Airbnb Leads Lyric Funding and 6 Other Hospitality Trends This Week – Skift

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines hospitality.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

Airbnb Leads New $160 Million Funding for Short-Term Rental Brand Lyric: Can you be both a marketplace and a supplier at the same time? Airbnb certainly seems interested in testing that theory out.

Four Seasons Shows That Hospitality Can Be a Passport to a Global Career: Hospitality can be the gateway to a richly rewarding global career. But even some of the top brands aren’t making this sell well enough to the next generation of talent. Here’s how to do it.

Skift Forum Asia: Why Oyo’s Founder Calls Himself the Chief Clarity Officer: Who has ever built a portfolio of half a million rooms in six years? Oyo, that’s who. And founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, who will be speaking at the first Skift Forum Asia on May 27, says his journey has just begun.

Oyo Taps Hotelbeds to Increase Travel Distribution: Oyo has had plenty of success in its home market of India going direct to consumers, but if it’s to continue its global expansion plans it needs more routes to market.

Skift Forum Europe: Mobility Mojo Wants Hotels to Promote Their Existing Strengths: Accessibility for travelers with disabilities may be a difficult topic of conversation for some hoteliers, but Mobility Mojo is ready to make that dialog a little easier for everyone.

How to Keep Meeting Attendees Off Their Smartphones: In the era of smartphones, the traditional meeting format of a presenter with a slide deck is no longer acceptable. Meeting organizers are deploying various strategies to keep attendees focused.

Peninsula’s Personalization Plans Include Reducing Size of Hotels: Think Peninsula Hotels and what comes to mind is white-glove, green-Rolls Royce, and red-carpet treatment. Think again: This is one of the meanest machines in luxury hotel technology. It only gets meaner — and leaner — as ultra high-end guests become more uncharitable when their individual needs aren’t met.

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