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Presently, LLMs lack abundant imagery and content, such as pictures of the rooms and features, that customers usually require when making hotel bookings, Kletzel stated., on the other hand, has rapidly broadened in current years.

Beyond the guest experience, agentic commerce has the possible to move the way hotel companies' client service teams run and are structured, Klein said. Yes," Klein said.

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

Marriott's Outdoor Collection uses distinct lodgings in destinations near nationwide parks, deserts, ski locations and coastlines.

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Hilton's Beginning Collection, particularly, has more than 60 hotels in the works across the U.S. and Canada, Kevin Osterhaus, president of way of life brand names at Hilton, told Hotel Dive. Outset is presently exploring possible brand-new locations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, along with markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus stated.

"Collection brands are appealing since they provide the finest of both worlds: Owners keep the unique DNA of their property, while opening worldwide circulation, revenue management, loyalty and assistance. Kevin Osterhaus President of way of life brands at Hilton From the guest viewpoint, independent boutique hotels are desirable because they use authentic experiences, Gabriel Perez, chief running officer of accommodations at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, informed Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel business are chasing after independents in the way of life segment, "it's not about the visitors. It has to do with creating sub-brands within their own brand names to satisfy investors' requirements and to satisfy owner and developers' goals," Perez stated. 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 companies [are] under a tremendous quantity 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 properties," Davis said.

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 community and developers who "are continuously looking for ways to grow, and conversions represent a path for development," 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 include clarity rather than confusion." This year, Hilton plans to remain "very active in the way of life area through tactical partnerships, brand-new signings and ongoing growth of our present brands," Osterhaus said. Molinary anticipates Marriott competitors to start providing some type of branding solution in the outside space, particularly, as "it's a truly popular and growing space" with "a great deal of interest." Another growing area is the high-end segment.

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That trend is expected to continue in 2026 as high-end customers drive travel spending and hotel reservations amid a wealth bifurcation at play in the market. "High-net-worth tourists are expected to stay one of the most dependable motorists of global travel spending next year," Giray Boran, managing director of BLG Capital, informed Hotel Dive.