Airbnb Plus and 7 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.

>>While we sometimes focus our adulation on other spheres such as startups and their founders, hoteliers need to be recognized for the hidden creativity that goes into doing their jobs well: The Poetry of Hospitality Revolves Around Anticipation and Empathy

>>Under previous CEO Richard Solomons, IHG had looked to fill “white space” in its portfolio and it looks like this plan is continuing under his successor. Despite having a well-established luxury brand, the area is something of a weak spot for the company, with no true high-end offering. It sounds like IHG is well on the way to rectifying this: InterContinental Hotels Wants to Buy Luxury Brands

>>Choice CEO Pat Pacious has demonstrated he’s not one for a sleepy start as he settles into his new role as CEO. He’s hit the ground running with the rollout of a new booking system and an acquisition that will help the company play ball in a competitive midscale and extended stay landscape: Choice Hotels Sees WoodSpring Suites Deal as a Breakthrough in Extended Stay

>>Rezidor Hotel Group’s fourth quarter earnings call was a snoozer until one Norwegian newspaper reporter decided to call b.s. on the company. That made for an interesting exchange: Rezidor Hotel Group Defends Its Performance as Profits Fall

>>AccorHotels’ acquisitions over the last couple of years aren’t money makers yet but that’s not to say they never will be. CEO Sébastien Bazin is still intent on playing a very different game than the other big hotel companies: AccorHotels Wants to Accelerate Its Buying Spree in 2018

>>Dated hotel distribution technology is holding back both meeting planners and hotel revenue managers. As new platforms and tools emerge, it will be interesting to see which major chains end up developing the most forward-looking attitudes toward selling event space in new ways: Getting Hotels and Meeting Planners to Play Nice With One Another

>>Spending as a result of U.S. meetings and events has steadily increased since 2009, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon, according to new research. Spending on food and beverage likewise isn’t easing up at all: Meeting Planners Face a Daunting Challenge in Rising Food and Beverage Costs

>>To be honest, we weren’t very surprised by Thursday’s launches. In fact, we wondered why they haven’t been launched sooner. But for the most part, all of them certainly seem in step with Airbnb’s plans for being much more than just about any other travel brand or company out there: Airbnb Plus and Everything CEO Brian Chesky Just Announced