Future of Lodging

As the lines continue to blur between hotels and short-term rentals, Skift is focused on the technology and the consumer behaviors that are driving this. Follow our coverage across the wide world of lodging, from traditional hotels and motels to urban short-term rentals and traditional vacation rentals.

lobby Waldorf-Astoria-Kuwait_Lobby-Clock 2022 source hilton

Hotels

Hilton Optimistic Hotel Boom Will Roll On Into Next Year

Don't underestimate people's urge to travel after years of pandemic restrictions. Hilton sees strength in leisure, business, and group travel, yes, business and group, through the year-end and beyond.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Hotels

Wyndham to Add More Properties at a Faster Pace Under New Plan

Wyndham stands out for having a rapidly expanding pipeline for hotel development relative to most of its peers. That's important. As the world's largest franchisor, it boosts its overall earnings with every property it adds.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Hotels

Premier Inn Sees Upsides for Itself With Economic Headwinds

Premier Inn expects to gain market share as rising energy and labor bills prompt many independent hotel owners to throw in the towel. Sad news for the industry, but good news for parent company Whitbread.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

room2 chiswick interior guest room source room2

Hotels

Room2 Chain Carves Out ‘Hometels’ With Quirky, Design-Led Spaces

The rise of Airbnb has revealed consumer preferences to be more flexible than previously assumed. Independent hotel company Room2 is responding in the UK by innovating in brand standards. It has signed $110 million in new net-zero hotels.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Hotels

Hotel Group Faith in Asset Light Model Opens Gap for Upstarts

Most large lodging companies avoid owning real estate. This groupthink is dumb. One of the smartest strategic thinkers in hospitality, Inès Blal, is right to call for a more critical appraisal of the asset-light model.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Vacasa Lays Off 280 Employees as New CEO Sets Sights on Profits

It's tough for a new boss, like Vacasa CEO Rob Greyber, to come into a job and then have to make significant layoffs. It's tougher for impacted employees, however.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Hotels

IHG’s Strong Recovery Clouded by Finance Chief’s Departure

Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, chief financial officer, was admired by many investors, so his planned departure for another job is a blow. But aside from weakness in China, IHG reported strong results and broadly met expectations in its third quarter.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Tourism Economics Study Boosts Vacation Rentals and Downplays Local Concerns

Tourism and short-term rentals can be highly beneficial to some communities, but tourism boards and research firms for hire shouldn't view them as sacrosanct.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Hotels

6 Themes for Hotel Earnings Season

Expect analysts in the next few weeks to be eyeing the group bookings recovery, Europe's energy supply shock, hubris about property pipelines, currency turmoil, China's fragility, and opportunities in lifestyle properties.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago

Hotels

Montage and Pendry Hotels Pick Up the Pace in Luxury and Lifestyle

The battle is often not won by the strongest but by the most focused. There are only 14 Montage and Pendry hotels to date. Yet less can be more for quality control.

Sean O'Neill | 2 years ago