Market Trends

🏨 On day two of The Hospitality Show 2025, industry leaders highlighted profitability challenges due to a fragmented market. Jeanelle Johnson of PwC stressed the need for aligning owners, brands, and operators. Navin Dimond of Stonebridge noted a 1-3% top-line drop can cut the bottom line by up to 8%. Pete Sams of Highgate linked margin erosion to COVID-19's impact. Jeff Wagoner from OUTRIGGER mentioned an unusually fast industry cycle reset, while Greg Lattin of Marriott stressed owner-brand alignment.

🏨 Elements Hotel & Spa, Świeradów-Zdrój, launched campaigns targeting early bookers (29+ days in advance) and mobile users, offering a 15% discount for first-time bookings. Personalized campaigns for couples included perks like dinner and massages. Over 3.5 months, they achieved 495 bookings, €300,000 in revenue, and 69 promo code bookings, enhancing personalization to boost engagement and direct bookings across mobile and desktop platforms.

🏨 The hotel industry sees continuous brand proliferation with brands like Janu and LivSmart Studios launching recently. Janu Tokyo opened in March 2024, with 12 more destinations planned. LivSmart by Hilton launched in 2023 with two locations in Tennessee and Indiana and over 350 active deals. Brands like Patina and Treehouse are also expanding to meet changing consumer demands, focusing on market gaps and evolving traveler preferences. Hilton's new midscale extended-stay brand began in July 2025.

🏠 The Hospitality Show 2025 took place in Denver, Colorado, focusing on profitability amid uncertainty. Eileen Herzog, Avendra's VP, led discussions with industry leaders. Mitch Patel from Vision Hospitality Group emphasized long-term investment in the capital-intensive hospitality business. Thom Geshay of Davidson Hospitality Group and Keith Pierce from Sonesta highlighted the need for alignment among owners, brands, and managers to drive profitability. Patel suggested improvements like booking payments with cancellation fees and e-tipping to enhance the business model.

📈 In September 2025, UK hotel occupancy rose by 2.6 points, increasing average prices by 4.2%, with RevPAR up 7.5% from 2024. Spain saw a RevPAR growth of 4.4%, with OT up 1.2 points and ADR up 3.2%. France recorded a 1.7% RevPAR increase, with Fashion Week boosting TO by 5 points. Germany's RevPAR fell by 4.4%, with ADR down 4.6%. Central Europe was active with trade shows and conferences.

📅 Adventure travel specialist Explore Worldwide predicts 2026 travel trends based on data from tens of thousands of bookings. A key finding is a 25% surge in rail travel, 19% increase in trips over eight days, and a spike in demand for less-travelled destinations like Laos (up 33%), Mongolia (118%), and Nicaragua (32%). In September 2025, 48% of UK workers expressed interest in travel sabbaticals. Astrotourism gains traction with eclipse events sold out rapidly, and family travel experiences are expanding.