Throughout 2025, our blog focused on the shifts reshaping hotel marketing, distribution, and direct bookings. From practical strategies and emerging trends to real results from hotels using personalization, AI, and data to drive performance, these posts stood out for a reason. Below, we have rounded up the most-read and most impactful articles of the year, along with the insights hoteliers are carrying into 2026.
-
The Budget Paradox: Why Do Hotels Have Unlimited Budgets for Expensive Reservations?
Many hotels cap investment in their most profitable channel while allowing unlimited spend on higher-cost OTA bookings. This paradox stems from legacy budget models, attribution challenges, and short-term thinking. By rethinking how direct bookings are funded and moving toward performance-based, uncapped investment models, hotels can unlock sustainable growth, improve ROI, and build a healthier long-term distribution strategy centered on their direct channel.
-
Lighthouse Acquires The Hotels Network to Add Hospitality Marketing Capabilities to Its Commercial Platform
The Hotels Network reached a major milestone in 2025 with its acquisition by Lighthouse, a leading commercial platform for travel and hospitality. The deal brings together Lighthouse’s commercial intelligence capabilities with THN’s AI-driven personalization and marketing technology, enabling hotels to turn market data into tailored guest booking experiences that grow direct revenue. This strategic move signals a new era for hotel commercial strategy, giving hoteliers a unified ecosystem to attract, engage, and convert guests with data-informed, AI-powered experiences.
-
This Is Hotels’ iPhone Moment
Hotels are at a pivotal point similar to the launch of the iPhone, where early adoption of AI-driven discovery can define future visibility and revenue. With tools like the ChatGPT App Marketplace and generative search reshaping how travelers find and book stays, properties that establish a direct presence now can secure lasting advantage over OTAs. Embracing these emerging technologies and adapting distribution strategies today positions hotels to lead in tomorrow’s AI-powered travel landscape.
-
Vibe Marketing: The Automation Strategy Built for Small Hotel Teams
Discover how small hotel teams can achieve outsized results with a smarter approach to automation. Vibe Marketing combines context-aware personalization with minimal setup, allowing hotels to deliver relevant messages at the right moment without adding operational complexity. The result is marketing that feels personal, drives direct bookings, and scales effortlessly, even with limited resources.
-
When Storytelling Sparks Bookings: Lessons from The White Lotus Effect
The rise of The White Lotus shows how powerful storytelling can influence travel demand. By creating strong narratives, distinctive atmospheres, and emotional connections, hotels can inspire travelers long before the booking moment. Leveraging storytelling helps properties stand out from generic listings, capture attention, and turn inspiration into direct bookings.
-
How The Sofia Hotel is Blending Tradition and Technology with their AI Receptionist
The Sofia Hotel’s implementation of an AI receptionist showcases how tradition and innovation can coexist to elevate guest service. By using conversational AI to support front-of-house interactions, the property enhances responsiveness and availability while preserving its unique brand voice. This blend of human hospitality and intelligent automation strengthens guest engagement, improves operational flow, and sets a compelling example of technology enhancing—not replacing—the human touch.
-
Beyond the Room: The Art of Cross-Selling in Hospitality
Cross-selling has become a powerful lever for hotels looking to increase total revenue while enhancing the guest experience. By presenting timely, relevant offers for services like spa treatments, dining, local experiences, or premium amenities, hotels can turn a simple stay into something more memorable. When personalization and timing are done right, cross-selling not only drives meaningful ancillary revenue, it also creates richer, more satisfying stays that guests truly value.
-
From MCP to Agentic AI: A Glossary of AI Terms for Hoteliers
As AI becomes an integral part of travel discovery and guest experiences, understanding key concepts is essential for informed decision-making. From foundational technologies like large language models and generative engines to practical terms used in AI-enhanced hotel marketing and personalization, this glossary breaks down the vocabulary hoteliers need to navigate the evolving landscape. Clear definitions help teams communicate strategies more effectively and apply AI with confidence across digital channels.
-
Why Gen Z Checks Out Hotels That Check In With the Planet
Generation Z is redefining what matters when choosing where to stay. Sustainability, ethical practices, and transparency are no longer optional. Hotels that demonstrate real environmental action, support local communities, and communicate their values clearly are far more likely to earn trust and loyalty. By aligning sustainable initiatives with personalized messaging and ensuring visibility in AI-driven discovery, hotels can connect with a generation that expects brands to stand for something meaningful and authentic.
-
Unlock Rate Confidence: Strategies to Win the Direct Booking Game
Rate transparency has become a decisive factor in winning direct bookings. By combining real-time benchmarking, price comparison, and targeted messaging, hotels can protect rate integrity and position their direct channel as the most trusted option. Monitoring competitiveness across OTAs and metasearch, reinforcing value with exclusive direct perks, and guiding guests with intelligent, well-timed messages all work together to build confidence, reduce abandonment, and convert more visitors directly.
These highlights from 2025 reflect the shifts reshaping hotel marketing and distribution, from AI-driven discovery and rate transparency to sustainability, personalization, and smarter automation. Together, they offer practical strategies, real-world examples, and forward-looking ideas to help you strengthen your direct channel and prepare for what’s next as we move into 2026.
Dive into the articles above to explore each topic in more depth, and subscribe to our newsletter to receive more insights, trends, and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.
