Weekly Insights. January 17, 2026

How can independent hotels boost direct bookings against OTAs?

Our Industry Expert Panel exists out of professionals within the hospitality & travel Industry. They have comprehensive and detailed knowledge, experience in practice or management and are forward-thinking. They are answering questions about the state of the industry. They share their insights on topics like revenue management, marketing, operations, technology and discuss the latest trends.

The transparency gap: Why the owner-operator model is broken

The article says the traditional owner–operator model breaks down because operators are incentivized to chase top-line revenue while owners care about net profit, and legacy contracts and slow reporting create an information wall. It argues for total transparency as a contractual right, with real-time, shared data from systems like PMS and RMS so both parties align on daily execution rather than waiting for curated monthly decks. The takeaway is to replace siloed spreadsheets with a single source of truth that lets owners and operators track actions in real time and focus on outcomes.

Is your hotel visible in ChatGPT search? A quick guide to help you compete with OTAs for AI planned trips

The article explains that more travelers now use ChatGPT to plan and book, so hotels without live rates, availability, and clean structured content risk being invisible. It recommends connecting real time pricing and inventory via metasearch and APIs, keeping listings, photos, and reviews complete and consistent, writing clear Q and A style content, and measuring AI sourced traffic and conversions. It also suggests using tools that let AI agents read and book the property directly so visibility turns into direct revenue.

Ten luxury trends for the 2026 luxury renaissance

The article says luxury hospitality in 2026 is defined by intimacy and purpose, with smaller key counts and low occupancy to protect privacy, more multigenerational travel, deeper nature and farm-based experiences, sustainability and cultural stewardship as core brand values, and wellness moving from spa menus to full personalized retreats and brain health programs; it ends by noting a growing “everything sommelier” mindset that tailors tastes from pre-arrival through the stay.

Travel advisors market: Thriving or struggling for relevancy?

The article says travel advisor role is evolving, with demand strongest for complex and luxury trips where human guidance, crisis support, and curation matter most. Advisors are growing in number, serving higher income clients, and leaning on modern tools, niche expertise, and service fees alongside commissions. The takeaway is that AI and online booking have shifted their role from order taking to trusted planning and problem solving, keeping advisors relevant in today’s travel market.

The best hotel tech apps of 2026

Discover the top rated hotel tech products to run & grow your hotel business in 2026 based on real product reviews from verified hoteliers at the world’s leading hotel companies. 

Why mathematics is important in business and hospitality education

The article argues that learning mathematics builds the kind of reasoning managers need in hospitality and business. It says math trains people to clarify assumptions, focus on relevant facts, structure unfamiliar problems, and test whether solutions make sense, so decisions become clearer and more reliable beyond the classroom.

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