As the hotel industry looks ahead to 2026, one theme is becoming increasingly clear: the commercial playbook that prioritised topline revenue growth above all else is no longer sufficient. For hotel general managers and commercial leaders, the next phase of competitive advantage for hotels will be defined by profitability, channel intelligence, and a more human, guided approach to direct bookings.
Piergiorgio Schirru of Blastness, one of our Expert Partners, talks us through the issues he feel could dominate 2026 as part of our Crystal Ball Predictions video series.
Here is the full interview and we have summarised some of the key points below.
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Prediction One: Profitability Will Overtake Revenue as the Primary Metric
For years, success in revenue management has been measured largely through gross indicators such as RevPAR, occupancy, and pickup. While these metrics remain important, they now tell only half the story. Rising distribution costs – commissions, payment fees, sponsored visibility, cancellations, and acquisition costs – have significantly eroded margins, even in periods of strong demand.
By 2026, the central question will shift from “How much did we sell?” to “How much of what we sold did we actually keep?” This mindset change underpins the emergence of dual revenue management as a new industry standard. The core principle is simple: direct and intermediary channels are not the same ecosystem. They attract different audiences, operate under different cost structures, and offer different levels of control. Treating them with identical pricing logic and KPIs no longer makes economic sense.
Dual revenue management gives the direct channel its own strategy, targets, and success metrics – such as net RevPAR, contribution margin, and profit per booking – ensuring decisions made within hotels are driven by true economic value, not just volume.
Prediction Two: The Direct Booking Experience Will Become Truly Human
Despite years of discussion around personalisation, most hotel booking engines still function as static digital catalogues. Guests are presented with rates and room types, then left to make sense of complex choices on their own. In 2026, this will no longer be competitive.
The direct booking experience will become more personalised, fluid, and contextual – guided rather than transactional. Advances in artificial intelligence now make this possible at scale. Inspired by e-commerce leaders such as Amazon, next-generation booking engines will interpret user behaviour in real time, understand intent, and surface the most relevant options instead of overwhelming guests with choice.
This evolution also supports profitability goals. While OTAs thrive on simplicity and limited inventory presentation, hotel websites benefit from showcasing richer product combinations – room types, rate plans, and packages – that drive higher ADR. AI-driven booking journeys can reconcile this complexity by highlighting only what matters most to each guest.
Prediction Three: Conversational Selling Will Become the Default Conversion Model
The final shift brings strategy and technology together. Conversational selling – via chatbots, human-assisted messaging, or hybrid models – will become the primary way hotels convert inspiration into direct bookings. Guests increasingly expect dialogue, not forms.
Critically, this is not about deploying isolated tools. Authentic conversational selling requires an integrated ecosystem where chat, CRM, booking engines, and revenue logic share data and context. The modern direct digital journey follows three stages: inspire, engage, and convert. Success depends on seamless continuity across all three.
By 2026, hotels that master this end-to-end approach will not only drive more direct bookings, but do so more profitably. The outcome is sustainable growth: fewer channel conflicts, stronger margins, and a direct channel that is not just larger – but smarter.
