News & Stories
Amsterdam. Due to the different parameters for the hotel industry and the Sharing Economy, Airbnb has to face increasing criticism and a growing number of legal suits. Australia is currently considering a licensing system as a means of control. However, Airbnb always strikes back; it is gradually occupying classic business segments of the hotel industry and contemplating yet more services. Even experts expect further creative ideas from this platform. Today, in the second part of Airbnb's large background story, Sarah Douag examines the current efforts of the company especially concerning business travels, as well as the behaviour of TripAdvisor, which seems to be copying the concept and demeanour of Airbnb.
Toronto. "Hoteliers and Airbnb could partner to create added value the customer always needs". Frédéric Dimanche, Director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada is very positive about the two "rival brothers" finding a friendly relationship. He is also convinced that it's not fair to compare them in terms of valuation, business model, and certainly not in terms of cost structure. He advises hoteliers to literally live "hospitality" in future. "It's not too late to catch up," he encourages the industry – and explains his view in the following interview.
Amsterdam. Is it fair to compare Airbnb with hotel chains? Hoteliers are risks takers, huge job providers, taxpayers and most of them are responsible entrepreneurs. Airbnb is none of these. However, hoteliers accept the comparison with Airbnb even in public and in the media! The industry does not rise and object loudly; thus, the public believes in the comparison with which they are provided, namely that of apples to pears and does not keep apples and apples in mind. With the support of experts from the hotel industry and the distribution sector, hospitalityInside.com will explain this week and in next week's issue why Airbnb cannot be compared to a hotel chain, where the weaknesses of this argumentation are, why hoteliers initially missed the opportunity of "collaborative economy", and why it might not be too late.
Berlin/Vienna/Hanover. Last Friday, Expedia tried to push through its idea of parity in Germany. The hotel association IHA hopes for new pressure through the Federal Cartel Office. In Vienna, OEHV is currently evaluating its chances of success against unfair OTAs. At the same time, a white paper explains to hoteliers the operating principles of OTAs and other portals.
Amsterdam. Google is activating the Instant Booking Function on the US market. This is bad news for OTAs, which won't be able to buy competition this time, and for hoteliers who won't have a choice but to sacrifice more commission points in order to simply exist on the web. Now Google wants data and a commission.
Paris. When it comes to finding better ways to serve its customers, Choice Hotels obviously think practically and in terms of connectivity. In France, thanks to a partnership signed with the French startup Travel Wifi, the chain is now allowing its guests to rent their own Wifi hotspot.
London. Online travel agents such as Priceline and Expedia have become ever-more powerful as a result of strategic acquisitions of smaller, regional players. Now they attack the industry with their own loyalty programs.
Paris. Last week, representatives of the French National Assembly surprised everybody after voting an amendment that will exclude any kind of parity rate clause from contracts between local hoteliers and OTAs. A first in Europe. Named after the Minister of Economy who is battling to bring back "national growth and activity”, the Macron's bill should officially pass before July 14th. According to the French newspaper "Les Echos", first measures will apply by the end of August, which means current contracts between hoteliers and online agencies will become null and void, effective immediately. Booking.com predicts heavy price pressure in the market. In Australia, the Competition and Consumer Commission prepared the ground to increase the power of OTAs – and is being criticized for this.
Paris. Earlier this week in Paris, following the Senate’s previous decision, representatives of the French Assemblée Nationale, voted for a new law requalifying contracts between hoteliers and OTAs and prohibiting any kind of rate parity between the two partners.
Amsterdam. Great news! Giant, successful, powerful yet controversial and quite secretive, Booking.com is opening up. To its partners - they should always come first - but also to the media. hospitalityInside.com managed to get an exclusive interview with Peter Verhoeven, ex AccorHotels and current Booking.com EMEA Managing Director. We met him at the company’s amazing headquarters in Amsterdam, in a colourful room, right next to a play space where IT geeks lookalike were playing ping-pong. An opportunity for us to clear things up with the OTA and talk about important topics such as: Booking and hoteliers’ "tough love" relationship, EU probes, parity clause, data control, technology challenges and innovations, corporate travel, travel agent partnerships, sharing economy, AccorHotels’ new booking platform, and much more.