Skift Take The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority has started to build its team: A gaming co-ordinator from the Netherlands, a head of investigations from Missouri and a chairman from Vegas. Josh Corder The UAE’s newly-formed gaming commission has hired its head of investigations: A recently retired U.S. lieutenant who had led the Gaming Division of the … [Read more...]

Skift Take Today's podcast looks at travel brands leaving Twitter, Choice’s latest Wyndham move, and questions about tourism in the Middle East. Rashaad Jorden Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, November 28. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Listen Now 🎧 … [Read more...]

Skift Take These advertising blocks aren't necessarily long-term decisions so these brands could be back on X at some point when this controversy fades. Dennis Schaal Among big-name travel and transportation brands, Expedia Group, Airbnb, Uber and Disney have pulled their advertising off X, formerly known as Twitter. Expedia Group told Skift Monday that “we have … [Read more...]

Skift Take Choice Hotels has made yet another, more assertive move in its hostile takeover bid of rival Wyndham. It looks like shareholders will be voting on a potential merger when they consider board elections in May. Sean O'Neill Choice Hotels is preparing to nominate multiple directors to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts‘ board in an aggressive move to push its … [Read more...]

India’s accommodation sector remains upbeat about its economic development, despite a sluggish inbound travel recovery. The sector has been reporting rising room and occupancy rates over the past six months. This is according to a Booking.com Indian Accommodation Barometer 2023 report, released in collaboration with business intelligence firm Statista. Some 250 executives and managers … [Read more...]

Skift Take Standard International is trying to take lessons from its successes 25 years ago and apply them to its latest brand today. Dawit Habtemariam Standard International is launching a new hospitality brand, The StandardX, centered around its younger roots. Its inaugural debut will be in Melbourne next year. Standard aims to expand the brand into Bangkok, … [Read more...]

In the latest episode of the Skift Ideas Podcast, Colin is joined by Harry Jameson, CEO of Pillar Wellbeing, a service provider targeting sophisticated, health-curious individuals who wish to optimise today and future-proof tomorrow through the three core ‘pillars’ of Movement, Nourishment and Recovery. Harry has over 18 years’ experience in the fitness & hospitality industries, having … [Read more...]

Skift Take Today's podcast discusses pilot mental health, Wyndham's Choice rejection, and Trip.com’s strong earnings. Rashaad Jorden Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, November 22. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Listen Now 🎧 Subscribe Apple … [Read more...]

Skift Take After the Wynn casino was announced, luxury operators have been rushing to the once-quiet Ras Al Khaimah. Four Seasons could be next, betting on a "gaming state" to ensure its success. Josh Corder Toronto hotel brand Four Seasons is likely to announce its own resort and standalone villa project in United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) Ras Al Khaimah. The proposed … [Read more...]

Skift Take Wyndham is playing very hard to get. And unless lovestruck Choice is equipped to sweeten its offer, it may view this target forever as the one who got away. Dennis Schaal Wyndham isn’t warming to Choice’s latest attempt at a hostile takeover, and characterized it Tuesday as a “step … [Read more...]

Skift Take Founded two years ago, Envi Lodges is expecting to open its first property next year and already has hopes to spread all over the globe — if it finds the money. Josh Corder Dubai hospitality has always gone for high impact. Whether it’s billion-dollar resorts on man-made islands or luxury hotels colloquially known as seven-star properties, they have served … [Read more...]

Skift Take Trip.com has reported a solid third quarter and sees no signs of a slowdown any time soon. But not keen to put all its eggs in one basket (China), the online travel company has also sets its sights on global expansion. Peden Doma Bhutia In a significant rebound fueled by heightened summer travel demand, China’s Trip.com Group posted a net revenue of RMB … [Read more...]

Skift Take Luxury travelers are seeking out immersive culinary experiences as an integral part of their journey. As a leading destination in Dubai, Atlantis The Royal is innovating through global gastronomy in its diverse offerings and creative partnerships with world-renowned chefs. Atlantis The Royal This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift … [Read more...]

Skift Take We don't know how the trademarks will be used. But we're intrigued by names like Xaynor, Zardun and Aquellum. Josh Corder Saudi Arabia’s Neom keeps announcing new hotel projects, and more are possible based on our review of pending trademarks applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Are you ready for Xaynor, Zardun and Aquellum? … [Read more...]

Skift Take Will Sam Altman return to OpenAI? Will he bring Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky along with him as an OpenAI director? The competition will be intense for any board openings. Dennis Schaal From his posts and re-posts on X, it’s clear that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is highly supportive of Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI, and now-former board Chairman Greg … [Read more...]

Skift Take Think of it as game and you may not understand the frenzy, but then again cricket is an emotion in India! Peden Doma Bhutia The stage is set for the grand finale of the Cricket World Cup, where two cricketing giants — India and Australia — are poised to clash this Sunday in a battle that promises to be nothing short of monumental. And Ahmedabad, the … [Read more...]

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. In the past year, Accor has streamlined operations across its portfolio to drive growth, improve operational efficiency, and deliver elevated hospitality experiences aligned with ever-evolving traveler preferences. This structural transformation saw the creation of a new premium, midscale, and economy (PM&E) division, … [Read more...]

Skift Take IHG will franchise a hotel at The Heart Of Europe, with potential for two more hotels at one of Dubai's best-known on-again-off-again tourism projects. Josh Corder IHG is in talks to operate all three hotels on a man-made island that’s part of Dubai’s long-delayed tourism development: The Heart of Europe. Earlier this month, IHG inked a deal with … [Read more...]

Skift Take A new report from Global Hotel Alliance, “What Travelers Want Most From Loyalty Programs,” explores the sentiments, influences, and preferences of today’s consumers to help hotels develop more effective loyalty strategies and deliver the rewards travelers want. Global Hotel Alliance This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift … [Read more...]

Skift Take Smaller independent hotels in Europe, lacking the marketing budgets and tech capabilities of branded counterparts in the U.S., are more inclined to rely on online travel agencies for distribution rather than their own sites. Pranavi Agarwal In Part I of our series on Google Travel, we analyzed the hotel distribution landscape in the U.S. by web-scraping … [Read more...]