The bill lands on the independent - Every new way to sell a room is paid for by the hotel. The brands are finding their way out. The independent pays alone..

Oct 5, 2026 • Hospitality

Airbnb says "probably not" to Meta's agent - Airbnb's CEO says guests don't want an AI to book a $1,000 stay in four seconds. Expedia's CEO, a day after joining Muse, made the same argument..

Oct 5, 2026 • Hospitality

Chains tell investors AI will book with them. The fine print says maybe not. - Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt each wrote AI into their annual reports as a risk to booking direct. On their earnings calls, the same companies call it an advantage..

Oct 5, 2026 • Hospitality

Google learns from every click on your hotel's name. Some of those clicks go to Booking.com. - A Google search vice president acknowledged under oath that what people click helps shape its results. That includes searches for your hotel's name, and nobody outside Google knows how much each click counts..

Oct 5, 2026 • Marketing

Thirteen words on Reddit can steer an AI answer. Google now calls that spam. - A 12-word Reddit comment about a restaurant that doesn't exist was enough to get AI to recommend it. Google's spam rules now cover the trick, and Reddit checks new accounts for it from day one..

Oct 5, 2026 • Hospitality