Deanna Ting

Accor as a takeover target? Stranger things have happened. (Anbang, anyone?) No matter what transpires in hospitality going forward, though, it's clear that consolidation is here to stay.

It likely won't be the only, or the last, hospitality company to do the same.

Everyone in the restaurant industry wants a piece of that hotel money. But for the hotel brands, the bigger challenge is making sure that their dining concepts aren’t the same old, boring ones they’ve always had — and convincing both diners and chefs to buy in.

So does everyone else in the hotel business these days. Hotel companies like Marriott certainly have the scale and financial backing to improve hotel dining, but do they have the passion or creativity to mimic the independent restaurants they're trying to imitate? And will diners be able to taste the difference?

Context is everything, and it’s hard to have that when the company reporting a bunch of facts and figures makes it hard to have comparisons to past data. We can’t wait to see that S-1 filing, eventually.

What’s most interesting about this boutique lifestyle hotel brand is its willingness to take risks and to continually experiment, but not if that means following the pack.

This year is shaping up to be the year when Airbnb gets all of its ducks in a row before the big IPO. Investing in adjacent businesses like Oyo is a major part of that strategy. But will any of this ultimately matter — or make a difference — once the company goes public?

The success of Ennismore’s Hoxton hotels brand is founded on the fact that you don’t have to completely reinvent something to make it exciting or lasting. You just need to know what elements bring you — and your guests — joy (while also making a profit).

Unlike some of its hotel peers, Marriott isn't giving up on its hopes of being the world's favorite travel company.

Marriott says you really can have it all when it comes to a hotel company — both scale and quality. But can you really do that without sacrificing one for the other? Guess we'll find out over the next three years.