Future of lodging tips

The global hotel industry is experiencing varied performance across regions in 2024, with some markets thriving while others struggle.

Choice Hotels began to push upmarket when it debuted the Cambria brand in 2005. The hotel franchisor lacked upscale expertise, as it had been best known for midscale brands, such as Quality Inn and Comfort Inn, and economy brands, like Rodeway Inn.

Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, sees a “10-year golden run” ahead for economy hotels, driven by the $1.5 trillion U.S. infrastructure bill. With only 20% of the funds allocated so far, Ballotti expects strong hotel demand from infrastructure workers needing affordable extended stays near project sites.

Remember 2014? Pharrell’s “Happy” was inescapable, everyone on social media was dumping ice water on their heads for charity, and Marriott decided it was high time to create its first select-service brand aimed at 20-somethings.

Singapore’s hotel market is surging ahead of Hong Kong’s, capitalizing on travelers attending the city-state’s major events while Hong Kong struggles.

Hilton on Monday released the latest edition of its annual consumer survey. While the project was aimed at consumer media outlets, the report also highlighted some key trends for industry insiders.

Hotel companies are continuing to game out how the innovations and disruptions brought about by generative AI will impact them. But it’s still early days.

Hotel tech startup Mews said Thursday that it has secured $100 million in venture credit to fuel more acquisitions. 

Since Choice Hotels’s attempt to merge with rival Wyndham Hotels & Resorts collapsed earlier this year, the two companies have competed to win deals from developers and grow their footprints, average daily rates, and franchisee fees at faster paces.

Oyo, the India-based hotel giant, has agreed to acquire the Motel 6 and Studio 6 hotel brands from Blackstone for $525 million in an all-cash deal, Blackstone said in a press release.

MGM Resorts has already submitted its proposal to the UAE government to operate a casino in the country, CEO Bill Hornbuckle said Thursday at the Skift Global Forum 2024. The Las Vegas giant is yet to have any running hotels there but is the only operator to openly state it has applied for the right to run a legal casino.

Marriott says its loyalty program Bonvoy crossed 210 million members this August but for group CEO and president Anthony Capuano, the platform is just getting started. Capuano sees Bonvoy as moving away from a “transactional system” towards more of an “emotional” one, where members use Bonvoy for room upgrades, free cups of coffee, and even walks down the red carpet at the Emmys.

Where will future hotel development growth come from? How are hotels using technology to sell more than just rooms? Do U.S. officials and travel marketers have good gameplans for hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Summer Olympics in 2028, the Cricket World Cup, and other major sporting events to come?

Hotel earnings season has ended, so Skift reviewed what executives at hotel companies belonging to the Skift Travel 200 (ST200) said. We looked at companies beyond the half-dozen largest hotel groups.

When Anthony Capuano graduated from Cornell’s prestigious hotel school in 1987, he received seven job offers — and one rejection letter. It was from Marriott International.  

On August 16, Marriott International opened its 9,000th property, with the debut of The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort in Florida. Meanwhile, Hilton Worldwide said Friday it had opened its 8,000th property.

Collective Hospitality, a Singapore-based firm, has acquired most of the business assets of Selina, a hostel brand focused on young travelers.

A cycle of interest rate cuts could start as soon as September, according to comments Friday by Jay Powell, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve: “The time has come for policy to adjust,” Powell said.

Hotel chains are quietly developing plans to bypass traditional booking intermediaries, aiming to increase direct bookings from corporations and businesses.

The world’s largest hotel groups have made great strides in signing up guests for their loyalty programs in the past several years, and Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG have enjoyed some of the greatest gains.

Hyatt Hotels said Tuesday it planned to buy the brands of Standard International, owner of 21 open hotels across five hospitality brands, including the luxury lifestyle brand The Standard.