Our crystal ball: What is in store for 2026?
1. AI: The ‘blabbing’ is non-stop. But what are you doing about it? If you are an owner or a GM, ask your team to put together an action plan. Excuses will not do.
2. Wellness: If all your spa does is massages, you are so 1990s! The Wellness Revolution has taken us beyond muscles to total body understanding. Your spa has to reset or die.
3. 5-Star: We continue to see 5-star properties prosper while the pseudo-compromise-four-star properties scramble. Those ‘wanna-be’ folks are going to whither like old fruit in the sun.
4. Wine: Sorry, I love wine, but I’m older and drink less. Interestingly, so too do your younger guests. Time to focus more on the ‘F’ than the ‘B.’ And look to mocktails.
5. Real: We have heard of the ‘Experience Economy’ for a dozen years. If it has not sunk in yet, you’re in real trouble. Get real! What is your property all about?
6. Tech: Come on now, you did not expect me to spend any time without mentioning this four-letter, short-form word. Best to maximize BOH tech, while maintaining critical guest ‘touch.’
7. Influencers: Has social media peaked? It is no longer about paying a celeb to stay with you for a few tweets, but rather about parsing the market to focus on those who meet your target audiences.
8. Team: Respect, encourage, mentor, support, train, and above all, realize they are your future.
9. Costs: We’ve had a bout of inflation and anticipate little change. Keep an eye on efficiency.
10. Robots: Getting better, but probably not this year.
Now, it’s your turn: What can you add to the list?
