Articles tagged “hotelscombined”

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Kayak won't be opening any new hotels near you, but still hopes to make a go of building a hotel tech business. That, too, could be a big challenge.

Kayak isn't as muscular today in metasearch, as some would have forecast years ago, given the impact of Google. But Kayak hasn't folded, either.

Don't you just love those proverbial tuck-in acquisitions? Booking Holdings didn't break the bank for either HotelsCombined ($140 million) or FareHarbor ($250 million). Sometimes making smaller bets is a much smarter strategy than gargantuan deals, but only time will tell.

The deal surprised analysts, some of whom didn't see an obvious logic for it. Yet one thing is sure: Online hotel sales are a bit like an old-fashioned butter market. A big chunk of butter changes hands multiple times and everyone gets their hands greasy.

Booking.com is Booking Holdings' favored child, but with the addition of HotelsCombined, it is apparent that the parent company still sees plenty of opportunity for its Kayak unit in metasearch worldwide. This deal will help Kayak expand in Asia Pacific, and will give HotelsCombined additional resources as well.

Google has all the tools, including a giant search engine, to make its mark in hotel metasearch and its competitors are starting to really feel it. The only hope for rivals is a hail Mary to regulators — or to focus on being faster and better.

Can a metasearch company serve two masters: its affiliate partners and its own brand? HotelsCombined is dancing that dance and will let us all know the answer eventually.