Accor’s $567 Million Mövenpick Deal and 6 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.

>>Where there is smoke there is fire and Sebastien Bazin’s comments at Skift Forum Europe last week hinted at an imminent deal: Accor Pushes Further Into Luxury With $567 Million Mövenpick Deal

>>AccorHotels has made quite a shift upmarket in the last couple of years and it’s unlikely the acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will be the end of its dealmaking exploits: Accor Makes Another High-End Acquisition

>>Marriott Rewards and Southwest Rapid Rewards are still dominating the Freddie awards in North America, as they did last year. In Europe, though, it was Aeroflot and Accor, while Virgin Australia took top honors in Asia/Oceania: Marriott, Accor, Southwest and Virgin Australia Voted In as Top Loyalty Programs

>>The power of a great lobby is a huge differentiator in hospitality. Hotels shouldn’t forget its power. In fact, they should double down: Why the Hotel Lobby Is the Perfect Antidote to Airbnb

>>Like AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin recently said at Skift Forum Europe, you don’t limit the number of friends you have, so why limit the number of brands any one hotel company can own? Wyndham Hotels CEO Expects to Pursue More Brands Post-Spin

>>Starwood Capital’s sale of a luxury/upscale portfolio represented a good opportunity for InterContinental Hotels to expand its luxury footprint in the UK. CEO Keith Barr obviously thinks there’s plenty of room for growth in the sector: InterContinental Hotels Boosts Luxury Presence in UK

>>Even if it seems like Hyatt is jumping on the bandwagon for asset-light, China-centric hotel growth, it’s clear the company wants to do so on its own terms: Hyatt CEO: Funds for Future Growth Will Come From Real Estate Sales