Market Trends

🧺 New York Public Library digitized over 17,000 restaurant menus since 1851, but its website will close for security reasons in 2025. San Francisco's de Young Museum partnered with Anthropic, using typewriters for AI-powered interactions on Monet, evoking mixed reviews. In 1972, New Jersey's "schiffli area" had 9,400 embroidery jobs, now mostly automated or overseas. Independent artisans gain popularity as a counter to fast fashion, promoting personalized craftsmanship over mass-produced hotel items.

🛩️ 83% of travelers prioritize trust over price when booking hotels, per a Choice Hotels survey. This marks a shift from brand-driven decisions to property-first choices, often influenced by social media. Brands now validate decisions rather than initiating them. Hotels must engage earlier in the customer journey, creating demand through content and experiences. Loyalty still plays a role, but more in closing sales than sparking interest.

📅 Milan, today: Mauro Santinato discussed becoming a trendsetter in hospitality, sharing six principles from his work at Paris Society. Key ideas: create future trends by observing cultural shifts, derive inspiration from varied sources (fashion, art, etc.), ensure concepts are desirable, design for emotional impact, and maintain coherence in experiences. Relevance requires continuous evolution without losing identity. Successful trendsetting involves being right and early rather than simply ahead.

🌿 Sensory design plays a crucial role in brand experience. At Graduate Hotels, the scent evokes memories like dusty paper and freshly cut grass, reminiscent of campus libraries. Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts focus on the salt air and seaweed of the Scottish coast. Collaborated with perfumer Steve Soderholm from Ranger Station to capture these sensory elements, emphasizing recognition over mere fragrance. It's about creating lasting sensory memories beyond visual aesthetics.

📈 In December, an upscale Texas hotel faced a $50,000 February revenue shortfall and $1.25 million budget deficit from 2025. Within 45 days, Strategic Solution Partners' Task Force leader boosted February revenue by selling 1,173 additional rooms and cutting expenses, achieving a $130,000 GOP increase, a 36.6% GOP margin, and 93.4% flow-through. Despite a $11.19 ADR shortfall, strategic revenue management significantly improved profitability.

🏋️ Marriott partners with Lefay, integrating the Italian luxury wellness brand into its portfolio through a joint venture. With two existing resorts in Italy and three projects underway in Tuscany, southern Italy, and the Swiss Alps, wellness is now a revenue asset, not just an amenity. Data shows wellness-driven properties outperform in TRevPAR, offering a competitive edge by enhancing revenue per guest amidst inflationary pressures.

🏨 By 2030, H World Group aims to nearly double its properties from 12,000 to over 20,000 across roughly 2,000 cities in China. Last year, they reached 1 million rooms across 19 countries. The company's growth strategy targets tier three, four, and lower-tier cities, driven by the demand from “new Chinese travelers” seeking unique experiences, as highlighted by Jihong He, CSO of the Shanghai-based company.

📚 Junghyun Shin from Rhode Island School of Design won the 8th annual HD/West Elm Student Product Design Competition for his Cove lounge chair. Judged by Frank Harker and Sam Jones, the event rewards innovative lounge chair designs for commercial spaces. Shin's design will be produced by West Elm, and he receives $5,000. Emma Kean from Savannah School of Art and Design was a finalist. They will be honored on May 5th at the 22nd annual HD Awards at Wynn Las Vegas.

🏨 Between 2017-2019, the U.S. hotel market saw trade volumes of 164-182 properties and dollar volumes of $13.6-18.3 billion with room sale prices from $267,000 to $363,000. In 2020, trades dropped by 52%, rooms sold by 60%, and dollar volume by 70% due to COVID-19. In 2021, trades surged to 308, rooms to 84,200, and dollar volume to $36.2 billion. From 2022-2025, trade numbers ranged from 356-481 properties with a dollar volume of $12.8-19.9 billion.

📅 In February 2026, Arlington, Virginia—The U.S. hotel industry performance improved from February 2025. Occupancy increased by 2.3% to 60.4%, ADR rose by 2.0% to $162.58, and RevPAR grew by 4.3% to $98.28. San Francisco saw the highest gains with occupancy up 17.8% to 72.4%, ADR up 28.1% to $274.69, and RevPAR up 51.0% to $198.99, aided by Super Bowl LX. New Orleans experienced the steepest ADR and RevPAR declines, while Boston had the largest occupancy drop.