Travel's Reopening and Coronavirus Recovery

Wyndham's upgraded mobile app may seem like it is only catching up to what other brands like Hilton already offer, but it is a significant tech move ahead for the select-service and economy scale of the hotel market.

Corporate travel is barreling down an uncertain road to a facelift that could strip it down to essential business by the time the travel sector gets to the other side of its coronavirus rebound.

The global pandemic still impacted Accor's recent corporate restructuring, whether the company sees it that way or not.

It's unlikely economic lockdowns are in the cards for preventing future coronavirus case surges in the U.S., and Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson's defense of "hygiene theater" shows what the business community sees as a viable alternative safety measure.

Making it through the first six months of the pandemic has been the main priority of travel executives. But now it's time to begin looking forward to determine how best to grow your way out of the crisis. Now is the time to be bold — to think bigger and more innovatively given the industry’s reset.

Las Vegas casino resorts are seeking creative alternative revenue streams while convention travel is bottomed out, but it's highly unlikely anything will match the dollars associated with a mammoth, multi-day event.

The lifestyle hotel sector is increasingly crowded with bigger brands, but Dream Hotel Group is one of the few genuinely boutique players left on the field. Independence may be its trump card for brand identity moving forward."

Even if recent occupancy gains are tied to a blip in the holiday calendar, Chinese hotels continue to see a coronavirus economic recovery pattern that is the envy of the world.

Independent hoteliers with smaller back offices could find a third-party company like Blue Canary useful in mapping out heightened health and safety protocols. But it isn't clear if bigger brands with compliance departments will ever find need for outside help on cleaning.

Voco is yet another branded opportunity for independent hoteliers looking for increased distribution, but IHG has to find ways to make the brand stand out in the crowded upscale, lifestyle hotel space.