It was (mostly) a good year for hotel CEOs – three took home more than $36 million.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online 💰 Hotel CEO Paydays It was (mostly) a good year for hotel CEOs – three took home more than $36 million. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY We dug through the latest proxy filings to see what metrics hotel boards are using to determine CEO pay, and which CEOs saw the greatest compensation. JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty says the carrier is facing an uphill climb, but bankruptcy is “not something we’re considering.” Hyatt is making AI a core part of its operations, and the level of difficulty is high. Read on, below.     Skift Data + AI Summit is Fast Approaching AI is already reshaping travel. Join the Skift Data + AI Summit on June 3 in NYC to hear how leaders are using data to drive smarter pricing, personalization, and operations. Be part of the conversation defining what’s next. SECURE YOUR SEAT         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES Hotel CEO Pay: Filings Reveal Who Made What — and How Boards Define Success By Sean O'Neill Three hotel chiefs were awarded $36 million or more. One saw his pay effectively go negative. And a fourth turned down his bonus. Welcome to the eye-catching world of CEO pay. View Article JetBlue CEO’s Staff Note: No Bankruptcy Now — But ‘Decks Are Stacked Against Smaller Carriers Like Us’ By Meghna Maharishi JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty acknowledged that high fuel prices are creating a difficult environment for the carrier. View Article Hyatt Rolls Out ChatGPT Enterprise Across Its Business By Adriana Lee A company-wide AI rollout is rare in hospitality because hotel data is fragmented. Hyatt spent two years fixing that. Now comes the harder part: proving it works. View Article         The State of Corporate Travel and Expense 2026 Navan + SKIFT Skift and Navan have conducted global surveys of business travelers and travel and finance managers in each of the past 7 years, and now more than ever, both cohorts indicated that all-in-one solutions for corporate travel and expense are essential to their businesses. Get The Report         Travel marketing is being rewritten in real time — and most brands are still playing by the old rules. See what 10 industry leaders are doing differently. Get the report.         MORNING HEADLINES India Loses Up to 20% of Inbound Tourism as Iran War Cuts Key Air Routes GET THE STORY Skift Asia Forum Preview: What Mandarin Oriental Is Seeing in Luxury Travel That Others Are Missing GET THE STORY Intrepid Buys French Tour Operator Altaï — Its Biggest Acquisition Yet: Exclusive GET THE STORY Hyatt and Airelles Win ‘White Lotus’ Season 4 — Four Seasons Is Out GET THE STORY China’s Comac Lands Its Most Significant International Customer Yet GET THE STORY India’s Travel Space Heats Up as Niche Players Gain Significance GET THE STORY Can a Party-Driven Brand Thrive in Saudi Arabia? Nammos Thinks So GET THE STORY         SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK Hotel Brands Are Thriving, Hotel Owners Are Getting Crushed Hotel stocks are flying high, and the big brands have never looked more profitable. But the people who actually own the hotels say they have never felt more squeezed. In this clip, Skift Editor in Chief Sarah Kopit explains why the franchise model is starting to show cracks. Brands like Marriott and Hilton collect fees off the top line, often around five to six percent of revenue, before an owner pays a single bill. When costs surge and margins shrink, owners absorb the hit. Sarah breaks down what is driving the pressure, including higher interest rates, higher construction costs, and weakening economics at the property level, even as the brand side continues to win. GET THE STORY         For $7 a week, Skift gives you something the industry is missing – the full picture. Subscribe today for 25% off.         SKIFT TRAVEL 200 How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to understand global market movements. Paid subscribers get full access here. GET TODAY’S INDEX SCORE         See more essential travel news in your search results. ADD SKIFT ON GOOGLE         Thanks for reading. We are switching to a new email platform to improve delivery. What does this mean for you? During this transition, these emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move this newsletter to your primary inbox.       DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Skift 35 W 31st St. New York, New York 10001, United States Terms of Service