Execs tips

Caesars Palace Dubai is no more following a Monday rebranding. The luxury, non-gaming resort operated in the city since 2018, and is now Banyan Tree Dubai with Ennismore as the new manager. Many of the Caesars’ staff have taken jobs with Ennismore, but not the most senior members.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, October 27. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Further investments in Tripadvisor’s Viator tours and activities brand, as well as making Tripadvisor’s core hotel price-comparison feature more relevant to travelers will likely be key elements of the company’s turnaround strategy, executives hinted, although they plan on first laying out their complete vision to investors in 2023.

Big Tech companies are laying off tens of thousands of people. 

Doing local in a more memorable way is becoming increasingly important for hotels. Marriott International VP of Design Aliya Khan and Curator Hotel & Resort Collection President Jennifer Barnwell discuss the rising demand for more lifestyle, capturing experiences through design and balancing renovations with changing consumer expectations.

Top executives at Marriott International said they believe the pandemic surge in travelers having blended trip purposes of both business and leisure will have a long-term impact on the hotel sector. The growing trend will affect everything from data collection to the types of properties developers want to fund.

On January 17, I reported that Sortis Holdings would acquire Ace Group International, owner of Ace Hotels, for $85 million in cash. Executives for Sortis Holdings, a Portland, Oregon-based hospitality firm, weren’t available to speak when I wrote that article. But I’ve since interviewed them. Here’s some more color on their plans.

Travelers across the board want a future where technology makes payments easy and seamless. 

In monitoring online travel CEO compensation packages over the years, it’s always interesting to see these leaders receive what may be looked at as lifetime achievement awards, a monetary “thank you.” At long last, it’s time to cash in.

I spent last week at two major hotel conferences, and the most intriguing thing I heard was a couple of hotel executives contemplating the coming competition from financial and tech players.

Expedia Group and Vacasa are both going through tech updates as they work to improve their platforms and compete in the growing industry. 

AI has the potential to transform the ways travel companies offer hyper-personalized customer service, and the industry could make a notable shift in that direction as early as next year. 

It is generally acknowledged by hospitality professionals that the industry is far behind technologically. In a world where consumers are spoiled by high-tech service in banking and retail, hotels often leave guests feeling unsatisfied.

What’s worrying hotel executives these days? Jeanelle Johnson is one of the people well-placed to know. She’s a principal at PwC, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms and consultancies. She’s PwC’s lead contact with the hotel sector’s topmost execs.

A rush among travelers to make up for lost time during the pandemic is producing bumper airline earnings. And executives at U.S. carriers don’t see a letup in demand even as rising living costs stretch household budgets and add to worries about the industry’s pricing power.

Airlines recently finished a wave of public meetings, during which some executives shared details about internal and consumer-facing tech investments. We’ve rounded up their comments on what they’re doing with internal tech systems, AI, biometrics, airline apps, in-flight entertainment, and more.