Skift

Episode Notes Marriott and Hilton are in fierce competition regarding the growth of their portfolios and loyalty programs. But Marriott is the clear winner in terms of fees earned from services for hotel owners, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill in this week’s Early Check-In.  Hotel groups charge owners fees for managing or franchising hotels. Marriott generated $1.24 billion in gross fee revenue last year while Hilton generated $773 million. While Hilton’s fee revenue is growing faster than Marriott’s, O’Neill notes that Marriott’s lead is so large that it would take Hilton 40 years to catch up if current trends remained the same.  Next, Google recently launched AI-driven search capabilities as well as a more advanced Gemini AI model. Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali provided his take on the new offerings.  Ali writes that AI Overview stands out as a key feature in Google Search, and provides comprehensive summaries for complex travel queries. One query – “What’s the best time to visit London?” –