On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk are live from Seatrade Cruise Global, breaking down how AI is reshaping the way travelers discover and book hotels and whether brands are starting to lose control of the funnel.

Expedia Group data shows that only a small percentage of bookings are currently driven by AI, but the shift in discovery behavior could have much bigger long-term implications.

They also explore how Minor Hotels is building out its AI tech stack to drive deeper personalization, Lemon Tree Hotels’ record year powered by an asset-light strategy, and Delta Air Lines’s first major Delta One upgrade in nearly a decade as airlines continue investing heavily in premium experiences.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠Vrbo!⁠⁠⁠ Learn how you can earn ⁠⁠OneKeyCash⁠⁠ today.

Connect with Skift

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down a $250 million deal as TowneBank sells its vacation rental management business, signaling continued investor appetite for scaled STR operations even as the market evolves.

The team also unpacks mixed demand signals, from softer-than-expected travel spending despite rising tax refunds to growing friction around international travel to the U.S., while also exploring why OTAs still struggle to gain meaningful traction in experiences. The episode ties it all together with a look at where value is actually shifting across travel today.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠Vrbo!⁠⁠ Learn how you can earn ⁠OneKeyCash⁠ today.

Connect with Skift

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down the growing loyalty balance at Marriott Hotels and Hilton, and what nearly $7 billion in outstanding points really means for the industry. Is it a liability or one of the most powerful tools in hospitality?

They also cover the race to expand midscale brands, Delta Air Lines raising bag fees as costs rise, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts passing 100 hotels in Mexico as growth shifts toward value-driven markets.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠Vrbo!⁠ Learn how you can earn OneKeyCash today.

Connect with Skift

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down Airbnb’s next big move and what it means for control of the traveler journey.

With Airbnb exploring how flights could fit into its expansion strategy, the conversation centers on whether the company can truly evolve into a full end-to-end travel platform and what that would mean for OTAs and distribution.

They also dig into how Amazon’s Alexa Plus is pushing further into travel planning and booking, raising new questions for short-term rental operators around guest privacy, in-stay marketing, and who owns the guest relationship inside the home.

The team touches on new U.S. travel restrictions that could add friction to international demand, as the episode zooms out on how platform ambition, AI interfaces, and government policy are all reshaping who ultimately owns the traveler.

This episode is brought to you by Vrbo! Learn more here!

Connect with Skift

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down Marriott Hotels’ launch of its 39th brand: a wellness-focused concept in Italy, and ask whether hyper-segmentation is a smart strategy or brand overload. During this part of the discussion, Sean O'Neill will be joining us to share his insights.

They also explore the rise of food-led hotels and why dining is becoming a core differentiator, Virgin Atlantic’s quick exit from Riyadh and what it signals about demand in emerging markets, and how rising fuel costs are already hitting cruise profits.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, a viral TikTok shows a passenger boarding what she thought was a flight… only to end up on a bus — sparking confusion over what actually counts as air travel.

Connect with Skift

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down where AI is actually reshaping travel and why booking may not be the biggest battleground.

From new Google translation tools removing friction on the ground to early signals around AI-driven pricing frameworks, the conversation centers on how AI is embedding itself into the travel experience rather than replacing transactions.

They also touch on how these trends are beginning to impact different parts of the travel industry from real-world constraints like Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing challenges to changing consumer behavior as Gen Z treats travel more like a flexible purchase.

They also look at how hotel groups are evolving into platform ecosystems through partnerships like Hilton and YOTEL, as the episode zooms out on a bigger question: if AI owns discovery and experience, who actually owns the traveler?

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: GMH Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and guest host Katie Cline, host of Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality, a Skift Podcast, break down Hyatt’s latest AI push and whether hotel brands can finally compete with OTAs by capturing travelers earlier in the booking journey.

They also explore Hilton’s new YOTEL partnership and what it signals about a platform-style model, Marriott Hotels’s potential new brand revealed through trademark filings, and United Airlines’ plan to add more than 250 aircraft as it doubles down on long-term demand.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, a possum is discovered hiding among stuffed animals in an airport gift shop in Australia, a reminder that sometimes the wildest travel moments happen before you even board the plane.

Connect with Skift

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Michael Goldin and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping online travel and platform strategy. The team starts with leadership changes at Tripadvisor, where longtime chairman Greg Maffei is stepping down as activist investor Starboard Value pushes for greater control and strategic changes at the company.

They then unpack a new analysis arguing that travel’s obsession with loyalty program size is largely misleading, as membership growth hasn’t translated into lower customer acquisition costs for most companies outside of airlines. The episode wraps with a look at how AI is already reshaping travel discovery — even without handling transactions — as more travelers use tools like ChatGPT to plan trips before ever visiting OTA platforms.

Connect with Skift

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk unpack Hyatt’s push into non-luxury brands and smaller markets as the company works to expand beyond its traditional luxury footprint.

They also explore how United Airlines and Marriott Hotels are turning planes and hotel rooms into advertising platforms, why Delta Air Lines says travel demand remains strong despite rising jet fuel costs, and what FAA-ordered flight reductions at Chicago O’Hare could mean for airline schedules and travelers.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, two viral airplane moments take over the internet: one passenger repeatedly shoving the seat in front of them after it reclines, and another traveler attempting to run the equivalent of a 5K inside an airplane bathroom — proving that sometimes the real turbulence comes from fellow passengers.

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping short-term rentals and travel strategy.

The team starts with how Airbnb is seeing weaker-than-expected FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States demand in New York City while nearby New Jersey markets are benefiting from stricter STR rules limiting supply in the city.

They then unpack how recent disruptions in the Middle East exposed the limits of AI-powered customer service during major travel crises before turning to a new bill in Arizona that would expand state oversight of short-term rentals.

The episode wraps with AirDNA's Jamie Lane sharing February short-term rental market data and early demand signals as operators head into the spring and summer travel season.