More than 250,000 companies globally book Airbnb when travelling for work

The world of travel continues to change. People are hitting the road more than ever, and tend to place greater value on unique, local experiences over formulaic itineraries. This wanderlust trend is also showing up in the way people approach business travel. The lines between business and leisure travel are blurring; more and more of us are combining business trips with weekend stays. In fact,  more than 50 percent of business trips on Airbnb in 2016 included a Saturday night.

But, business travel doesn’t have to be all about being a road warrior. It should be more about working the way you live. Life shouldn’t stop because you’re travelling for work. We know your first priority is to crush that pitch meeting, but you also want to explore a city. With Airbnb, you can do both.

Airbnb gives travellers a chance to live in a city when travelling for work. This is one of the reasons employees from more than 250,000 companies – in over 230 countries and territories – have signed up to use Airbnb for work. In 2016 alone, the number of business trips on Airbnb tripled. And today, nearly 10 percent of trips on Airbnb are for work.

With all this growth comes our continued commitment to making it easier to travel for work with Airbnb. Living and working like a local doesn’t have to come at the expense of convenience.

In 2016, there were a number of improvements to make business travel easier and more convenient.

• launched a third-party booking tool so both the employee who is managing travel and the employee who is taking the trip can book, make changes to the reservation, and message the Airbnb host with questions about the listing or neighborhood.
• rolled out the ability to filter search results to highlight listings with self check-in – where guests can access listings using a key lockbox, smartlock, keypad, or doorman any time after the designated check-in time on their arrival date.
• introduced business-friendly receipts – streamlining the expense process – and kicked off integrations and partnerships with travel management companies (TMCs) and duty of care providers.
• grew the number of business travel ready listings – homes that have the essential amenities and services a business traveller needs, like WiFi, laptop-­friendly workspaces and self check­-in – to more than 150,000 globally

Discover Doha with free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas

Qatar Airways is offering transit passengers the opportunity to discover Doha with free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas. The unique offer is part of a broader campaign called +Qatar which looks to encourage all transit passengers to consider adding Qatar to their itinerary.

Throughout the summer, the national carrier, with the support of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), will give passengers the chance to turn a layover into a stayover by offering four and five star hotel accommodation at no charge to those transiting through Doha. The promotion invites all Qatar Airways passengers to add Doha to their vacation by taking advantage of a free one-night hotel stay from a selection of the country’s best four- and five-star hotels in the capital, Doha.

Passengers transiting through Doha can extend their stay to make the most of their journey taking in the sights of Doha with a completely free night courtesy of Qatar Airways and QTA or stay a little longer with a second night’s stay for a modest $50 booking fee. Passengers can choose from hotels such as The Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu and Oryx Rotana. The free hotel accommodation, available throughout the summer, will offer passengers the opportunity to explore Doha and experience city tours, desert safari adventures or a dinner cruise aboard a traditional dhow, giving visitors a taste of authentic Arabian hospitality, courtesy of Discover Qatar.

To be eligible for this offer, passengers simply book their flight on www.qatarairways.com, select ‘multi-city’ and choose their hotel once they receive their flight confirmation. The online transit visa application is also free and is eligible for those in transit between five and 96 hours. This ground-breaking offer is available for all Qatar Airways passengers, both Premium and Economy, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to its brand ethos of ‘Going Places Together’. To maximise their time in Qatar, visitors can explore additional stopover packages offered by Discover Qatar.

This unique offer with QTA has been launched by Qatar Airways' newly created destination management company, Discover Qatar, and is just one of many new initiatives that will be launched over the coming months to generate awareness of, and visits to, Qatar. It was designed to kick off the newly launched campaign ‘+Qatar’ from Qatar Tourism Authority and is aimed at supporting the growing demand for tourism in Qatar.

This exciting and innovative announcement comes as the airline celebrates its 20th year of operations, marking two decades of growth, industry leadership and innovation.

NoMo SoHo to debut panoramic penthouse pesidence spring 2017

NEW YORK - NoMo SoHo, the 264-room chic New York City hotel located at the intersection of art, music, culture and fashion, has announced it will reveal a reimagined luxury penthouse April 2017. The tallest building in Manhattan's fashionable SoHo district, the hotel's new 1,100-square-foot signature suite with 1,000-square-feet of outdoor terrace space will showcase unparalleled views of the New York skyline and an all-new sophisticated and modern design perfect for memorable stays.

"The penthouse is truly going to be one-of-a-kind and will offer SoHo visitors an extraordinary hotel accommodation to unwind or entertain and will also be available for long-term stays," said Brian Sparacino NoMo SoHo brand representative. "Located at the top of NoMo SoHo hotel, the rooftop penthouse will overlook all that's great in Manhattan and will be just steps away from SoHo district's premier shopping boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and New York City's most compelling attractions."

As a premier location and the most photographed hotel in SoHo, NoMo is further enhancing its reputation as a venue with views and phenomenal photo opportunities. Located on the hotel's top 25th floor, the interior of the penthouse will encompass a total of 1,100 square-feet and provide customizable space in its open, airy living room that will feature a wet bar and kitchenette. The suite will also feature one master bedroom, full bath and powder room. Expansive skyline views will be showcased throughout, with floor-to-ceiling windows presented in each room, including wraparound windows in the large rainfall shower highlighting Midtown's sights.

Open-air terrace space will be available in two separate patios. The 250 square-foot north patio will offer sights of Hudson River and Midtown while the 750 square-foot south wraparound patio will boast views of Hudson River, Brooklyn Bridge, the Financial District including One World Trade Center, also known as Freedom Tower. The outdoor patios will mimic an observation deck that captures everything that is amazing in Manhattan.

The penthouse will offer customized, high-end furniture throughout and a neutral color scheme that aligns with the incoming natural light. Dark wood decor will be highlighted along with custom leather wall panels and large 24x48 inch floor tiles. Guests will also enjoy an iPad controlled electronic, sound, temperature, television, lighting and blinds system. The AV system features Lutron controlled motorized shades and dimmers, Sonos Connect music speaker system, Amazon Echo powered by Volara voice-based guest engagement solution "Alexa," Sony televisions and Ecobee thermostats.

American Customer Satisfaction in Travel Industry: Airlines vs Hotels vs Internet Travel Services

Believe it or not airlines in the United States have improved their service significantly and more customers are satisfied than ever before. Although passenger satisfaction is up compared to a year ago, airlines remain in the bottom third of industries according to a recent study analyzing U.S. customer satisfaction in three industries; Airlines, Hotels, and Internet Travel Services.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Passenger satisfaction with airlines is up 4.2% to 75 on a scale of 0 to 100, but the category remains mired within the bottom one-third of industries. Nevertheless, there is a notable improvement this year in customer satisfaction for several airlines: American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Alaska, and Allegiant. In opposition, Frontier and Spirit have declined in ACSI compared with a year ago. The ACSI results are based on thousands of customer interviews conducted over a 12-month period ending in March 2017.

United’s violent removal of a passenger and a mom was thrown off an American flight after a flight attendant allegedly whacked her with her baby’s stroller. Those incidents went viral and fed a narrative that air travel has become a wasteland of insults and indignities. But those are not reflected in the ACSI results as it occurred after the completion of data collection. However, the incident at United did cause a fall in the company’s stock price. It is unclear how much impact it will have on future passenger satisfaction as United already has the lowest score among the legacy airlines.

Airlines

According to passengers, the best airlines are JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska. JetBlue leads the industry with a 2-percent improvement to an ACSI score of 82, edging ahead of second-place Southwest, which is unchanged at 80. JetBlue’s low-cost business model and cabin upgrades appear to be paying off. Southwest continues to please passengers with policies like no charges for flight changes and no hidden extra fees. And unlike legacy carriers, the two airlines have a better track record for compensating passengers on overbooked flights.

Alaska Airlines is next, up 1 percent to 78 amid the early stages of absorbing Virgin America. Mergers tend to have a negative impact on customer satisfaction, but Alaska appears to be handling the transition rather well.

American (+6%) and Delta (+7%) tie at 76 – a record-high for American and the best score for Delta in more than two decades. The gains in passenger satisfaction are largely driven by price, but the customer experience also has improved. Over the past four years, American has invested roughly $20 billion in new aircraft, and passenger satisfaction has increased by 15 percent during that time. While Delta experienced a multitude of cancellations following bad weather in April, this occurred after the data collection period. Earlier in the year, computer outages caused a rough patch, but the company’s efforts to improve service, including the addition of in-flight meals on longer routes, appears to be sitting well with customers.

United is the lowest-scoring legacy airline, despite edging up 3 percent to 70. The combined score for “all other” smaller airlines is stable at 74. Allegiant is the most improved this year (+9% to 71). Frontier and Spirit, however, register declining passenger satisfaction. Frontier drops 5 percent to 63, followed by Spirit in last place (-2% to 61).

Hotels

Guest satisfaction with hotels is up 2.7 percent to an ACSI score of 76, driven by gains for smaller hotels and B&Bs. With the rise of online hospitality brokers like Airbnb, travelers have more choices than ever before, forcing hotel operators to compete on both price and customer service.

Hilton guests are the most satisfied (81), and Hyatt (+1%) ties Marriott (unchanged) for second place at 80. Marriott’s Starwood brand is just a notch below (+1% to 79) followed by InterContinental (+3% to 78). Best Western, La Quinta and Choice are in the range of 76 to 74, while the combined score of all other smaller hotels and B&Bs is up 3 percent to 74. Wyndham (+1% to 71) lags most of the major hoteliers, but G6 Hospitality (Motel 6) is in last place (65).

Among hotel brands, luxury offering JW Marriott tops the chart (85), while upscale Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place share the next spot at 84. Starwood’s Aloft, part of the Marriott family, comes in at 83, alongside Hilton’s Embassy Suites Hotels.

Wyndham holds the top-rated midscale property, Baymont Inn & Suites (76), as well as the best economy brand, Days Inn (67). However, the Wyndham family also has the lowest-ranked chain in the industry – Super 8 (63).

InterContinental’s most satisfying brand is Holiday Inn Express (79), which scores equal to Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, and Hampton by Hilton. Midscale brands Best Western and La Quinta Inns & Suites score on par with Sheraton (75), Marriott’s upper upscale chain by Starwood.

Internet Travel Services

Customer satisfaction with travel websites for booking flights, hotels and car rentals is steady at 79.

Expedia gains 4 percent to 80 and ties with the combined score of smaller travel websites (+1%). Other brands of the Expedia family, Orbitz (+1% to 78) and Travelocity (-1% to 77), are somewhat lower, as is competitor Priceline (77). Priceline’s score deteriorates 5 percent this year, dropping the company out of the lead it held in 2016.

Hilton Reports First Quarter Results, Raises Full Year Outlook

MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton" or the "Company") (NYSE: HLT) today reported its first quarter 2017 results. The Company completed the spin-offs of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. ("Park") and Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. ("HGV") on January 3, 2017 (the "spin-offs"). All results herein present the performance of Hilton giving effect to the spinoffs, with the historical financial results of Park and HGV reflected as discontinued operations. Additionally, all share and sharerelated information presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-3 reverse stock split of Hilton's outstanding common stock that occurred on January 3, 2017 (the "Reverse Stock Split"). Highlights include:

• Diluted EPS from continuing operations for the first quarter was $0.22 and diluted EPS, adjusted for special items, was $0.38
• Net income for the first quarter was $75 million
• Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $424 million, an increase of 16 percent from pro forma Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2016
• Adjusted EBITDA margin was 55.4 percent, an increase of 550 basis points from pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2016
• System-wide comparable RevPAR increased 3.0 percent on a currency neutral basis for the first quarter compared to the prior year, achieving high end of guidance
• Added 7,800 net rooms in the first quarter, representing 20 percent growth from the same period in 2016
• Approved 27,000 new rooms for development during the first quarter, growing Hilton's development pipeline to a record 325,000 rooms, representing 16 percent growth from March 31, 2016
• Initiated a stock repurchase program in March and repurchased 1.2 million shares of Hilton common stock for an aggregate cost of $70 million during the first quarter, and 2.1 million shares at an aggregate cost of $123 million through April 2017
• Executed financing transactions during the first quarter that collectively lowered weighted average cost of debt by 25 basis points, reduced interest rate risk and extended weighted average debt maturities by nearly 1.5 years
• Raised Adjusted EBITDA guidance for full year 2017 to between $1,860 million and $1,900 million, an increase of $20 million at the midpoint

Download the full release here.

Corporate travel buyers double down on safety and security

NEW YORK CITY - Amidst a challenging aviation security environment and the continued threat of terrorism globally - and as new proposed policies and regulations to address these concerns start to take shape - business travellers and travel managers are growing increasingly worried about travel safety, according to a new global survey of corporate travel buyers from the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), underwritten by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).

The study, Checking In: Servicing the Multifaceted Modern Business Traveller, conducted as a timely, focused follow-up to the 2016 ACTE and GBT Meet the Modern Business Traveller research, finds that more than half (56 percent) of corporate buyers have seen an uptick in the number of business travellers reporting heightened personal safety concerns over the past three months, and 25 percent say they saw increased requests for security training over the past six months. In addition, 54 percent say travellers have expressed growing worry about traveling to the United States as changes to visa requirements and immigration policies loom.

“The pace of change - and the amount of anxiety - in the corporate travel industry has accelerated tremendously over the past three to six months, and it will be critical for companies to stay ahead of the curve if their employees are to remain productive and happy on the road,” says Greeley Koch, executive director of ACTE. “Luckily, travel technologies are evolving just as fast - if not faster - and offering executives and planners new tools to address happiness, safety and security.”

In response to these challenges, a majority (87 percent) of buyers report plans to improve safety training, with one third having introduced these changes already, 14 percent planning to roll out new programs over the next one to two years, and 40 percent discussing changes internally.

“The modern business traveller is more vocal than ever. They are actively advocating for their own experience, with a clear focus on arming themselves with safety and security information while they are travelling for business,” says Evan Konwiser, vice president of Digital Traveler with GBT.  “Checking in with the modern business traveller six months later, we are seeing that the behaviors revealed in the 2016 research are becoming trends that the industry must consider when evaluating their existing policies and programs.”

Data Security Becoming a Leading Priority
Connectivity remains a requirement of corporate travel, with new technologies offering travellers multiple avenues to communicate with colleagues globally - and buyers are looking to expand these options. Eighty-nine percent say they have introduced, will introduce or are currently discussing new booking apps, while 88 percent and 82 percent are taking a similar approach with trip information and T&E management apps, respectively.

But this increasingly networked environment is also introducing vulnerabilities for bad actors to exploit. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of buyers say they’ve seen traveller enquiries about data security increase over the past three months. Few companies, however, seem to have coherent policies in place to address these concerns. Fifty-eight percent say employees are permitted to use their personal devices for business communication, 64 percent say travellers may access public WiFi with their business devices, and 47 percent allow the use of non-purged laptops and devices while on the road.

Non-Traditional Travel Options Continue to Grow in Popularity
Traveller preferences for non-traditional ground transport continue to grow: Fifty-three percent of buyers report an increase over the past six months. In addition, the use of ride shares has increased 44 percent, and traditional care hires and/or premium black cars are down 18 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Traveller adoption of sharing economy accommodations, such as Airbnb, seems to be slowing, however.  Just 16 percent of buyers say they saw an increase in usage over the past six months.

Work-Life Balance Tops Travellers’ Wish Lists
Unsurprisingly, work-life balance and mixing leisure with business remain priorities for business travellers. Thirty-one percent of buyers report increased work-life balance concerns among travellers over the last six months, while 43 percent say more travellers are asking to add leisure to corporate booking. One-fifth also say travellers have expressed interest in having more flexibility to explore their destinations.

Maintaining a Traveller-Centric Approach Despite Uncertainty
The first quarter of 2017 was marked by upheaval as new rules and regulations introduced significant uncertainty into the travel planning process. Key to navigating these challenges, however, is prioritizing the traveller and closely monitoring for new developments and traveller requirements.

“Business travel can be stressful, and it is no surprise that work-life balance remains a critical priority as travelers face an increasingly complex and frustrating global travel environment,” says Konwiser. “How businesses manage this and address the needs of their employees on the road has become a key factor in motivating and retaining talented personnel.”

Adds Koch, “More than anything else, business travellers want certainty. They want to arrive to their destination on time, have a reliable in-flight experience, have comfortable accommodations, and perhaps most importantly, have the flexibility to adapt to conditions on the ground. The task for buyers will be to leverage the right tools and resources to meet these demands and alleviate the stresses of travel without breaking the bank.”

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) polled 239 corporate travel buyers from around the world from March 9 to March 28, 2017 for Checking In: Servicing the Multifaceted Modern Business Traveller. The study, a timely follow-up to the 2016 ACTE and GBT Meet the Modern Business Traveller research, revisited traveler preferences and behaviors to assess how they’ve changed in the wake of significant geopolitical change and persistent international terror threats deeply impacting the corporate travel industry over the past six months. The updated research re-fielded four questions from the original survey, along with one new question, and was carried out with support from American Express Global Business Travel.

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has a 29-year reputation for leading the way corporate travel is conducted. As a global association comprised of executive-level members in more than 75 countries, ACTE pioneers educational and technological advances that make business travel productive, cost-effective and straightforward. ACTE advocacy and initiatives continue to support impactful changes in safety and security, privacy, duty of care and compliance, along with traveller productivity that supports global commerce.

Holland America Kicks Off Alaska Cruising Season

Oosterdam in Seward, Alaska – photo by Csaba Desvari and Holland America

2017 marks 70 years for sailing to Alaska for Holland America.  It all began in 1947 with a simple, spontaneous tour in Fairbanks and has grown into the line’s Alaska Land+Sea Journeys that combine a cruise with a land-based adventure to Denali and the Yukon.

During this year’s season, Eurodam will operate 22 roundtrip 7-day cruises, Oosterdam is slated to sail twenty-one 7-day voyages roundtrip, and Amsterdam is scheduled to sail one 7-day itinerary followed by nine 14-day Great Alaskan Explorer voyages from Seattle.

Provisioning costs each time a ship calls in Seattle averages about $300,000 per visit.  Holland America works with almost 700 Washington vendors for everything from office supplies to food, piano tuners, and more.  As an example, Oosterdam requires over 23,000 eggs and 1,375 gallons of milk each week – all of which come from local farmers.

San Diego to pump $40 million subsidy to boost tourism

The Mayor of San Diego, Kevin Faulconer proclaimed on 24^th April declaring 7^th to 13^th May as the National Travel and Tourism Week in this region.

He appreciated the efforts of the tourism professionals for enabling the generation of a handsome revenue in terms of tourism sector of San Diego, Barbara Bry, a member of the city council of San Diego said that last year was a record breaking one in this regard.

After the mayor’s proclamation, many people held up placards stating the issue of ‘homelessness’.

It spoke about how this homelessness issue is likely to impact the regional tourism industry if the mayor is not able to deal with it diplomatically. A city council committee voted on 20^th April to budget approximately $40 million with an aim to promote tourism in FY2018.

The tourism budget has been derived from the hotel taxes that were collected monthly from properties that are rented out to tourists.

Former city council president Tony Young said that the city council decides the process of distribution of the funds. Generally, the funds are divided in two parts including marketing and the arts. Marketing efforts are conducted to lure in an increased number of tourists to San Diego while the arts aim to make the regional more interesting to tourists.

The Arts and Culture commission enjoys a major portion of the budget to cater to local arts including the San Diego Symphony and local events like Comic Con.

Prior to the proclamation of the mayor, Scott Sherman, a member of the Council kick started the meeting by demonstrating a slideshow of a homeless camp. He said that other cities were used over the issue water quality due to homeless camps like this.

Martha Sullivan from Women Occupy San Diego who was also holding the signs of homelessness called for the mayor to utilize the same Qualcomm Emergency Shelter Plan for addressing the homeless crisis that Mayor Jerry Sanders had used to assist those who were displaced by the 2007 wildfires.

The FY 2018 then proposed budget for the homeless services at $3.4 million.

San Diego Housing Commission’s FY 2018 budget amounting to $433 billion has about $69.8 million to aid the homeless people. Faulconer had allocated $5 million for a special election this November to hike the hotel taxes.

This increase is believed to contribute to the homeless, road repairs and for the purpose of the expansion of the convention centers.

Disney Ship First to Transit New Panama Canal Locks

photo: DCL

On April 29, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder was the first passenger vessel to transit the Panama Canal’s new set of locks – marking an industry milestone.

The 2,713-guest ship was reimagined in late 2016, expanding its length to 984 feet.  Headlining the enhancements are new spaces for kids, including Marvel and “Frozen” themed areas, as well as a new restaurant inspired by the animated film “Princess and the Frog.”  An authentic English pub was also added.

The Panama Canal crossing is part of a 14-night voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida to San Diego, where the ship will operate cruises to Baja, Mexico before a summer season sailing in Alaska.

New Zealand hotel revenue boosts up in its ongoing tourism trend

Ongoing tourism boom in New Zealand is continuing to drive unprecedented growth in hotel occupancy as well as room rates, as shown in the latest research from Colliers International.

The latest New Zealand Hotel Market Snapshot showed that Queenstown and Auckland are continuing to outperform the hotel sectors in other regions.

The year to date data reveals Queenstown recorded an occupancy rate of 90 per cent at an average (ADR) of $240 which is about 15 per cent increase over the same period in 2016. Auckland recorded occupancy of 91 per cent and an ADR of $225, an increase of 16 per cent.

Moderate to strong ADR growth was also recorded in other regions, although occupancy rates appear to have generally plateaued in most main centres.

Dean Humphries, National Director of Hotels at Colliers International said that they are hopeful about the second quarter of 2017 as well which is anticipated to have a strong demand. He continued saying that Auckland has been hosting the World Masters Games, which has helped to drive up occupancy rates with the 25,000 participants visiting the city. More so, it will closely follow the upcoming British and Irish Lions Tour in June and July.

In addition, more than 20,000 fans are expected to visit the shores during the month-long tour, which will create a ‘spike’ in hotel performance, as last witnessed during the previous Lions tour in 2005 and the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

A recent example is the world’s largest hotel operator, Marriott Group, being appointed to manage its first hotel in New Zealand – the 255-room Four Points by Sheraton to be located at 396 Queen Street.

Investor sentiment remains strong despite the developmental challenges faced at this current point in time.