Traveling Blog: Europe Weekend Review: Marriott Tries Homesharing + Insight From Skift Forum Europe

April 28, 2018

Note From the Editor

AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin was in a typically talkative mood during his appearance at our European Forum earlier this week, that is, up until Deanna Ting, Skift's Hospitality Editor, asked about a potential deal for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Stock market rules and the fact that the story broke before Bazin probably wanted it to, meant he had to fudge the answer. Over the last couple of years Accor has happily bought up companies from across the travel and leisure space and not just hotel companies. And, in this case, where there's smoke, there's probably fire.

Depending on the price, Mövenpick would be a nice pick-up for Accor, helping it add more luxury properties to its portfolio.

Flush with the proceeds from its property spin-off, we would bet on Accor making more acquisitions before the end of 2018.

Bazin's appearance will be one of many from our second European Forum that we'll be publishing online over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out. We'll do it all again next year in London.

— Patrick Whyte, Europe Editor

Understanding Travel's Personalization Revolution

Top Stories

Marriott Experiments With Homesharing

Leave it to Marriott to figure out a way to make homesharing work for the hotel industry. But as we've noted before, this space has its challenges, and figuring out the logistics and differences between managing homes and hotels will be crucial.

The Balkans, Yes, The Balkans, Lead Europe's New Tourism Push

Long overshadowed by "Old Europe" for tourism, the Balkans are emerging as the center of "New Europe." But you better book now since the travelers' secret is out.

AccorHotels Reportedly Wants to Buy Mövenpick Hotels

AccorHotels is definitely in the mood to buy. But the bigger question is, now that it has all of these things, how will the company actually integrate them all so that they're successful?

BlaBlaCar Buys Less to Plug a Carpooling Tech Gap

It's too early to know if short-distance, urban carpooling from BlaBlaCar can effectively compete with taxis and car-hailing apps like Cabify, Lyft, and Uber. But as a defensive experiment, the move makes sense.

Listicle Platform Culture Trip Raises $80 Million to Build Online Travel Agency

Who knew that adding affiliate booking links to the hotels mentioned in articles and videos could earn record levels of investment?

Trivago Suffers Another Loss and Lowers Its Forecast for Next Quarter

Everyone blames Booking.com for Trivago's woes. But we're reserving judgment on the hotel search company's worse-than-expected second-quarter forecasts until we can hear from its other largest advertiser, Expedia Group, which holds its own first-quarter earnings call soon.

Skift Forum Europe

Airbnb Won't Launch Flights Anytime Soon

Can Airbnb become a superbrand of travel, as it has stated as a goal? Probably not without launching flights. On the other hand, Booking.com has done fairly well for itself without offering flights until now.

Google Plans to String Its Travel Assets Together

We come in peace, a top Google executive essentially said while addressing the travel industry on Thursday at Skift Forum Europe in Berlin. One possible industry response might be: "Trust, but verify."

AccorHotels CEO Gets Candid About Moving Hospitality Beyond Hotels

AccorHotels wants to evolve from a hospitality company to a services and experience platform for travelers and locals alike. CEO Bazin is willing to take risks to achieve this goal, even if some of the company's investments don't ever pay off.

Ryanair Executive Predicts Higher Fuel Prices Will Tank Some Competitors

Ryanair might have lost a step last year when a pilot scheduling problem forced it to cancel thousands of flights. But the airline seems to have its swagger back.

Booking.com CMO: FareHarbor Was a Smarter Buy Than GetYourGuide

Whether the price tag on GetYourGuide was too much for Booking to admit, the tours and activities platform is likely still viewed as a viable buy for someone but that notion won't do much to calm GetYourGuide's nerves in the meantime.

Rest of the World

Airline Upgrades Lead to a Purloined Pillow Problem

Why can't business class passengers have nice things? Here's one problem: When airlines upgrade their amenities, passengers often steal them.

The Skift 2018 Corporate Travel Innovators List

Corporate travel is extremely resistant to innovation because a select handful of gatekeepers make it difficult for new entrants to gain access to the content and data that is needed. These players are driving the industry forward by fixing how travelers book and experience business travel.

Why Everybody Now Wants a Piece of the Tours and Activities Sector

Large travel corporations can't seem to get enough of the tours and activities space. It's one to watch as the year unfolds. Deals can be a great way to get a foot in the door, but don't forget to make sure there is a strategic fit — and, of course, that the price is right.

Marriott and Starwood Pull Off a Merged Loyalty Program That Makes Everyone Happy

Marvel: "Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover event in history"
Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest: "Hold my beer"

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