Articles tagged “hilton”

A lot of hotel groups are providing healthy food options for their meeting groups, but attendees are still dozing off in the afternoon. So Hilton is pairing its meals with fitness and team-building experiences to try and inject greater energy and focus into meeting sessions. More research needs to be done on this.

Minority Report meets hotels. It was inevitable. It’ll be interesting to see how this tech evolves, and how hotels walk the fine line between being serviceable and just pushing ads into guests’ phones.

It looks like the travel industry isn't enthusiastic about industry player Donald Trump, the iconoclastic billionaire and hotel mogul. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson has quietly emerged as a major Democratic donor.

Hotels are finally beginning to implement messaging strategies that make it easier for their guests to get in touch with them via SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and the like. But how are they doing that, and what's next in messaging?

Red Lion Hotels is obviously a much smaller chain than a Hilton Worldwide or Marriott International. Still, Red Lion's deal to offer its member-only rates on Expedia.com and Hotels.com represents the start of some shifting in the direct-booking landscape. Expedia is a powerful force in hotel distribution and there will be more of these changes to come.

Is there a real demand among travelers for robotic luggage handlers, 3-D mapping technology, or a massive rainforest? When is too much just too much, or do we need these types of hotels to remind us of what we can achieve when it comes to hospitality? Or when it comes to Dubai, does extravagance equate to authenticity?

The growth of select-service brands from the major hotel companies isn't slowing down at all, and for good reason: They're easier to finance, build, and there's a clear demand for them. In short, it's a clear sign that hotels are learning to listen to what customers really want, as well as adapt to the new on-demand economy.

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.

In online travel and the lodging industry, as well as politics, astute observers follow the money. As it is with Marriott: The chain is using TripAdvisor 1) for bookings with lower-than standard online travel agency commissions and 2) to advertise even-lower-cost direct bookings on Marriott.com. Makes perfect economic sense.

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