Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.

Hotels

Saudi Arabia Taps New $400 Million Fund to Help Build Ennismore Branded Lifestyle Hotels

Saudi Arabia's tourism development fund said it would help invest in the building of lifestyle hotels in the kingdom through a new hotel investment fund worth $400 million (1.5 billion…

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Hotels

Why Extended Stay Hotels Aren’t in Just a Hype Cycle

A few plausible reasons explain why many investors and brands are checking into the extended-stay hotel category. The bottom line is that they expect to leave with suitcases full of profits for a long time.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

hilton ad campaign july 2022 source hilton

Hotels

Hilton Puts Marketing Focus Back on Hotels With New Brand Platform

Hilton risked falling out of the cultural conversation as newer brands like Airbnb made a lot of noise. So the company has responded with new marketing tactics. One of them is putting hotel stays, rather than beaches or sunsets, upfront in its ads. Another tactic is to mock rentals.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Hotels

Blackstone’s Sale of The Cosmopolitan Hotel Notched Profit Record

Alternative asset manager Blackstone released its earnings on Thursday and revealed that its $5.7 billion sale of the Cosmopolitan hotel and casino in Las Vegas had produced about $4.1 billion…

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Hotels

Wyndham Adds 14 All-Inclusive Hotels: Lodging News This Week

Demand for all-inclusive resorts shows no sign of letting up. Plus, more growth in branded, hotel-managed residences in India, and other hotel deals and development news worldwide.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Travel Technology

Travel Tech Rollup Mondee’s Public Debut Sets Stage for New Organic Growth

They did it. Despite the cratering of the stock market, Mondee went public on Nasdaq. Sure, most investors vetoed the blank check merger. But still, a win is a win — for now.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Uncategorized

Gordian Software Raises $25 Million for Airline Cross-Selling Tools

Many travel sites such as Priceline, Hopper, and Trip.com tap technology from Gordian Software to help upsell travelers buying airline tickets by merchandising extras such as seating assignments and checked baggage. The…

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Marriott vacation club Waikoloa Waikoloa Ocean Club timeshare source marriott vacations worldwide

Hotels

Marriott Vacations to Get New CEO as Timeshare Sector Faces Higher Hurdles

You may not personally want to buy a timeshare. But the sales pitch for the timeshare business can still reveal valuable intel about broader trends, such as cross-marketing tactics and the rise of subscription clubs.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

Hotels

Strong U.S. Dollar Prompts American Visitors to Europe to Splurge

American tourists to Europe have more buying power than usual, which means that the dollar can buy 15 percent more than a year ago. Visitors are spending on everything from…

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago

hotel CEO pay hero image sands casino source skift

Hotels

The Highest Paid Hotel CEOs

Take a look at last year's hotel CEO compensation tables. The top bosses did well, and why not? Navigating the pandemic was tricky. Yet there was a wide disparity in the pay between most CEOs and workers. That's harder to defend.

Sean O'Neill | 4 years ago