[Excerpt] Strategic alliances are becoming an important form of business activity in many industries, particularly in view of the realization that travel and tourism companies are competing on a global field. In the words of one analyst, globalization mandates alliances.1 In the travel industry, which is global by definition, we are witnessing the formation of global alliances between firms of different types (e.g., hotel firms with airlines) as well as by similar businesses (e.g., Marriott and New Otani). In this article, we will elaborate on the development of such alliances in the hotel industry and offer some implications for hospitality managers.