Why hotels, rentals, services and experiences are converging into a single guest journey
Dec 16, 2025
Hospitality is no longer defined solely by hotels, but by a growing ecosystem of places to stay, services to use and experiences to remember. Industry leaders from Airbnb, Marriott and Casago describe a shift toward integrating hotels, short-term rentals, services and experiences into one continuous guest journey. The focus is increasingly on matching the right type of stay and service to the traveler’s needs at a specific moment. This broader definition is reshaping brand strategies, technology investments and competitive dynamics across the sector.
Key takeaways
- A wider hospitality ecosystem: The industry now spans hotels, homes, short-term rentals, services and experiences as part of one interconnected offering.
- The guest journey comes first: Companies are organizing their strategies around end-to-end guest needs rather than around individual accommodation types.
- Services anchor the experience: Services are seen as the most memorable and experiential component of leisure travel, strengthening emotional connection to the brand.
- Platforms are blending stay types: Airbnb and others are increasingly positioning homes and hotels as complementary options within the same platform.
- Brand boundaries are being tested: Expanding into new stay types may grow total addressable markets, but it also risks diluting established brand identities.
- Technology enables the shift: AI, loyalty systems and data are critical to matching guests with the right stay, service and experience at the right time.
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