Reaves said Hilton did what it had to do to uphold its brand standards.
"When you become a franchisee, you have to adhere to their rules. And brands, they have to pretty much accept everyone. Anyone who makes a reservation, they have to accept them," she said. "From a business standpoint, they were out of line."
At the same time, there's an emotional element at play as well.
"From an emotional standpoint, I understand why someone and why other business decide to deny ICE," Reaves said. "But from a business standpoint, it can't be done."
For more from this episode, listen to the embedded Next Gen in Lodging podcast above.
Shatterproof honored Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of Marriott International, with the 2026 Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award during the Ninth Annual Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes Reception, held in conjunction with ALIS in Los Angeles, CA. The event brought together senior hospitality executives at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE and marked the ninth year the industry has gathered at ALIS to support Shatterproof.
Capuano received the award in recognition of his leadership and commitment to advancing awareness around substance use disorder, reducing stigma and supporting the well-being of hospitality employees and communities worldwide. During the reception, 75 hospitality companies participated and raised $2.1 million, the highest total in the event’s history. The funds support Shatterproof’s mission of transforming systems, supporting families and ending stigma.
Shatterproof was founded in 2012 by Gary Mendell, co-founder of HEI Hotels & Resorts, after the loss of his son Brian in 2011. Mendell now serves as chairperson emeritus of the organization. Since 2016, the hospitality industry has raised more than $12 million for Shatterproof through events at ALIS, representing over 150 companies and 500 industry leaders.
“I humbly accept this honor on behalf of everyone at Marriott who is committed to showing up with empathy, dignity, and care for our people and for our industry,” said Capuano. “Addiction touches every one of us as family members, as leaders, as friends, and as employers. In the hospitality industry, the need is especially urgent. Shatterproof is charting a new, better, more compassionate path forward. My deep gratitude goes to Gary Mendell, the entire Shatterproof team, and the donors who stand with this extraordinary organization.”
The following morning, industry leaders and Shatterproof executives hosted a panel discussion titled The Business of Well-Being: Protecting People, Purpose, and Profit in Hospitality. The session focused on the hospitality industry’s role in addressing substance use disorder, strengthening workplace support systems and expanding access to education and resources. Jeff Higley, president at The BHN Group, a division of Northstar Travel Group, moderated the panel. Participants included Gary Mendell, founder and chairperson emeritus at Shatterproof, Pam Jenkins, CEO of Shatterproof, Leeny Oberg, CFO and EVP of development at Marriott International and Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cited during the event showed that employees in restaurants and hotels experience some of the highest rates of substance use in the U.S. workforce. The data states that “17% of accommodations and food services employees had a substance use disorder in the past year, and 15% of workers in the hospitality industry struggle with severe alcohol-related problems.” The organization noted that substance use disorder affects individuals and families and creates financial strain on businesses through health care costs, absenteeism and lost productivity.
Hospitality partners continue to support Shatterproof beyond fundraising by adopting the Just Five employee education program, supporting Walks to End Addiction and hosting internal conversations aimed at reducing stigma and expanding awareness.
“We are so inspired by the hospitality industry’s leadership and continued commitment to Shatterproof and to addressing substance use disorder,” said Pam Jenkins, Shatterproof’s CEO. “Leadership is about creating the conditions for people to succeed. When we invest in wellbeing, address addiction with rigor and empathy, and act together, we don’t just change outcomes—we change lives. Substance use disorder is a preventable disease, and through education, awareness, and collective action, this industry is reducing stigma, expanding access to care, and saving lives.”
The 2026 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes Committee includes representatives from hospitality companies, advisory firms and industry organizations who continue to support the nonprofit’s work through ALIS and related initiatives.
I Tried 4 Friendship Apps to Make Friends in a New City — and Only One Worked
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https://www.fodors.com/news/news/i-tested-4-friendship-apps-for-30-days-in-indianapolis-heres-what-worked
A travel writer tested four popular friendship apps in Indianapolis to see which actually help adults make friends. One stood out for real-world connections.
I’ve lived in Indianapolis for nearly five years, but as a travel writer, I’m often on the move, and home can feel like a layover. Lately, I’ve been trying to know the city better, so I ran an experiment to see if friendship apps could help me build a social circle while deepening my connection to Indianapolis. For more than a month, I tested four platforms: Bumble BFF, Meetup, BeFriend, and Friended.
Setting up my profile felt oddly vulnerable. What does friendship potential look like in photos? How much personality belongs in a bio? You want enough detail to attract the right people without oversharing.
The results came quickly. BeFriend flooded me with more than 100 requests, all from men. Since I was looking for female friendships, I deleted it. Friended focused on online connections without a strong local component, which defeated the point. I wanted people to explore the city with, not pen pals.
Both apps also shared another issue. Most profiles were looking for something other than friendship, and useful features were locked behind paywalls. Friended, for example, charges about $8 per week for access to basic tools. Can friendship really be so commodified?
That left Bumble BFF and Meetup.
Bumble BFF felt familiar and oddly intimidating. I caught myself swiping with the same scrutiny I use on dating apps, then questioning it. How much could a profile really tell you? What if I was filtering out a great friendship? After days of scrolling, I worried I’d never match. When I finally did, the pace felt slow.
“It is critical that adults realize that meeting, developing, and maintaining friendships takes a lot of time,” says
J. Ryan Fuller, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and co-founder of My Best Practice. “As adults, people are already set in their ways, so starting something new has to be very appealing and then takes time to grow.”
Meetup came with less pressure. My first event was a food-focused gathering at
Oppa Beef Bone Soup, a Korean restaurant. Five people showed up, spanning three generations. Several had been attending Meetups for nearly a decade and seemed unfazed by the idea of meeting new people. What struck me was how low the stakes felt. The event existed whether or not I attended, and conversation flowed naturally in and out. No one seemed to be performing or angling for a follow-up plan.
When the meal ended, some people lingered while others left without apology. I realized Meetup works less like dating and more like a standing invitation. You show up when it fits your life. I also appreciated the intergenerational mix, something harder to find on one-on-one apps. Still, full access required a subscription.
Over time, Bumble BFF emerged as the clear winner. In about six weeks, I matched with 21 people, sustained conversations with five, and met three in person.
The first meet-up exceeded expectations. We went rock climbing at
North Mass Boulder, an 18,000-square-foot gym housed in a restored factory. Since we were both beginners, we bonded over our fear of heights, small victories, and a shared learning curve. We climbed and talked for more than two hours.
“Activity-based interactions often feel lower pressure because the shared activity gives you something to focus on,” says
Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind. “They can help people bond naturally through shared experiences.”
A few days later, I met another Bumble BFF match at
The Garage food hall. With dozens of cuisines to choose from, we wandered and chatted about travel experiences as we perused menus. It was relaxed, unforced, and ended with a mutual plan to meet again.
I explored the city with both new friends in the following weeks. I made custom scents at
The Aroma Lab with one, and we compared our favorite notes along and connected on similar childhood upbringings. I walked the
Canal Walk with the other, catching the sunset before ducking into a café for cocoa and board games. Eventually, I hosted a duckpin bowling night with both of them and a few existing friends. Everyone got along well, and I was surprised at how quickly social gatherings come together when you put in effort.
But not every attempt worked. One match cancelled on me less than an hour before we were supposed to meet to make flower arrangements. Another fizzled after weeks of messaging and timing issues over the holidays. Hafeez recommends meeting in person sooner rather than later: “Asking to meet earlier helps avoid investing time in conversations that never turn into real-world connections.”
Bumble BFF took effort, but it delivered. Out of 21 matches, only one became a consistent friend (the other moved away, a stroke of friendship luck). That turns out to be a 5 percent conversion rate, which is higher than before I started the experiment.
I’m also meeting with my new friend every week to cowork at a local cafe, splitting our time between work projects and conversation. It’s low-key but sustainable enough to grow our friendship.
One unexpected benefit of the experiment was how it changed the way I scheduled my time at home. Instead of defaulting to solo routines between trips, I began anchoring around shared plans, even small ones.
Although the experiment is over, I’m not ready to delete the app. I plan to use it while travelling for work, testing whether it can help me make connections on the road the same way it did at home. This time, I won’t linger in messaging and plan shared experiences instead.
This Item Is Legal in the U.S. but Bringing It to Mexico Can Land You in Jail
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https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/this-item-is-legal-in-the-u-s-but-bringing-it-to-mexico-can-land-you-in-jail
And other news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: an AI bot sent travelers to nonexistent hot springs in Australia; a group of men was fined in Thailand after a public brawl; a snow leopard in China attacked a skier after she got too close to take photos; and travelers are being warned that Mexico has banned a very popular product.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
1 OF 5
AI Sends Tourists to Nonexistent Hot Springs
Travel company Tasmania Tours runs a blog to recommend attractions in the region, and a now-deleted post described the Weldborough Hot Springs as tranquil and secluded. Inspired by the post, tourists arrived in the rural town of Weldborough hoping to take a dip, only to learn the springs were an AI hallucination.
The owner of the travel company explained that the blog uses AI-generated content produced by a third party, and everything is reviewed before publication. However, the hot springs article slipped through. “Our AI has messed up completely,” Scott Hennessey said. The company has since removed all AI-generated posts, and he assured readers it is a legitimate website, not a scam.
2 OF 5
American Tourist Allegedly Slaps Waitress in Thailand
A group of American, Australian, and British tourists
came to blows outside a bar in Pattaya, Thailand, on Jan. 25. The group had been drinking together and, after becoming intoxicated, turned on each other. The American tourists allegedly slapped a waitress at the bar. Two British tourists were recorded beating the American, who fell unconscious in the street, before turning on the Australian. When police arrived, they took all the men to the local police station, except for the American, who was transported to a hospital.
Later, the group reconciled, and the female bar worker chose not to press charges. All were fined Baht 1,000 ($32) each for causing a public disturbance, a police lieutenant confirmed.
3 OF 5
Snow Leopard Attacks Skier in China
On Jan. 23, a
skier in the Xinjiang region of China was mauled by a snow leopard. The animal bit the skier’s face after she spotted it and exited her vehicle to take photographs. Social media videos show the victim clutching her face after the attack as the snow leopard sits nearby. She was helped by bystanders after the cat walked away and is currently stable.
Local authorities warned travelers not to approach wild animals. “The general public and tourists are urged to strictly abide by the safety guidelines, maintain a safe distance when encountering wild animals, and report to the police immediately to ensure personal safety,” an online notice said.
4 OF 5
Tourists Warned About Mexico’s Vape Ban
FIFA fans
visiting Mexico this summer should be aware that the country has banned vapes.
Since Jan. 16, the strict rule has been in effect, and bringing e-cigarettes to Mexico can result in confiscation, fines up to $12,500, or imprisonment of up to eight years.
The use of vapes itself is not illegal, but bringing them into the country may be seen as importing them. Cruisers are also
being warned not to travel with their smoking devices or to leave them on the ship before disembarking.
Vapes are legal in the United States, and the Food and Drug Administration allows
39 e-cigarettes to be lawfully sold in the country. However, the agency clarifies that these products are not FDA-approved or safe. “All tobacco products are harmful and potentially addictive. Those who do not use tobacco products shouldn’t start.”
5 OF 5
Crew Blocks Disruptive Passenger With Carts
On a
Delta flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo on Jan. 18, a male passenger allegedly became disorderly and assaulted the crew. The 64-year-old man verbally abused the crew and pushed a flight attendant. He reportedly was talking incoherently and stumbling down the aisle, leading the crew to suspect “symptoms of dementia due to his age.”
The crew escorted him to his seat, but he got up again and went to first class. He was brought back to his seat, and this time the crew blocked aisle access with their carts. As it was determined that the passenger could not comply with orders and might become a disruption, the pilot made an emergency landing. The plane diverted to Alaska, where FBI agents removed him from the flight in handcuffs.
Delta confirmed a medical incident occurred onboard, and the customer was transported to a medical facility. The passenger faces one count of assault and one count of interfering with the crew.
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