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Hotels still face many challenges, including the ongoing talent shortage and the slow return of large business meetings and events - the bread and butter for many urban properties. However, leisure travelers, especially those taking drive vacations or traveling domestically, and trends in remote work, continue to fuel growth.
Skift Take: It's unclear if talks between the two largest U.S. operators of non-luxury hotels are earnest. But even the idea that Choice Hotels is interested in a merger speaks volumes about how the sector is becoming a scale game.
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Intent on considerably expanding its third-party management portfolio and positioning itself for growth through a potential acquisition, Banyan Tree Management recently relaunched as Aperture Hotels. Led by President/CEO Charles Oswald, Atlanta, Georgia-based Aperture Hotels represents what he describes a “whole new company.” For over a year, Oswald held the same position for Banyan Tree Management, which had served as the management arm for Banyan Investment Group and its portfolio of 15 proper
Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy
AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.
Accor has launched Handwritten Collection, a portfolio of hotels that offer an intimate and stylish experience. The Handwritten Collection portfolio is expected to reach more than 250 hotels by 2030. Accor is growing it’s hotel portfolio with the addition of a new brand – Handwritten Collection – a global portfolio of bespoke hotels offering an intimate and stylish hospitality experience.
Skift Take: When you are a destination as ambitious as Saudi Arabia with an aim to attract 100 million annual visitors by 2030, you have to emphasize year-round appeal to avoid missing out on travelers.
Skift Take: The AI-driven Airbnb is coming, so watch its trajectory of launches later this year and mid next year. Chesky promises it will be a whole different service by next year.
Skift Take: As the social media influencer industry evolves and matures, destination marketing organizations are, in turn, taking them seriously as agents in their efforts to grow visitation.
Skift Take: Any changes the next wave of artificial intelligence might bring will not be instantaneous. Booking Holdings has time to act to sustain its current position in online travel.
Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Global Sales and David Phelan, Account Executive
In a world where buyers are more informed and objections are more nuanced, confidence isn't optional—it’s a competitive advantage. In high-stakes conversations, knowing how to handle pushback can make or break the deal. Join industry experts Brendan Sweeney and David Phelan for a behind-the-scenes look at how teams are transforming sales coaching with real-time feedback, objection-handling role plays, and pre-call preparation that actually sticks.
Skift Take: First-mover advantage from online travel companies in generative AI might not hold up over the long-term. The chessboard may get overturned. Still, getting out there first doesn't hurt.
Skift Take: While it’s still too early to say when business travel could make a full recovery, smaller businesses drove some important trends in the first quarter.
Skift Take: Tourism boards are always trying to keep up with how visitors are finding and interacting their content. The Google Analytics update should make this easier. Hopefully, they can actually capitalize on the new information.
Speaker: Jady West, VP of Hospitality & Chris Bennett, Head of Sales & Engineering
The modern hotel room is no longer just a place to stay—it’s an experience to remember. Today’s guests expect seamless 5G connectivity, personalized comfort, and high-tech convenience. From AI-powered smart room controls to in-room entertainment and app-based services, technology is redefining hospitality from the inside out. In this new session featuring industry pros Jady West and Chris Bennett, we’ll explore how high-speed, high-bandwidth connectivity powers the innovations that are enabling
Skift Take: This is potentially a big win for Hopper — if it turns out that Uber's UK rideshare customers will want to book flights in the Uber app. Uber is trying to prove that use case.
Skift Take: Apple doesn't let Best Buy discount iPhones, and hoteliers don't want online travel agencies like Agoda to undercut their rates. A win for the hotel industry would be a loss for travelers.
Skift Take: Google may be behind OpenAi regarding generative AI, but it's getting closer to catching up. Interestingly, it used a few travel-relevant examples when demonstrating its latest batch of capabilities.
Skift Take: Hospitality brands stand to benefit from both the creative possibilities and the efficiency that AI will bring. Here's how to start thinking about it now.
AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.
Skift Take: We wish hotel companies and online travel agencies were as innovative in providing much-touted personalization as they are in inventing extra fees customers struggle to avoid.
Skift Take: The 787-9 Dreamliner, the new flagship aircraft for Hawaiian Airlines, offers a multitude of intricately designed features to honor Hawaiian history.
Skift Take: Forget spas and cocktail bars. Indoor kitchens are the must-have perk at U.S. hotels now. Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham are smart to bet that the long-stay trend will be here for the long term.
Skift Take: As guest expectations evolve with a renewed appetite for meaningful experiences, traditional loyalty programs are no longer cutting it. Jumeirah Group is rising to the occasion with Jumeirah One, its loyalty program that offers bespoke, unforgettable moments and strikes an emotional chord with members.
Are you curious about how artificial intelligence is reshaping sales coaching, learning, and development? Join Brendan Sweeney and Devyn Blume of Allego for an engaging new webinar exploring AI's transformative role in sales coaching and performance improvement! Brendan and Devyn will share actionable insights and strategies for integrating AI into coaching and development - ensuring personalized, effective, and scalable training!
Skift Take: Under Barr, IHG shook off years of brand cobwebs and expanded its portfolio. Like Barr, Maalouf comes into the CEO role with years of brand experience that can serve him well.
Skift Take: Big tech companies everywhere have been dropping staff, and now it's Sabre's turn. This may also be a result of a permanently changed travel industry post-pandemic and Sabre's effort to keep up.
Skift Take: Tourists love Spain, but the feeling isn't necessarily mutual with locals, as growing anti-tourism sentiment and the impact of mass tourism on their lifestyle becomes a hot topic for political candidates.
Speaker: Lauren Fernandez - CEO & Founder, Full Course
Companies all over the world, including Marriot International and Hilton Worldwide, are aware of the value of including DEI in their talent acquisition strategy. However, despite these initiatives, there is still plenty that the hospitality sector can do to promote DEI. When comparing the hospitality industries in India, Iraq, the UK, and the US, you will see that there is a consistent underrepresentation of persons from different ethnic, gender, and disability origins across all levels of the i
Skift Take: As hotels have increasingly realized travelers are seeking destination-specific experiences, major brands in the industry will continue to play up the local angle to their offerings, which could be an enormous boon for their bottom lines.
Skift Take: Egypt believes it's well-positioned to take advantage of the surging interest in medical tourism, but it needs to make treatment more affordable in the face of increasing competition.
Skift Take: Know what's cool? Have cool people join your member's clubs. Know what's even cooler? Having members buy your high-margin upsells, like food and skincare products.
Skift Take: Google Travel just got a tiny bit less sticky because Gmail users could easily find their past, present and upcoming trips there all in one place. The feature became a victim of bigger and more important priorities.
When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.
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