Rising hotel rates, transparency fee considerations, cyberattacks and more captured our attention as some of the biggest hotel and resort headlines of 2023. Check out this slideshow to read some of the biggest stories of the year, and make sure to click the links provided to read the full stories.

Located inside a 1,000-acre nature reserve in Greece, Sani Resort has been consistently awarded for its sustainability, and this rings true again in 2023. It became the first carbon-neutral resort in Greece in 2020, has been producing its own renewable energy since 2019 and uses over 60 percent locally sourced food in its restaurants. These, among other sustainability initatives, has earned it the World Travel Awards' World's Leading Luxury Green Resort for the third year in a row.

Collective Retreats is the latest travel brand to become B Corp certified, and it's the first and largest global outdoor hospitality brand to achieve the rigorous certification. B Corps are known for their commitment to the best in company standards, from sustainability to responsible business practices and more. Collective Retreats is also a Public Benefit Corporation.

The hotel industry as a whole has continued in its global post-pandemic recovery, but it's also experienced some overarching challenges and celebrations throughout the year. A report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association made in February estimated that hotel-generated tax revenue would reach a record $45 billion in 2023. A report in June by the AHLA found that 87 percent of hoteliers were unable to fill open positions, and still struggled with staffing shortages, leading many to offer higher wages and better benefits.

Another June report found that less development and a stronger desire by Americans to stay in hotels in America and in Europe are driving up prices for rooms in both regions. The rates in the summer were 15 to 20 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. In August, data from STR found that the average daily rates for hotels worldwide increased 6.3 percent in July from a year before, with Europe seeing the highest increase, at 13.4 percent. Overall, despite staffing challenges and higher hotel rates, hotels are still in demand across the globe, especially as people continue traveling more than they did before the pandemic.

Hotel fee transparency has been an issue for years. More recently, in April, Marriott International was required to pay a fine of $225,000 for failing to adhere to a settlement that required the hotel giant to be transparent about so-called "hidden" hotel fees. In July, two members of the United States Senate introduced a new bill called the Hotel Fees Transparency Act, designed to order hotel companies to stop hiding fees that drive up the cost of hotel stays for travelers. Hidden fees also put Hyatt Hotels and Hilton in the hot seat this summer.

In October, the Federal Trade Commission announced a new proposed rule that would ban "junk fees," another term for hidden fees, across all industries, including the travel industry. Another act, dubbed the "No Hidden Fees Act," was proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives early in December. While our democratic process has a ways to go with these bills, it's a great step towards greater transparency for consumers and accountability for hotels and other travel companies.

A report on diversity, equity and inclusion conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and published in October of this year found that the number of women and Black hotel board members is growing. The report analyzed 230 board members across 28 companies between 2016 and 2022, and found that 67 percent of new board members were women in 2022. Women also held 31.3 percent of independent board seats on public hotel company boards, an increase from 22.5 percent the year before. Additionally, 22 percent of new board members in 2022 were Black. In 2022, 12.6 percent of hotel public company board members were Black, which is double that of the year before.

One large headline has been the cyberattack that compromised guest information at MGM Resorts and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas earlier in September. Five class action lawsuits were immediately filed against the two hotel corporations. In early October, MGM Resorts predicted to take a $100 million loss in its third quarter due to the cyberattack. It apologized to victims and handed out vouchers for loyalty points and free stays to those impacted.

In November, Marriott International and MGM Resorts postponed their 'MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy' strategic licensing agreement to 2024; while neither company cited the recent cyberattack as the reason, it is suspected as a main cause of the postponement. The cyberattack and its fallout is a stark reminder than travel companies need to invest in securing traveler information with updated technology.

We've seen an interesting saga play out between Choice Hotels and Wyndham. In October, Choice Hotels offered to buy Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for $7.8 billion in cash and stock. Wyndham's board of directors unanimously rejected the proposal, with Wyndham's chairman calling it, "underwhelming, highly conditional, and subject to significant business, regulatory and execution risk."

Yet later than month, Choice Hotels called on Wyndham board to engage in "good faith" sale discussions. In November, Wyndham rejected Choice Hotels' second purchase offer, sent November 14, calling it "a step backwards." The purchase offer was less than the first one. On December 12, Choice Hotels announced it would present its proposal to Wyndham shareholders directly. The Choice-Wyndham saga will likely continue into 2024.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the National Labor Relations Board in early November, 2023, challenging a new "joint-employer" regulation that will take effect on December 26. The two, along with other plaintiffs, argue against the new rule, which will force hotel brands to participate in collective bargaining with franchised employees, over which they have no authority.