Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift's senior hospitality editor, reporting on hotels. Send him news tips at [email protected]. He lives in Washington, D.C. Stop him before he starts another home improvement project.

Latest Stories

News Blog

Top U.S. Hotel Lobby Sues Biden Administration Over Labor Regulation

The American Hotel & Lodging Association on Thursday joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other upset parties in filing a lawsuit in a federal court in Texas questioning the legality of a National Labor Relations Board "joint-employer" regulation announced on October 26 Until now, the law treats a company as "a joint employer" only…

Sean O'Neill | 2 weeks ago

Tourism

America’s Favorite Flight Destinations in 2023? Cancun and London

Flight booking data reveals Americans' top worldwide and domestic destinations so far this year. Tourism marketers take note, especially of changes from the 2019 rankings.

Sean O'Neill | 2 weeks ago

Hotels

Choice Hotels Defends Pipeline as It Pushes Wyndham Bid

Choice Hotels is seeing weakness in its hotel development pipeline. That may not improve much if it remains distracted by pursuing a merger with Wyndham.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

News Blog

Accor’s Hotel Owner-Operator May Get More Indebted to Hedge Fund Sculptor

AccorInvest, a hotel owner-operator company that global hotel group Accor created in 2017, is seeing a rising share of its outstanding debt owned by one player, the hedge fund Sculptor, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. Sculptor "bought about half of the €270 million ($290 million) of loans previously owned by UniCredit SpA in recent weeks," Bloomberg reported…

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Hotels

Hilton Grand Vacations Seeks $1.5 Billion Merger With Bluegreen Vacations in Timeshare Mashup

They've got a pitch for you. A bigger and more competitive timeshare group.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Hotels

Sortis Deal to Buy Ace Hotels Collapses

Given a string of bad luck events, it can seem like Ace Hotels is a jinxed brand. But any visit to its properties in New York, New Orleans, or LA will reveal an electric vibe that's a reminder it can be salvaged and taken to the next level.

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

News Blog

Los Angeles to Drop Ballot Measure That Would Require Hotels to House Homeless

Los Angeles' city council appeared this week to have reached a political compromise with the local hotel workers's union about a controversial plan to mandate that hotels temporarily house the homeless. At issue is a long-running dispute. Earlier this year, LA's powerful hotel union, Unite Here Local 11, successfully pushed the city's council to put…

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

News Blog

India’s Ambuja Neotia Acquires Boutique Hotel Group Tree of Life

Ambuja Neotia, a real-estate developer and operator in Kolkata, has bought Tree of Life Resorts and Hotels, a collection of 14 boutique hotels across India with about 200 rooms that Skift recently profiled. The companies didn't disclose the price or terms of the deal. Tree of Life, based in Gurugram, has seen quick growth from…

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

News Blog

Accor CEO Advises Young Hotel Entrepreneurs on Scaling Up: WTTC Summit Video

If you want to enter the hospitality sector, start small and get financial support. But be aware that scaling up beyond a certain threshold can be tremendously hard. That was the advice from the head of one of the world's largest hotel groups, Accor chairman and group CEO Sébastien Bazin. "If it's your dream or…

Sean O'Neill | 3 weeks ago

Hotels

Hyatt Optimistic on Hotel Pipeline Bet in China

Travel demand in China has continued to recover despite financial turmoil in the country. Hyatt is optimistic that the rise of China's middle class will, long run, also benefit Hyatt's high-end brands.

Sean O'Neill | 4 weeks ago