2013 Archives

These billionaires were ahead of the curve on earth, and they are leading the charge in their other-worldly pursuits. As any travel startup would tell you, someone's going to crack [fill in the blank] space, and one of these companies may be the one.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except the secrets of one of the world's most successful marketing campaigns. Expectations for a Vegas vacation have become a cultural phenomenon and the realization that it's all a ploy to tap into tourists' frustrations and set them off on a spending spree is unlikely to quench the thirst for freedom felt by any arriving visitor.

In an era when we see so many copycat startups endlessly doing basically the same thing, Liftopia has blazed a (ski) trail, and brought a unique idea to an industry that sorely needed it.

New York City deserves a lot better local transit apps than the choices now. The ultimate multi-modal real-time local transit app is still some ways off, but tons of progress is being made, as Citymapper shows.

Some Caribbean nations aren't nearly as cruise-dependent as the industry would have you believe, but others still rely heavily on the jobs and cash flow the ships provide.

The company still hasn't recovered from the slump in business travel post-recession, and with the macro picture on the sector changing fast with rise of digital, divesting, at least part of it, is the right move.

It will be interesting to see whether HotelTonight's user base will really go for 12,000-square-foot, two-story penthouses that are bookable starting "tonight." While some people can afford to shell out $700 for a suite at the last minute, that will probably not be most people's preferred option. Are suite options here to stay in the app? Stay iTuned.

The limited-service concept is designed to reduce overhead at hotels such as New York Hilton Midtown, but it will only work if Herb and other guests don't tire of dealing with the midnight munchies, and decide to reserve rooms elsewhere on their next visit.

Travel television doesn't have to be boring. And for once it's actually pretty funny.