Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift's Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean's forte is reporting, and he's broken multiple industry scoops. Sean has also received praise as an event moderator, having interviewed the CEOs of major hotel groups such as Marriott, Hilton, and IHG on stage. He writes analysis pieces that pinpoint industry trends, and he profiles rising industry leaders. In his personal life, someone should stop him before he starts another home improvement project.

Latest Stories

Hotels

Oyo to Buy Motel 6 for $525 Million in U.S. Expansion Bid

Oyo, based in India, has tried for years to gain traction in the U.S., but it has claimed that competitors have played hardball. It's now betting that buying a network is its best way to gain scale fast.

Oyo to Buy Motel 6 for $525 Million in U.S. Expansion Bid

Business Travel

Business Travel Budgets Face ‘New Normal’ With Prices to Climb Through 2025

It turns out that 2019 is no longer a good year to compare prices to. That should be a relief to anyone trying to explain why their travel budget looks so different now.

Business Travel Budgets Face ‘New Normal’ With Prices to Climb Through 2025

Travel Technology

Thayer Ventures and Derive Ventures Form New Travel Tech Investment Platform

Thayer, the best-known VC firm that invests in travel startups, is essentially merging with a newer fund called Derive. The deal is being pitched as a way to "drive innovation in travel tech," which is VC-speak for "we want to make money off the next big thing in travel apps."

Thayer Ventures and Derive Ventures Form New Travel Tech Investment Platform

Hotels

4 Top Hotel Storylines for Marriott, Wyndham, and MGM Resorts

We'll ask top industry players to spill the beans on where they expect growth to come from for hotel companies, whether the U.S. has a solid gameplan for hosting several international sports events, and other burning questions.

4 Top Hotel Storylines for Marriott, Wyndham, and MGM Resorts

Daily Lodging Report

Hotel Worker Strikes Resume in Boston

About 400 workers at four Boston hotels began a three-day strike on Thursday. They're seeking higher wages and staffing levels.

Hotels

Michelin Awards More U.S. Luxury Hotels New Key Ratings and Adds Canada and Mexico

It's notable how many of Michelin's favorite hotels are independently owned and run. Hard to find any properties run by the largest hotel groups on its lists.

Michelin Awards More U.S. Luxury Hotels New Key Ratings and Adds Canada and Mexico

Hotels

New York City Hotels Protest Bill to Mandate Licensing, Deter Subcontracting

The New York City Council bill has ignited a fierce debate between supporters who claim it will improve safety and working conditions and opponents who argue it could cripple the hotel industry.

New York City Hotels Protest Bill to Mandate Licensing, Deter Subcontracting

Daily Lodging Report

Thai Hotel Bookings to Surpass 2019 Levels

Krungthai Bank's research unit predicts Thailand's hotel industry to surpass pre-Covid levels this year, driven by strong domestic tourism growth, despite international arrivals still lagging behind 2019 figures.

Experiences

Viator Reveals Most Popular Travel Experiences

Travelers are flocking to activities that make them learn, interact with locals, or preferably both. It's as if people are treating vacations like a semester abroad, minus the college credits.

Viator Reveals Most Popular Travel Experiences

Hotels

Hotel Earnings: 7 Things We Learned From Companies in the Skift Travel 200

Hotels recently discovered that they'd rather have fewer guests paying more. But can they keep holding the line on prices as they face other challenges?

Hotel Earnings: 7 Things We Learned From Companies in the Skift Travel 200