October 21, 2026
Everything the short-term-rental business needs to know today.
Kempinski CEO Barbara Muckermann and at least six C-suite executives have left the 74-property luxury hospitality group. The executive departures come as the company's shareholders actively explore a potential sale of the brand, according to industry reports.
A survey of 450 senior hoteliers by RoomPriceGenie found that 53 percent of properties use artificial intelligence to price rooms. However, full automation faces resistance: only 10 percent of respondents said they are willing to allow AI systems to make the majority of their room pricing decisions autonomously.
Expedia Group has introduced Autonomous Onboarding, a feature enabling properties to list on the platform in under 24 hours. The tool connects directly through a property's existing property management system or channel manager software, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry or separate management workflows.
Online travel agency booking share remained flat at approximately 30 percent in 2025, but distribution dynamics are shifting. Booking Holdings now processes guest payments directly on 73 percent of its sales, up from 25 percent in 2019. The shift gives the platform significantly greater control over room pricing across the industry.
A survey conducted by PriceLabs reveals that 82 percent of travelers who previously stayed at a B&B, inn, or small hotel would consider booking a short-term rental at an equal or slightly lower price point. The findings highlight strong potential for short-term rental operators to capture market share directly from small traditional lodging providers.
International tourism in Spain is moving away from the summer months, according to a report by Data Appeal for Turespaña. The study revealed that 47 percent of international visitor activity in the country now occurs outside the peak season. Argentina, Poland, and Brazil are among the fastest-growing source markets driving off-peak travel to the destination.
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