The hospitality sector faces shifting traveller expectations, environmental pressures, technological disruption and evolving investment strategies. Against this backdrop, Howard Kennedy launches the Edge of Hospitality 2026 report exploring how hotels are redefining themselves to connect, innovate and grow.
From boutique hotels attracting private equity to heritage buildings being reborn as immersive destinations, and AI and sustainability becoming operational priorities, the report examines the forces shaping the guest experience economy and the commercial frameworks underpinning it. Building on the Edge of Retail report this latest publication tailored for the hospitality industry is structured around four chapters under the E.D.G.E. framework, exploring the forces redefining growth and competitiveness:
EVOLVE – Analyses economic trends, the growing appetite for boutique hotel investment and how heritage buildings are being repurposed into immersive destinations.
DISRUPT – Explores the impact of technology and AI on hotel operations and guest experience, and how private equity is reshaping the sector.
GROW – Looks at generational shifts in traveller behaviour, the strategic power of branding and the implications of the Employment Rights Bill for hospitality businesses.
EXPAND – Investigates the changing role of real estate, sustainability as a core operational priority and the future design of hotel spaces.
Featuring insights from leading brands and advisers including Wyndham, Fattal, Bob W, Michels &Taylor and Christie & Co, this report provides a forward-looking perspective on the opportunities and challenges ahead.
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