Smith Travel Research's announcement that it next year will begin using the terms "midscale" and "upper midscale" to define the midprice tiers is a welcome change, although from a travel buyer's and manager's perspective, the industry's undisputed category-maker could have done more.
Southwest Airlines ranked first on Glassdoor.com's list for 2010 of the
50 best places to work, "selected by the people who know these companies best--their employees," according to Glassdoor. Fellow travel industry companies Continental Airlines placed eighth and Marriott snuck in at 50th.
Marriott’s top 100 corporate clients "on average say they are going to be traveling more next year," Marriott vice chairman William Shaw said yesterday during an investor conference call. That little light is at the end of a long tunnel which includes a 19 percent year-over-year decline in group bookings thus far in the fourth quarter of 2009, and 12 percent lower group business booked for the following year than Marriott was showing this time last year.
Although non-U.S. business continues "to be strong," Marriott International today said "softer demand trends" are "affecting the U.S. market." The statement comes after a
Morgan Stanley analyst last week cut revenue per available room expectations on Marriott to 2 percent from 3 percent. Marriott today said North American RevPar during the second quarter is "likely" to be 2 percent, versus prior guidance of 3 percent to 5 percent.
