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Currently, LLMs lack rich images and content, such as images of the spaces and amenities, that customers usually demand when making hotel reservations, Kletzel said., meanwhile, has quickly expanded in current years.

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

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This year, numerous collection brands that introduced in 2025 will continue to broaden. Additional brand-new brand names and partnerships, particularly in the way of life section, will likely debut as well, according to hospitality experts.

Marriott's Outdoor Collection provides distinct lodgings in destinations near nationwide parks, deserts, ski areas and shorelines.

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Hilton's Outset Collection, particularly, has more than 60 hotels in the works across the U.S. and Canada, Kevin Osterhaus, president of lifestyle brands at Hilton, informed Hotel Dive. Beginning is presently checking out possible new places in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus stated.

"Collection brand names are appealing since they use the best of both worlds: Owners keep the special DNA of their property, while unlocking worldwide circulation, earnings management, commitment and assistance. Guests get distinctive stays with the reassurance of a trusted brand name." "As long as brands are purpose-built and unique in experience and price point, they include clarity rather than confusion." Kevin Osterhaus President of lifestyle brand names at Hilton From the visitor point of view, independent shop hotels are desirable due to the fact that they provide authentic experiences, Gabriel Perez, primary operating officer of accommodations at The Indigo Roadway Hospitality Group, told Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel companies are chasing independents in the lifestyle section, "it's not about the visitors. It's about developing sub-brands within their own brand names to please investors' needs and to satisfy owner and developers' 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 tremendous quantity of pressure for net system growth." This, in turn, puts a lot more pressure on hotel companies "to develop brand names, micro brands and subsets of brand names in order to broaden their footprint of existing assets," Davis stated.

Hilton's collection brand names' "distinct positioning and storytelling continue to drive interest throughout chain scales," Osterhaus said. According to Bobby Molinary, Marriott's primary development officer for select brand names, interest in Marriott's new collection brands comes amidst a tough high-cost-of-construction environment that has made it "increasingly challenging to construct brand-new hotels." Series and Outdoor Collection, both conversion-friendly offerings, relate to an ownership community and developers who "are continuously searching for methods to grow, and conversions represent a path for development," Molinary said.

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According to Osterhaus, "As long as brand names are purpose-built and unique in experience and cost point, they include clearness instead of confusion." This year, Hilton prepares to stay "very active in the way of life space through strategic partnerships, new signings and ongoing growth of our existing brands," Osterhaus stated. Molinary anticipates Marriott rivals to start supplying some type of branding service in the outdoor space, particularly, as "it's a truly popular and growing space" with "a lot of interest." Another growing space is the high-end section.

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That pattern is expected to continue in 2026 as high-end customers drive travel costs and hotel bookings amid a wealth bifurcation at play in the industry. "High-net-worth travelers are expected to stay one of the most trustworthy drivers of worldwide travel spending next year," Giray Boran, handling director of BLG Capital, told Hotel Dive.