Traveling Blog: Hotel Brand-Standing + Norwegian Rebuffs BA + The Gogo Disconnect

May 7, 2018

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Editor's Note

"It's like being too skinny or too rich." That's how Marriott International's Global Brand Officer Tina Edmundson described the impossibiilty of having too many brands to Skift's Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting at the recent Skift Forum Europe in Berlin. That discussion prompted our story today, looking at just how many brands might be too many for hotel companies.

The business landscape is littered with companies that crumbled under the weight of carrying too many brands. The topic has been the subject of many business school case studies as a result. Edmundson and AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin make aggressive arguments in a strong M&A environment for why a multitude of brands serves customers by offering more choice. But be sure to read the section in our story labeled The Case for Less Is Best. Sometimes the strongest loyalties are won by communicating with your customers through the fewest brands. But the trend seems to be going in the opposite direction.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

New Insights Deck: Soft Brands — Weighing the Risks, Rewards, and Realities

Today we're excited to announce our contest to win two free tickets to attend Skift Tech Forum! In about a month we'll pack our bags for California, and we want you to join us. Enter for a chance to win today.

Can Hotel Companies Have Too Many Brands?

We'd pay good money just to see hospitality executives try to guess which hotel brands belong to which companies.

Amadeus Sees No Impact Yet on Airlines' Pushback With New Distribution Models

For a couple of decades, distribution technology giants like Amadeus dictated contract terms to the airlines. But airline groups are leading a revolt to try to impose a new model on the middlemen. It's too early to say who will get the upper hand.

Norwegian Rejects Approaches From British Airways Owner

Given Norwegian's financial situation, we should expect IAG's approach to have been on the low side. CEO Willie Walsh is a shrewd operator and is probably happy to wait things out rather than overpay.

Interview: Translating a Niche NYC Cocktail Bar to a New Denver Hotel

The future of high-end cocktail bars may be in reimagining their brands in new cities.

InterContinental Hotels Group Focuses on Growing Luxury and Midscale Presence

We've noticed IHG has a knack for announcing new brands without giving them names first, so any takers on what the name of IHG's newest not-yet-named brand will be?

Gogo CEO Concedes Company Lost Its Way — and Often the Wi-Fi Connectivity Too

How much of a future does Gogo have as an independent public company? We'll see. But it sounds like the new CEO is open to pursuing alternatives.

Starwood Preferred Guest Offers Extra Points for Mobile Check-Ins

Mobile check-in isn't new for a hotel to roll out, but the Starwood Preferred Guest promotion could help it go more mainstream.

Southwest began its life in 1971 as a short-haul airline shuttling commuters around Texas. So perhaps it is fitting that it will try to do something similar in Hawaii. But expect Hawaiian Airlines to vigorously defend its turf.

Hyatt CEO: Funds for Future Growth Will Come From Real Estate Sales

Even if it seems like Hyatt is jumping on the bandwagon for asset-light, China-centric hotel growth, it's clear the company wants to do so on its own terms.

Cape Town's Water Crisis: What the Tourism Industry Can Learn From the Myth and the Reality

The Cape Town water crisis has more to do with improper water management and inaccurate, inconsistent messaging than the city actually being in completely dire circumstances. That's why collaboration matters, between huge global organizations all the way down to individual travelers and locals, to promote the reality of international issues and the benefits tourism can have if done in a sustainable way.

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