Video: What’s Happening at Vacation Rentals Ahead of Summer
Watch a full session from our recent online event devoted to the short-term rental and outdoor industries.
Marriott International News
The journey of the largest hotel chain in the world, Marriott International, Inc. – now with more than seven thousand hotel, residential, and timeshare properties – began with a root-beer stand in Washington, D.C. in 1927 started by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Following its $13.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, it became the largest global hotel company. It currently commands a mammoth portfolio of more than two dozen hotel brands such as JW Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, Delta Hotels, Marriott Vacation Club, Le Méridien, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Courtyard, Fairfield, and W Hotels. Its properties contain nearly a million and a half rooms worldwide. Through its premier loyalty program Bonvoy, it is engaged in partnerships with the likes of United Airlines, Uber, American Express, Hertz, and others to optimize customer engagement.
Roadside Hotels Could Draw Investor Interest From a Biden Boost for Infrastructure
Building better roads and airports across the U.S. will help build hotel profits, but not everyone will see an infrastructure windfall. This is largely a boost to brands like Choice and Wyndham — already profitable and not facing the uncertain recovery hurdles that some competitors face with business travel.
Marriott’s China Comeback Pushes Company Closer to Profitability
Marriott's bigger portfolio in greater China than its competitors delivered the company somewhat of a financial win. But don't expect everything to return to normal on the rebound: Marriott learned how to run hotels with fewer employees during the crisis, and that's likely to be the new status quo.
Expect Marriott to Tell This Growth Story This Week
Nobody is anticipating any major financial windfall news from Marriott this week, but shareholders still want to hear where future growth is coming from during an investor update. All-inclusive resorts and home rentals, relatively new divisions of the company, will certainly be on the list.
Amex GBT Accelerates Biz Travel Dealmaking and 10 Other Top Travel Stories This Week
In Skift's top travel stories this week, Expedia agreed to sell Egencia to American Express Global Business Travel, IHG is shedding subpar properties, travel needs to push for vaccine equity, and India's travel industry and people are suffering.
Marriott Homes & Villas Mandates a Rate Rule That Europe Considers Anticompetitive
With the competition heating up among short-term rental platforms, price parity issues may increasingly come into play, as they once did in the hotel industry. But with short-term rentals, given the ever-shifting guest fee rates, the pricing rules will be difficult to enforce.
What Hilton, Hyatt and IHG Could Reveal This Week on Development Deals
Hotel companies with a strong focus on leisure and drive-to properties are going to show the strongest development numbers this cycle, but don't expect a massive downturn in construction from even the more business-oriented brands. Real estate is a long-term play.
Europe to Open to Vaccinated U.S. Vacationers and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week
In Skift's top travel stories this week, we covered Europe's opening to vaccinated U.S. travelers, luxury travel's recovery, Amtrak in the limelight, and American Airlines demothballing jets.
The Grip of Airbnb and Short-Term Rental Giants Leaves Direct Bookings Elusive
Direct-booking advocates in the short-term rental space will face tough going long term because they have to deal with plenty of juggernauts. When the travel recovery gets under way in full, it will be Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia spending billions of dollars to win over fickle, bargain-hungry travelers.
An Exclusive Look at Marriott’s Terms for Recruiting Short-Term Rental Hosts
Marriott has been in the vacation rental business for nearly two years, and few see it as a threat to the likes of Airbnb and Vrbo. Recent recruitment efforts for new listings and employees show the fledgling division is on track to be an integral part of future revenues for the world's largest hotel company.