Following a year that saw major hotel companies wheeling and dealing toward a more consolidated marketplace, Reuters is expecting to see even more merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the hospitality space in 2016. There are a number of drivers behind this activity, such as growing competition from online entities like Airbnb, a need for brands to have a more global presence, and the importance of size when dealing with OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia. And, as hotel companies get larger, smaller entities may be looking to join forces with the big names in order to reap some of the benefits of a big brand. “You’re going to see more mergers and acquisitions and alliances, because everyone needs to put himself in a better bargaining position,” said David Kong, CEO of Best Western. To read more, click here.
