Airbnb’s Road to an IPO and 13 Other Hospitality Trends This Week

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines hospitality.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

>>A beautiful, well designed room in Paris for 150 euros a night? This might be an interesting counter to the rise of Airbnb in the city: A New Breed of French Hoteliers Has a Budget Response to Airbnb

>>Skift’s focus on guest experience encompasses all aspects of travel and hospitality, including restaurant dining. This year’s Forum speakers are at the top of the industry, and best positioned to talk about its future: Skift Global Forum Takes on the Restaurant Industry

>>The candid comments of the Accor CFO show just how difficult it is for hotel companies to compete with the big online travel agencies. You can’t do it half-heartedly and AccorHotels will have to decide how much effort it is willing to put in to the initiative: AccorHotels Finds Competing With Expedia Is Harder Than Expected

>>The Hyatt-Expedia crisis seems to be averted, for now: Hyatt Isn’t Abandoning Expedia Just Yet as the Two Sides Reach Agreement in Principle

>>Streamlining menu offerings is a smart way to reduce the cost of food overall, but it also leaves a business vulnerable to major shifts in ingredient pricing: Chefs+Tech: The Trouble with Signature Ingredients

>>AccorHotels isn’t the only big hospitality company that’s involved in the sharing economy or alternative accommodations these days, just FYI: Wyndham Buys Love Home Swap To Bolster Position in Alternative Accommodations

>>Le Monastere des Augustines may seem somewhat spartan, but it provides the quintessential transformation experience that today’s luxury traveler seeks: The Canadian Nunnery That’s Become a Wellness Retreat

>>We all know Airbnb will go public someday — it’s just a question of when. When will it finally be ready — and what does the company need to do before it does? Airbnb’s Road to an IPO: Everything You Could Possibly Need to Know

>>Choice Hotels’ message to investors? “Don’t worry. We got this.” Five Takeaways From Choice Hotels’ Second Quarter Earnings Call

>>We had a hunch this would happen, but who knew it would happen so quickly? And how will Wyndham pursue that “blue thread” of loyalty strategy between its hotel and timeshare businesses? And what will happen to its vacation rental business? Wyndham Is Spinning Off Its Timeshare Business Like Marriott, Starwood and Hilton Before It

>>It looks like tighter restrictions on outbound investment are starting to hinder dealmaking at HNA. Although the Rezidor deal may still go through, you’ve got to wonder what it means for the rest of 2017 and beyond: HNA’s Rezidor Bid Is Being Held Up By Chinese Regulators

>>Tourist apartments are an integral part of Barcelona’s tourism industry today so it is time both parties step beyond the limitations of permits and legal claims to seek a holistic approach that protects residents’ quality of life while also housing visitors: Barcelona Overtourism: Airbnb and Short-Term Rentals

>>We like to think of this as Hyatt’s payback for AccorHotels stealing away onefinestay last year: Hyatt Is Investing in the Sharing Economy Again, This Time With Oasis

>>Who’s looking to buy up some European vacation rental businesses? Our money’s on AccorHotels, Airbnb, and HomeAway, among others: Wyndham May Sell Its European Vacation Rental Brands on the Way to a Spinoff