Deanna Ting

The idea that being bigger is better in the hospitality industry is one that isn’t going away anytime soon. IHG, whether it might be the target of an acquisition or an acquirer, is in a solid position for both scenarios. And the company could probably use a bit of a jolt in terms of innovation and global growth.

As Morgans Hotel Group's own SEC filings have shown, it desperately needs to be bought by someone. New revelations suggest that the company’s deal with SBE might be in question.

In China, anything is possible when it comes to antitrust clearance and there are a number of potential reasons why regulatory authorities there extended their review of the Marriott-Starwood merger. This prolonged waiting game could be part of a larger strategy to extract concessions and finish off part of what Anbang started in March.

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.

There's nothing like a contrarian, outspoken hotel CEO to keep things interesting.

The bigger questions on everyone’s mind in the hospitality industry: Is the cycle finally turning downward? Are the good times of high occupancies and revenues over? Should hoteliers be worried?

With so many data breaches impacting so many different hotel chains, we have to wonder if there are better ways for hotels to prevent these kinds of attacks.

Wars aren’t won overnight. If hotels really want to make some inroads in taking back market share from online travel agencies, and owning the customer relationship entirely, they need to wage an all-out offensive that goes well beyond direct bookings.

Can such a thing exist? Yes, but if we want it to work, we need short-term rental platforms and local governments to cooperate with each other.

Not all hotel loyalty member rates are created equal, and it pays to read the fine print.