Articles tagged “mergers and acquisitions”

Is Airbnb flailing at a way to build an expansion narrative ahead of an initial public offering? Buying HotelTonight would save some time and effort in making inroads with boutique hotels, but does Airbnb really need HotelTonight to do that? In travel, everyone is always talking to everyone so we're unsure how serious these informal talks ever were.

It's good news for regional passengers who rely on Flybe's services, but Virgin Atlantic will have plenty of work to do to make sure it can make the most of a combined long-haul, short-haul operation.

This tuck-in deal is minuscule, but it underscores Yatra's drive to maintain its position as India's largest online provider of travel booking tools for corporations. Yatra has the potential to build an "Egencia for India" over the course of five or 10 years.

These were the 10 biggest deals in travel in 2018. Were they the smartest decisions? We'll know in a few years. Hospitality-related acquisitions dominated our list; the online travel agencies made some big investments, but were absent as big buyers.

Airbnb could be in the initial stages of getting into property management. While such an initiative has its risks in terms of criticism from current property management partners, it seems like a much smarter strategy than expanding into very complex and difficult areas such as flights.

The acquisition of once-high-flying Tripping.com as a distressed asset was a losing deal for investors. It's not clear what the payoff will be for HomeToGo acquiring a Silicon Valley rival at vacation rental price-comparison. HomeToGo faces daunting expectations now, having raised $150 million.

Tablet Hotels found itself a world-class strategic buyer to propel its growth. Tablet as part of Michelin will face huge marketing hurdles, and the challenge of trying to reshape Michelin's legacy guide offerings.

From co-working spaces to restaurant reservations, AccorHotels has demonstrated its willingness to make acquisitions, investments, or strategic partnerships outside of hospitality. It is all in an effort to become an all-in-one experience platform serving consumers no matter what their needs are, and investors seem to like it.

With the sale of a majority stake in the company's owned and leased hotel business, AccorHotels is a more stable, nimble company, with the ability to pursue additional acquisitions and other strategic initiatives. In our latest research report, we break down what going asset-light means for the company and tackle ways of measuring the success of its M&A strategy.

The biggest knock on the online travel agencies these days is that the competition is intense and that their golden years are done. Expedia's Mark Okerstrom counters that his company has a single-digit share of a $1.6 trillion market, and he's going wide and deep to pick up more. The jury is still out.