Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Expedia Sees Google Threat + Travelport Takeover Looms + Peloton Battles SoulCycle

December 7, 2018

Editor's Note

Every year right before the holidays, Expedia fetes its partners with a conference in Las Vegas. This week marked the 19th anniversary of that gathering. But it might just stand out as the one where Expedia's brass did its hardest sell yet to hoteliers, as it adds more alternative accommodations to its listings. The message was: Don't be worried, these new listings won't hurt your business. But as Executive Editor Dennis Schaal writes, the dynamics of Expedia's partner relationships are changing. How CEO Mark Okerstrom manages this delicate balance will be telling — not just for Expedia but for all of online travel.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

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It's rare to have an Expedia CEO speak so candidly about Google's threat to his own company. After all, Google knows how to punish companies when it wants to. Given Barry Diller's recent statements, and Okerstrom's view, there must be a lot of concern in Expedialand behind the scenes.

Travelport Close to Being Taken Private by Activist Investor

Travelport has only been on the public market for four years, but hedge fund Elliott Management believes it can engineer a leveraged buyout that will unlock more value from the company. A spin-off of payments unit eNett is a likely early goal.

Expedia to Hoteliers: Vacation Rentals Won't Steal Your Business

Expedia officials can try to assure hoteliers that the rise of alternative accommodations is no big deal for their businesses. But you can be certain that figuring out how to manage this changing dynamic is of paramount concern for all parties involved.

Peloton Vs. SoulCycle: The Battle Heats Up

There's no denying SoulCycle has a huge competitor on its heels. Whether Peloton has surged past the studio-class brand is still unclear. Regardless, SoulCycle needs to find a way to regroup — and fast — if it wants to remain the leader in the stationary cycling space.

Royal Air Maroc Joins Oneworld Alliance to Bolster Africa Reach

Frequent flyers on American, British Airways, or one of the other 13 members of the Oneworld alliance will soon have another member to look forward to for codeshare flights and frequent flyer points. The new member will also extend the alliance's reach into Africa.

What Zuji's Suspension for Missed Payments Means for Asia's Online Travel Pioneers

All is not well with Zuji, a pioneer in the online travel space in Asia-Pacific. An ownership that is more adept at aviation than running an online travel agency may be an issue, but it's clear the entry of global online travel agencies flush with marketing wherewithal and expertise is making it difficult for the pioneers to compete.

European Biz Travelers Choose Online Travel Agencies

Until business travelers are better educated on why they should use their company's preferred booking tool, they're going to continue using online travel agencies and booking direct.

Tourlane Raises $24 Million for Multi-Day Tour Booking: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week investors bet more than $104 million on companies that help people plan trips (Tourlane, SnapTravel, Fineway, and AsiaYo), recruit hotel workers (Hosco), create adventure travel content (Roam), and book medical tourism (Hospals).

Hawaiian Airlines has been an investor darling for a while. It has dominated its home market, and earned hefty profit. But are market dynamics changing?

HomeToGo Buys a Near-Death Tripping in Vacation Rental Rollup

The acquisition of once-high-flying Tripping.com as a distressed asset was a losing deal for investors. It's not clear what the payoff will be for HomeToGo acquiring a Silicon Valley rival at vacation rental price-comparison. HomeToGo faces daunting expectations now, having raised $150 million.

Selina Receives $150 Million for Millennial-Friendly Hospitality

Until recently, Selina has been a glorified hostel operator. Its ambition to provide work-life balance to millennials who travel internationally has been more of a work-in-progress than a consistent offering. Yet massive fresh funding this year will help drive Selina to become one of 2019's most fascinating experiments in hospitality.

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