This Week in Hospitality: Royal Caribbean Buys Half of Sandals, Uber's Hotel Play, and Big Hotel Brands Start Betting on Creators
The full squad is back. Royal Caribbean is taking a 50% stake in Sandals Resorts for roughly $3 billion, and the crew breaks down why a cruise line wants an all-inclusive hotel brand. Edwin runs the numbers on who is really serving whose guests, and Scott, who has known the Stewart family most of his life, explains why cruise companies can't build ships fast enough and are coming ashore instead. Then it's Airbnb's hotel push: just shy of 4,000 hotels on the new listing format, hand-curated and aimed at independent and soft-brand three- and four-star properties. Ben weighs in as an operator who knows the platform well, and Edwin asks what happens to hotels when short-term rental markets get squeezed. From there, Uber's hotel business: Dara Khosrowshahi says the traveler comes to Uber, Uber One has more than 50 million paying members, and the Blacklane deal hints at where a trip super app could go. The closer: at Skift's first creator summit, IHG and Hyatt said they're giving up control of scripted creator campaigns. Scott says it's six years too late. Ben says social is now the best customer acquisition channel on the planet, and any brand that won't invest in it is choosing to hand its bookings to the OTAs. Plus spice of the week, from an Ibiza rave revival to the difference between building a brand and putting heads in beds. Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/