Accor Is Buying Half of SBE Entertainment Group and 5 Other Hospitality Trends This Week

>>This AccorHotels investment in SBE aligns with its strategy for growth in North America as it adds more properties in key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. It does, though, contradict, in some respects, the chain’s push to go asset-light: AccorHotels Is Buying Half of SBE Entertainment Group for $319 Million

>>Oracle Hospitality is the market leader in selling hotel tech software. But the company has made some missteps. It is adjusting course, and two weeks ago it appointed a new top boss, Greg Webb. The industry will watch his moves closely: Interview: Oracle Hospitality’s New Boss Looks to the Cloud for Growth

>>Do hotels really need to be flagged under a big brand if online travel agencies are most effective at selling rooms? Hotelbeds’ Joan Vila thinks hotel chains may be forced to wind down some brands that aren’t succeeding in the marketplace: Video: Hotelbeds Executive Chairman on Fallout From the Online Booking Battleground

>>Creating a hospitality experience at scale in the middle of one of the world’s largest deserts is quite the challenge. But from the isolation springs problem-solving, tight and cohesive teams, and having to make do and get creative: Creating Hospitality in an Inhospitable Place

>>Spanish hotelier Melia Hotels is determined to show the world that it offers more than just sun-and-sand resorts: Video: Melia Hotels COO on Turning Crisis Into Opportunity

>>Hyatt’s new World of Hyatt credit card launched Thursday does a better job of targeting younger and thriftier travelers. Big spenders, on the other hand, may be unhappy with some of the new perks: Hotel Credit Card Wars Heat Up as Hyatt Relaunches Its Chase Card