Weekly Insights. February 14, 2026

Will Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) turn hotel distribution upside down?

Google just introduced its UCP, which establishes a common language among the three stakeholders of Agentic AI: agents, systems/platforms and consumers. The goal of UCP is to assist consumers through product/service discovery, buying/checkout and post-purchase customer support.

UCP is compatible with existing agentic AI protocols including Anthropic's MCP, Agent2Agent and Agent Payments Protocol and working with online payment solutions such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Stripe.

UCP will support AI commerce on product listings in Google's AI Mode and on the Gemini app. At this time, UCP will enable consumers to purchase and pay for products from eligible retailers.

UCP and travel? Experts predict "huge implications" for travel and that "UCP will change the way all elements of travel are booked, from hotel rooms to flights to tours."

The question is: what and how big will Google UCP's impact will be on hotel distribution?

Why revenue management isn’t enough for complex portfolios

The Duetto article argues that traditional revenue management is not enough for complex portfolios because the real challenge is coordinating strategy across many properties, teams, and data sources. It says portfolio leaders need a broader approach that standardizes how pricing, forecasting, and reporting work across the group, reduces manual coordination for cluster teams, and uses automation to keep execution consistent as the portfolio grows.

AI in Hospitality: The 2025 reality and the 2026 horizon

The article explains that AI is already changing hotel visibility, booking, and day to day work, and that 2026 will reward hotels that are AI ready, not just experimenting. It says AI platforms are becoming a new place where travelers discover and book hotels, so hotels need their rates, availability, content, and policies in formats AI can read and surface. It also highlights Model Context Protocol as a key enabler because it lets AI securely access hotel data and take actions, and it stresses that hyper personalization will spread across every channel, making clean data and connected systems the foundation for staying discoverable and competitive.

GOPPAR: The hotelier’s guide to 'Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room'

The article explains GOPPAR, which stands for gross operating profit per available room, as a profit focused metric that shows how well a hotel turns its available rooms into operating profit after covering operating expenses. It contrasts GOPPAR with RevPAR by stressing that RevPAR only reflects room revenue, while GOPPAR gives a broader view of overall financial performance and efficiency. The article also shares a simple way to calculate it and suggests using it alongside other KPIs to spot where costs are rising, where revenue is improving, and where operational changes can drive stronger profitability.

Hospitality construction: Trends and challenges for the future

The article explains that hotel and restaurant construction teams often focus on finishing the building, while operators focus on how the space will actually work day to day, and that gap can create costly mistakes if operations are not involved early. It reviews major development themes like sustainability and certifications, energy and water efficiency, contactless and smart technology, flexible multiuse public spaces, and growth in segments like extended stay, and it encourages hotels to treat sustainability as a long-term mindset built into planning, construction, and ongoing operations.

What to do when your hotel isn’t pacing like last year

The article says being behind last year’s pace should not trigger an immediate rate drop because pace is only a clue, not a verdict. It recommends first checking what is truly driving the gap by segment, channel, and specific dates, then reviewing booking window shifts and cancellations, and comparing your performance to the market before changing prices. It warns against panic discounting and suggests making targeted moves only where demand is genuinely soft, while also rechecking the forecast with scenarios and communicating the story clearly to stakeholders so the team does not overreact.

Why ChatGPT is not a revenue management tool

The article explains that ChatGPT can help with revenue management tasks like brainstorming, summarizing, or drafting ideas, but it is not a revenue management tool because it does not have direct access to live hotel data, real time market signals, or automated system integrations needed to forecast demand, set and publish rates, and keep decisions consistent. The main point is that revenue management requires connected data, continuous monitoring, and repeatable execution, and ChatGPT only works with whatever information you manually provide.

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