Currently, LLMs lack rich imagery and content, such as photos of the rooms and amenities, that customers usually demand when making hotel reservations, Kletzel stated., on the other hand, has rapidly broadened in current years.

Beyond the visitor experience, agentic commerce has the prospective to move the method hotel business' customer service teams run and are structured, Klein said. Yes," Klein stated.

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This year, several collection brands that launched in 2025 will continue to expand. Additional brand-new brands and partnerships, particularly in the lifestyle sector, will likely debut as well, according to hospitality professionals.

Marriott's Outdoor Collection uses unique lodgings in locations near national forests, deserts, ski areas and shorelines. Thanks To Marriott International Wyndham Hotels & Resorts revealed its Dazzler Select brand name extension targeting independent hoteliers in the economy way of life section. And IHG Hotels & Resorts promoted its own forthcoming upper-tier collection brand name throughout third-quarter profits.

Strategic Tips for Restaurant Brand Expansion

Hilton's Outset 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, told Hotel Dive. Beginning is currently exploring possible brand-new areas in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, along with markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus stated.

Key Market Milestones for 2026 Expansion

"Collection brand names are appealing due to the fact that they provide the finest of both worlds: Owners keep the unique DNA of their residential or commercial property, while opening international circulation, profits management, loyalty and assistance. Visitors get one-of-a-kind stays with the reassurance of a relied on brand." "As long as brands are purpose-built and unique in experience and cost point, they add clearness instead of confusion." Kevin Osterhaus President of lifestyle brand names at Hilton From the guest perspective, independent store hotels are preferable because they use genuine experiences, Gabriel Perez, chief operating officer of accommodations at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, informed Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel business are chasing independents in the way of life sector, "it's not about the visitors. It's about developing sub-brands within their own brand names to please financiers' requirements and to satisfy owner and designers' goals," Perez said. This, in turn, puts even more pressure on hotel companies "to create brand names, micro brand names and subsets of brand names in order to expand their footprint of existing assets," Davis said.

Hilton's collection brand names' "unique positioning and storytelling continue to drive interest throughout chain scales," Osterhaus said. According to Bobby Molinary, Marriott's primary development officer for select brands, interest in Marriott's new collection brand names comes in the middle of a tough high-cost-of-construction environment that has made it "progressively tough to build brand-new hotels." Series and Outdoor Collection, both conversion-friendly offerings, refer to an ownership neighborhood and designers who "are constantly looking for ways to grow, and conversions represent a path for growth," Molinary stated.

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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 instead of confusion." This year, Hilton prepares to stay "really active in the lifestyle space through tactical collaborations, new finalizings and ongoing growth of our current brands," Osterhaus said. Molinary anticipates Marriott rivals to begin supplying some type of branding service in the outside area, specifically, as "it's a really popular and growing area" with "a great deal of interest." Another growing space is the high-end section.

Targeting High-ROI Business Investments in 2026

That trend is anticipated to continue in 2026 as luxury consumers drive travel spending and hotel bookings amid a wealth bifurcation at play in the industry. "High-net-worth tourists are expected to remain among the most trustworthy motorists of worldwide travel spending next year," Giray Boran, managing director of BLG Capital, told Hotel Dive.

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