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.
The Hotel Geeks’ Nirvana
Heading to HITEC and HSMAI’s Commercial Strategy Conference this week for a deep dive into hotel tech, AI, and commercial trends, recap coming with all the useful and eyebrow-raising takeaways.
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.
Junk Fees Rule Goes Live—Ready or Not
The FTC’s junk fees rule takes effect May 12, forcing hotels to display full prices upfront and potentially pay commissions on total rates, ending the long dance around resort fees.
Lighthouse Acquires The Hotels Network
Lighthouse acquires The Hotels Network, aiming to merge pricing intelligence with personalization and direct-booking tools, an ambitious move that could reshape how hotels align revenue and marketing.
Marriott Buys Another Brand
Marriott snaps up lifestyle brand citizenM for $355M, adding 36 design-focused hotels and pushing its 2025 net room growth toward 5%.
Sabre Dumps Hotels to Focus on Air (and Debt)
Sabre exits the hotel tech sector, selling SynXis to TPG for $1.1B to refocus on airline tech and cut debt—leaving hotels wondering what’s next for one of the industry’s most relied-on CRS platforms.
Who’s Really Running Your Hotel?
A quick explainer on how hotels really work—owners, brands, and managers often operate separately, with guest-facing flags masking the complex mix behind Hawaiʻi’s biggest properties.
HotelTonight Adds a Twist—Earn Airbnb Credit While You Book Hotels
HotelTonight now offers 10% Airbnb credit on hotel bookings, a quirky cross-promotion from Airbnb that blurs the lines between hotels and vacation rentals—though its impact may be minimal.
If I hear the word one more time…
Trump’s tariff whiplash fuels market uncertainty and travel slowdown fears, raising the risk of fewer international visitors, shaky consumer confidence, and a possible recession—omelets aside.
