Revenue Management & Channel Opt

Over the past few years, like to 3 to 5 years, conversations about generational differences in the workplace have grown noticeably more charged. What once felt like manageable tension has turned into open and public frustration, with leaders and teams often speaking past one another instead of engaging productively. These challenges are frequently attributed to differences in values, work ethic, or even expectations, yet that explanation overlooks what I consistently see on the ground: a leadership education that has not kept in pace with the workforce that is now expected to lead.

Modern sales leadership must rethink talent, incentives, and team design to scale revenue in 2026.

Let’s talk about a silent problem that’s costing hotel groups thousands of hours a year, and quietly strangling their ability to scale.

It’s been the recent talk of the industry. We’ve been sensing it for a while, and now it’s getting clearer: AI is slowly but surely disrupting online travel discovery, search and possibly booking. Markus Busch recently broke this down in one of the better hotel industry pieces I’ve read lately. And Thomas Reiner has an excellent take as well. Here’s my take (which is a slightly more detailed version of the post I shared).

Many of us will have been in meetings over the past few weeks, analyzing the year just gone and considering what could be done differently in 2026. How can can successes be enhanced and lessons learned from our failures? Such events are a chance to understand that a new year means opportunities to do things differently.

Every revenue manager has had that moment. You sit there, staring at the screen. Pickup is… meh. Forecast is blinking at you like it knows something you don’t. Sales wants action. Marketing wants “a campaign.” The GM wants certainty. The owner wants sleep.

Artificial Intelligence has transitioned from the future of technology into an actual key player in business decisions – and the hospitality industry has welcomed it. From dynamic pricing engines and chatbot concierges to predictive maintenance and personalized guest journeys, AI is redefining how hotels operate, market, and deliver services to their customers. With these new tech inclusions, the industry has a vested interest in identifying what’s working, what’s not, and what pivots leaders should be planning for next.

Hotel technology rarely stands still. As hotel businesses grow, their needs change, and the systems that once felt like an adequate fit can start to feel limiting. What supports a single property does not always scale cleanly across a portfolio. Over time, technology decisions tend to follow a maturity curve shaped by size, operational complexity, and long-term ambitions.

Google has officially entered a new phase of inbox intelligence. With the rollout of Gmail features powered by Gemini AI, the inbox is no longer just a place where emails arrive. It is becoming an AI-curated feed that prioritizes relevance, engagement, and perceived importance.For hoteliers, this shift represents more than a product update. It signals a fundamental change in how marketing emails are evaluated, surfaced, and consumed by guests. While traditional deliverability still matters, visibility is now determined by how much attention your emails earn.

If you run an independent hotel or B&B, you know what it means to wear too many hats.