The HOTEL Yearbook is proud to announce the launch of its 2025 Annual Edition, offering a wide-ranging look at the pressing trends, game-changing technologies, and emerging best practices shaping the future of hospitality. Featuring authoritative insights and forecasts from an international lineup of industry experts and academics, the 2025 Annual Edition underscores how hoteliers, brands, and travel organizations can thrive in a period of rapid transformation.
Market & Commercial Trends
This year’s market and commercial trends highlight the importance of versatility and alignment across various teams within hotels. Dr. Jean-Philippe Weisskopf and Philippe Masset (both Associate Professors at EHL Hospitality Business School) analyze what shaped 2024 and predict the critical themes—such as the volatile fine-wine market and regenerative tourism—that will influence operations and investments in the coming year. Brian Hicks (President and CEO at HSMAI) expands on the need for agility in commercial strategies, including workforce retention and economic volatility, by identifying 11 converging themes that will affect decision-making in sales, marketing, and revenue management.
Technology & AI Innovation
Innovations in AI and automation form a major thread throughout the 2025 Edition. Martin Soler (Partner at Soler & Associates) moves beyond simple chatbots and explores new AI-based transformations in revenue management and personalization. Simone Puorto (Founder | CEO | Futurist) provides ten bold predictions, reshaping how hotels engage with guests through futuristic tools and a total overhaul of operational assumptions. Florian Montag (VP of Business Development at apaleo) makes the case for an agent-first world, showing how advanced AI agents can replace traditional systems, fueling ultra-personalized service without the silos that often plague hospitality operations.
F&B and Wellness
The focus on innovative F&B and dynamic wellness offerings remains stronger than ever. Judit Szöllősi (F&B Concept Developer at Conceptional) pinpoints emergent consumer preferences, from authentic dining to plant-forward menus and sustainable practices that boost guest satisfaction and revenue. On the wellness front, Mia Mackman (Owner/Principal at MackmanES) reveals how personal well-being, regenerative hospitality, and holistic amenities define the evolving expectations of guests seeking more than just a bed to sleep in.
Operations, AV Systems & Asset Management
Operational excellence stands at the core of multiple features in this edition, with AV systems and asset management undergoing dramatic changes to drive engagement and better ROI. Michael Kinzel (Global Segment Development Manager Hospitality at d&b audiotechnik) offers a deep dive into top AV trends—such as immersive experiences and advanced noise control—emphasizing how these system enhancements yield standout atmospheres. In parallel, Alex Sogno (CEO of Global Asset Solutions) details ten strategic changes in asset management, from platform-building to leveraging F&B shifts, designed to generate measurable performance amid ongoing uncertainty.
Guest Experience & Retention
Max Starkov (Hospitality & travel technologist) identifies why guest retention and loyalty are more vital than ever before, urging hotels to adopt CRM technology and targeted digital strategies that build enduring connections. Meanwhile, Tiago Araújo (Co-founder & CEO at HiJiffy) explains how real-time feedback, AI-driven upselling, and multi-channel automation enable hotels to satisfy modern travelers seeking convenience while boosting ancillary revenue streams.
Marketing, Distribution & Direct Bookings
The new edition underscores the central role of marketing and direct bookings in driving profitability. Chris Egan (Chief Product Officer at Cendyn) offers strategies spanning AI-driven personalization, social media content, and video marketing. In tandem, Christin Haensel (Director at h2c GmbH) provides practical tips to elevate direct bookings through loyalty and CRM, and Binu Mathews (CEO at IDS Next) explores how CRS technology—particularly personalization engines—can modernize distribution and revolutionize sales.
Finance, Automation & Usali Updates
Kinza Raheel (Fairmas) outlines ten ways to harness financial automation, noting how cost-control, integrated data, and predictive analytics can guide strategic decisions. Adding to the finance conversation, Robert Mandelbaum (Director of Research at CBRE Hotels) previews essential USALI updates coming in the 12th edition, clarifying how a shift in reporting loyalty program expenses, executive lounge costs, and sustainability metrics will inform accurate financial statements starting January 2026.
Boutique & Alternative Accommodations
At the boutique end of the market, Frances Kiradjian (Founder/CEO of BLLA) explores the relentless push for authenticity, membership-based hospitality, and hyper-local F&B. Meanwhile, Carrie Hartman (President of 3Sixty) explains how new business models—including corporate housing and hybrid accommodations—are increasingly in demand, spotlighting both the duty-of-care expectations that define relocation services and new ways to diversify property portfolios.
Additional Insights
HYB 2025 Annual Edition also examines emerging trends in procurement, reputation management, and point-of-sale solutions, each a crucial link in the complex operational chain. On the procurement side, Johannes Vocke (FutureLog) offers strategies to streamline supply chains in a period of skyrocketing costs and fluctuating demand. Meanwhile, Tobias Roelen-Blasberg (MARA Solutions GmbH) highlights how sentiment analysis and automated review responses can transform a hotel’s online reputation into a powerful marketing and conversion tool. In parallel, Rohith Kori (Agilysys) demonstrates the ROI of upgrading outdated POS systems, stressing how modern, mobile-friendly interfaces boost staff productivity and enhance the guest experience.
Several experts delve into how artificial intelligence is reshaping operations from behind the scenes. Ira Vouk (Hospitality Technology and Revenue Management consultant) reveals new approaches to AI-based revenue strategies, predicting that seamless data exchange among property-wide systems will spur greater profitability. Jason G. Bryant (Oracle Hospitality) covers novel merchandising trends, including “agentic AI,” which can elevate the customer experience beyond the standard booking path. Echoing these themes, Sergio Serra (Guestcentric Systems) explores next-level personalization powered by large language models (LLMs), demonstrating how hyper-relevant guest interactions increasingly drive loyalty and ancillary revenue.
Guest journeys remain a key focus throughout. Bill Daviau (Lighthouse) explains how business intelligence tools are transforming pricing decisions and shifting hoteliers from reactionary tactics to proactive demand forecasting, while Custódio Barreiros (EIP MGT) illustrates how a well-planned employee journey—supported by automation and data transparency—directly ties to better guest interactions and retention. Pedro Torres (Youverse) underscores the critical importance of digital identity in shaping a secure, frictionless stay, and Bryan Michalis (Canary Technologies) outlines the top digital touchpoints that delight modern travelers, from mobile check-ins to unified payment experiences.
On the marketing front, DJ Vallauri (Lodging Interactive) provides in-depth insights into 2025’s hottest social media strategies for hotels, guiding hoteliers to move beyond mere impressions and drive actual conversions. Karen Stephens (Revinate) highlights the growing imperative of unified data management—breaking down silos to drive timely marketing campaigns and better guest targeting. Meanwhile, Sal Capizzi (Agilysys) underscores wellness tech’s rising role in capturing a lucrative segment of travelers, detailing how integrated health and spa solutions are increasingly driving revenue and loyalty. Additional pieces by Rachelle Peterson (LOQIA Group) on media content, Daniel Craig (Reknown) on content strategy, Kate Fuller (IRIS Software Systems) on mobile ordering for F&B, Klaus Kohlmayr (IDeaS) on revenue management, and Ethan Wiseman (Sabre Hospitality) on the next generation of booking engine features offer hoteliers an unprecedented roadmap to navigate—and succeed—in a fast-evolving market.
About The Hotel Yearbook 2025 Annual Edition
The HOTEL Yearbook is a leading compendium of forward-looking commentary from senior executives and thought leaders around the globe. Each year’s edition is a must-read for hoteliers, investors, developers, and anyone with a stake in the hospitality industry’s future. The 2025 Annual Edition offers a sweeping view of innovations—from AI and automation to new wellness paradigms—enabling industry professionals to future-proof their operations and drive growth.
Click here to read the complete edition online.
