Hyatt’s Hotel Sale, Expedia’s Good Quarter and Europe’s Scorching Heat

To end the week we look at Hyatt's renewed focus on asset-light strategies, Expedia's standout earnings, and Europe's long-term heat problems.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, August 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Hyatt is getting a boost from luxury travelers, while its executives are going forward with an asset-light strategy, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.

Hyatt’s luxury brands saw a 5% increase in revenue per available room during the second quarter. O’Neill notes Hyatt has benefited from luxury and upper-uspcale hotels representing 70% of its rooms, while its competitors are more reliant on mid-market and economy brands that are dealing with economic uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Hyatt has been working to sell assets and wants to primarily rely on franchising or management deals. Fee-based revenue provides steadier cash flows and higher returns on capital than owning hotels.

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Next, Expedia Group has increased its guidance for 2025 following a strong quarter for its B2B business and overseas growth, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

Expedia’s new guidance for the year is 3-5% growth for gross bookings and revenue, up from 2-4%. The company saw a 7% increase in room nights during the second quarter. The gains come despite softness in the U.S.

CEO Ariana Gorin noted a boost from offering Southwest Airlines flights and said both Southwest and Expedia are gaining new customers because of the partnership.

Finally, demand for short-term rentals in Southern Europe this summer is showing signs of decline, and the region’s extreme heat may be a factor, writes Climate Reporter Darin Graham.

Graham cites Spain, Portugal, and Italy as countries that have seen a decline in the share of annual demand concentrated during the peak summer season. That’s according to new data from vacation rental analytics firm AirDNA.

Graham notes the trend suggests that travelers could be adjusting their habits to avoid the worst of summer heatwaves. Spain, for example, has seen a sharp drop since 2018 in short-term rental demand for August, but slight increases in the period between February and May.

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