2026 › February

Booking Holdings could survive hotel chains switching allegiances to the LLMs. But how long would it take for independent hotels to likewise jump ship?

This is less a single hotel launch than a blueprint: build for Indians first, keep the brands at global standard, and let infrastructure shifts dictate where the next deals land.

Expedia's annual filing now treats AI agents as a major threat, not just a competitive pressure. The company is betting that direct engagement can keep it from becoming an invisible backend.

Hospitality is constantly evolving. Here's what has stood out this season.

The first round of judges for 2026 Skift IDEA Awards includes destination leaders, airline analysts, sustainability executives, marketers, and data chiefs shaping how travel actually runs.

Reports are coming in about layoffs, from London to Uruguay, showing the impact of Sabre’s ‘inflation offset program.’ That and several leadership shifts show how Sabre is restructuring around agentic AI.

The same forces weighing on U.S. travel are hitting Las Vegas especially hard.

Choice Hotels is doing something none of its publicly traded rivals are doing right now: getting smaller on purpose.

ICE's Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis revealed what happens when hotels become political battlegrounds — and why the industry isn't ready for what's coming.

There are conflicting messages at Tripadvisor these days. Goldberg told employees that it "will take time" for its 3-month-old strategy revamp "to show up in the numbers." Meanwhile, activist investor Starboard Value argued "the time for incrementalism is over."