Airbnb Buys HotelTonight and 9 Other Hospitality Trends This Week

Airbnb Is Buying HotelTonight: Here’s What That Means. Will Airbnb stick to its boutique and independent-only stance on hotels? It could put it at a serious disadvantage when it comes to competitors like Booking or Expedia in the long run. But if Airbnb winds up offering a wider swath of hotels, it could boost its brand even further. Either way, it’s guaranteed to be interesting.

Airbnb Is Paying $400 Million-Plus for HotelTonight: Is It a Good Deal? On the surface, HotelTonight got a lowish deal from Airbnb. But with roughly half in stock, the price tag could look very upbeat if Airbnb’s stock soars in an initial public offering.

Marriott CEO Tells Senators Passport Changes Being Considered After Data Breach: You can see the dilemma that Marriott and other hotels face: Keep passport data strictly at the property level, where management may not be technically adept, or centralize the information where it can be potentially hacked in one fell swoop. CEO Sorenson is leaning toward the local approach. Either way is risky business.

Who’s Really Winning the Direct Booking Wars Between Hotels and Online Travel Agencies? Arguments can be made for a number of sides, but the truth is there’s no true winner or loser here, if we’re being totally honest.

Accor Taps SBE For New Luxury Lifestyle Brand: Like the other big hotel companies, Accor thinks it has gaps in its portfolio it needs to fill. Let’s see if guests feel the same way.

Hyatt Doubles Down on Its Asset Lighter Approach: It’s all about that shareholder value, baby.

Wyndham’s Former Vacation Rentals Business Gets Rebranded Under Private Equity Owners: The name itself is kind of irrelevant. What matters is that Awaze is now a proper company rather than a division.

How a French Gourmet Food Brand Plans to Succeed in Hotels: Another example of a luxury brand extending its reach into hospitality is developing out of Paris. But the question is, do we really need another luxury hotel brand? Maybe, if it has a certain je ne sais quoi.

10 Ways the Hospitality Industry Can Keep From Being Lazy: It’s easy to get lost in macrotrend land. But the rubber hits the road in actions. And here are some ideas to make experiences better, without any heavy lifting.

Accor Debuts Back-to-Basics Lifestyle Brand: At this point, Accor has no shortage of lifestyle brands, and this one seems pretty par for the course. Still, the group has done a good job of tapping into a growing trend.