🟦 Booking.com Hits 50%+ App Bookings in Q1

Insider Highlights

• Booking Holdings crushes Q1 expectations

• Google Wallet expands digital ID support

• Marriott, Hyatt, and Wyndham trim 2025 RevPAR forecasts

• Choice’s Ascend soft brand hits 400 properties

• Doordash Buys SevenRooms for $1.2B (+ is that good for hotels?)

• Want to see all of your hotel’s data in a single BI dashboard?

• 🛠️ 6 Tech tools you should try

• 🎧 Podcast: Hansji's VP of Operations & Tech on Chain vs. Independent Hotel Tech | Listen here

BIG STORIES

Big headlines this week

🌍 Hostelworld launched a traveller social network for global trip planning.

⚖️ California lawsuit against Fairmont alleges hotel guest privacy invasion for implementing Facebook pixel on website.

🆔 Google Wallet expands digital ID support to the UK and several U.S. states.

📉 Despite rooms growth, Marriott lowers 2025 RevPAR growth outlook amid softening hotel demand.

💰 Italian traveltech startup Hotiday raises €5.5 million to develop decentralized hotel company.

🤝 Hotel Equities and Springboard Hospitality merge into 250 hotel portfolio.

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GOING DEEPER

1. OTAs' Have Strong Q1 Despite Shaky Economy

Booking Holdings grew revenue by 8% and room nights by 7%, but the most interesting data from this earnings call was that over 50% of bookings are coming through direct channels — largely via its app. Airbnb reported that 58% of nights booked came through its app (up from 54% YoY), and emphasized how new AI-powered features like personalized search filters and booking tips are improving conversion and engagement. Trivago also saw double-digit growth in emerging markets and credited its AI-enhanced marketing and in-app hotel descriptions for driving stronger referral revenue.

🎯 Why it matters: The major OTAs are doubling down on app ecosystems, loyalty, and brand visibility to attract and retain travelers, especially in high-value city markets. Airbnb focused on direct from day 1 focusing on getting travelers to search Airbnb for listings rather than Google. Booking’s Q1 data shows that it isn’t far behind despite having an ‘intermediary first’ approach (i.e. Google SEO+SEM).

🔑 Key takeaway: Booking Holdings seems to be very successfully “landing the plane” by slowly decreasing ad costs and delivering compelling enough app experiences to bring users back. Booking.com is winning a direct booking war of it’s own, if you can’t beat them - join them. Never put all your eggs in the OTA basket but make sure that you are staying current with best practices for visibility because it certainly seems like they are continuing to dominate in an AI world.

2. Hotel Chains Dial Back RevPAR Forecasts

Marriott, Hyatt, Wyndham, and Host Hotels all trimmed their RevPAR growth forecasts for 2025, citing a combination of softer-than-expected leisure demand, booking pattern shifts, and uneven group recovery. Marriott lowered its full-year outlook slightly, pointing to a more “normalizing” demand curve after years of post-COVID boom. Hyatt flagged a shorter booking window and increased discounting, particularly among leisure travelers, while Wyndham noted pressure on occupancy in economy and midscale segments. Host Hotels cut its RevPAR projection from 3.5%–5.5% to 2.0%–4.0%, driven by weaker results in markets like Phoenix and Miami and a cautious outlook on group pace.

🎯 Why it matters: The days of easy rate-driven RevPAR growth may be waning. Hotel chains are signaling a shift toward stabilization, and in some cases stagnation, as leisure trends soften and rate resistance grows. The slowdown is uneven across markets and segments, but it’s a clear signal that hoteliers need to refocus on margin protection, direct channel efficiency, and asset-level cost control.

🔑 Key takeaway: RevPAR growth isn’t guaranteed anymore. Hotel giants like Hyatt and Wyndham are leaning heavily on cost discipline and dynamic revenue management tools to protect margins in a slower, less predictable demand environment. With shorter booking windows and persistent economic uncertainty, they’re optimizing rates in real time and adjusting operations on the fly — not waiting for quarterly trends to make decisions.

3. DoorDash Acquires SevenRooms for $1.2B, Is that Good or Bad for Hotel Customers?

DoorDash is acquiring restaurant reservation platform SevenRooms in a $1.2 billion deal, aiming to deepen its footprint in restaurant technology and expand its merchant services. SevenRooms, used by high-end restaurants and hotel F&B outlets, brings guest experience tools, reservation systems, and marketing automation under DoorDash's growing suite of commerce solutions.

🎯 Why it matters: While the acquisition could enhance tech capabilities for food & beverage operations, hotel executives should proceed with caution. DoorDash previously acquired Bbot—a mobile ordering platform that worked with hotels prior to the Doordash acquisition—only to later deprioritize the hotel segment entirely. This move appears squarely aimed at restaurants, not hotels.

🔑 Key takeaway: Many hotel F&B outlet needs are similar to those of restaurants because, they are after all, well…restaurants. Having said that, integration requirements such as syncing PMS data for folios, room service or adding profile data to your hotel CRM may go on the back burner or sunset altogether, so if hotel specific features are important to you - make sure to monitor what happens next closely. Hotel leaders currently using or considering SevenRooms should monitor the situation closely. DoorDash is a great company its just that their core business focus remains outside the hotels ecosystem. Ask tough questions about roadmap stability, ongoing support, and whether hotel use cases will remain a priority. Read More →

TOOLS & TACTICS

⚒️ Hotel Tech Tools You’ve Gotta Try

✅ Actabl: Turn powerful data into actionable insights that maximize profits

✅ Inn-flow: Simplify hotel finances with user-friendly accounting software solution.

✅ ROH: Automate sales and finance to save time and capture more revenue.

✅ Omniboost: Automate financial data integration for real-time business insights.

✅ Hireology: Find and hire reliable staff faster to fill key hotel roles.

✅ Canary Technologies: Powerful but simple digital guest journey platform.

AROUND THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

Other hospitality happenings this week ​

🏨 Tristan Capital acquires EasyHotel brand for ~$300m, signaling confidence in budget travel sector.

🔥 Restaurant industry faces increasing workplace burnout amid ongoing labor challenges.

🗓️ Wyndham revises 2025 RevPAR expectations downward amid dampened demand.

😭 Hyatt downgrades RevPAR growth forecast due to shifts in booking behavior. ​

🏳️ Choice Hotels surpasses 400 properties in its soft brand Ascend Collection.

🏡 Airbnb's Q1 revenue grows 6%, but warns of softer U.S. travel demand.

📈 Booking Holdings jumps Q1 earnings, driven by strong international demand.

🚀 Trivago achieves 22% revenue growth in Q1, raising full-year guidance.

📉 Visa reports economic uncertainty is leading to a reduction in travel spending.

🧠 Hotels embrace AI cautiously, focusing on data quality, training, and clear outcomes over hype.

📊 Hotel investments remain cautiously optimistic despite U.S. policy uncertainties. ​

🤝 Accor partners with Wego to broaden global distribution and deepen traveler engagement in the MENA region.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
🎙 Hansji's VP of Operations & Tech on Chain vs. Independent Hotel Tech

How do you balance cutting-edge technology with the desire for guests to disconnect in a nature-oriented hotel? In this episode, Fred Brown, Vice President of Operations at Hansji Corporation, shares his unique insights on navigating the evolving landscape of hospitality technology.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover how Fred's hands-on approach to technology empowers hotel staff to troubleshoot issues effectively, enhancing guest satisfaction.

• Learn about the critical importance of guest internet connectivity, especially in remote locations, and how to manage costs while providing excellent service.

• Understand the strategic shift towards creating outdoor-focused properties and how to align technology with guest preferences for a memorable experience.

👉🏼 Check out the interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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