Hotels Spent $100 Million Fighting OTAs. Did It Actually Work?
If AI agents become the next distribution layer, does the decade-long battle between hotels and OTAs even matter anymore?
Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
One Year Into Private Equity Ownership, Soneva Is Rebranding — New CEO on What’s Changing
Where KSL is taking Soneva is firmly in the zeitgeist of what one segment of ultra-luxury travelers wants right now: less glitz, more optionality.
Accor CEO Bazin’s Final Stretch: An AI Warning and What’s Next for Ennismore
CEO Sébastien Bazin said an Ennismore IPO is "one of four or five" possible fates for the lifestyle joint venture. In M&A-speak, that means Accor's board hasn't decided yet.
Barry Diller Moves to Take Over MGM Resorts in $18 Billion Deal
The Las Vegas Strip is consolidating fast. Soon, two billionaires (Barry Diller and Tilman Fertitta) may control a large chunk of its hotel rooms.
Hilton Launches ‘Undergraduate’ Hotel Brand for College Towns. Here’s What the Numbers Say.
Hilton wants developers to invest millions in Undergraduate, its new hotel brand aimed at small college towns. Yet the new brand has no track record, requiring potential owners to take a leap of faith.
Caesars Agrees to $5.7 Billion Takeover by Tilman Fertitta
Billionaire Tilman Fertitta is buying a debt pile with a casino company attached. His firm is assuming $11.9 billion of debt from Caesars while putting up $5.7 billion to acquire it. Expect asset sales as an endgame.
Direct Booking Tug-of-War: Hotels’ Long Bid to Take Back Power
Ten years after Hilton, Marriott, and other chains began coaxing travelers to book directly, online travel agencies still control roughly the same slice of the pie. Yet the chains have won the economics: lower commissions, better contract terms, and stronger loyalty programs.
Accor CEO Bazin to Step Down in 2028, Shareholders Push Back on Pay
Accor had a retirement policy. So the news here is CEO Sébastien Bazin saying a “succession search” is underway and that he may leave sooner if the board “finds the right person.” More than 40% of shareholders voted against his pay.
Marriott Signs ResortPass Deal. Why Hotels Are Pushing to Sell More Than Rooms.
Hotels have long treated the room as the only thing worth selling. Marriott's deal with ResortPass signals a growing sideline to boost margins: selling empty pool chairs and spa slots to locals who show up for the day.
Waldorf Astoria, Aman, and Auberge Invest in Texas Hill Country
These may read as bets on new Texas wealth. They’re also real estate plays, with branded residential as the anchor that makes the hotels financeable.