Future of Lodging

Weirdly, airlines are the upselling masters. But spacious hotels and short-term rentals have much more to cross-sell to travelers than any flying tin cans have. Calling all consumer brands and local artisans: Here's the new "product placement."

Even as uncertainty continues to weigh on travel plans, Marriott is offering personalized experiences through its loyalty program in Asia. The hotel chain currently has more than 55 million Marriott Bonvoy members in Asia Pacific.

Except for the down year of 2020, the U.S. accommodation sector has been performing robustly, with the short-term rental segment gaining market share. We believe hotels will make a strong comeback in 2022 relative to the short-term rental sector.

What's getting called the metaverse today is a joke. But marketers are right to run tests. The key thing to learn is how people will express their identities and status via avatars in virtual games. Future branding depends on that knowledge.

Outsiders figure out what's wrong with an industry and rightfully disrupt it. Then they learn that the disrupted industry does things a certain way for a reason. It doesn't mean Sonder's overall strategy is wrong, but that's a lesson it is learning.

Amenitiz joins a wave of startups democratizing online selling tools for hoteliers. The Barcelona-based startup brings e-commerce tools to small hotel companies in a way that's similar to how Shopify helps small retailers.

Lodging startup Casai, which is like a Sonder for Latin America, has bought a vendor of smart home tech. The deal is one of the more notable examples of hospitality companies trying to secure their supply lines.

The pandemic has shifted the industry’s focus from fitness to wellness — which means reimagining investments in spaces like the hotel gym, and shared equipment.

Accor's Sébastien Bazin is one of the rare travel industry executives who can hold a room rapt with his every word. In this video, the CEO explains some of the thinking behind his company's boldest decisions.

You might not have noticed, but luxury hospitality is in the middle of a major reboot. Old, storied reputations mean nothing anymore if today's service is lost. The market is a blank slate where all relationships, preferences, and loyalty need to be re-examined and rebuilt by luxury travelers. Brands have to re-think their value propositions.