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Currently, LLMs do not have rich images and material, such as images of the rooms and facilities, that consumers normally demand when making hotel bookings, Kletzel said., meanwhile, has quickly expanded in recent years.

Beyond the guest experience, agentic commerce has the possible to shift the method hotel companies' customer support groups operate and are structured, Klein stated. "Will there be some corporations that discover the chance to lower personnel? Yes," Klein stated. However brands that think in great client experience and service will discover that AI might assist their agents "get associated with more complex, more business-critical conversations that help grow the service." In 2025, Hyatt lowered staff by approximately 30% across its guest services and assistance teams "in response to the progressing nature of guest inquiries and moving business requirements," per the business.

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This year, a number of collection brand names that launched in 2025 will continue to broaden. Extra new brand names and collaborations, especially in the lifestyle sector, will likely debut too, according to hospitality experts. In 2025, Marriott released 2 collection brands: Series by Marriott, playing in the upscale space in the U.S., and Outdoor Collection, exclusively concentrated on outside accommodations in destinations near national forests, deserts, ski areas and coastlines.

Marriott's Outdoor Collection provides distinct accommodations in locations near national parks, deserts, ski locations and shorelines.

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Hilton's Beginning Collection, particularly, has more than 60 hotels in the works throughout the U.S. and Canada, Kevin Osterhaus, president of lifestyle brand names at Hilton, informed Hotel Dive. Outset is currently checking out possible new locations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, along with markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus said.

"Collection brand names are appealing because they offer the best of both worlds: Owners keep the unique DNA of their property, while unlocking global distribution, profits management, commitment and support. Visitors get unique stays with the reassurance of a trusted brand name." "As long as brands are purpose-built and distinct in experience and rate point, they include clearness instead of confusion." Kevin Osterhaus President of way of life brands at Hilton From the guest perspective, independent boutique hotels are desirable because they provide authentic experiences, Gabriel Perez, chief running officer of lodging at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, informed Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel companies are going after independents in the lifestyle sector, "it's not about the guests. It's about creating sub-brands within their own brand names to please financiers' needs and to please owner and developers' goals," Perez stated. JLL's Davis echoed that belief, informing Hotel Dive that the industry is at the point of, if not past the point of, brand saturation, as "public companies [are] under a remarkable amount of pressure for net system growth." This, in turn, puts much more pressure on hotel business "to produce brands, micro brand names and subsets of brands in order to expand their footprint of existing possessions," Davis said.

Hilton's collection brand names' "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 methods to grow, and conversions represent a course for development," Molinary stated.

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According to Osterhaus, "As long as brand names are purpose-built and distinct in experience and price point, they include clarity rather than confusion." This year, Hilton prepares to stay "really active in the way of life area through strategic collaborations, new finalizings and ongoing growth of our current brands," Osterhaus stated. Molinary expects Marriott rivals to start offering some kind of branding option in the outdoor area, particularly, as "it's a truly popular and growing area" with "a great deal of interest." Another growing area is the high-end section.

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That pattern is expected to continue in 2026 as luxury customers drive travel spending and hotel reservations in the middle of a wealth bifurcation at play in the market. "High-net-worth tourists are expected to stay one of the most dependable motorists of worldwide travel spending next year," Giray Boran, handling director of BLG Capital, told Hotel Dive.