Airbnb’s Growth, Booking’s AI Optimism and Ace Hotels’ Sale

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said he’s dissatisfied with the company’s single-digit growth (8–10% in Q3) and plans to accelerate in 2026 by diversifying into experiences, services, and adding hotels to the platform. At Skift Global Forum, Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel likened today’s generative AI moment to the early internet and said agentic AI—backed by partnerships with Google and Amazon—will further reduce travel friction. Meanwhile, Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide agreed to buy Ace Group International (Ace Hotel) for about $90 million, pledging to keep the brand’s creative independence as it targets expansion to 250 hotels by 2035. Booking CEO Glenn Fogel: Echoes Between AI and Dot-Com Boom Airbnb’s Brian Chesky Is ‘Not Happy’ With the Company’s Growth. Here’s His Plan Seibu Prince to Buy Ace Hotel Parent for $90 Million Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.