Dennis Schaal Archives

Dennis Schaal is Skift’s Founding Editor and Executive Editor. Dennis has been a reporter focusing on online travel and short-term rentals for more than two decades at Skift, Tnooz, USA Today, and Travel Weekly. He is well-known for tough one-on-one interviews on stage at Skift events, including with the CEOs and top execs of Expedia, Uber, Booking Holdings, Priceline, Kayak, Hopper, and more.

Hotels

Airbnb Sees Opportunities in Smart Homes in Partnerships With Apple, Amazon and Google

In the long term, it's clear that Airbnb will revisit recalibrating its focus beyond stays and experiences, and will dabble in flights, hotels, and smart-home technology. It would be silly not to.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Hotels

Revenge Investing in Hotels Could Be the Next Big Thing

For those hotel owners who managed to survive the pandemic by their wits or the U.S. paycheck protection program and need cash infusions, the investors are coming. The investors are coming.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

Tripadvisor Board Members Deliver Business for New Subscription Program

Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer told Skift that Tripadvisor Plus is "a super-high priority for the company." The program may find enthusiasts at the property level, but so far the largest hotel chains don't appear to be leaping on board.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Business Travel

Hawaii Tourism Comes Back Strong and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top stories this week, Hawaii's domestic U.S. tourism roared back, Accor's CEO said the biggest hotel investment bargains are yet to come, and HomeToGo could go public in a blank-check-company deal.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Expands Loyalty Program to Priceline, Kayak and Agoda

At a time when some big hotel brands seek to increase average daily rates, Booking Holdings' expansion of its Genius loyalty and discounting program could hurt that effort. Some individual properties, hungry for increased exposure as they compete with vacation rentals and other hotels, will welcome the move.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

How Google Plans to Make Money in Travel — and Everything Else

Google eventually will monetize its vacation rental listings, but paid advertisements in its Things To Do vertical will happen sooner. Conscientious objectors Airbnb, Expedia/Vrbo and Booking, which aren't participating with Google in vacation rentals for now, will likely have something to say about the shape of that money grab.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Loses Shareholder Vote on Climate Progress Report

Corporations are going to have to get used to shareholders taking them to task about the existential challenge of climate change. In this case, the shareholders were correct — buying carbon offsets while increasing carbon emissions just won't make the cut.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

Airbnb Edges Expedia Brand in Online Travel’s Top TV Ad Spenders so Far in 2021

Both Airbnb and Expedia.com are leaning into U.S. TV advertising in their biggest campaigns in years. Many millennials may not watch traditional TV these days, but the medium is still an important part of brands' advertising mix.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Hotels

Sandals Dismissive of Marriott Threat and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top travel stories this week, we covered Marriott's arrival in Sandals' all-inclusive sandbox, travel manager fears over consolidation, and a startup deal on hotel automation.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Online Travel

What’s Going Wrong Between Tripadvisor and Trip.com Group?

Tripadvisor and Trip.com Group maintain that their strategic partnership is as strong as ever even though the Chinese company just sold 20 percent of the shares it owns in Tripadvisor and is likely to sell a lot more this year. Rhetoric aside, you can't spin away that fact.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago