Why Expedia or Priceline Might Just Be the Next Great Hotel Brand

What if Expedia, Priceline, and TripAdvisor had their own hotels? What if there were less need for hotel owners to rely on hotel management companies like Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Wyndham, Choice, or IHG? What if hotel owners just worked directly with online travel agencies, or even Airbnb, instead of paying hefty fees to the big brands or other consortium or marketing groups? All these "what ifs" certainly seem a bit farfetched and outside the realm of possibility to the majority of the hospitality industry. But if we take a look at what's happening right now and where the business of hotels is headed, we'd argue that these what ifs could soon become what's now in just a few years. In fact, we'd argue that this shift in the relationships among hotel owners, brands, and online travel agencies is already taking place, and we'll continue to see it evolve even further going forward. And we're not alone in this line of thinking. At the Phocuswright Conference in November 201