for setting oversell limits, managing guest expectations, and balancing the risks and rew...

In the first part of this two-part series on cancellations, Daniel Foreman and Connor Vanderholm tackle the challenges and opportunities cancellations present. Learn how to predict and manage cancellations, turning potential setbacks into opportunities for higher revenue. This episode provides the strategies and tools needed to accurately forecast cancellations and implement overbooking strategies...

Daniel Foreman, alongside Nick Larsen and Kim Welch from Schulte Hospitality, explores the art and science of market segmentation. Discover the importance of identifying and targeting distinct guest segments to refine your booking strategies. This episode guides you through balancing your market mix, tailoring offerings, and driving higher revenue through strategic segmentation, empowering you to...

Dive into the complexities of rate evolution with Daniel Foreman and Brandon Burtis from Pacifica Hotels. This episode demystifies dynamic pricing strategies, showcasing how adjusting room rates in real-time can drive significant revenue growth. With practical scenarios, you’ll learn how to set and modify rates to stay competitive and maximize profits, turning rate management into a powerful tool...

Join Daniel Foreman and Jeff Eskew from Lighthouse's Revenue Strategy Services team as they unravel the critical role of demand drivers in shaping the booking curve. Through compelling real-world examples, including a high-stakes college football game night and a routine midweek sellout, this episode reveals how to harness demand factors to optimize occupancy and revenue. Transform your approach t...

Welcome to The Spotlight , a new podcast from Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) where travel & hospitality professionals come to sharpen their revenue management strategies. In the first season, The Art of the Sellout , join our host Daniel Foreman, Commercial Strategist at Lighthouse, as he explores the fine balance of achieving 100% occupancy alongside experienced revenue leaders from compan...