Events

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) has entered a new era of storytelling for the boutique hotel industry, declaring 2026 the Age of Wonder. The theme anchors this year's Boutique Hotel Owners Conference (BHOC) , the 17th edition of the flagship gathering, taking place October 19–20 at the Westlake Village Inn in Southern California. Wonder is a word rarely used in hospitality strategy, and that is precisely the point. BLLA's premise is simple: curious minds build the most memorable hotels. Boutique hotel owners are the ones who stop. Who let themselves feel awe in a hidden café down an alley, in a conversation that runs longer than planned, in the quiet architecture of a room that gets the light right. That capacity for wonder does not end with them. It gets translated, room by room and detail by detail, into the hotels they build. BHOC 2026 is built around that translation, and how it becomes hospitality's greatest business advantage. "The most remarkable boutique hotels have never been built by following a blueprint," said Frances Kiradjian, Founder & CEO of BLLA. "They're created by people who remain endlessly curious about the world and translate that curiosity into experiences that guests never forget. The Age of Wonder is an invitation to rediscover that mindset and explore how wonder itself becomes one of hospitality's greatest competitive advantages." "Wonder is more than inspiration. It's a strategic advantage," added Ariela Kiradjian, Partner & COO of BLLA, who will open the conference. "The hotels that leave lasting impressions are built by leaders who continue exploring, observing, questioning, and evolving. This conference is designed to create the space for those conversations and discoveries to happen." A Two-Day Gathering, Built for Independent Owners Since 2012, BHOC has been the original conference built exclusively for independent boutique hotel ownership and leadership. Unlike conferences where speakers disappear once their session ends, BHOC executives stay present throughout the two days, so conversations that start on stage continue at lunch, at the bar, and in the hallway. The 2026 agenda moves from the ideas behind a hotel to the mechanics of building one, with sessions including: What It Costs to Build a Feeling Running the Room: Luxury General Managers Talk The Retail Opportunity Hotels Keep Missing The Restaurant That Makes the Hotel Machines, Meeting Magic Who Takes the Keys: Succession Planning The Lost Art of Innkeeping The Budget Is a Love Language The Story Is the Strategy The Nightstand Test: Show and Tell Fresh Openings: New Boutique Hotels What the CEO Sees Speakers confirmed for 2026 include Ed Scheetz ( PUBLIC Hotel West Hollywood ), Daniel André Langer ( Équité ), Oliver English ( Common Table Creative ), Tony Greenberg ( SingleThread Farm ), Gregory Day ( Malibu Beach Inn ), Jayson Seidman ( Sandstone ), Kama Carter ( Southall Farm & Inn ), Hya Valdez, ( Capital One Travel) , and Mike and Matt French ( Life & Times Hospitality ). See the full list on

This post was originally published on this site. Vice President of Marketing at HEI Hotels & Resorts, Emma Shaybani, joins the Suite Spot to discuss the upcoming 2026 Digital Travel…

📰 August 18, 2026, Europe: OpenAI launches ChatGPT Ads in 31 countries next week for free-tier travelers, including Germany, France, and Spain. Initially, ads are sold through OpenAI's own sales team and partners, with self-service options coming later this summer. In the U.S., the self-serve Ads Manager launched on May 5, running cost-per-click campaigns. Click-through rates range from 1.6% to 1.9%, costing $3-$3.50 per click. European cost data is yet unavailable.

📅 On November 9th, 2026, the BDNY Power Players: Women Leaders in Hospitality Breakfast will be held at River Pavilion, Javits Center, New York. The event features eight industry leaders, including Alison Bowman Sobeck from Marriott and Sarah Dusek from Few & Far. Running from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., attendees will enjoy breakfast, a NEWH presentation, and a panel discussion moderated by Alissa Ponchione, BD's editor in chief.

🏨 The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) in McLean, VA, begins nominations for the Robert A. "Bob" Gilbert Award and 2027 Top 25 Extraordinary Minds on August 10, 2026, closing on September 30. Winners will be honored at events in Orlando and Las Vegas in 2027. HSMAI, with over 5,000 members globally, supports hotel industry growth through programs like the Adrian Awards.

🏨 June 3, New York: The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) hosted its investment conference, themed "The Third Space Renaissance." Led by Ariela Goharik Kiradjian, the event emphasized authenticity and a move away from hustle culture. Panels included Shane Davis's Public Records highlighting cultural authorship, and discussions on wellness misconceptions by industry leaders. Predictions suggest the "third space" concept could become mainstream by 2028, challenging Kiradjian to adapt.

📱 April 25–27, 2027, Boca Raton, Florida: Luxury Summit™, a new forum, will debut, gathering 150 invitation-only leaders from the luxury industry. Hosted by The Boca Raton, the event aims to foster collaboration across the luxury sectors. The summit will include keynotes, panels, and reports like the "State of the Luxury Economy Report" for tracking trends. Organized with Montfort Group, the forum seeks to redefine the luxury landscape through innovation and thought leadership.

📈 On August 19, in Washington D.C., a panel of experts will gather at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf for the annual State of the Industry event. Registration starts at 4 p.m. Early-bird registration is available until August 10, costing $90 for HSMAI members and $115 for non-members. After August 11, fees increase to $105 and $130, respectively. Sponsored by multiple organizations, attendees are encouraged to donate backpacks for middle school students in the DMV area.

🍴 Tom Kerridge, a Michelin-starred chef, will host a dinner event at Old Course Hotel's Road Hole Restaurant on 14 November 2026, showcasing Scottish ingredients. Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean baker, will host a Scottish-inspired afternoon tea on 17 October 2026, featuring family recipes and island storytelling. These events are part of a Chef series, following previous ones with chefs Rachel Allen and Alex Dilling, aiming to offer unique culinary experiences at this iconic St Andrews location.

📷 On September 3-4, 2026, the Hospitality Social Media Summit (HoSS) will occur at Chicago Booth London. This event, produced by Kordie, focuses on transforming social media into a measurable commercial channel for hospitality leaders. Key figures include Whitney Reynolds and Laura Ferrari. The summit offers practical outputs, like a Social Media Strategy Blueprint and Paid Campaign Blueprint. The event aims to connect social activity to business outcomes, with six months of post-event digital resources provided.