Now Accepting Reservations: Timeless Heritage Meets Modern Luxury at the New Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena
Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena is now confirming reservations ahead of its much-anticipated opening this spring.
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Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
How Hotel GMs Must Evolve to Lead in the AI Era
Jitendra Jain (JJ), hotelier and founder of Hotelemarketer.com, says the real challenge of the AI era is not technology but culture – and that tomorrow’s General Manager must evolve from “captain” to “Chief Orchestrator.” He explains how GMs can bridge the gap between messy legacy systems and AI’s promise by using small, practical “edge AI” wins, making psychological safety a key KPI, replacing rigid scripts with prompt playbooks, and using automation to free up time for more human, high touch guest moments.
By Jitendra Jain (JJ), Hotelier, Tech Enthusiast and Founder, hotelemarketer.com
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Forget infinity pools. Cultural capital is luxury’s real advantage.
Youri Sawerschel, Founder of Creative Supply, warns that luxury hotels are drifting into sameness and that infinity pools, marble lobbies, and “local experiences” are no longer enough to justify a premium. He argues that in an AI-fuelled copy-paste world, the real long-term advantage will come from building cultural capital – a clear cultural point of view, active cultural production, and carefully curated communities – so that luxury brands become genuine cultural forces, not just nice places to sleep.
By Youri Sawerschel, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Creative Supply
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Top 10 Luxury Hospitality Design Trends for 2026
Scott LaMont, Chief Executive Officer & Principal at EDSA, outlines ten luxury hospitality design trends that will shape 2026, from mixed-use integration and regenerative landscapes to human-tech balance, embedded wellness, and “destination-first” thinking. He shows how thoughtful, flexible design can turn hotels into living landmarks that serve guests, locals, and the environment while staying adaptable and commercially strong over time.
By Scott LaMont, Chief Executive Officer & Principal, EDSA
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Beyond “No-Reply”: The Missing Link in Hybrid Hospitality
Ben Jost, Co Founder and CEO of TrustYou, explains that hybrid hospitality will only work when hotels fix the “conversation gap” created by no reply emails, siloed channels, and systems that do not share context. He describes how an AI powered “AI Operator” sitting on top of unified communication and guest data can turn every email, chat, and call into one continuous, informed dialogue, reducing staff workload and making the guest experience feel faster, more personal, and truly connected.
By Benjamin Jost, Co-Founder and CEO, TrustYou
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
The Anti-Strategy Strategy: How Doing Less Will Win 2026
Julia Krebs, Senior Lecturer and Hospitality Consultant at Les Roches Marbella, argues that the stand-out hotels of 2026 will be the ones that dare to do less, not more. Her “anti-strategy” swaps add-ons and AI hype for staff-led revenue insight, fixing basic integrations, owning slow days like Tuesday, and turning the luxury of less into a clear commercial advantage.
By Julia Krebs, Senior Lecturer and Hospitality Consultant, Les Roches-Marbella
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
SX = GX. Square!
Mark Fancourt, Co Founder and Principal Consultant at TRAVHOTECH, argues that the guest experience can only be as strong as the staff experience behind it, and that 2026 must be the year the industry finally treats SX = GX = $ as a real strategy, not a slogan. He calls out fragmented tech, context switching, and poor visibility as design failures that exhaust teams, and makes the case for tri-discipline leadership, integrated systems that give staff a 360° guest view, and tech that amplifies human service instead of replacing it.
By Mark Fancourt, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, TRAVHOTECH
Paraiso de la Bonita Just Changed the Meaning of All-Inclusive Luxury with the Opening of The Reserve
A new level of ultra-refined hospitality has arrived at Paraíso de la Bonita, A Luxury Collection Resort, Riviera Maya, Adult All-Inclusive, Member of the Royalton Reserve Collection, with the introduction of The Reserve at Paraiso de la Bonita, an oceanfront building dedicated to the resort's most exclusive suites. Conceived as a more private, spacious, and elevated way to experience the resort, The Reserve at Paraiso de la Bonita brings the Royalton Suites & Villas vision to life through residential-style accommodations, expansive outdoor living, and a deeper sense of intimacy with the Caribbean Sea.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
The Future of Hospitality Is in a Fine-Tuned Blend of Humans and Technology
Max Starkov argues that guests are already comfortable with “human-less” service in accommodations, and hotels should respond by using AI, robotics, mobile, and cloud tools to do more with fewer staff while keeping a warm human face where it matters most. Using vacation rentals as proof that self-service works at scale, he links accelerated tech adoption to solving labor shortages and rising costs, and predicts a major staffing reduction by 2030 as automation moves from the back of house into core operations.
By Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
It’s Time to Rewrite Hospitality’s Story for the Next Generation
Christina Reti, Founder and CEO of CDR Global, reflects on why hospitality keeps losing young talent to misconception rather than reality. She argues that hotels remain one of the rare industries where starting at the bottom can lead to global leadership, but only if the sector updates its message and its internal practices, with clearer growth routes, stronger coaching, and workplaces that feel modern, purposeful, and human.
By Christina Reti, Founder & CEO, CDR Global
Kadun, a Boutique Hotel by Mexico Grand Hotels, Debuts in Cabo San Lucas
Mexico Grand Hotels, the hospitality group behind several of Los Cabos' premier luxury resorts—announces the debut of Kadún, a new 110-room boutique hotel to downtown Cabo San Lucas. Opening just steps from the Cabo San Lucas Marina and El Médano Beach, Kadún merges contemporary luxury with the creative and cultural spirit of Baja California Sur, offering travelers an elevated yet soulful retreat in one of the region's most dynamic locations.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Beyond the Room: What the Next Era of Hotel Growth Will Look Like
Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Travel Industry Lead at Accenture, argues that the industry cannot rely on higher ADRs to grow as RevPAR growth slows and costs rise. She explains how hotel brands are already shifting toward revenue beyond the room and stay, using retail and e commerce, bundled experiences, and next generation loyalty to keep guests engaged before, during, and after a visit. The message is clear: winners in 2026 and beyond will build lifestyle ecosystems that fit into how guests live and shop, not just how they sleep.
By Emily Weiss, Global Travel Industry Sector Lead, Accenture
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Can we please not say Hybrid, please
Hybrid is hospitality's buzzword du jour—but what if it's a dead end? Matthias Huettebraeuker, Hospitality Strategist & Senior Executive Advisor, argues that "hybrid" represents terminal thinking, not transformation. Instead of reassembling old boxes, he proposes three conditions for discovery: convergence, fluidity, and versatility. The key metric? Engagement—and redefining hospitality around how much of someone's life we hold space for.
By Matthias Huettebraeuker, Hospitality Strategist & Senior Executive Advisor, Matthias Huettebraeuker
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Context-Driven Hospitality: The Next Evolution
Rok Kokalj, Co-founder and CEO of Nevron, describes “context-driven hospitality” as the next step for an industry facing uncertainty and rising complexity. He argues that hotels should move from binary thinking to hybrid intelligence, building clear identity and purpose first so technology, especially AI agents, can support human connection and turn back-end complexity into front-end simplicity that feels seamless for guests.
By Rok Kokalj, Co-founder & CEO, Nevron
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
How AI is Powering Efficiency and Imagination in Hospitality Design
Lisa A. Haude, Principal-Interior Designer at Studio RYS, shows how AI is becoming a practical creative partner in the studio. She describes using AI to speed up drafting, modeling, admin work, and BIM based visualisation, letting designers test more ideas, reduce errors, and give clients richer, real time ways to see and shape a project. Her main point is that AI should stay in the background as a tool for precision and sustainability insight, while the human side storytelling, taste, and emotional sense of place remains what makes hospitality design truly memorable.
By Lisa A. Haude, Principal - Interior Design, Studio RYS
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Turning Technology Adoption Challenges into Revenue Engines
Prince Thampi of Hudini argues that most hotel tech projects fall short not because the tools are weak, but because adoption is treated like an IT rollout instead of a guest and staff journey. He outlines three common blockers and offers a clear playbook to turn digital investment into real operational and revenue gains.
By Prince Thampi, Founder & CEO, Hudini
Hyatt Announces Newly Enhanced Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort Following Extensive Renovation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) has announced the reopening of Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort, an adults-only, all-inclusive haven, following a transformative renovation. These new updates reaffirm Hyatt's commitment to mainstay destinations and elevate the refined experience guests have come to know from the Secrets Resorts & Spas brand.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Why Presence is the Next Amenity
Susie Arnett of Six Senses explains that as hotel service becomes more automated, the real value of hospitality moves back to the human relationship between guest and host. Drawing on lessons from retreat centres, she shows why future staff must act more like guides than service workers, and why training should focus on presence and emotional intelligence so guests feel truly seen, not just served.
By Susie Arnett, Director of Wellness Programming, Six Senses
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Bringing it All Together: How All-Inclusive Resorts Changed the Narrative
As all inclusive resorts shed their old value only reputation and reemerge as serious players in the upscale leisure space, Ricardo Orozco Arce of The Villa Group shows how the category’s revival is powered by “hybrid by design” thinking. He maps the unlikely pairings redefining the model luxury and explains how blending these forces can broaden appeal, deepen loyalty and keep the guest experience feeling effortless and worth it at every step.
By Ricardo Orozco Arce, Vice President Operations, The Villa Group
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Annual Edition
Intentional Hybridity: Designing with Passion
Drawing on Kerten Hospitality’s methodology and case studies, Marloes Knippenberg shows how purpose led frameworks, deep local engagement, and embedded ESG can create scalable projects that stay authentic, coherent, and adaptive as guest expectations and societal demands evolve.
By Marloes Knippenberg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality