Traveling Blog: Google Connects Flights and Hotels + Steve Wynn Forced Out + The Soft Brand Threat

February 7, 2018

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Note From the Editor

God, Google is taking its own sweet time, but slowly and steadily it is connecting all the dots of its wide-ranging travel products. In a story below, Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill details how Google is now serving up a navigation bar to easily transition Google Flights users right into Google Hotels. We don't have a full-fledged, well-rounded Google travel site yet but that will happen too. When Google gets around to it.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

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Google is making it easier for travel shoppers to find and use its flight or hotel search through some design changes rolling out in the coming weeks. Watch out, Kayak and Skyscanner. Airlines and hotels will have to pay attention, too.

Steve Wynn Is Out as Wynn Resorts CEO Effective Immediately

Wynn's departure has us thinking about another hotelier (a hotel brand, really) with much less success in the gaming industry, and even more proof of having committed assaults against women. But, alas, it's proving much tougher to get him to resign.

Small Luxury Hotels CEO: Soft Brands Aren't Hurting Our Business

There's nothing better than a travel CEO, like Filip Boyen of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, who isn't afraid to speak his mind.

The Inside Story of Airbnb's Management Shakeup and Battle to Stay Private

Who needs an IPO when you can control the limits of space and time on an "infinite time horizon" like Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky? Also, if two-thirds of the company's profits were being generated by ex-CFO Tosi's hedge fund within the company, how will the company fare without him?

Spirit Airlines Is Doing Just Fine With Its Contrarian Approach

If you're an investor, it's not clear Spirit's model is the right one. But if you're a passenger, you should love the airline, even if you never fly it. Spirit is responsible for many of the U.S. fare wars we've seen in recent years.

Travel Megatrends 2018: Africa Needs to Woo Millennials at Home and Abroad

Millennial-friendly products and services are finally on the rise in South Africa's tourist industry, and the desire for immersive experiences could see a much-needed trickle down of tourism spend.

Disneyland Paris Finally Had a Good Year

Disneyland Paris got a boost from its 25th anniversary activities in 2017; will the momentum continue?

Luxury Retail Brands Love Airport Pop-Ups

Airports are paying much more attention to their retail offering with pop-up shops become a popular way to generate buzz and attract new customers.

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Will Digital Ordering Save Chipotle?

Chipotle executives sounded optimistic as they admitted the chain has many obstacles to overcome in order to regain consumer trust and market share.

SevenRooms Is Bringing Better Customer Insights to Restaurants

This integration is one small example of a larger trend: restaurant technology companies working to integrate seamlessly to provide the best solution for restaurateurs in a sea of options.

TripAdvisor will report earnings on February 14. Will its numbers be a valentine to investors? If not, perhaps the company should break up its relationship with the public markets. A move to private ownership could let it retool without fretting about quarterly targets.

The Google and Airbnb Threat According to Hotel CEOs

As we've noted before, as much as hotels and online travel agencies may not necessarily love one another, they certainly need each other. Their current love-hate relationship will certainly change, however, if and when other players like Airbnb or Google become bigger players in the hotel booking space.

Wyndham Finally Joins Competitors With Discounted Loyalty Rates

When it comes to Wyndham finally offering loyalty program members discounted rates, it's always better late than never, right?

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