Sean O'Neill

Alex Lasry has been sworn in as the new deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Wyndham didn't say it had returned to the deal talks with Choice Hotels last week, but Choice says it did. Choice is also wooing many of Wyndham's key investors. The saga is getting more intense.

Today's podcast looks at Iceland's volcanic eruption, Uber's simplified expense reporting, and major aircraft orders.

A junk fee reckoning is underway. Accor has joined Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt in changing their disclosure policies this year.

How many times can Choice court Wyndham and Wyndham's management say no? We are destined to find out through 2024. If a merger does somehow happen, Wyndham's repeated claims that the deal would face antitrust scrutiny almost invites the scrutiny.

Minor Hotels has an aggressive growth strategy to expand by 2025. Details about the company's strategy reveal a lot about bigger-picture trends in the hotel sector.

Many marketers design hotel brands to appeal more to hotel owners than travelers. One reason? Creating a new brand is easier than fixing an old one.

Some franchisees are worried their revenue would fall after a Choice merger with Wyndham. But Choice Hotels says it has heard from franchisees who expect to see gains to their bottom line from the proposed deal. The debate rolls on.

Think of it this way: Choice's love affair with Wyndham has gone unrequited, and now Choice is pleading with the parents for an arranged marriage.

Hilton's IPO was more successful than any other hotel company's in the past decade, thanks to a transformation in corporate strategy. The lessons are still relevant to understanding Hilton and potential IPOs by emerging players.