Skift Take
This week in hospitality news, we sat down with Accor's chief brand officer at the inaugural Skift Tech Forum to talk about the threat posed by Google and Amazon, as opposed to concerns about Airbnb. Other sectors in travel are taking the same approach.
Hotel News Weekly Roundup
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 hotels.
For all of our weekend roundups, go here.
>>Smart hotel brands like AccorHotels know that the real threat isn’t Airbnb or even their fellow hotel companies. It’s the Googles, Tencents, Facebooks, Amazons, and Apples of the world: AccorHotels Chief Brand Officer: ‘We Need to Watch Google and Amazon Carefully’
>>Personally — while Virgin Atlantic may disagree with us — wearing a smartwatch is preferable to donning a Google Glass, and we have a feeling hotel staff members would agree, too: Viceroy Hotels Is Using Smartwatches to Be More Hospitable
>>Luxury cruisers have some well-known options, but the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection believes it can win over both fans of cruising and non-cruisers alike. Will newcomers abandon land to check out how Ritz-Carlton translates to sea? How the Ritz-Carlton at Sea Will Avoid the Bus-Route Nature of Cruising
>>Hotel-cruise crossovers are pretty rare these days, so it will be interesting to see how the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fares. Will the brand power be enough to entice land-lovers to take to water? Taking Luxury Hotel Service to Sea
>>Hyatt’s new breakfast policy at its Hyatt Place chain requires guests to join the loyalty program before digging into the free muffins. Is that too much to ask? Hyatt’s New Free Breakfast Option Requires Loyalty
>>IHG has been pretty busy over the last few months, first buying and building up its luxury offering and now unveiling a new upscale conversion brand. CEO Keith Barr certainly has his hands full: InterContinental Hotels’ New Upscale Conversion Brand Is Called Voco
>>Hyper-personalization may be all the rage, but so is respecting the customer’s data. Hilton wants to be on the right side of that fine line: Hilton Is Wary of the Risks of Hyper-Personalization
>>We wonder whether Airbnb’s community spirit will survive its growth plans and impending IPO: Video: Airbnb’s European Boss on the Clash With Online Travel Giants
>>As social media shines a spotlight on dining experiences, delegate expectations are placing pressure on food and beverage budgets. Meeting organizers don’t just have to deal with allergies and intolerances; they also have to wow attendees while keeping costs under control: Planners and Hotels Wrestle With Rising Costs as Event Dining Evolves
>>Dining has become an integral part of the travel experience in recent years while remaining somewhat secondary for many meetings and events. Events are now working to leverage quality food and beverage options without breaking the bank: Event Dining Costs and Complexity Rise in the Instagram Age
>>Nixing a hotel brand isn’t as simple as turning the lights off and calling it a day. There are contracts, owners, and livelihoods at stake and Marriott couldn’t cut any of its 30 brands overnight. The company thinks there is plenty of room for its brands around the world, but we’ll see what the future holds: Video: Marriott’s Global Brand Officer on Why Europe Needs More Hotel Brands
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Tags: travel trends
Photo credit: AccorHotels Chief Brand Officer Steven Taylor spoke about the threat posed by Google and Amazon at the inaugural Skift Tech Forum on June 12, 2018. Skift