The Americas
Good technology is important to 80% of US customers when choosing a QSR
A new report has revealed that 43% of US customers have said good technology is “extremely important” when choosing a QSR, while 37% said it’s “very important.” Just 1% said it’s “not at all important.” The Fast-Food Friction: The 2025 Restaurant Tech Report from software company Canopy was based on a US-wide survey of Americans who eat at quick-service restaurants.
The report also revealed that self-service kiosks are used at least occasionally by more than 60% of customers, while those consumers that visit a QSR three or more times a week are the most frequent kiosk users.
Michelin awards 289 Keys to hotels in the US
Michelin inspectors have announced the awarding of its celebrated Keys to 289 hotels across the US. To achieve one Key, a hotel must demonstrate excellence in five primary factors: architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, a significant contribution to the neighborhood or setting, and value for the price. The full list can be viewed here.
Michelin has revealed a further list of five hotels that it believes offer “the best value for the price”, which are Esmé Miami Beach in Miami, Florida; Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, New Hampshire; Eaton DC in Washington, D.C.; Holiday House Palm Springs in Palm Spring, California; and The Prospect Hollywood in Hollywood, California. That list can be viewed here.
Asia Pacific
South Korea Starbucks pleads with customers to leave bulky tech at home
Starbucks has asked customers in South Korea to no longer bring “bulky items” into its cafes. In recent years customers using the coffee giant’s premises to work in have also brought printers and desktop computers along with them. The BBC has reported that some even “brought in partitions and more than one computer to mark their office territory” into the store space. The chain released a statement saying said, while laptops, iPads, and mobile phones are still welcome, items that “impact the shared space” and limit seating are no longer permitted.
Marriott opens largest executive apartments in region outside of China
Marriott International has opened its biggest executive apartments property in the Asia Pacific region outside of China, with the unveiling of its 353-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The serviced residence, located near KLCC Park and Suria KLCC in the city, offers studios to three-bedroom apartments equipped with kitchens, dining areas and in-room laundry facilities, catering to both short- and long-term stays. The property additionally features event spaces, including a rooftop venue, a 24-hour fitness center, a pool, children’s facilities and a dining outlet that serves Malaysian cuisine.
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
More than 200 UK pubs closed in first six months of 2025 amid tax hikes
Eight British pubs per week shut their doors for good across the UK during the course of the first half of 2025 according to new figures. Facing rising tax and labor costs, official UK Government statistics have revealed that 209 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses over the first six months of the year. The data, analyzed by commercial real estate specialists Ryan, show that the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, has fallen to 38,780, meaning that 2,283 pubs have disappeared from communities in England and Wales since the turn of 2020.
Radisson RED Oslo City Centre debuts as a Verified Net Zero hotel
Radisson Hotel Group has announced the opening of Radisson RED Oslo City Centre, A Verified Net Zero Hotel. The hotel in the Norwegian capital is one of the first two hotels globally to achieve Verified Net Zero status. The Radisson RED Oslo City Centre offers 118 reimagined guest rooms, “vibrant social spaces, flexible meeting facilities, and a playful twist on Scandinavian minimalism,” says the hotel chain.
“Pioneering the first two Verified Net Zero hotels is a significant milestone for Radisson Hotel Group. By transforming hotels in operation to Verified Net Zero status, we are demonstrating that Net Zero conversion hotels are not only possible, they are essential,” says Inge Huijbrechts, chief sustainability & security officer at Radisson Hotel Group.
Michael Jones
