Extended Stay America (ESA)'s utilitarian focus on long-stay guests may make it unusually well-prepared to weather a U.S. economic turndown if one should materialize. "While, like the rest of the travel industry, we have experienced some softness in recent weeks, our fiscal year 2025 outlook still calls for steady occupancy — well above the industry average and our competitive set again this … [Read more...]

Radisson Hotel Group is making the case that it understands owner challenges better than the giant publicly held hotel groups, which are asset-light and mostly franchise-driven. And it says it's staying focused on revenue for its owners — not rigid rules about how they should run their brands. "We are very financially driven versus the owner," said Chema Basterrechea, global president and … [Read more...]

Priceline’s latest marketing campaign looks to March Madness to drive travel bookings, launching one week ahead of the annual U.S. college basketball tournament. The campaign taps into a growing market for sports-driven travel, introducing a partnership with DraftKings and new hotel deals in tournament host cities. This is the third and latest iteration of the company’s “Go to Your Happy Price” … [Read more...]

Skift Research estimates that the global accommodation market generated nearly $1.2 trillion in revenue in 2024, and in our latest report, project a rise to more than $1.3 trillion in 2026. Growth is driven by a combination of strong leisure travel and the rebound of business travel. Our latest report updates the market size data from 2022. It includes a detailed regional analysis across the … [Read more...]

The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is set to enter Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. It has signed Taj-branded hotel apartments Taj Wellington Mews on the Al Marjan Island in the emirate. The property will have 336 apartments.  With IHCL looking to expand its global footprint, Puneet Chhatwal, managing director and CEO of IHCL, said, “Ras Al-Khaimah’s cultural heritage, natural … [Read more...]

Yanolja, the online travel agency based in Seoul, is teaming up with Google Cloud to develop AI services for travel companies. Yanolja said late last month it’s also working with OpenAI to enhance the trip planning experience within ChatGPT.  And there are more partnerships coming with other AI companies — all part of a greater plan for a smoother travel experience from start to … [Read more...]

When Southwest Airlines finally began showing its flights for the first time on Google Flights, Kayak, and Expedia, it didn't get the pop it anticipated. And that was a major factor, along with pressure from investor Elliott Management, that led Southwest to reverse its "bags fly free policy." Up until 2024, basically the only place to book Southwest fares online for leisure travelers was … [Read more...]

Journey, a new company focused on bringing loyalty program capabilities to independent hotels and vacation rentals, is preparing to launch its consumer-facing platform this month. The U.S.-based company has notable backers. It was founded by CEO John Sutton, the former chief digital officer at Red Ventures, which owns media brands like The Points Guy, Lonely Planet, and Bankrate. Journey's … [Read more...]

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. Sandals Resorts has long been synonymous with Caribbean luxury, but its latest marketing campaign, “Made of Caribbean,” deepens that connection by celebrating the region’s culture, craftsmanship, and natural beauty. Sandals launched the campaign to highlight the brand’s commitment to authenticity, from sourcing local produce … [Read more...]

Skift Take Will the big AI chatbots — those that survive — ever become online travel agencies in their own right? Booking Holdings' CFO doesn't think so, but the company is trying to prepare for all scenarios. Booking Holdings is "preparing for all scenarios" when it comes to … [Read more...]

SH Hotels & Resorts announced Wednesday that it's officially rebranding as Starwood Hotels, reviving the company that Barry Sternlicht founded in 1991. Sternlicht had built Starwood into a major player with the purchases of Westin and ITT Sheraton in 1997 and the launch of W Hotels the following year. Starwood reached the 1,000-hotel milestone in 2010. He sold Starwood to Marriott in 2015 … [Read more...]

Skift Take Expedia has been heavily involved in sports marketing, and has been using influencers more frequently, all of which dovetails with the experience of the company's new senior vice president of brand marketing & creative. Expedia Group appointed Natalie Wills, who … [Read more...]

Marriott International recorded strong growth in the South Asia region in 2024, with Indian metropolitan markets such as Hyderabad, Gurugram, Bengaluru, and Mumbai playing a key role in driving the growth of average daily rates (ADR). Growth in ADR and occupancy led to the company recording a revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of 11% in the region, the company said on Monday. Marriott … [Read more...]

Expedia Group laid off hundreds of members of its marketing teams around the world and will internally announce a reorganization March 12, Skift has learned. The layoffs mostly impacted staff in content creation located in several cities, including Seattle, Austin, Chicago, London, Tokyo, Madrid, and Sao Paolo, according to a source close to the company. Team members involved in performance … [Read more...]

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. As concern for sustainability grows in the Middle East’s luxury sector, hotels across the region are prioritizing eco-friendly practices. Steps like reducing waste, conserving water, and using renewable energy sources are essential for sustainable hotels today. To take its commitments even further, Saudi hotel brand Boutique … [Read more...]

The average room rate at Mumbai hotels was up 21% to 23% in January, according to hospitality consultancy firm HVS Anarock. The report stated that Mumbai had the highest average room rate in the country, consistently exceeding INR 14,000 ($160) a night.  “This surge could be attributed to the Coldplay concert drawing in a large crowd from across the country,” the report … [Read more...]

Skift Research’s latest deep dive report looks at the rise of the credit card companies in travel. Below we present three key takeaways, with accompanying charts.  1. Banks and Credit Cards Are Going it Alone Travel loyalty programs have become dull and overcrowded, with increasingly brand-agnostic consumers who prioritize discounts and perks over traditional loyalty. Time for something … [Read more...]

Travel companies, especially tour operators and independent hotels, often make customers jump through hoops to complete a booking. For the businesses, old finance tech means navigating banks, credit card companies, currency exchange, and more — a cumbersome process that they often don’t have the resources to manage.   Companies like Flywire aim to help travel businesses simplify … [Read more...]

Accor Group CEO Sébastien Bazin has a message for investors: The hotel company's frequent reinventions are done for now. After a decade of four reorganizations, the Paris-based hotel operator is settling into what Bazin says is a focus on execution. After Bazin took over Accor in 2013, he transformed the company from a European-focused, midscale operator into a global player with 47 … [Read more...]

Wynn Resorts will operate two separate gaming areas in its upcoming Ras Al Khaimah resort, according to a Wynn VP speaking in the emirate Thursday. The first is the well-known "main casino" - a 224,000 square feet space larger than the casino in Wynn Las Vegas. The second is a "sky gaming" area on the integrated resort's 22nd floor, which had not been previously announced. There could even … [Read more...]