Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Luxury Hotel Duopoly Emerges + WeChat Makes Changes + Airbnb's Australia Impact

December 18, 2017

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Note From the Editor

I remember attending a hotel conference four or five years ago and many of the big chains were there: Marriott, Starwood, InterContinental, Hilton and AccorHotels, among them. When asked, one of the CEOs said these chains were too big to merge.

Well, that ship has sailed, so to speak. After Marriott bought Starwood, and then AccorHotels tacked on Fairmont, Swissotel and Raffles, a luxury hotel duopoly has emerged, as our story today points out. Some of the smaller luxury brands believe the two behemoths aren't limber enough to adapt, and that presents opportunities. They may well have a point.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

How Hilton Garden Inn Is Going Beyond the Guest Room

Perhaps being bigger isn't always better, at least when it comes to luxury hotels. When you're bigger, the challenges can be, too.

WeChat Debuts Tools to Make It Easier for Tourism Boards to Create Microsites

Many tourism boards now have entire teams dedicated to China and WeChat. It's a very complex task for foreigners to get the content right, but it appears as though WeChat parent Tencent is trying to make the platform more accessible for tourism boards.

AccorHotels Copes With the Airbnb Factor in Australia

With the sharing economy accounting for almost one in three vacation beds in Australia, the impact of Airbnb and Stayz is being widely questioned. But with hotel occupancy levels and room prices still rising, hotels and lobbying groups' efforts to restrict private rentals seem like an overreaction.

Video: Lufthansa Strives to Become as Data-Savvy as Netflix

Like many airlines, Lufthansa worries that other companies could disrupt parts of its business like Netflix did with movies. To prevent that, it has launched a data-based offensive.

Brands Must Rethink Engagement With the New Digitally Connected Traveler

Widespread digital connectivity has created a generation of travelers who are more impatient, demanding, and savvy than ever before. Travel brands must adapt to meet those needs.

Other airlines say they're adapting to what younger travelers want. But not all of them actually do it. Delta seems to be ahead of many of its competitors. And that's a good thing.

Airbnb's Bed-and-Breakfast Deal Highlights Its Bigger Ambitions in Accommodations

Expedia and Priceline, watch out. Airbnb is very obviously coming for you. Today, it's bed-and-breakfasts. Tomorrow, it'll be more boutique and independent hotels.

Hilton's New CMO Inherits a Strong Legacy and Big Challenges in Hospitality Marketing

Kenny replaces long-time Hilton executive Geraldine Calpin. The new CMO will have to enhance Hilton's direct-booking marketing efforts. And with artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies influencing every CMO's agenda, there is also an opportunity for Kenny to leverage them to really personalize the guest experience.

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