Future of Lodging

Hyatt might have improved performance from a year ago, but having to still report losses while others are touting a return to profits has to sting. Waning Omicron cases in 2022 are pointing to better days. Investors are hoping that's the case.

Nothing underscores how mainstream vacation rentals have become as seeing institutional investors get in on the action.

These aren’t going to be transformative deals for Choice Hotels like Starwood was for Marriott, but an upscale, extended stay brand would provides another option for business travelers. Meanwhile, a higher-end, full service brand would just help round out the overall portfolio.

Global hotel companies like Hilton are quick to say China’s stretched-out lockdown measures aren’t deterring them from developing new projects there. Too much money is riding on these potentially lucrative deals to happen.

Affordable hotels and a focus on resilient, on-the-road business travel segments like infrastructure accounts throttled Wyndham back to pre-pandemic performance levels. Maintaining focus on its strengths sets it apart from direct competitor Choice Hotels.

Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, February 16, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

By the numbers alone — around 4 million hosts — Airbnb hasn't made much progress in host recruitment despite marketing campaigns, easing the onboarding process, and pairing hosts with super host mentors. But there is a pandemic still going on, and Asia-Pacific has largely not rebounded.

The U.S. recovery fueled Marriott's profitable fourth quarter and entire 2021. But weaker performance in China isn't deterring the company from wanting to have more hotels there and other international markets. Real estate is a long-term play.

Pendry has built an interesting boutique-feeling brand on top of actual luxury knowledge and operations. The result is something differentiated in the market and worth keeping an eye on.

Unlike Airbnb and Vrbo, which have struggled at times to attract ample numbers of hosts to meet demand, Inspirato and its subscription model play in a more focused space. Although there is plenty of competition, there are tons of potential home leases to lay siege for around the world where the monied set want to jet and play.