Every App Wants Your Booking. Nobody's Cracked It Yet.

The Race to Own STR Distribution Just Got a Lot More Complex

On Monday's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodmorninghospitality/], Brandreth Canaley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandrethcanaley/] and Michael Goldin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgoldin1/] break down who is actually controlling the relationship between a traveler and a booking right now. The conversation opens with the race among Expedia Group [https://www.linkedin.com/company/expediagroup/], Booking.com [https://www.linkedin.com/company/booking.com/], and Trip.com Group [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tripcomgroup/] to become the trusted infrastructure layer for AI agents and what that means for STR operators who depend on Airbnb [https://www.linkedin.com/company/airbnb/] and Vrbo [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vrbo/] for distribution. They also dig into how Airbnb outreached Marriott International [https://www.linkedin.com/company/marriott-international/] on FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States [https://www.linkedin.com/company/fifa-world-cup-2026-united-north-america-canada-usa-mexico/] impressions while spending less, what Expedia's shoppable IShowSpeed [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ishowspeed/] video says about whether creator marketing actually converts, and what Cabo Verde's 800% surge in U.S. searches teaches operators about turning attention into bookings. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠ [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/biltrewards/]. If you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20]to learn more about their special offer of 50% off for GMH listeners! And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://joinbilt.com/gmh] to learn more.

GMH Hotels: Hotel Owners Are Dropping the Big Brands

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodmorninghospitality/]: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdandashy/] and Steve Turk [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevelturk/] are joined by Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkopit/] to break down a question that is reshaping the hotel industry: is the brand still worth the price? Sarah Kopit joins for a special segment on her investigation into why hotel owners are quietly dropping the big brands as more than 1,200 franchise agreements expire by 2030. From there, Sarah and Steve dig into BWH Hotels [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bwhhotels/]' attempt to reverse years of room count decline by going upscale and overseas, Visa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/visa/]'s new consumer travel portal that puts the payment network in direct competition with the banks it powers, and Sandals Resorts International [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sandals-resorts/]'s executive chairman shutting down sale rumors while committing $225 million to renovation at $1 million per key. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠ [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/biltrewards/]. If you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20]to learn more about their special offer of 50% off for GMH listeners! And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://joinbilt.com/gmh] to learn more.

Third Party Study Says Airbnb Hosts Face New Account Security Concerns

Airbnb hosts and short-term rental operators are facing renewed questions around platform security after third-party research from Saily and NordStellar, cited in recent press coverage, claimed a sharp increase in Airbnb-related scam activity since 2023. In this episode of Good Morning Hospitality, Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane discuss what account takeovers, fake listings, and guest trust concerns could mean for hosts and operators — while also noting that the underlying methodology behind the third-party data was not fully available in the coverage they reviewed. The hosts also discuss the broader travel distribution landscape, including why experiences-focused platforms like GetYourGuide continue to gain momentum while larger OTAs work to make experiences a more meaningful part of their businesses, and what Trip.com’s cash position may signal about capital strategy in global travel. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/biltrewards/]. If you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ [https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%20]to learn more about their special offer of 50% off for GMH listeners! And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://joinbilt.com/gmh] to learn more.

GMH Hotels: Marriott Just Entered the Apartment Business… Again?

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodmorninghospitality/]: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdandashy/] and Steve Turk [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevelturk/] break down a week where hotel brands are redefining what they actually are. The conversation opens with Hyatt [https://www.linkedin.com/company/hyatt/]'s lifestyle chief, Amar Lalvani, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amar-lalvani-409a08372/] making the case that the smartest brand strategy is sorting guests by taste rather than price point — and showing what that discipline looks like in practice, including killing a high-profile Miami project because the developer wouldn't listen. From there, Sarah and Steve dig into Marriott International [https://www.linkedin.com/company/marriott-international/]'s move into branded apartment rentals under the W Hotels [https://www.linkedin.com/company/w-hotels/] flag, a genuinely new direction for a business that already commands 30% premiums over unbranded properties. They also unpack what week one of FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States [https://www.linkedin.com/company/fifa-world-cup-2026-united-north-america-canada-usa-mexico/] data actually tells hotel operators, with RevPAR up 24% to 133% across host markets but occupancy down in six of nine cities. And they close with Carnival Cruise Line [https://www.linkedin.com/company/carnival-cruise-line/]'s Q2 earnings, which posted record revenue while trimming its outlook, and with what the Middle East conflict tells operators about building geopolitical risk into forward-booking strategy. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cloudbeds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudbeds/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/biltrewards/]. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cloudbeds.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://cloudbeds.com/gmh] to learn more. And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://joinbilt.com/gmh] to learn more. And if you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lnkd.in/gFzCttsg] to learn more.

Airbnb's New Feature Is Great for Guests. What About Hosts?

On Monday's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodmorninghospitality/], Brandreth Canaley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandrethcanaley/], Michael Goldin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgoldin1/], and Jamie Lane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehlane/] break down three platform moves that sound host-friendly on the surface but deserve a much closer look. The conversation opens with Airbnb [https://www.linkedin.com/company/airbnb/]'s first fintech product — a cancel-for-any-reason feature that auto-enrolled hosts without requiring an opt-in. Hosts still get paid, but still have to scramble. From there, the team unpacks what one week of FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States [https://www.linkedin.com/company/fifa-world-cup-2026-united-north-america-canada-usa-mexico/] data actually tells operators about pricing strategy for the knockout rounds, with RevPAR up across all host markets but occupancy down in six of nine. They close with American Express [https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-express/]'s $700 million acquisition of TheFork [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-fork/] and why dining reservations might be the next front in the battle for the guest relationship. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cloudbeds⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudbeds/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/biltrewards/]. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠cloudbeds.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://cloudbeds.com/gmh] to learn more. And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://joinbilt.com/gmh] to learn more. And if you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠ [https://lnkd.in/gFzCttsg] to learn more.