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What Hotels Are Doing to Stay Fresh in 2019

Hospitality is one of the most innovative industries in modern day. The sector has seen gradual but consistent growth in the last decade, and that trend will likely continue. Since supply is high, so is competition, which drives much of the evolution currently taking place. The new trends manifest themselves in various areas, but two…

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What Hotels Are Doing to Stay Fresh in 2019

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Hospitality is one of the most innovative industries in modern day. The sector has seen gradual but consistent growth in the last decade, and that trend will likely continue. Since supply is high, so is competition, which drives much of the evolution currently taking place. The new trends manifest themselves in various areas, but two have the opportunity to be the winners of 2019.

The hotel lobby is less lobby and more living room these days, offering both privacy and engagement with others, or the best of both worlds. Operating as the heart of the hotel, the lobby is a place to not only connect gadgets, but also connect to other guests or those with whom people are traveling with. Interior design is trending toward homey but useful, and the environment feels more open but with plenty of hideaway areas. Eco-friendly potted plants in lieu of permanent dividers are often used to create these nooks to allow for intimacy in the midst of utility. These personalized environments usually also cater to the desire to explore, in essence revolutionizing the lobbies of the past.

While home-away-from-home drives the living room-lobby movement, the opposite appears to have birthed this next trend. It seems pointless to travel without soaking up some local color. Even when visiting a city for business, a little pleasure can rejuvenate the business traveler. That is why hotels of today are integrating the guest experience with the local culture. The thinking behind this innovation is in part that that the local touch can create a unique ambiance for guests, regardless of their purpose for the hotel stay. The hotel is becoming a pivotal piece of an overall experience for its guests, offering spa services and lending gadgets to guests in need. Many new hotels are partnering with local businesses and artists to construct a miniature version of the city and all its character.

Hotels will likely continue to have slow but steady growth on paper, but the industry is evolving at lightning speed when it comes to design and amenities. With millennials as the most frequent visitors, experience is everything for the hotel who wants to succeed. And while technology is central to much of the modern hotel upgrades, the driving force is less tech-oriented and more personalized for some of today’s trends.

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Leonardo Hotels rebuilds its development team to absorb 28 new hotels in 2026

Leonardo Hotels rebuilds its development team to absorb 28 new hotels in 2026

About 20 properties from the former Revo portfolio are among the 28 hotels Leonardo Hotels Central Europe expects to add in 2026. The high volume of parallel work was one of the major reasons for the team changes. New development leads for the Nordics, Italy and Central Europe show where the group plans to buy and grow.

  • 01Leonardo Hotels Central Europe is running a heavy load of hotel projects in parallel: 28 new hotels in 2026 plus roughly 30 older conversions and renovations, with several advanced new builds set to launch next year.
  • 02In the Nordics, the stated preference is for existing hotels in capital cities that can move into one of Leonardo's seven brands relatively quickly, through purchase or lease.
  • 03Partnership IV is expected to total €800 million to €1 billion; Partnership III had reached €542 million by January 2025, and Leonardo expects around 20 acquisitions in 2027.

Oct 9, 2026

Spire Hospitality puts hotel IT, forecasting and AI under one executive

Spire Hospitality puts hotel IT, forecasting and AI under one executive

Spire Hospitality launched a Strategic Asset Performance division on Sept. 30, led by newly promoted SVP Shozib Khan. He now oversees IT, financial planning, hotel systems, hotel resources and transitions, brand resources, AI strategy and owner partnership. The org chart is the news. For hotel owners, the test is whether earlier forecasts become earlier action at their properties.

  • 01Spire says the challenge is tying data to decisions and execution, even as hotel firms have more data and technology than ever. The new division’s test is whether it helps flag opportunities sooner and act before month-end reporting.
  • 02The most concrete lever for owners is executive oversight for selected hotels that need extra attention. What triggers that oversight decides when senior help reaches a given property.

Oct 7, 2026

AI Hospitality Group aims for 500-basis-point margin gains in six months

AI Hospitality Group aims for 500-basis-point margin gains in six months

AI Hospitality Group, a Dallas startup led by former Remington Hospitality CEO Sloan Dean, launched with $7.5 million to manage hotels using AI agents instead of selling software. It targets at least 500 basis points of gross operating profit margin within six months of taking over a hotel. Owners would judge it on the P&L.

  • 01AIHG sells hotel AI as a management contract, taking over the P&L instead of selling software.
  • 02At least 500 basis points of gross operating profit margin within six months is AIHG’s stated target, a benchmark owners can audit.
  • 03The results so far come from three California design-partner hotels. The signal to watch is the first signed management agreements beyond those partners, and what those properties report at the six-month mark.

Oct 7, 2026

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