Traveling Blog: Weekend Review: Hilton Has a New Brand + Neeleman's LCC Will Go International

October 27, 2018

Editor's Note

Another week, another couple of new hotel brands. Chains have a seemingly insatiable desire to create new brands, and the trend will likely work until it no longer works, and the pendulum and/or economy swing the other way.

In two stories, we detail how Hilton will debut a new brand, called Motto, starting in London, and Premier Inn intends to trot out its first Zip property in Cardiff, Wales. Beyond the new names, what they have in common is the rooms are small and the pricing should tend to be low. In the case of Zip, the rates should be very low, starting at around $25 (£19). These are the glory days of hotel brand proliferation.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

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Webinar: Destination Storytelling — How to Differentiate Your Brand

David Neeleman argues that the competition won't be able to touch his new airline, which likely won't be named Moxy, because it will be so different. Plenty of other airlines will have something to say about that.

American Airlines Makes Elite Status Harder For These Credit Card Holders

Use it or lose it. That is apparently the reason American Airlines is making it more difficult now for some card holders to earn elite status as perks are removed.

Expedia Buys Two Startups to Help Landlords Turn Apartments Into Short-Term Rentals

When it comes to the acquisition game, Expedia Group CEO Mark Okerstrom is one of the travel industry's savviest players. It's fun to see him back at it, after a mostly quiet period of him settling into the company's top job.

Hilton Debuts New Hostel-Inspired Brand, Motto

So, it's not being marketed as a "hostel on steroids," as Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta once described it, but Motto by Hilton is more or less a lot of what we've seen before, albeit with a few twists.

JetBlue's Battle to Remain Dominant in Boston

A few years ago, Delta Air Lines expanded in Seattle and tried to take share from Alaska Airlines. Surprisingly, Alaska has held on to most of its customers. Now, Delta is trying a similar strategy in Boston. JetBlue has a big customer base there. Will JetBlue's loyalists stick around?

Premier Inn Owner Whitbread Creates New Budget Brand

With the Costa Coffee sale steaming ahead, it's time for Whitbread to think seriously about its hotel strategy. Zip will sit at the budget end but what about something above the flagship Premier Inn brand?

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Editor's Picks

Some Companies Spend More on Amazon Than Air Travel

Some businesses are spending more on Amazon than flights on Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. If the online retail giant ever does ever make a play in the travel industry, it will have a strong base of corporations it is already doing business with.

Royal Caribbean Hopes New Tech Will Turn Into New Revenue

Royal Caribbean is investing left and right in technology, new ships, new features on land, and even an entirely new brand. That means costs are up, but the company expects to see those investments pay off.

Expedia CEO Insists That Online Travel Agencies Aren't Over

The biggest knock on the online travel agencies these days is that the competition is intense and that their golden years are done. Expedia's Mark Okerstrom counters that his company has a single-digit share of a $1.6 trillion market, and he's going wide and deep to pick up more. The jury is still out.

Measuring the Value of Wellness to a Hotel Brand

Every time you turn around these days, a major hotel company is announcing that it has hired a chief wellness officer. But will this wave of devotion to wellness be a phase or a long-lasting phenomenon? Look to the return on investment for that answer.

Putting Focus on Female Business Travelers

While corporate travel at large claims to have a major focus on safety, research shows that women who travel for business routinely face safety threats. More needs to be done by companies to protect women and empower them to thrive professionally when traveling.

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