As the hospitality industry looks ahead to 2026, one thing is certain: change is accelerating. While crystal ball predictions are inherently imperfect, emerging patterns in technology, distribution, and profitability are already reshaping how hotels operate, sell, and measure success. For hotel general managers and revenue leaders, the challenge is not just understanding these trends, but acting on them early.
Following our recent conversation with Peter Brauer of Get Into MoRe, one of our Expert Partners, here are three key predictions that are likely to materially impact hotel performance over the next 12 months.
Here is the full interview and we have summarised some of the key points below.
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1. AI Will Reshape Travel Planning – and Challenge OTA Dominance
The way travelers plan trips is undergoing a fundamental shift. Instead of manually comparing hotels, flights, and destinations across multiple websites, travelers are increasingly turning to AI-driven agents that can autonomously build complete itineraries. These tools aggregate vast amounts of data and present travelers with optimized, personalized travel “packages” based on minimal input.
For hotels, this represents both an opportunity and a risk. As AI agents become trusted intermediaries, traditional OTA search behavior may decline. Visibility will depend less on brand recognition and more on how accessible, structured, and accurate your data is. Hotels that invest in clean content, transparent pricing, and system integrations will be far better positioned to be “selected” by AI than those relying on legacy distribution tactics.
In meetings and events, the impact will be more gradual. While AI can help planners shortlist destinations and venues, complex group requirements will still require human interaction. However, the hotels that respond faster, personalize proposals, and move beyond static PDFs toward dynamic, tailored offers will gain a clear conversion advantage.
2. Portfolio-Level Thinking Will Accelerate for Smaller Hotel Groups
Another major shift gaining momentum is portfolio-level performance management, particularly among small to mid-sized hotel groups and management companies operating multiple brands.
Historically, fragmented systems and inconsistent KPIs made it difficult to gain a consolidated view across properties. Today, integrations, APIs, and AI-driven data harmonization are breaking down these silos. By 2026, more management companies will evaluate performance across portfolios rather than individual hotels alone.
This shift enables meaningful benchmarking, smarter resource allocation, and better cross-selling opportunities between properties. It also strengthens the value proposition of management companies by demonstrating consistent operational standards and scalable growth potential. For revenue leaders, this means aligning segmentation, KPIs, and reporting structures across brands to unlock true portfolio intelligence.
3. Revenue Strategy Will Be Redefined by Cost and Net Profitability
Perhaps the most critical evolution is the industry’s growing focus on net revenue and cost allocation. Post-pandemic, revenue alone is no longer enough. Hotels are increasingly scrutinizing the true profitability of each segment, channel, and booking type.
By 2026, revenue management decisions will more frequently factor in total contribution, including distribution costs, sales effort, operational complexity, and ancillary spend across rooms, meetings, and F&B. AI will play a growing role in modeling these trade-offs, enabling hotels to evaluate not just “top-line” performance, but margin impact at a granular level.
This shift will fundamentally influence business mix decisions, sales strategies, and portfolio optimization. Hotels that understand their true cost-to-serve will be better equipped to prioritize high-value segments and deploy resources more effectively.
Looking Ahead
These trends point to a more data-driven, integrated, and profit-focused hospitality industry. While the pace of change may surprise us all, hotel leaders who invest early in technology, data accessibility, and holistic performance measurement will be best positioned to thrive in 2026 – and beyond.
