Future of Lodging

As the lines continue to blur between hotels and short-term rentals, Skift is focused on the technology and the consumer behaviors that are driving this. Follow our coverage across the wide world of lodging, from traditional hotels and motels to urban short-term rentals and traditional vacation rentals.

Hotels

IHG CEO Keith Barr to Leave Legacy of Expanding Hotel Group’s Competitiveness

From adding luxury, lifestyle, and resort brands to boosting the company's ground game in China and the U.S., Keith Barr will leave a wide-ranging legacy from his half-dozen years as CEO of IHG when he departs in June.

Sean O'Neill | 3 years ago

Keith Barr speaking at Skift Global Forum

Hotels

IHG CEO Keith Barr Steps Down

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.

Selene Brophy and Jason Clampet | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Expedia Looks to Loyalty Rollout and Vrbo Tech Migration as Next Hills to Climb

Vrbo is one of Expedia Group's core three brands, but the jury is out on whether the vacation rental unit will now recede more into the background as cities recover.

Dennis Schaal | 3 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Hostaway Launches AI Tool For Property and Channel Managers

Hostaway, which offers property management software to vacation rentals, has launched a ChatGPT-powered artificial intelligence tool.

Srividya Kalyanaraman | 3 years ago

Hotels

Resort Fees at U.S. Hotel Group Haven’t Grown Since 2019

News this week that Marriott will make resort fees more fully transparent upfront in the search results of its website and mobile app drew focus once again to the topic…

Sean O'Neill | 3 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb Debuts a Private Rooms Category With New Privacy Features for Shared Stays

Airbnb improves on more privacy, price transparency and host engagement as part of its annual summer release upgrades.

Srividya Kalyanaraman | 3 years ago

Hotels

Marriott Not Too Worried About U.S. Hotel Financing Tightening

Hotels are ordinarily a leading signal for recessions, with vacancies piling up ahead of national economies sagging. But the world's largest hotel company sees no problems so far, despite signs of weakening elsewhere.

Sean O'Neill | 3 years ago

View from a cabin in Pigeon Hole Forge in the Smoky Mountains.

Short-Term Rentals

Guesty Buys Vacation Rental Tech Company StaySense

This marks Guesty's sixth acquisition as it widens distribution channels for property owners.

Srividya Kalyanaraman | 3 years ago

Jumeirah Beach MGM Resort in Dubai is being developed by MGM Hospitality and Wasl Asset Management Group near Burj Al Arab Source MGM Resorts

Hotels

MGM Resorts CEO Thinks Dubai or Abu Dhabi Might OK Gaming This Year

Executives at MGM Resorts International are hopeful that gaming may be approved by the United Arab Emirates, possibly as soon as this year.

Sean O'Neill | 3 years ago

Hotels

Hotel Brand Selina Seeks to Fix Unwieldy Cash Burn

Selina is like a Tesla Roadster sportscar driving down California's Highway 101 on a sunny day while a malfunctioning hood is popping open and the battery's struggling to hold its charge. Everything's fixable, and the views are great. But repairs are urgent.

Sean O'Neill | 3 years ago