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Presently, LLMs lack abundant imagery and content, such as pictures of the spaces and amenities, that customers generally require when making hotel reservations, Kletzel said., on the other hand, has quickly broadened in recent years.

Beyond the guest experience, agentic commerce has the potential to shift the method hotel companies' customer care teams operate and are structured, Klein stated. "Will there be some corporations that discover the chance to lower staff? Yes," Klein stated. Brand names that think in fantastic consumer experience and service will learn that AI might assist their representatives "get involved in more complex, more business-critical discussions that help grow the business." In 2025, Hyatt minimized personnel by approximately 30% throughout its visitor services and assistance groups "in action to the evolving nature of visitor inquiries and moving company needs," per the business.

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This year, numerous collection brands that introduced in 2025 will continue to expand. Additional new brands and partnerships, especially in the lifestyle section, will likely debut as well, according to hospitality professionals. In 2025, Marriott launched two collection brands: Series by Marriott, playing in the upscale space in the U.S., and Outdoor Collection, solely focused on outside lodgings in destinations near national parks, deserts, ski areas and shorelines.

Marriott's Outdoor Collection uses special lodgings in locations near nationwide parks, deserts, ski locations and shorelines. Courtesy of Marriott International Wyndham Hotels & Resorts revealed its Dazzler Select brand extension targeting independent hoteliers in the economy way of life section. And IHG Hotels & Resorts promoted its own upcoming upper-tier collection brand throughout third-quarter profits.

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Hilton's Start Collection, particularly, has more than 60 hotels in the works throughout the U.S. and Canada, Kevin Osterhaus, president of way of life brand names at Hilton, told Hotel Dive. Start is currently exploring possible brand-new locations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, in addition to markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus said.

"Collection brand names are appealing due to the fact that they offer the very best of both worlds: Owners keep the special DNA of their property, while opening global circulation, income management, commitment and support. Visitors get distinctive stays with the reassurance of a relied on brand name." "As long as brand names are purpose-built and distinct in experience and price point, they add clearness rather than confusion." Kevin Osterhaus President of way of life brand names at Hilton From the visitor point of view, independent store hotels are preferable because they offer genuine experiences, Gabriel Perez, chief running officer of accommodations at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, informed Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel companies are chasing after independents in the lifestyle section, "it's not about the visitors. It's about producing sub-brands within their own brands to satisfy investors' requirements and to please owner and designers' goals," Perez said. JLL's Davis echoed that sentiment, informing Hotel Dive that the industry is at the point of, if not past the point of, brand saturation, as "public business [are] under a remarkable quantity of pressure for net system growth." This, in turn, puts even more pressure on hotel companies "to produce brands, micro brands and subsets of brand names in order to broaden their footprint of existing assets," Davis stated.

Hilton's collection brands' "unique positioning and storytelling continue to drive interest across chain scales," Osterhaus stated. Series and Outdoor Collection, both conversion-friendly offerings, pertain to an ownership neighborhood and developers who "are constantly looking for ways to grow, and conversions represent a course for development," Molinary said.

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According to Osterhaus, "As long as brand names are purpose-built and distinct in experience and cost point, they add clarity rather than confusion." This year, Hilton prepares to remain "really active in the lifestyle space through tactical partnerships, new signings and ongoing development of our present brand names," Osterhaus stated. Molinary expects Marriott competitors to begin offering some kind of branding option in the outdoor area, particularly, as "it's a really popular and growing area" with "a great deal of interest." Another growing space is the luxury sector.

Top Lucrative Investment Opportunities for the Future

That pattern is anticipated to continue in 2026 as high-end consumers drive travel costs and hotel reservations amid a wealth bifurcation at play in the market. "High-net-worth travelers are expected to remain among the most trustworthy chauffeurs of worldwide travel costs next year," Giray Boran, handling director of BLG Capital, informed Hotel Dive.