Cameron Sperance

There is still a long road to a full economic recovery from coronavirus, but a short-term debt buyback offer and loyalty deals signal Marriott is designing a path to rebound from the worst of the pandemic.

Hotel construction output lags metrics like occupancy in response to economic conditions. But the slow reaction time also means the development pipeline will likely take far longer to rebound from coronavirus than hotel performance.

With an ever-growing array of hotel cleaning programs launched in response to coronavirus, a governing body may be what gives travelers the biggest confidence boost to return to vacationing.

Who needs an elaborate cleaning partnership? If you're willing to pay for it, you can ensure social distancing throughout your summer vacation by booking a room (and every other room at the hotel).

It's the worst time to launch a new hotel brand, right? Maybe not, if you're banking on a low-cost conversion model for operators struggling to meet bigger brand standards.

Roomkey.com's demise (temporary or not) shouldn't be seen as a sign hotel companies can't compete with OTAs. But if revived, the brand will likely need a more in-your-face approach than pop-under ads to drive traffic.

Vegas casino operators may care more about occupancy over daily rates in the initial recovery, but prolonged room discounts can alter guest rate expectations — and sink hotel revenue streams for the long-term.

The travel industry shouldn't sing yet — the hospitality and leisure unemployment rate fell three points in May, but the sector is still in a decimated place from where it was a year ago.

It's going to take more than a label to give guests confidence to book a post-pandemic hotel stay. Hoteliers need someone to make sure all the heightened cleaning standards are not only announced but also rigorously followed.

As long as Europe can create a strong network of travel bubbles or reopen as much of the Schengen Area without coronavirus travel restrictions, its hotel recovery timeline may surprise hotel executives like Marriott's Arne Sorenson.