Global Hospitality Industry Review - First Half of 2026
A half-year review arguing the industry has moved past recovery into a tougher competitive phase, where AI, selectivity, labor costs, and sustainability are redefining how hotels grow.
Opinion Articles
The 7% Problem
Only 7% of teams use GenAI in meetings despite 49% individual daily use, and the article maps two citable HBR book case studies directly onto hotel leadership and strategy session formats.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
The morning after: AI’s trust problem and what hospitality leaders should do about it
Public trust in AI is eroding as Forrester, Pew, and UC Berkeley data show employer regret over AI-driven layoffs, rising workloads, and only 16% of US adults believing AI will benefit society.
By Alan Young, VP, Strategy | Hospitality, Infor
Me and Stephen King
A hospitality professional reflects on how Stephen King's "On Writing" inspired a daily writing habit and ultimately led to publishing their first book.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
Hospitality’s Superpower in the AI Era
An industry keynote speaker argues that as AI automates routine hospitality tasks, the human capacity for empathy, judgement, and connection becomes more valuable, not less, and offers a practical leadership framework to balance both.
By Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis, PhD, SFHEA, FIH, Deputy Dean, London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of West London
Creative Hospitality and Laidback Luxury at Nayara Bocas del Toro
Owner Dan Behm shares how Nayara Bocas del Toro, a 20-key private island resort in Panama with ADR above $1,500, was built from scratch and is driving the growing "laidback luxury" travel trend.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
Contribute More Than You Consume
A leadership philosophy essay arguing that sustainable success in business, community, and life depends on consistently creating more value than one receives.
When Brand Recognition Travels: The Ripple Effects of Industry Awards
Research on the Swiss Beer Awards and World's 50 Best Restaurants shows how award recognition travels beyond individual winners to shape partner businesses, industries, destinations, and future standards of excellence.
By Margarita Cruz, Associate Professor of Corporate Strategy and Entrepreneurship EHL Hospitality Business, EHL
The 2027 Hotel Playbook: Invest with Purpose, Operate with Discipline
Meyer Jabara Hotels outlines a 2027 strategy centered on capital discipline, ancillary revenue capture, and profitability as STR forecasts RevPAR growth slowing to 2.1%.
By Justin Jabara, President, Meyer Jabara
Culture eats AI for breakfast: What your organization must believe before the rollout begins
A hospitality AI veteran argues that culture, not technology, determines AI success, offering five belief prerequisites hotels must audit before any platform rollout.
By Vassilis Syropoulos, Founder & CEO, Juyo
Catch Me If You Can
A piece referencing Frank Abagnale, the famous impostor, as a lens for commentary relevant to the hospitality industry.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
Kempinski 2040: Can a Luxury Pioneer Lead Again?
A strategic analysis of Kempinski's gradual loss of luxury market position since 2010 and whether new CEO Barbara Muckermann's brand, ownership, and flagship strategy can restore its relevance by 2040.
By Nikolaos Giannopoulos, CEO, Oenophorum
Community Cannot Be Built From a Distance
HSMAI Europe outlines a packed autumn schedule spanning six cities across five countries, with Commercial Strategy Week set for InterContinental London Park Lane in January 2027.
By Ingunn Hofseth, President & CEO, HSMAI (Europe)
What if The Most Exceptional Hospitality Leaders Come From Unexpected Places?
Opinion piece argues hospitality should broaden its leadership pipeline beyond traditional ranks, citing case studies of leaders from law, psychology, and other fields who bring transferable skills the industry needs.
The Illusion of Control in Commercial Leadership
Hotels default to whichever KPI is loudest in the room rather than blended value, creating structural bias that quietly erodes commercial outcomes over time.
By Muhammad Tanveer, Author & Founder, The Sales Leadership Brief
Who Is Tourism For?
The author challenges the industry's growth-at-all-costs mindset, arguing destinations must measure resident benefit alongside visitor volume and establish a transparent social contract for tourism.
The Concierge Who Read Everything
A hotel finance coach explains how consistent, public content creation over a decade led an AI to recommend him to a stranger, and what hospitality professionals can learn from that to build their own specialist reputation.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
What the First Half of 2026 Says About the Hotel Industry
A Newport Hospitality Group executive reflects on a stronger-than-expected H1 2026, cautioning against over-reliance on World Cup-boosted averages while urging owners to reinvest in existing assets and operators to focus on fundamentals.
By Andrew Carey, Chief Executive Officer, Newport Hospitality Group
The Hotel Industry Keeps Confusing Having AI With Having A Strategy
An opinion from the Hotel Data Conference argues that hotels are adopting AI as a buzzword rather than a solution, confusing predictive, generative, and autonomous systems with no clear operational strategy.
By Mark Charlinski, President & CCO, LodgIQ™
Beyond the Traditional GM: How Hotel Leadership Is Being Redefined
The GM role is evolving beyond operational control to demand emotional intelligence, digital fluency, cultural awareness, and sustainability accountability alongside traditional financial and service responsibilities.
By Dr Ajay Khatter, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management, William Angliss Institute