Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift's senior hospitality editor, reporting on hotels. Send him news tips at [email protected]. He's been a full-time journalist for two decades. He lives in Washington, D.C. Stop him before he starts another home improvement project.

Latest Stories

Online Travel

GuestReady Raises $3 Million for Airbnb Rental Management: Travel Startup Funding This Week

While venture capital funding of startups has dropped steadily since 2012, there are still ideas investors find worth funding, such as for short-term rental management, event venue marketplaces, and hotel distribution.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

GuestReady Raises $3 Million for Airbnb Rental Management: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Airlines

Analysts Take Alaska Airlines to Task for Mishandling a Broad Array of Issues

Many have dreamt of finding easy fortune in California. But Alaska Airlines is discovering -- via its merger with Virgin America -- that the airport tarmacs aren't paved with gold.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Analysts Take Alaska Airlines to Task for Mishandling a Broad Array of Issues

Online Travel

Growth Juggernaut Trivago Sees Revenue Slump Coming as Biggest Customers Pull Back

Expedia’s fast-growing hotel search site Trivago may see its pace of growth stall as both Expedia and rival The Priceline Group have pulled back on spending per acquired customer. This is extraordinary given the fact that Trivago was one of Expedia's growth engines and there was seemingly no end in sight.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Growth Juggernaut Trivago Sees Revenue Slump Coming as Biggest Customers Pull Back

Online Travel

Airfare App Hopper Enters HotelTonight Turf With Hotel Expansion

Hopper said it is on track to process about $500 million in gross bookings — a number much larger than actual revenue — this year. Its expansion into hotel bookings would bring fatter commissions and hopefully more engagement. But the company will go up against better-funded players. All bets are off.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Airfare App Hopper Enters HotelTonight Turf With Hotel Expansion

Online Travel

Tours and Activities Site Klook Secures $60 Million Round as Goldman Sachs Invests

Klook's rapid growth suggests that a growing number of Chinese and other Asian outbound travelers want to travel independently, instead of in groups, and thus book their activities a la carte. That portends a sea change in the travel industry.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Tours and Activities Site Klook Secures $60 Million Round as Goldman Sachs Invests

Online Travel

Expedia Axes Its Price-Matching Guarantee in a Sharp Break From the Past

Expedia's move seems odd, as hotel chains ramp up their direct-booking campaigns that include best-price guarantees. Our guess is that the company tested and found that most consumers are no longer swayed by price-matching offers. Or perhaps there was pressure from ongoing probes in Europe.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Expedia Axes Its Price-Matching Guarantee in a Sharp Break From the Past

Online Travel

TourRadar Raises $10 Million as Solo Female Travelers Turn to Tour Bookings

Group hikes, river cruises, and other multi-day tours are still primarily booked offline through travel agents or direct with the operators. But future bookings of these tours will likely be digital despite the complexity. It's a tough sector, and TourRadar hopes to be well-positioned as the trend gains ground.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

TourRadar Raises $10 Million as Solo Female Travelers Turn to Tour Bookings

Online Travel

Expedia Affiliate Network and Hotels.com Hop on Travel Startups Incubator Trend

Another day, another support system for travel startups. Given all these incubators and accelerators, travel startups must be enjoying a golden age of innovation and profitability. Right?

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Expedia Affiliate Network and Hotels.com Hop on Travel Startups Incubator Trend

Online Travel

Priceline Invests $450 Million in Chinese E-Commerce Giant Meituan-Dianping

The deal shows the pragmatism of Priceline Group's new CEO toward China. Glenn Fogel chose to sync up with an additional local player rather than rely just on its existing partnership with Ctrip.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Priceline Invests $450 Million in Chinese E-Commerce Giant Meituan-Dianping

Online Travel

Trivago Launches a Subsidiary to Sell Hoteliers on Its Business Tools

Trivago, its parent Expedia, and Booking.com all want to provide business services to hotels. It's easy to see the potential value to resource-strapped hotel managers. Still, many hoteliers remain suspicious of these giants.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Trivago Launches a Subsidiary to Sell Hoteliers on Its Business Tools