Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.

wyndham ceo geoff ballotti at skift global forum 2024

Hotels

Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti Diagnosed With Cancer: ‘Prognosis Is Favorable’

Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti was diagnosed with "multiple myeloma, but it was caught "early" and his prognosis is "favorable. The 65-year-old executive will remain in his role while he undergoes treatment.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Image of a guest room at a recently refurbished upscale hotel called the Tess Atlanta, which is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection and is managed by Peregrine Hospitality.

Hotels

This CEO Says There’s ‘No Moat’ in Hospitality: Peregrine’s Playbook

Peregrine Hospitality's CEO admits hotels have no competitive moat. His fix is operational discipline. The question is whether that'll be enough to deliver results.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Experiences

HBX Group to Buy Bridgify as Part of Broader AI Push

HBX has been trying to diversify from reselling hotel rooms since before it went public. Each time, the answer is new inventory and better tech for selling. Experiences and AI are the latest pitch.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Hotels

Hotel Equities CEO: Here’s Which Technologies Can Actually Lift Owner Margins

Hotel owners see operating-cost inflation grinding margins. One third-party manager is publicly betting that AI and other technologies are the most promising route back to profitability.

Sean O'Neill and Adriana Lee | 3 weeks ago

Tourism

D.C. Tourism Flatlines as Foreign Visitors Fall and Hotel Tax Funds Get Redirected

Washington, D.C.'s 2025 visitor count barely crept past 2024's level, exposing a flat market, driven by fewer foreign tourists.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Image of the Paris skyline with Accor's headquarters in focus and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Hotels

A 12% Stake and a Looming Board Meeting: What Does Accor’s Activist Investor Want?

The activist fund Parvus has become Accor's largest shareholder without telling anyone why.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

image of a stadium box overlooking a soccer match

Hotels

80% of Hotels Say World Cup Bookings Are Missing Forecasts

FIFA's outrageous ticket prices, combined with geopolitical turmoil, have contributed to soft bookings. Yet hotels that jacked their rates share some of the blame, too.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Choice Hotels Had a Rough First Quarter

Why did Choice Hotels underperform against competitors in every type of hotel during the best quarterly demand backdrop in recent memory?

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

exterior of a Miami Beach hotel with an outdoor pool and lots of beach chairs on a sunny day

Hotels

Wyndham Pitches AI as Antidote to Hotel Margin Squeeze

Wyndham believes AI tools will eventually bring relief to franchisee P&Ls, though not immediately across the board for all hotels.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Prism Group CEO and Founder Ritesh Agarwal at Skift Global Forum 2025.

Hotels

Prism’s G6 Debuts New Budget Brand in the U.S. — Studio 6 Plus

Studio 6 Plus is Prism's attempt to push G6 upmarket without abandoning the value lane, and to recruit developers with sharper franchise terms than its rivals are offering.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago