Top Stories
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Russian hotel-booking giant Ostrovok tries to find its footing after slashing staff
DigitalSerge Faguet, co-founder and CEO of Russia hotel-booking site Ostrovok, concedes that the company didn’t always manage its growth efficiently, leading to its announcement this week that it was firing about one-third of the staff. That’s not the greatest signal to be sending to the world just three months after raising $25 million in a Series B [...]
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The next timeshare you purchase may come from an inmate in U.S. federal prison
RoomsIf you have ever purchased timeshare accommodation from the Sunset World chain in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, you may never have imagined they were sold from the Bryan Federal Prison Camp in Texas, USA. The project is a pilot program of rehabilitation for low hazard inmate women that Mexican chain Sunset World began in [...]
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UK “super prisons” could see second life as 3,000-guest luxury hotels
RoomsBritish boutique hotels could be about to get a boost from an unexpected quarter. Yesterday, new plans were put forward for a series of “super prisons” holding as many as 3,000 inmates. Which will mean that some of the nation’s most famous old slammers could get a new, and very different, lease of life. A [...]
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The cost of Airbnb stays vs. hotel rooms in major U.S. markets
RoomsAt Priceonomics, we like to get more for our money. Typically, there is a trade-off between cost and quality; the higher the quality of a product or service, the more it costs. So when you find superior quality at a cheaper price than existing alternatives, that’s pretty great. In fact, figuring out whether something is [...]
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Marriott launches “Travel Brilliantly” campaign to attract millennials
RoomsAiming to attract younger travelers, Marriott International is introducing a new advertising and branding campaign for Marriott Hotels and Resorts, its largest brand. The campaign, named “Travel Brilliantly,” is directed at frequent business travelers who are part of Generation X and Generation Y… The campaign is the brand’s first in two years and the first [...]
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Travelocity wins hotel-price fixing lawsuit skirmish
DigitalA federal judge in Dallas ruled that plaintiffs suing Travelocity over allegations that it engaged in price-fixing with hotels would have to take their claims to arbitration in Tarrant County, Texas, where the online travel agency is headquartered. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle ruled June 15 that the provisions of Travelocity’s user agreement of February [...]
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TripAdvisor promotes Jetsetter and kills its SniqueAway flash-sales brand
DigitalLess than three months after acquiring Jetsetter, TripAdvisor is phasing out its home-grown private-sales brand, SniqueAway, Skift has learned. When TripAdvisor acquired Jetsetter in April, the spin was that the two brands, Jetsetter and SniqueAway would co-exist, but sales director Kathleen Hanefeld has emailed hotel partners, informing them that “as of June 28, SniqueAway.com will [...]
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Hotels partner with local attractions to build brand value
RoomsFor decades, hoteliers have fretted about losing revenue when guests visit an offsite restaurant, spa or golf course. Today, however, some forward-thinking operators are discovering the benefits of exclusive relationships with such facilities as consumers increasingly focus on the destination rather than just a hotel in making their travel decisions. “For amenities like spas and [...]
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New Hampshire resurrects earliest form of hotel promotion: Sheet music
DestinationsMore than a century after guests at the Crawford House awoke to the “Breakfast Bell Polka,” Plymouth State University is reviving some of long-lost music composed specifically to entertain guests at New Hampshire’s grand hotels and keep them coming back for more. The resorts that drew thousands of wealthy summer tourists from Boston and other [...]
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Ace Hotel partners with Converse to create a branded high-top sneaker
RoomsAce Hotel has established a well-known and widely respected brand that has transcended the hotel industry into fashion, home goods, and even art. It’s newest product is the Converse X Ace White Pro Leather High Tops. The hotel and fashion brands teamed up to design the limited edition sneaker made of sheep skin and Nubuck [...]
