Market Trends

🍽 Saladplate, the hub for Informa Markets' Hospitality, Food and Beverage portfolio, offers insights into industry trends. It features weekly news, monthly newsletters, and bi-monthly e-magazines. The platform connects users to over 10,000 brands and products, plus updates from 35+ international trade events.

💰 Jun 23, 2026, Travel Weekly released its 2026 Power List. Chase Travel entered the top ten with $12.6 billion in sales, while American Express Travel reached $11.1 billion. Booking Holdings topped the list at $186.1 billion, followed by Expedia Group at $119.6 billion. Amex GBT absorbed CWT. The shift in travel sales emphasizes the importance of customer relationships and payment credentials over traditional travel desks and distribution networks.

📈 PwC's "Hospitality & Leisure: US Deals 2026 Mid-Year Outlook" reveals a 2.5% decline in hotel deal volume, with 73% focused on upscale and luxury properties, reflecting demand for premium experiences. High construction and financing costs drive interest in repositioning assets. AI, wellness, and strong customer data are key investment drivers. Luxury hotels attract significant investment, while gaming M&A shifts towards digital growth. Travelers' preferences vary by generation, impacting hotel investment strategies.

🏠 Investors are increasingly focusing on experiential hospitality, particularly in luxury and lifestyle sectors. With an emphasis on sustainability and profitability per square meter, the trend includes distinctive restaurants, wellness centers, all-inclusive resorts, and branded residences. This approach meets guest expectations and investor priorities by offering memorable experiences, higher satisfaction, additional revenue streams, and better returns. Consumers are shifting their spending towards memorable moments and emotional connections, driving this investment trend.

📖 In "The Sensitive Traveller" essay, the author explores the essence of memory over mere experience in hospitality, emphasizing qualities like emotion, culture, and sensitivity, which defy automation. The insight draws from years in the hospitality industry, illustrating the shift from creating tangible venues to crafting lasting memories through sensory experiences. The piece, appreciated by Caroline De Balanda, highlights the evolving value of hospitality amidst technological advances.

🏨 In Q1 2026, the luxury hotel market soared, with transactions exceeding $1 million per key. Ultra-luxury RevPAR reached $872, 148% of pre-pandemic levels, while the broader U.S. market achieved 120% recovery. Notable sales include The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at $765 million and The Ritz-Carlton Central Park at $320 million. Private equity accounted for 70% of luxury deals, up from 43% in 2025. With global wealth growing at 9.6% annually, asset scarcity drives intense competition.

🗺 U.K., France, Germany: Leisure travel remains stable. U.K. leads in travel frequency, valuing convenience. France shifts away from domestic travel, favoring alternative accommodations and experiences. Germany sees the largest increase in air travel and spending, choosing structured lodging over short-term rentals. Online travel agencies (OTAs) surpass general search for trip planning. AI's role grows, especially in destination selection. Phocuswright's Europe Consumer Travel Report 2026 details these changes.