GMH Hotels: Hotels, AI Travel Tools, Extended Stay Deals & More!
Good Morning Hospitality
01/21/26
•38m
About
Comments
Featured In
On this episode of GMH Hotels with Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk, as they break down four major developments shaping where lodging and travel are headed in 2026.
They start with Outsite’s new private-equity backing, a big vote of confidence in social extended stays and flexible work-travel lifestyles. Then they explore Google’s latest push into AI-powered travel planning and how big tech continues to encroach on discovery and booking channels.
From luxury pipeline news, they look at The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts' third hotel addition since its IPO, signaling strength in high-end hospitality. Finally, they discuss the Sphere Entertainment Co. National Harbor’s impact on meetings, events, and destination demand.
And of course, it wouldn’t be GMH without this week’s Unhinged Story: a Delta Air Lines passenger who literally plugged in a curling iron mid-flight and proceeded to style her hair section by section.
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Previous Episode
On this episode of Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane unpack the idea that the thrill is gone for Airbnb and short-term rentals, a growing conversation about innovation, product fatigue, and where the sector goes from here.
Then they look at Hilton’s latest strategic move with the launch of Apartment Collection by Hilton, its 26th brand targeting furnished apartment-style stays, a direct challenge to the traditional STR category through a major hospitality player.
The team also dives into the Kasa acquisition of Mint House and what that signals about consolidation and operational scale in urban rental-style lodging.
Finally, they break down Airbnb’s efforts to build a hotel-focused team. A more direct sign that the company is trying to compete more directly with OTAs and traditional lodging channels.
This episode is brought to you by Guesty!
Connect with Skift:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Next Episode
Mews just raised $300 million in a Series D, valuing the company at $2.5 billion — one of the largest hotel tech raises ever. But this conversation isn’t about hype.
In this GMH exclusive, Wil Slickers sits down for a third time with Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews, to unpack what this funding actually unlocks and why Richard believes much of hospitality technology has been built on the wrong assumptions for decades.
They dig into why hotels still struggle with data ownership, how PMS platforms became gatekeepers instead of enablers, and why AI will only work if the industry fixes its foundations first. Richard also explains why RevPAR may be the industry’s “original sin,” why guest experience should be a measurable output, and why fully autonomous hotels are the wrong goal.
This is a wide-ranging, philosophical, and practical conversation about:
• What Mews’ $300M raise really changes
• Why hotel tech copied the wrong SaaS playbook
• Data standards, open APIs, and industry gatekeeping
• AI agents, automation, and what should (and shouldn’t) be automated
• Why hospitality is more human than ever, even in an AI world
Extra Links Related or Mentioned in This Episode:
- My first episode with Richard in 2021
- My second episode with Richard in 2023
- Skift Article around the $300M fund raise
Connect with Airline Weekly
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/
X: https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted