This Week In Hospitality: Why Owners Want More of Marriott's Loyalty Money, Booking.com's AI Bet, and Hilton Points at the Bar

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Is the line between a hotel and a vacation rental finally gone? Zach Busekrus and Ben Wolff think the stays category is collapsing into one, and the big brands are waking up to it.

This week it's just the two of them, together in person at the Oasi office in Austin, while Edwin and Scott are traveling. They open with big news: Zach is joining Oasi, a revenue growth firm for hotels, as chief growth officer.

Then the headlines. Marriott's gross fees jumped 14% to $1.52 billion in the third quarter, driven by the co-branded credit card business, while a group of owners asked for a bigger share of loyalty income. Zach and Ben talk through what that means for owners and for the brand. Booking.com is leaning into AI, and they ask whether consumers really care about the payments layer and what AI assistants could do to direct booking. They also get into revenue management, and why dynamic pricing tools need watching instead of a set-and-forget approach.

From there it's hotels versus short-term rentals, with points and loyalty at the center. Hilton's move to let guests pay a bar tab with points raises the question of who wins. Zach makes the case that regulation and permitting need to catch up with how people actually book stays. They close with local retailers, towns and hospitality businesses working together on new local offerings.

A short pod this week. The full crew is back next week.

Your Hosts:

Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/