Brand Stories

Time Travel: The Nostalgia Effect | 2025 Hilton Trends Report

Published

10 months ago

September 30, 2024

New Vacation Trends

Whether it’s loading up the kids for a road trip or returning home to reminisce at a family reunion, travelers are chasing after the chance to relive childhood memories.

Next year, Americans in particular, are expected to lead the world in what Hilton has coined “Time Travel”— the act of taking vacations and booking travel experiences inspired by nostalgic memories. In fact, “recreating memories” was the third most-cited reason for leisure travel in the U.S.

When vacationing with their kids…

58%

of global travelers revisit childhood travel destinations.

49%

Nearly half return to the same place year after year.

Nostalgia is shaping tomorrow’s vacation in many ways.

Surge in Sports Travel

There is no denying that a sports fan’s loyalty is grounded in traditions. Today, athletes and their fans are hitting the road in record numbers. From 2019 to 2024, Hilton Worldwide Sport Sales revenue tripled in volume—80% of which stemmed from youth or amateur sports.

3 sports fans dressed in blue in hotel lobby

Sports-themed Experiences on Hilton Honors Experiences Platform also reflect this trend as over 4.6 million Hilton Honors Points were redeemed for the McLaren Ultimate package for Las Vegas in 2024, the most Points redeemed for any package in the history of the site.

For sports fans, Graduate by Hilton, which joined the Hilton family in 2024, is steeped in nostalgia, welcoming guests who want to re-immerse themselves in university life and, oftentimes, hold a deep passion for their alma mater.

Ultra-decked-out themed guest rooms and suites, inspired by both pop culture entertainment and nostalgia, rose in popularity in 2023 and 2024 and are expected to strengthen in 2025. Hilton New York Times Square debuted Aladdin’s Time Square Palace suite this year, complementing the hotel’s close proximity to Disney’s Aladdin the Musical on Broadway. The week the suite was introduced, the hotel received over 500 inquiries and its corresponding Instagram post exceeded all previous engagement activity on the channel, breaking social media records for the hotel.

Guest interest in the Aladdin Times Square Palace Suite also influenced the creation of the property’s latest Disney Theatrical Group offering, THE LION KING’s Royal Suite, further inspiring guests drawn to New York for the best that Broadway has to offer.

Hilton New York Times Square_THE LION KING's Royal Suite Bedroom, Broadway Lion King mask imagery, themed pillows, curtains, bedspread and chair, lamp and plant — THE LION KING’s Royal Suite, Hilton New York Times Square

family at breakfast corner with chef, donuts, pastries and fruit — Hilton Singapore Orchard

A Taste of the Past

While comfort foods have always elicited positive memories, nostalgic tastes are taking this concept to the next level. Chefs around the world are now creating menu items that sandwich together comfort and 90s nostalgia, resulting in delicious dishes and shareable social media content—a winning combo.

Tru by Hilton guests have been flipping for pancakes since 2021, evoking nostalgic memories of weekend breakfasts at home, with hundreds of pancakes served at each location every day. The hotels also feature a classic breakfast cereal bar at each of the brand’s more than 260 locations. By hotel guest consumption, favorite cereal brands have consistently been Cheerios, Raisin Bran and Froot Loops. Operationally, the hotels are seeing this retro demand firsthand, with products flying off the (cereal) bar every morning. In fact, over 70 tons of cereal were served at Tru hotels last year.

Cereal Bar, breakfast — Tru by Hilton Garland Richardson

Hampton by Hilton celebrated its milestone 40^th anniversary in 2024 with a deliciously nostalgic twist on their iconic waffles, customized to delight guests around the globe. Across the U.S., guests at more than 2,200 Hampton by Hilton properties enjoyed birthday cake-flavored waffles adorned with sprinkles and whipped cream. In China, guests enjoyed a unique fusion of flavors with Jian Bing (pan-fried crepes) crafted into waffle shapes, paying homage to the beloved breakfast staple.

Did you know?

Did you know? Each year, Hampton by Hilton serves over 30 million full-size waffles and 120 million mini waffles – enough waffles to cover more than 500 football fields. Guests at Hampton hotels go through 2 million gallons of batter, enough to fill nearly three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Source link

Brand Stories

California Judicial Council implements rule for generative artificial intelligence use in court

Published

3 hours ago

July 21, 2025

Jacqueline So

Policies must block confidential information from being input into public generative AI systems; they must also ban unlawful discrimination via AI programs. Court staff and judicial officers must also “take reasonable steps” to confirm the accuracy of material, as per a statement published by Reuters. Staff and judicial officers must also reveal whether they used AI if the final version of any publicized written, visual, or audio work was AI-generated.

Courts must implement their respective policies by September 1.

Task force chair Brad Hill told the council in a statement published by Reuters that the rule “strikes the best balance between uniformity and flexibility.” He explained that the task force steered clear of a rule that would dictate court use of the evolving technology.

Illinois, Delaware, and Arizona have also taken on generative AI rules or policies. New York, Georgia, and Connecticut are presently evaluating generative AI use in court.

California’s court system comprises five million cases, 65 courts, and around 1,800 judges. The AI task force was established to address the increasing interest in generative AI as well as public concern about its effect on the judiciary; it supervises the development of AI use policy recommendations in this branch.

Source link

Brand Stories

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Could Hit a $2 Trillion Valuation by July 31

Published

5 hours ago

July 21, 2025

Harsh Chauhan, The Motley Fool

Meta Platforms’ recent rally has brought its market cap close to the $2 trillion mark.
The digital advertising giant’s upcoming earnings report could help it hit this milestone.
Meta’s ability to deliver strong returns to advertisers with the help of AI tools could help it grow at a faster pace than the end market in the long run, paving the way for more upside.
These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires ›

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) stock has been rallying impressively of late, gaining more than 32% in the past three months amid the broader rally in technology stocks. As a result, Meta’s market cap has jumped to $1.8 trillion as of this writing on July 14, making it the sixth-largest company in the world.

Meta is slated to release its second-quarter results after the market closes on July 31. The company has been able to grow at a faster pace than the digital ad market thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools into its offerings, which could enable it to deliver another solid set of results later this month.

Given that Meta stock is just 11% away from entering the $2 trillion market cap club as I write this, there is a good chance it could achieve that milestone in July, driven by the tech stock rally and a healthy quarterly report.

META data by YCharts. E = earnings reports.

Let’s look at the reasons why Meta stock is primed for more upside this month and in the long run.

It is worth noting that Meta’s earnings have been better than consensus expectations in each of the last four quarters. One reason is the increase in spending across its family of applications by advertisers. In the first quarter, for instance, Meta reported an impressive increase of 10% year over year in the average price per ad.

Person smiling and looking at a smartphone in a gym. — Image source: Getty Images.

Ad impressions also increased by 5% from the year-ago period, which means the company is delivering more ads. This combination of higher pricing per ad and an increase in impressions delivered enabled Meta to report a 37% year-over-year increase in its earnings to $6.43 per share in Q1. However, investors should also note that the company has been aggressively increasing its capital expenditures (capex) to bolster its AI infrastructure.

It expects to spend $68 billion on capex in 2025, at the midpoint of its guidance range. That would be a massive increase over its 2024 capex of $39 billion. This explains why analysts are expecting Meta’s earnings to increase at a slower year-over-year pace of 13% for the second quarter to $5.84 per share. While the increased investment in AI-focused data center infrastructure is undoubtedly likely to weigh on Meta’s bottom line in the short run, the higher returns its AI investments are generating on the advertising front could help it beat the market’s bottom-line expectations. And beating expectations often sends a stock up, as investors react with excitement and optimism.

Meta management points out that users are now spending more time on its applications thanks to AI-recommended content. In the six months that ended March 31, Meta saw the time spent on Facebook and Instagram increase by 7% and 6%, respectively. The increase in user engagement tells us why it has been able to serve more ads.

Moreover, the gains advertisers have seen on the dollars they are spending on Meta’s applications are also quite solid. A couple of months ago, Meta said it “assessed the impact of [its] new AI-driven advertising tools and found that they drive a 22% improvement in return on ad spend for advertisers. This means that for every dollar U.S. advertisers spend with Meta, they see a $4.52 return when they use [its] new AI-driven advertising tools.”

Unsurprisingly, Meta saw a 30% increase in the number of advertisers using its AI tools to create campaigns in the first quarter. So, there is indeed a solid possibility that Meta will clock healthy growth in ads delivered and the average price per ad in Q2, which could pave the way for a better-than-expected jump in its bottom line and help the company cross the $2 trillion milestone. I expect it to hit that market cap before Aug. 1.

Looking ahead, Meta expects that it will allow advertisers to completely automate the creation and execution of ad campaigns by the end of next year. As such, there is a good chance that Meta’s earnings growth could accelerate from 2026, following this year’s projected increase of 7%. Estimates are shown in the chart below.

META EPS Estimates for Current Fiscal Year Chart — META EPS Estimates for Current Fiscal Year data by YCharts. EPS = earnings per share.

However, there is a strong possibility that Meta’s earnings growth will outpace market expectations, thanks to AI. That’s why it won’t be surprising to see its market cap jumping to higher levels in the long run, as the digital ad market is expected to clock a robust annual growth rate of 15% through 2030, and Meta has the ability to keep growing at a faster pace than the end market.

Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.

On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:

Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $447,134!*
Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $40,090!*
Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $652,133!*

Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join Stock Advisor, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.

See the 3 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of July 14, 2025

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Could Hit a $2 Trillion Valuation by July 31 was originally published by The Motley Fool

Source link