Viewpoint: Can Hotels Become Regenerative Within Current Systems?
Current mainstream hotel sustainability prioritizes operational impact reduction with ecosystem restoration and community well-being largely emerging as secondary priorities if at all. Regeneration is increasingly recognized as foundational for long-term industry viability and resilience of the destinations we depend on. Yet many professionals conceptualize regeneration as an extension of sustainability with basic logic: sustainability isn’t delivering, so add regeneration.
Framing regeneration as a linear upgrade to sustainability basically continues prioritizing extractive growth while appearing to do less harm. The critical question is not whether hotels can become regenerative within current systems, but whether genuine regeneration demands fundamentally reframing how we operate. Read the viewpoint →
Everyone Talks About AI Speed. Few Talk About Direction.
AI will transform hotel distribution and operations. That part is clear. What’s less clear is the direction this transformation takes, and whether speed alone determines success. The analysis argues that while AI automates processes and optimizes systems, it simultaneously makes human emotional intelligence more valuable for differentiation and margins.
In the race to deploy AI, hotels risk optimizing for efficiency without asking what they’re optimizing toward. Speed matters, but direction determines whether efficiency serves or undermines the core value proposition. Read the analysis →
The Two-Speed Industry: How Bifurcation Reshaped 2025
RevPAR fell 6.3% to $118.26 in 2025, but that headline number masks divergent realities. Luxury segments outperformed expectations while economy hotels missed budget by 12.8%. The bifurcation represents more than cyclical variation. It signals structural separation in how different market segments experience demand, pricing power, and profitability.
Q4 profitability data reinforces the split. Despite softer demand and declining RevPAR, full-year profit share improved due to disciplined operations and tighter cost control. Hotels are protecting margins even as top-line growth weakens. Read the analysis →
World Cup Lift Looks Modest But Strategic
CoStar forecasts the 2026 World Cup will drive 1.7% RevPAR growth in June and July, with host cities seeing 12.7% gains despite broader industry weakness. The forecast suggests a targeted rather than transformative impact. For host markets, the event provides meaningful short-term lift. For the broader industry, it offers a temporary counter to structural headwinds but doesn’t fundamentally alter the trajectory.
The modest national impact reflects the event’s concentrated geographic footprint and compressed timeline. Host cities will benefit significantly, but spillover effects remain limited. Read the forecast →
Signals
Middle East fundamentals stood out. The FHS World Advisory Board reported the region leads globally with $183 average room rate while the industry shifts toward institutional investors. AI adoption is forecast to reach 89% by next year, reinforcing technology as a competitive baseline rather than differentiator.
Room supply constrained convention growth. Hartford lost 1,300 hotel rooms since 2019, forcing the convention center to relocate major events like the NERVA tournament to Providence due to insufficient lodging capacity. The case illustrates how accommodation supply directly limits destination competitiveness for group business.
Trust emerged as the real tech driver. In a market flooded with promises, awards, and vendor emails, one signal still cuts through the noise: what other hoteliers actually say. The opinion examines why peer validation outweighs marketing claims in technology purchase decisions.