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Brilliantly articulated. This is exactly where the conversation needs to be moving forward. The era of chasing topline numbers is over, today's commercial leaders are being judged by flow-through intelligence, not occupancy percentages.

We've been having these conversations for about 20 years now. A lot has been said and published on this topic, including my own articles, podcast episodes, webinars, and even dedicated chapters in my last two books. The answer, at least to me, is obvious: until RMS providers build true profit optimization capabilities into their products (which requires proper data flow for the missing pieces of the equation), we're not going to move forward.

The ambitious vision for Total Profit Optimization is not a destination we are equipped to reach today. It's not a pipedream, but a strategic challenge demanding a phased, constructive approach. The core issue is a structural disconnect stemming from the historical focus on Rooms: The Talent Evolution: We currently possess excellent Rooms Optimizers, whose skill sets were sharpened by focused toolsets and market dynamics.

In my previous airline and telcoms world, we used service buses like TIBCO to sit on top of enterprise systems. The upside was the potential of plug and play (although we never actually changed back end ERPs). The downside was extra latency and cost.

The integration hub solution is different for every hotel. The easiest answer starts with new brands or independents. Heading into 2026, there are several great PMS and GEMS players that can fulfill a variety of central operations so that one-off integrations amongst disparate, single-use services aren't as necessary as they were a few years ago.

In practice, it's not that simple. A hub always depends on common integration standards — yet many systems still lack proper REST APIs to communicate effectively. For example, we dynamically manage room assignments and reassignments based on guest fit and preferences, but not all PMSs even offer APIs that allow us to do this.

Understanding Opting-In and Opting-Out Strategies Knowing the difference between opting-in and opting-out is essential when aiming to influence behaviour and drive change effectively. The "default option" principle can be applied to almost any business or operational process, allowing organisations to guide decisions without lengthy explanations or losing control over outcomes.

I would prioritize two things amid the myriad issues of opportunity and concern: 1) Improve measurement, data collection, data analysis, and reporting at the property level on sustainability performance, at least with energy, waste, and water, but then move on to other elements.

In 2026 hospitality should prioritise shifting from surface-level sustainability actions to systemic change through investment in leadership training. While technical improvements remain important, the primary focus must be on transforming internal mindsets.

As we say goodbye to 2025, I am optimistic for the future of the hospitality industry in 2026 and beyond, it is truly a resilient business. Travelers continue to seek a memorable experience and the corporate sector is back doing events that fuel our economic growth!

Profitability is what every budget really comes down to. Still, building a budget is more than just organizing or plugging numbers into the excel file (If it´s your go-to tool, still). It's about understanding what is coming in, what's going out, and how your revenue plan ties everything together.

For our 2026 budget, my primary focus will be on sustaining brand awareness and strengthening the property’s positioning. Guests today are increasingly attentive to consistency; they expect the same level of quality and service regardless of market conditions or rate fluctuations.