Hotels and OTAs First-Half Report: Growth Shifts to Europe and Asia

The type of accommodation you choose during your travels can often make or break a trip.

The city of Oxford revolves around its university, England’s most prestigious alongside Cambridge. Because teaching started in the city in the 11th century, Oxford is filled with historic colleges, many hundreds of years old, and all incredibly beautiful in their architecture. Visitors to the city can walk the cobblestone streets that weave around the colleges, libraries, churches, and museums, and even take tours of the colleges’ lecture halls, chapels, and dining halls. But a day trip isn’t enough to get a good feel for Oxford. Even if the city is only 50 minutes away by train from London, you need to stay in a hotel in Oxford, England, for and take the time to fully explore this one-of-a-kind city.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has this week announced the opening of the 60-room Wyndham Grand Krakow Old Town—the very first Wyndham Grand in Poland. The property is located in a historic townhouse in the heart of the Old Town of Krakow which makes it an attractive option for guests looking for a luxurious hotel that’s comfortably within walking distance of the iconic landmarks of the city.

Orlando is gearing up for an extraordinary autumn filled with Halloween thrills and fall festivities. With 93 days of frightful scares and family-friendly fun at theme parks and attractions, savory culinary experiences and vibrant cultural celebrations throughout the destination, Orlando presents an exceptional lineup of fall events for visitors of all ages. “From experiencing a taste of our dining scene at a discounted price to the Halloween thrills that you can only find in the Halloween Vacation Capital, Orlando offers something for every traveler this fall,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “Lively local events, ranging from our local LGBTQ+ pride celebration to our Hispanic heritage celebration, round out the diverse offerings.”

Sandals Resorts International (SRI), parent company of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, took home 13 awards at the 30th Annual World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony on August 26th.

If you follow the short-term rental industry, you would have read or heard Sonder touting itself as “a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design” countless times.

Yanolja said this week it expected that a post-pandemic rebound in international travel will continue to boost its twin businesses of online travel sales via a superapp and software sales to hotels and other travel companies. The South Korea-based startup has made progress on both ambitions since 2011, when it received a $1.7 billion investment from the Softbank Vision Fund in a transaction that valued Yanolja at the time at approximately US$9 billion.

Malaysia’s Capital A has submitted plans for a corporate restructuring, which will involve the merger of its low-cost airline AirAsia with long-haul carrier AirAsia X.

Hotel company Sonesta said on Tuesday it would launch a new brand, Sonesta Essential, and offer a just-added brand, The James, to developers.

Google made changes to Google Flights and Hotels related to transparency in hotel reviews and pricing under pressure from the European Commission — but stopped short of making those modifications elsewhere in the world.

Ireland is taking the next step in its comeback as the country’s tourism board recently unveiled a new $84 million marketing campaign with the goal of boosting visitor revenue beyond pre-pandemic levels. 

Here are some excerpts from Daily Lodging Report from the past week. If you’re not a subscriber, you should be. Get news on hotel deals, development, stocks, and career moves. Sign up here, now.