Sean O'Neill

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.

Hotels

Rental Brand Sonder Raises $85 Million on Soft Brand Boom

If you thought hotels had a lot of soft brands, wait until you see what's emerging in the vacation rental sector. The early success of the 25-year-old co-founder of Sonder is inspiring others.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

evolve vacation rental mountain-exterior

Online Travel

Evolve Raises $80 Million for Vacation Rental Management Tech

Vacation rental management is becoming professionalized, and the gold rush is on.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

Why Hotels Envy Airlines When It Comes to Managing Revenue

The revenue management industry picked an odd time to have an identity crisis, given the opportunity for additional profit that new rate-setting and distribution software could bring.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

KuaiBangXing Links Chinese Travelers With Activities: Travel Startup Funding This Week

KuaiBangXing, an activities booking startup, focuses on making it easier for Chinese visitors to North America to sample tours and attractions. It sets up guided transportation between outings, and it lets customers pay with China's popular WeChat Pay system.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

Despegar Tripped Up by the Ailing Economies of Argentina and Brazil

Lousy economies in key markets have hurt Despegar's profit. But deft management during the recent storms suggests the online travel agency has a promising future.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Blackstone’s Acquisition of Audiovisual Firm Shines a Spotlight on Event Production

Roll up, roll up, roll up! No, that's not a lyric from a song by either The Struts or Fitz and the Tantrums. That's instead the call of Blackstone, which has bought events tech provider PSAV with a likely plan of creating more roll-up mergers with similar vendors.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

MakeMyTrip Sees Gains From Its Loyalty Programs

Investors are understandably focused on MakeMyTrip's ongoing operating losses. But in good news, the company is narrowing the size of those losses while maintaining its growth rates.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

Amadeus Buys Hotel Tech Firm TravelClick for $1.5 Billion

With this deal, Amadeus Hospitality finally has a chance to start selling its enterprise software after years of perfecting its platform-based offering.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Concur WeChat payment expense travel management integration

Online Travel

Investors Bet Millions More in China: Travel Startup Funding This Week

China's travel startup scene is less well covered in Western media due to the language barrier, but is nonetheless just as vibrant as the West's.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Says Half Its Customers Now Come Direct: Will It Be a Game Changer?

Some hotel groups will be jealous of Booking Holdings' ability to have one out of every two of its customers booking travel on its brand sites and apps without having to buy online ads to acquire them.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago