Hotel CEOs Think Their Direct Booking Pushes Position Them for Long-Term Gain
Photo Credit: InterContinental Hotels Group CEO Richard Solomons. Solomons and his hotel peers are firm believers in the value of pushing more direct bookings. InterContinental Hotels Group
Skift Take
The big talking game we saw during the first quarter may have softened a bit in the second, but it's clear hotel CEOs are committed over the long term to pursuing and winning the direct bookings war.
Hotel CEOs have a lot on their minds these days, from terrorism and softening corporate travel business to Brexit and Airbnb.
And although they're guardedly positive about business for the rest of this year, one thing hotel CEOs have been particularly bullish about in the past few quarters are their respective direct booking campaigns, most of which involve discounted rates for their loyalty program members. That was especially evident during their first quarter earnings calls, as well as the most recent spate of calls for the second quarter.
Marriott and Hilton were the first major U.S. brands to push direct bookings and member rates on a more global scale, and that was soon followed by their peers, including Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels, and others.
But not all hotel players, notably Red Lion Hotels and AccorHotels, have followed suit. Sebastien Bazin, AccorHotels CEO, told Skift, "Are they [hotels launching
