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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Hospitality-Retail Smashup + Luxury Travel's Next Phase + Uber Hires Ex-Orbitz CEO

December 21, 2017 View in browser

Note From the Editor

Hospitality is blending with retail and retail is merging with hospitality, as columnist Colin Nagy's article today points out. Hotels are partnering to sell retail products and services that are an extension of their brands, and retail outfits are opening hotels so guests can try their products. But does it all become just too commercial at some point?

Speaking of blending, Uber snagged the Expedia CEO a few months ago for the top job at the ridesharing company, and now Dara Khosrowshahi has tapped a former Expedia official, Barney Harford, who is also a former Orbitz CEO, to be the COO at Uber. Harford is said to be excessively detail-oriented. He'll have to be if the duo can turn around Uber.
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