In the past, Coachella concert-goers interested in getting a bit of a taste of the hotel life would have had to trek away from the music festival to an actual hotel. Now, Marriott is bringing its boutique hotel flare to the festival’s field with a handful of luxury tents. [More]
lodging
Marriott Preparing To Battle Expedia, Priceline With New Starwood Assets
By 9.22.16
With online travel agency options whittled down following the $1.6 billion Orbitz-Expedia merger in 2015, and hotels already offering customers perks for ditching the third-party travel sites, it might be hard to imagine the rivalry between the likes of Expedia, Priceline, and major hotels could get more contentious. But it apparently can, and is about be thanks, in part, to the completion of a mega-hotel merger between Marriott and Starwood Resorts. [More]
Marriott’s Acquisition Of Starwood Hotels In Question After New $14B Takeover Bid
By 3.14.16
Five months after Starwood Hotels and Resorts – which operates brands like Sheraton, St. Regis, Westin, and W – announced it would sell itself for $12 billion to Marriott to make the world’s largest hotelier, the company revealed that it had received an unsolicited takeover bid of roughly $14 billion from a group of suitors. [More]
Hilton Targeting Young, Budget-Conscious Travelers With New “Tru” Hotel Brand
By 1.25.16
The long list of hotels operating under the Hilton brand will be growing by one this year: joining the likes of Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites is new, budget- and millennial-focused Tru. [More]
Chicago Proposes Extra Tax, Looser Regulations For Short-Term Rentals And B&Bs
By 1.14.16
Direct lodging companies like Airbnb or HomeAway compete with hotels for tourist dollars (even if hotel rooms are sometimes listed on the sites) yet at first didn’t impose lodging taxes on guests. Now some cities require it, and the listing sites collect and remit those taxes to cities. In Chicago, though, mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed an additional tax on top of that for online short-term rentals, vacation rentals, and traditional bed and breakfasts. [More]
Would You Share A Hotel Room With A Stranger For Half Off Your Bill?
By 1.4.16
What would you be willing to do in order to cut your next hotel bill in half? How about sharing the space with a stranger? That’s the idea behind a new startup that aims to bring people together and lighten the strain on their wallets. [More]
Starwood Hotels Reports Payment Systems At 54 Locations Infected With Malware
By 11.20.15
Just days after Starwood Hotels and Resorts made headlines for combining with Marriott to make the world’s largest hotelier, the company is back in the news for a decidedly less exciting issue: it’s the latest victim of a hack attack. [More]
Marriott To Buy Starwood Hotels For $12.2B
By 11.16.15
Less than a month after Hyatt Hotels was reported to be in talks to buy rival Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, it was a different lodging industry giant that popped the $12.2 billion question. [More]
Hyatt In Talks To Buy Rival Starwood Hotels Brand
By 10.28.15
A merger craze seems to be taking hold this month: first there was the mega beer merger between Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, then news this morning that pharmacy giants Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid were headed down the aisle. Now, it looks as if the need to grow by expanding one’s portfolio has trickled into the lodging industry. [More]
Could A JetBlue Hotel Be Part Of Your Future Travel Plans?
By 4.17.15
Forget about the Marriott, Hilton or any other number of hotel chains scattered around U.S. airports, the next big name in lodging could be an airline. JetBlue Airways is reportedly in advanced negations to turn a landmark terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport into a hotel. [More]
The Boutique Hotel You Stayed At Was Probably Owned By A Mega-Hotel Chain
By 4.13.15
At one time, booking a hotel room for the night meant picking between one of about two dozen or so brands: Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Best Western, Comfort Inn, just to name a few. Today, consumers have more than 113 brands owned by the 10 largest hotel chains in the U.S. to choose from, and the long list of options doesn’t appear to be shrinking anytime soon. [More]
U.S. Travelers To Cuba Can Now Rent Through Airbnb
By 4.2.15
While many American companies continue to make preparations for the loosened travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba, online-home rental marketplace Airbnb says it already has properties available on the island for booking. [More]
Scam Alert: Are Hotels Billing You For Goodies You Didn't Eat, Hoping You Won't Check Your Bill?
By 6.16.08
Travel superhero Christopher Elliott is wondering if there’s some systematic shadiness afoot in the land of the hotel minibar. He’s been hearing reports of items not consumed showing up on hotel bills, and when the error is brought to the attention of the front desk, refunds are instantly credited with no argument. Hmmm.
