Best of hospitality in the news – part 6 – 06 October 2016
The US hotel industry is going after Airbnb for its “arrogance”
US hotels are waging a concerted war against Airbnb. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), a powerful industry group, is “set to launch a series of campaigns” that will “help garner additional media attention on Airbnb’s hypocrisy and the need to curb illegal hotels and ensure a level playing field,” according to an internal memo sent on Sept. 14 and obtained by Quartz.
Read full story on quartz.com
The Best and Worst Hotels for Cashing in Rewards Points
Wyndham scores an upset while Starwood and Marriott retool following their merger; a better value than airline miles
Read full story on Wall Street Journal (Subscribers)
FIFA Moves On From Luxury Hotel Where Officials Were Arrested
Soccer body had relied on five-star Baur au Lac for years – FIFA’s new leaders save money with shift to Zurich Hyatt
Read full story on Bloomberg
Las Vegas hotel rooms at bottom of list – But it’s not always bad to be at the bottom
Las Vegas is at the bottom of yet another list. Except this time, it is good to be at the bottom. A new survey ranks the most expensive urban destinations based on hotel rates.
News on KNTV (Video)
One of the hottest bedding startups is opening a hotel in Los Angeles — and rates start at $600 a night
It seems reasonable to assume that the easiest way to know whether a product is worth buying is trying it out for yourself. That is, at least, the idea behind a brand-new hotel from Parachute, the direct-to-consumer bedding and home goods startup based in Venice, California.
Read full story on BusinessInsider
Another story
Inside the Grand Canyon’s secret underground hotel room
The Grand Canyon, Arizona’s magnificent yawning chasm, tops many a traveller’s wishlist – but few people realise you can venture deep underground at the attraction and spend the night in a subterranean bolthole. The Cavern Suite is nestled 70 metres below ground, in a cave that took 65 million years to form.
Read full story at The Telegraph
Hutton Hotel removes unwanted malware guest
The long sorted list of companies that have had their payment systems has added a new victim to it’s ranks. This past Friday the upscale Hutton Hotel, a stones throw from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, disclosed that their payment processing systems in their hotel had been compromised by ne’er do wells.
Read full story on CSO
Hotel Direct Booking Campaigns Won’t Hurt Priceline and Expedia Says Study
Expedia, Booking.com and Ctrip are all slated to grow at at healthy clip over the next few years despite moves by big chains to steal some market share. If Morningstar’s numbers are right, then some of the chains may find that the potential advantages of their direct-booking campaigns may not be as large as they once imagined.
Read full story on Skift
The Future Of Travel Looks Like Science Fiction
Just when I thought modern technology was hitting its peak, along comes virtual reality. VR is like something out of Blade Runner or Back to the Future – simply strap on a headset and open your eyes in a completely different world, without having to leave the one you’re in. It’s great for gamers and fun for thrill-seekers, but honestly? I think VR’s real potential lies in travel.
Read full story on Huffington Post UK