Hotels vs Airbnb 2.0: Innovation Fatigue & the Fight Back
Good Morning Hospitality
01/19/26
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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!
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Previous Episode
Kasa has acquired Mint House at a moment when much of the urban apart-hotel sector has collapsed. In this GMH special, Wil Slickers sits down with Kasa Founder and CEO Roman Pedan to break down how the deal came together, why Mint House chose Kasa, and what this acquisition signals about the future of urban short-term rentals and apart-hotels.
With Sonder now gone and capital having pulled back from the category, Roman explains how Kasa survived the shakeout, what it did differently, and whether consolidation is just getting started. They also discuss how Kasa plans to use the Mint House brand, what this means for property owners, and whether more acquisitions could be coming in 2026.
This conversation offers a clear look at one of the last scaled players standing in urban lodging and what comes next for the sector.
Read more about this news here!
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
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.
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