Is There Really a Peer-to-Peer Market for Yachts?

“Airbnb, but for …” is a sentence you’ll read in pretty much any press release for a company looking to bring a new sector into the sharing economy. It’s a convenient if lazy approach. Of course, some industries are ripe for disruption but with others it’s more questionable.

In theory, a yacht is a place to stay, like a villa or apartment. However, the big difference is that it moves. The logistics are therefore pretty challenging. There is also the issue — and this doesn’t just apply to yachts — concerning the person-to-person aspect: Are these new marketplaces genuine or just “glamorized third-party aggregators for charter businesses” as author Samantha Shankman writes? You can read her piece and decide for yourself.

For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @paddywhyte.

— Patrick Whyte, Europe Editor

5 Looks at Luxury

The State of Luxury Yacht Rentals and Sharing Schemes: Breaking open the yacht rental market with a sharing platform is a difficult endeavor given the challenges of operating a digital business within the luxury sector as well as the nuances and securities needed for an experience as hands-on as yachting.

Blackstone Swoops Back Into Hotels With $4.8 Billion Offer for LaSalle: That didn’t take long. No sooner did private equity powerhouse Blackstone say it was exiting Hilton completely than it emerges three days later with a bid for LaSalle Hotel Properties. Maybe the $14 billion it made on Hilton has something to do with being keen to get back into hotels.

Some of the Plaza Hotel’s Owners Are Suing Its Other Owners: When it comes to selling and buying The Plaza Hotel, nothing is ever simple or easy, it seems.

Langham Hospitality Group Names New CEO With Expansion on the Agenda: Can the new CEO manage to grow the Langham and Cordis brands on a larger scale? That’s the bigger task that lies ahead for Leser.

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