IHG Direct Bookings Tech Play and 11 Other Top Hospitality Stories This Week


Skift Take

This week in hospitality, IHG is taking a tougher approach with online agencies by using new technologies to gain traction for its mobile app and website. Meanwhile, more traditional hotel brands are introducing communal lodging for its guests.

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.
IHG Is Changing How It Distributes Its Hotel Rates to Boost Direct Bookings: IHG represents a broader industry trend in that it's getting tougher with online travel agencies and wholesalers in the West while becoming more experimental with online travel sellers in Asia, where it needs help to grow its sales. Its use of new technologies to try to keep its strategy coordinated and to boost revenue are eye-catching. Hostel or Not? Shared Rooms Pop Up in Traditional Hotels: Lobbies are no longer the only spaces hotel guests can share. Now some hotels are offering travelers the choice of sharing guest rooms. But will the shared spaces be enough to lure millennial travelers away from the likes of Airbnb? Oyo CEO Claims Backer SoftBank Isn’t Trying to Sway Its Hotel Strategy: WeWork's implos