Ready for Expedia the Hotel Brand? + Voice Search to Upend Marketing + Hotels Blend Everything

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

January 23, 2018 View in browser

Note From the Editor The future of travel? What if online travel agencies like Expedia and Booking.com went asset-heavy and launched their own hotel brands, disintermediating chains like Marriott, Hilton and AccorHotels, and striking up direct relationships with hotel owners? Now that's a twist worth considering. In two stories today, Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting examines such convergence taking place all over the travel and hospitality industry. Ting takes an in-depth look at the potential of online travel agencies debuting their own hotel brands, and then in one of our 2018 Travel Megatrends, she looks at hotels striving to be more than hotels, and branching out into adjacent services. Just when you thought you had the travel industry all figured out, traditional roles and categories are becoming one big ever-changing blur. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Skift Report: The 2018 Digital Transformation Report Sponsored by Adobe No matter what your role in the travel industry, the question is when, not if, your business will be affected. Our annual digital transformation report, released in partnership with Adobe, is an effort to show how businesses are preparing for this digital transformation. Download Now Megatrends 2018 Travel Megatrends 2018: The Hotel of the Future Needs to Be Everything to Everyone Think of this as mixed-use 2.0. As consumer demands and mobile technology evolve, hoteliers are becoming smarter about designing their spaces to accommodate our multitasking lives. Restaurant Megatrends 2018: Chains Turn to Famous Chefs for Menu Development Over the past few years, established chains have turned to chefs to add a dose of authenticity to their menus and a refresh to their brands. A chef and chain partnership adds value but should be only one part of a brand's reinvigoration. Top Stories Why Expedia or Priceline Might Just Be the Next Great Hotel Brand Whether or not you agree with this, it's certainly an idea worth contemplating as everyone and everything in the travel industry are beginning to converge. Whatever you decide, please don't shoot the messenger. Voice Search Will Change Travel Marketing Faster Than You Think Voice will change the current travel marketing funnel much faster than we think. Savvy marketers and technologists should begin thinking about ways to make an impact on this burgeoning channel. Choice Hotels Debuts New Booking System for Franchisees to Replace Outdated Tech Choice's decision to build its own reservation system in-house is a poke in the eye to the many technology companies that sell systems to hotel chains. David Chang's Delivery Experiment Ends With Uber Eats Deal Was it a restaurant or a technology company? As Ando ceases its operations and its tech becomes part of Uber Eats, we have our answer. American and Alaska Are Giving Away Elite Status — Business of Loyalty If these new promotions are any indication, airline loyalty programs may be once more warming up to frequent flyers — for varied reasons, but out of necessity. Popular Now Marriott's Revamp of Aloft and Element Points to the Future of Select Service Hotels Everyone suspected the efficiency and consistency of the Marriott "machine" would be a perfect match up for Starwood's creative and innovative lifestyle brands. While it appears to be working for Aloft and Element, the true measure of success will be what Marriott can do with a brand like Sheraton. United Will Begin Giving Passengers Details About Why Their Flights Are Delayed Airline passengers don't like being late. But what they probably dislike more is being late and not knowing why. Over the next few weeks, United will give some customers detailed information about the reason for delays. That could make passengers less anxious, which is a good thing. Travel Megatrends 2018: Mergers and Acquisitions Focus on Strategic Innovation The smartest travel companies are beginning to buy startups that may not be central to their main businesses or help them consolidate market share, but could boost the innovation metabolism of their motherships. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab. You received this email because you are subscribed to Skift Daily Newsletter from Skift.

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