Rapid growth in American Express’s luxury booking platform suggests high-value travelers are consolidating around credit card ecosystems, challenging traditional brand loyalty and forcing a re-evaluation of premium distribution strategies.
Code Share for Hotels?
Hilton’s new “Select” platform lets entire hotel brands plug into its distribution and loyalty system, creating a code-share-like model that expands reach while raising questions around brand control and dilution.
The (Maybe Not So) Slow Death of Metasearch
As AI reshapes travel discovery, metasearch players like Trivago, TripAdvisor, and Kayak face mounting pressure, raising questions about whether the traditional comparison engine is becoming an expensive middle layer.
Expedia is at it again, layoffs that is
Expedia is opening 2026 with another round of layoffs, signaling a continued shift toward consolidation, automation, and leaner operations even as labor shortages persist across the hotel sector.
Airbnb and Hotels: We’ve Heard This Before. This Time Might Be Different.
Airbnb is reviving its hotel push as short-term rental rules tighten, elevating hotel listings in key markets, hiring Booking.com veteran Lou Zameryka to lead global hotels, and signaling a major AI-driven distribution play.
Hopper: One Last Hop Before Exit?
Hopper’s future is in question as Capital One moves to acquire the tech behind its travel portal and hires key teams, signaling a shift that leaves the once-hyped OTA struggling for relevance amid slowing growth and changing industry dynamics.
It’s Baaack: Vacasa Gets Rewired
Casago’s acquisition and dismantling of Vacasa signals a shift to its franchise-first model, raising questions about whether lean local operators and tight owner-manager splits can sustain a new era of vacation rental management in Hawaiʻi.
Save Your Way (AKA Give your customer away)
Hotels.com’s new “Save Your Way” feature lets OTAs give big “loyalty” discounts funded by hotels—while keeping the customer, data, and relationship for themselves.
New Owner, New CEO, New Name, New Era for Sabre Hospitality?
TPG’s takeover of Sabre Hospitality brings a new CEO with SaaS chops but no hotel background, raising questions about whether real innovation is coming, or just another private-equity playbook.
Forecast: Meh
U.S. hotel forecasts take another hit as CBRE and STR cut 2025 RevPAR, demand, and ADR expectations, with Hawaiʻi facing added pressure from weak international travel and shrinking booking windows.
