Royal Caribbean Snaps Up Silversea + Marriott Wants More Brands + Viceroy Hotels' Smart Strategy

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

June 15, 2018 View in browser

Editor's Note More often than not, the acquiring company in a deal will watch its stock drop as investors worry about everything from the premium paid for the target company to potential earnings dilution. So when Royal Caribbean's shares rose more than 5 percent on Thursday after the cruise line announced it was spending $1 billion to buy a majority of Silversea Cruises, with its nine ships, it was a good sign investors have confidence that Royal Caribbean needed this kind of deal. Indeed, the acquisition fills two voids for Royal Caribbean with an entree into the high-end luxury market, the last of the big three cruise lines to make that move. It also introduces Royal Caribbean to expedition cruising, giving it a first-mover spot in this area versus the other two competitors. News Editor Hannah Sampson analyzes all of this in our story below. Investors seem happy now, but by owning a 67 percent stake in the once-privately held Silversea, Royal Caribbean will report Silversea's financials after the deal closes, giving shareholders a first glimpse of the family-controlled business. Who knows how RCL shares will trade then? — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor The Value of Staying Independent in an Increasingly Soft Branded World Sponsored by TravelClick Despite the appeal of the soft brand model, independent and boutique hotels will always be key players in the market. Read More Top Stories Royal Caribbean Is Buying a $1 Billion Stake in Silversea to Boost Its Luxury Offerings Buying Silversea will certainly improve Royal Caribbean's offering in the luxury and expedition sectors. Will it be happy as a majority shareholder or will it eventually want complete control? Video: Marriott's Global Brand Officer on Why Europe Needs More Hotel Brands Nixing a hotel brand isn't as simple as turning the lights off and calling it a day. There are contracts, owners, and livelihoods at stake and Marriott couldn't cut any of its 30 brands overnight. The company thinks there is plenty of room for its brands around the world, but we'll see what the future holds. Viceroy Hotels Is Using Smartwatches to Be More Hospitable Personally — while Virgin Atlantic may disagree with us — wearing a smartwatch is preferable to donning a Google Glass, and we have a feeling hotel staff members would agree, too. Hipcamp Raises $9.5 Million for Campsite Booking: Travel Startup Funding This Week Public campgrounds were already an alternative form of travel. But now there's "alternative alternative travel." Meet the startup Hipcamp, which is like an Airbnb for privately-owned campsites and hosted experiences. How the Global Distribution Systems Are Fighting for Change The global distribution systems are finally moving away from the antiquated legacy systems that frustrate travel providers. Will their new cloud-based systems usher in a new era for corporate travel, or help maintain the status quo? Your Big Year Selects 4 Finalists for Unforgettable Travel Experience Sponsored by Your Big Year Congratulations to the finalists selected by our partner Your Big Year! Check out the four lucky young travelers who will be hitting the road this summer for a life-changing journey. Skift Table We announced some of the early speakers for Skift Restaurants Forum last week. After you're done saying "wow," you can register here before the Early Bird Tickets disappear. Shipping Container Aeroponic Farming Is Good (for) Business While it'll likely take a few years to catch on, shipping container aeroponic farming could be coming to a restaurant near you. Uber Eats Boss: We Just Think About the Customer Using data to drive personalized customer interactions means everything in Uber Eats' approach to growth. If the delivery service has its way, it'll be able to predict what you want to eat before you can even finish asking the question. Nice Viral Restaurant Hit, Now Where's the Money? Instagram-powered visual marketing seems to be a necessary tool for food businesses. However, the lack of exact metrics and instruments to gauge its ROI makes it a trickier undertaking than it looks on camera. Popular Now AccorHotels Chief Brand Officer: 'We Need to Watch Google and Amazon Carefully' Smart hotel brands like AccorHotels know that the real threat isn't Airbnb or even their fellow hotel companies. It's the Googles, Tencents, Facebooks, Amazons, and Apples of the world. 4 Key Insights on Travel Tech Advances, Personalization, Voice and Amazon What do Amazon's Alexa, personalization, and the tech arms race have in common? They were common refrains overheard this week at our inaugural Skift Tech Forum in Silicon Valley. Rwanda Is Making a Push for the Right Number of High-Spending Visitors Rwanda is setting itself up as Africa's new big luxury tourism destination. And while mountain gorillas are the country's main attraction, new luxury lodges will help open up other regions of this small, yet highly diverse country. 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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