Articles tagged “mergers and acquisitions”

This is assuming Marriott and Starwood actually close their deal this year, which, given what's happened over that past week, is still not a sure thing, obviously.

This is going to be a very busy week for Starwood.

Three of the named entities involved in the takeover bid for Starwood don't have much experience in the hotel business, but that won't keep them from buying Starwood.

The rest of the travel industry -- or at least the big players that matter -- have caught up to HotelTonight, the first mover in the same-day mobile hotel-booking space. Heavily funded, HotelTonight is seeking an exit that makes its investors whole.

With all the flurry of commotion that comes with Marriott's deal for Starwood is concern for hotel owners in marketplaces that may be overpopulated with brands and properties all flying under the same flag and competing for guest loyalty.

CEO Arne Sorenson writes a letter to Marriott employees, laying out the compelling reasons for the merger and assuring them that the integration will go as smoothly as possible.

The Marriott-Starwood deal is much more than putting on a fresh coat of paint and moving on with business as usual. The integration process will likely take years, and franchisees can thank booking sites for their large role in that difficulty.

The American and US Airways system cutover went curiously well this weekend - but will it hold?

Independent hoteliers are indeed exploring alternatives to the big online travel agencies, including finding ways to spur more direct bookings, but sometimes it seems like a steep, uphill battle.

Unlike the Priceline Group and Expedia Inc., TripAdvisor tried to go-it alone in China without a long-term home-grown partner. Expedia failed even though it had a Chinese partner in eLong so there are no guarantees in doing business in this potentially very lucrative but stubbornly difficult market.