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Anyone else have this habit with their partner? Finish a show and immediately start searching for flights! The story ends, the trip planning begins… my wife decides where we go…

The rise of AI and social platforms is transforming the way people search, and hotels could be losing out on potential bookings by not optimising for modern discovery channels*. While there are around 74,000 monthly Google searches for “hotels in London”, there are 47,300 searches on TikTok and 28,100 on Perplexity for the same term, highlighting a growing shift in how travellers research and discover hotels online. In response, hospitality AI tech company, Access Hospitality, has shared an overview of modern search, outlining ways businesses can increase visibility across AI and LLM platforms as well as social channels. The evolution of modern search for hotel businesses Modern search has been evolving for several years. AI began gaining traction in 2021 with platforms like you.com , and the landscape has since expanded with additional platforms. As of 2025, ChatGPT received over 5.21 billion visits in December, making it the 5th most-visited website globally*. Google is also utilising AI in overviews, shifting from ‘query-and-click’ behaviour to ‘answer-based’ searching. With AI search traffic predicted to overtake traditional organic search by 2028*, brands need to consider how they appear on AI-powered search engines. They also need to consider social discovery tools, because social media has evolved over the years, and a new generation of users now use it as their primary search engine. How hotels can increase their visibility Nicola Longfield, Chief Commercial Officer, Global Accommodation & Payments at Access Hospitality, comments, "Hotels that focus only on traditional search risk becoming invisible during key discovery moments. To stay competitive, hospitality brands need to ensure they are visible wherever travellers are searching for inspiration and recommendations. ” “ Search has the power to shape and create demand. To truly lead in hospitality, hotels need to create content that influences the way people frame their queries, whilst also responding to how travellers now search.” Eight ways to be more visible on AI and LLM platforms 1. Optimise your business profiles: “Check that Google Business and Bing are 100% full or as near as feasible, because AI heavily scans them for local searches.” 2. Strengthen your website with unique points : "Businesses need distinct differentiators that AI can use because it recommends the best options, not just lists them. Therefore, businesses need unique points with multiple discrete data points" “Make sure your website includes your address and other important information. Consider adding pages on the local area or popular activities. These can connect your business to other amenities, which is useful when someone looks for hotels nearby.” 3. Keep OTA listings consistent : “Synchronise your exact amenities, policies, and descriptions across all the major OTAs you're listed on.” 4. Maintain official tourism listings: “Update your profile on any official tourism boards or local tourism sites. For example, VisitBritain or your city's official tourism site. This is because LLMs consider . gov.uk or official tourism domains to be high-authority seed data.” 5. Implement structured data called a schema: “Attempt to implement a thorough hotel room and local business

As discussions around agentic AI gain momentum across the hospitality industry, dailypoint™ and DialogShift have jointly released a new whitepaper offering a differentiated perspective on the topic. Titled “Agentic AI in Hospitality” , the publication brings together two industry leaders with distinct viewpoints – aiming to move the conversation beyond hype toward realistic evaluation and responsible implementation. The whitepaper is authored by Dr. Michael Toedt , Founder & CEO of dailypoint™, and Olga Heuser , Founder & CEO of DialogShift. While agentic AI is widely promoted as the next major technological breakthrough in hospitality, the publication highlights both its potential and its limitations. Dr. Toedt focuses on the structural challenges and risks associated with agentic systems, particularly in relation to data access, security, and accountability. As AI agents require extensive access to sensitive guest data and can act autonomously across multiple systems, he emphasizes the need for a cautious and well-governed approach. Before adopting agentic AI at scale, hoteliers must understand the implications around data, control, and liability. The industry should avoid repeating past patterns of overestimating emerging technologies without fully assessing their impact. Dr Michael Toedt, Founder & CEO of dailypoint In contrast, Olga Heuser takes a more application-driven perspective, highlighting the practical value of agentic AI in addressing real operational challenges within hotels. From her point of view, the technology represents an evolution rather than a disruption, building on existing AI use cases such as guest communication and process automation. Agentic AI addresses real challenges in hospitality, from staff shortages to increasing guest expectations. The key question is not whether to use it, but how to implement it responsibly and effectively Olga Heuser, Founder & CEO of DialogShift By combining both perspectives, the whitepaper provides a balanced framework for decision-makers in hospitality. It outlines concrete use cases, addresses key risks, and offers recommendations for implementation – including a focus on governance, data protection, and phased adoption. With this joint publication, dailypoint™ and DialogShift aim to contribute to a more informed and pragmatic industry dialogue around agentic AI. The whitepaper “Agentic AI in Hospitality” is now available for download. Download the whitepaper

McLean, VA – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International successfully concluded its annual Mike Leven Leadership Conference, held March 17–18, 2026 in Los Angeles, bringing together chapter leaders from across the Americas to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best chapter awards. The invitation-only conference serves as a dedicated forum to recognize the vital contributions of HSMAI’s chapter leaders while equipping them with the tools, insights, and peer connections needed to drive impact at the local level. Through a dynamic mix of keynote presentations, collaborative working sessions, roundtable discussions, and interactive sessions, attendees had the opportunity to learn from one another and exchange best practices shaping today’s hospitality landscape spanning leadership development, membership value, storytelling, and chapter engagement. This year’s program featured expert and motivational speakers including Adam Burke, President & CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board; Alain Hunkins, leadership strategist and author; Alexandra Kiladjian, Founder of Aesthetically Neutral; and Melissa S. Maher, Founder & CEO, Pinnacle Enterprises Group. Across sessions, a consistent theme emerged—effective leadership is not about doing more, but about leading with greater clarity, intention, and human connection to drive meaningful results. A highlight of the conference was the Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best Chapter Awards, named in honor of former HSMAI executive director. The awards recognize chapters that demonstrate exceptional creativity, leadership, and measurable impact in advancing HSMAI’s mission, across HSMAI chapters of varying sizes. The 2026 Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best winners are: Education: Small Chapter: British Columbia Medium Chapter: Ontario Large Chapter: Las Vegas Special Events: Small Chapter: Hawaii Medium Chapter: Central Florida Large Chapter: Greater New York Partnership: Small Chapter: British Columbia Medium Chapter: Ontario Large Chapter: Arizona Membership Care: Small Chapter: Mid-South Medium Chapter: Ontario Large Chapter: Washington D.C. Marketing & Communication: Small Chapter: Minnesota Medium Chapter: North Carolina Large Chapter: Arizona Membership Growth: 1 st Place: Ontario 2 nd Place: Austin 3 rd Place: Quebec Supported by the Michael and Andrea Leven Foundation and powered by the HSMAI Foundation, the conference underscores HSMAI’s ongoing commitment to investing in local leadership and strengthening the future of the hospitality industry. This year’s event was made possible with support from the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel and 2026 Influence Partner Ideas Collide. For more information on the HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference and the Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best Awards, visit americas.hsmai.org/hsmai-mike-leven-leadership-conference .

U.S. hotel performance is posting notable gains compared with 2025 levels, as travel continues to be a priority for many despite persistent inflation, the Middle Eastern conflict, and longer security lines at airports. While luxury hotels are posting the greatest RevPAR gains, even economy and midscale hotels are showing occupancy improvement (as we expected). Since January 1, our RevPAR forecast has been notably higher than others in our sector, and performance so far this year suggests that even our forecast may be too conservative. As of late March, despite persistent inflation, the Middle Eastern conflict, and longer-than-usual security lines at airports, occupancy is increasing across all hotel classes nationally. In the trailing-28-day period ending March 21, national RevPAR was up 3.9%, according to STR/CoStar (February RevPAR was up 4.3%). If the first quarter is any indication, we are looking at what may ultimately be a strong year for our industry, all things considered. We did see this coming. Last year had its significant challenges. Great uncertainty took hold with the announcement of the tariffs, disruption occurred in the government sector (and its normally steady demand) with DOGE efforts, and interest rate cuts didn’t occur until the last three Fed meetings of the year. Some cities had “off” convention years or closed their convention centers for reconstruction, the L.A. metro area experienced unprecedented fires, and other factors played key roles in diminishing our sector’s performance. And while this year’s challenges are not minimal by any means, last year was, quite simply, worse. Our latest U.S. forecast is as follows. HVS offers the HVS MarketCast if you require an occupancy and ADR forecast for a specific market or submarket. Please reach out to me to learn more. We can certainly hope that our government finds that “exit ramp” from the Middle Eastern conflict sooner rather than later, that Congress finds a path to resuming funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and that oil prices stabilize and inflation wanes. These possibilities, coupled with further potential interest-rate relief, should fuel continued economic growth and occupancy gains. ADRs will be lifted by special events this year, such as the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup . Better convention calendars are also on tap for certain cities, and atypical 2025 conditions in other cities (such as Austin and Houston) should not recur in 2026. Furthermore, if we enter a period of greater economic certainty this year, corporations are expected to bolster hiring efforts and travel budgets. The industry’s overall average cap rate is on the decline, with transactions averaging 8.3% for Q4, similar to the 8.2% average for the year. We expect average cap rates to trend downward in 2026, as we see more turnaround properties with challenged NOI levels being sold. These hotels, which often sell with a cap rate in the low single digits, will bring down the average that is blended with stabilized assets that sell at 8% to 9% cap rates. A normal cap rate in today’s market (for a stabilized or

Patel Family Office, a US investment enterprise, and Abdel Hadi A. Al-Qahtani & Sons [AHQ], a Saudi industrial conglomerate, today signed a USD $1 billion deal to establish AYARA , a vertically integrated hospitality platform that will develop a network of 50 international brand-name business hotels across Saudi Arabia by 2029. AYARA will deliver standardized, branded business hotels at scale, serving the Kingdom’s booming corporate and business travel sector. Under the terms of the deal, Patel Family Office will collaborate with Abdelmalik Tariq Al-Qahtani Company [ATQ] Hospitality Group, an affiliated company within AHQ, to launch and operate AYARA. The size of the 50-hotel AYARA network places the Patel Family Office-AHQ partnership among the largest individual hotel investment deals in Saudi Arabia to date. The deal was signed at FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, the pre-eminent gathering of forward-thinking global leaders founded by the Future Investment Initiative Institute. Saudi Arabia continues to augment its status as a global tourism and business hub through its Vision 2030 economic diversification program, but significant investment in luxury and mega-project hospitality means the Kingdom’s supply remains heavily skewed towards premium segments. The fastest-growing demand is for reliable, branded mid-market business hotels - driven by corporate mobility, infrastructure development and relocation of regional headquarters. AYARA is designed specifically to address this structural supply gap. The AYARA platform will serve corporate travelers, project teams, consultants and regional headquarters across Saudi Arabia. Unlike traditional fragmented development models, AYARA’s vertically integrated platform combines strategic land acquisition, modular construction, in-house furniture and fixtures manufacturing, and hospitality management. The unified structure will enable faster delivery and cost efficiency. By 2029, ATQ Hospitality Group’s AYARA is expected to deliver between 5,000 and 7,000 rooms across key economic corridors including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and emerging development zones like NEOM and the Red Sea region. The Dallas, TX-based Patel Family Office brings over 40 years of experience in hospitality investment and development projects, while AHQ’s diversified business portfolio includes operations across energy services, construction and heavy industry. Patel Family Office will lead the hospitality strategy for the portfolio and management of the hotel network, while AHQ will support development through its longstanding national operations and market expertise. ATQ Hospitality Group will also establish partnerships with international hotel brands for the operation of the 50-hotel network, and with best-in-class delivery partners for project structuring and construction. Speaking at FII PRIORITY Summit Miami, Patel Family Office Vice Chairman and Managing Partner Lakshmi Narayanan said: “As Saudi Arabia opens its doors to the world, its tourism and infrastructure expansion is attracting increasing global attention. The Kingdom’s transformation is creating a new category of demand for reliable, practical and standardized business hospitality. Platforms like AYARA - combining global expertise with local execution - will play a critical role in meeting that demand. AYARA is positioned to become a foundational hospitality infrastructure platform supporting Saudi Arabia’s next phase of economic growth.” H.E. Abdulmalik Tariq Al-Qahtani, Chief Executive Officer of AHQ and Chairman of ATQ Hospitality Group, said: “It requires

Alexandria, VA - The Global Business Travel Association ( GBTA ) is calling on the U.S. Congress to immediately reach an agreement to end the ongoing government shutdown and finalize a budget that restores stability to our nation’s aviation system. The failure to act is placing unsustainable strain on airport operations nationwide and directly harming the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforce — resulting in severe security line delays, missed flights and growing disruption in U.S. travel. Business travel depends on predictability and efficiency, and right now, both are breaking down at America’s airports. GBTA is once more urging Congress to resolve the shutdown before departing for a two-week Congressional spring recess. The traveling public, the TSA workforce and the U.S. business community need leadership and action now. It is time to get travel and travelers moving again. Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA Expedited screening programs such as TSA PreCheck were designed to allow vetted travelers to move efficiently through checkpoints while enabling officers to focus attention where it is most needed. Under the current shutdown, that system is under visible and increasing strain. Frustration is mounting—not only among travelers trying to reach essential meetings, return home to families or keep businesses running, but also among TSA professionals who are working under immense pressure with limited resources. The impact on business travel is significant. Business travelers on a 48-hour work trip could easily spend 12 hours waiting in airport security lines. That results in a direct hit to productivity, commerce and economic confidence. When airports seize up, businesses delay trips, cancel meetings, and reconsider sending employees through U.S. gateways altogether. The ripple effects are felt well beyond the terminal, across local economies and the broader travel and tourism sector. The U.S. cannot afford prolonged uncertainty that undermines a system so critical to economic growth, competitiveness, and national mobility, as well as the appeal of the U.S. as a top global business travel destination. GBTA research anticipates U.S. business travel spending will reach $395.4 billion this year, making it the top market worldwide. U.S. business travel also contributes $484.4 billion annually in direct spending. It also supports 6 million U.S. jobs and accounts for almost 2% of U.S. GDP, underscoring how critical business travel is to economic growth and competitiveness. Calling for an urgent resolution, GBTA has previously met with members of Congress and joined with other industry groups in letters, along with hundreds of GBTA U.S. industry members who have reached out to their Congressional representatives. Every day without action increases congestion, worsens delays and pushes the aviation system closer to a breaking point.

Thank you Dan Christian of Travel Trends Podcast for the opportunity to share Forbes Travel Guide‘s view of what truly defines luxury hospitality today and what separates the best hotels…

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