Sean O'Neill

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

Latest Stories

Hotels

Highest Paid Timeshare CEOs in 2023

It's not wholly surprising that Michael Brown, CEO of Travel and Leisure Co., topped the list of compensation among the top bosses of timeshare operators. His company led its peers in revenue and net income last year.

Sean O'Neill | 4 weeks ago

Hotels

Hilton Investor Day: 3 Top Takeaways From the Hotel Group’s Presentation

Hilton's "investor day" on Tuesday included a 223-slide presentation. Here are three assertions that stood out to us.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Online Travel

GetYourGuide Targets Boom in Independent Travel Experiences With New Tools

Sales of niche walking tours and cooking classes are up a whopping 71% year-over-year on GetYourGuide.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Hyatt Sees China Supporting Hotel Development During Property Crisis

Hyatt has 40% of its hotel pipeline in China despite trouble in the country's property market. The hotel giant is betting that government support for the country's developers will help get new projects off the ground.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Hoshino Resorts: How This CEO Built an Iconic Japanese Hotel Brand

Yoshiharu Hoshino, the CEO of Hoshino Resorts, is one of the world's most remarkable hotel executives. He's built a group of brands now intimately associated with Japan's tourism development and distinctive approach to hospitality.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Soho House Sees Red Ink Flow Despite Membership Surge at Clubs

The upscale members' club saw mounting losses despite a jump in membership during the fourth quarter. Has rapid growth ruined its exclusivity?

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Hilton Buys Graduate Hotels Brand in $210 Million Deal

The hotel behemoth Hilton is acquiring the hip, localized Graduate Hotels brand for a cool $210 million. The boutique chain has rapidly expanded to 33 properties clustered around universities in the U.S. and U.K.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Choice Abandons Hostile Merger Bid for Wyndham Hotels

It's dead. Choice Hotels International’s hostile buyout offer of rival Wyndham Hotels & Resorts fizzled out because of an effective resistance by Wyndham's board and a lack of interest by Wyndham's shareholders.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Hotels

Hilton’s LXR Boss: How to Stand Out Among Luxury Hotels

Hilton's small LXR brand is enjoying a growth spurt this year as it aims to appeal to a new breed of luxury travelers.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago

Tourism

Biden Signs Law Funding New U.S. Tourism Czar

Nearly every other country has a tourism minister or tourism secretary. In a halfway fix, the U.S. Congress passed funding bills Friday that included money to hire an assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism.

Sean O'Neill | 1 month ago