Cultural Relevance in Marketing
A Conrad New York Downtown executive outlines how hotels can use destination storytelling, co-created itineraries, multilingual content, and local partnerships to build cultural relevance into their marketing.
Opinion Articles
What I Saw at HITEC 2026 That Nobody Else Is Talking About
The author argues that HITEC 2026 overlooked a key market gap: back-office AI that reduces overhead and drives margins, while vendors focused almost entirely on guest-facing tools.
Why Governance Is Now Mission-Critical for Hotels
Rising legal exposure, health inspection failures, and leadership scandals illustrate why formal governance frameworks are now a strategic necessity for hotel operators of all sizes.
By Oren Roelofsen, Founder, Guvrix
What HSMAI 2026 Kept Saying (Whether It Meant To or Not)
A conference recap from HSMAI 2026 in San Antonio covering four recurring themes: resilient consumer spending, commercial team alignment, AI-driven hotel discovery, and the return to hospitality fundamentals.
By Sonya Taylor, Director of Operations and Marketing, Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
What Hoteliers Really Need in 2026: Partners who simplify operations, not just more systems.
Reflections from HITEC 2026 show hoteliers are not seeking more technology but simpler, better-connected systems backed by partners who reduce complexity and stay engaged post-implementation.
By Ethan Brown, Head of Sales, Shiji
Five Trends Every Hotel Leader Needs to Watch in 2026
An operator from Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina outlines five priorities for 2026: personalization, immersive F&B, on-property activations, mainstreamed wellness, and event-aligned programming.
By Dan Shaughnessy, Director of Sales & Marketing, Marriott
HVS U.S. Market Pulse: June 2026
HVS reports U.S. RevPAR up 4.9% in the trailing 28 days through June 13, maintaining a 3.0% full-year 2026 forecast with upside potential if summer and fall travel trends hold.
By Rodney Clough, President - HVS Americas, Denver, HVS
Anaheim’s Lodging Outlook Strengthens as Demand Drivers Expand
Anaheim posted 72%+ occupancy and $150+ RevPAR in 2025, with RevPAR up 12% through April 2026, backed by DisneylandForward investment, 600,000 convention room nights booked for 2026, and the emerging OCVIBE district.
By Aidan Martin, Associate, HVS Los Angeles, HVS
HITEC 2026 Was the Show Where Agentic Governance Reached Centerstage
A HITEC 2026 recap identifies agentic governance, Agent Management Platforms, and Guest Success Management Systems as the defining trends, with AI shifting from point tools to enterprise-wide orchestrated workflows.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
The Truth About Hotel Industry Culture
A data-backed examination of hotel industry workforce culture covering upward mobility, poverty wages, physical injury rates, high turnover, trafficking exposure, and the post-pandemic labor shift.
By Nasir Zahir
The Evolving Role of Concierge in Luxury Hospitality
Conrad New York Downtown executive explores how concierges have evolved from gatekeepers to cultural curators who architect personalized experiences.
By Chintan Dadhich, Complex General Manager, Hilton
Marriott’s Connect 2026: Resilience, Revenue, and a Renewed Focus on Owners
A firsthand conference recap covering Marriott's owner-focused strategy, with sessions on ancillary revenue, AI in marketing, margin pressure, and brand conversion opportunities.
By Andrew Carey, Chief Executive Officer, Newport Hospitality Group
Your Training Manager Just Became a Developer
The article argues that AI "vibe coding" tools let hotel training managers build adaptive, personalized training apps for as little as $25/month, addressing a turnover crisis costing operators nearly $6,000 per replaced employee.
By Jun Kwon, Teaching Instructor, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University
Oliver Hospitality Diversifies Portfolio With Market Entrances and Expanded Development
The boutique hotel company plans to double its seven-property portfolio by 2027, with new openings in Florida, Michigan, and South Carolina focusing on historic building renovations.
By Ethan Orley, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Oliver Hospitality
CEO Perspective: Industry Outlook Improves, But Pressure Remains
A CEO perspective from Otelier argues that while RevPAR forecasts improved at NYU 2026, inflation continues to outpace revenue growth, shifting operator focus from topline metrics to GOPPAR, NOI, and labor productivity.
By Rob Lawrence, CEO, Otelier
5 Ways Hotels Can Embed Sustainability into Day-To-Day Operations
AC Hotel Asheville Downtown shares how it moved sustainability from good intentions to measurable daily operations through data tracking, workflow integration, and leadership accountability.
By Brandon Miller, General Manager, McKibbon
Can Luxury Be Scaled? Delivering a Five-Star Experience in a 1,000-Room Hotel
The Boca Raton's CEO explains how dividing a 1,000-room resort into five distinct hotels achieved Forbes Five-Star status and 20% ADR growth.
By Daniel Hostettler, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Boca Raton
The Coldest Check-In: I Cried When I Realized Hotels Don't Want to See My Face Anymore
A personal essay arguing that the removal of front desk staff in favor of tablets and virtual agents strips hotels of their core hospitality value, citing real examples from U.S. properties.
By Nasir Zahir
Pre-HITEC Webinar: What Every Hotel Technology Consultant Needs to Know About Digital Tipping in 2026
GratifID will host a pre-HITEC 2026 webinar on June 10 for hotel tech consultants, covering NFC vs. QR-based digital tipping platforms ahead of its TIPMO product launch in San Antonio.
By Doron Dreyer, Co-Founder and CEO, GratifID
The 2026 Hotel Profit Story Will Be Won in the Space Between Demand and Discipline
Q1 2026 U.S. hotel data from ~5,000 properties shows ADR up 6%, RevPAR up 8.7%, and GOP margin up 4 points, but the Q2-Q4 forecast signals a revenue reset with RevPAR expected to fall 1.3%.
By Sarah McCay Tams, Head of Editorial, Actabl