📌 2026 Hospitality Trends That Drive Revenue

2026 hospitality actions: protect price, cut friction, lift repeat. Expert insights from Substack’s Hospitality Heroes for hotels & restaurants.

🌞 Hello and Welcome to this week’s Special Expert Edition of Hospitality Marketing Insight

I’m your host, Dawn Gribble. This week, the newsletter is free for all subscribers. You may not know this, but Hospitality Marketing Insight is read in 79 Countries! So I’ve invited Substack’s Hospitality Heroes to help the industry prepare for 2026. This edition is complimentary for all readers and draws on more than 200 years of combined experience.

📄 On the Menu this week

• How Will AEI Change the Restaurant CFO’s Day-to-Day?

• How Will GLP-1 Shift Portions—and Total Take—for Operators?

• What Will AI Actually Do for Independent Hotels in 2026?

• What Does the “Intelligence of Touch” Look Like in Practice?

• How Do We Give Guests Time Back in 2026?

• Why Must Hospitality Brands Be Visible to AI in 2026?

• Why Will Operators Who Act Like Media Win in 2026?

• What Changes When Hospitality Becomes Strategy, Not Service?

Let’s Check In ☕

🧭 What 2026 Really Means for Hospitality Operators

2025 has been tough for operators. Guests wanted memorable experiences and were ready to pay for quality wellness. AI became genuinely helpful in some areas, like pricing and routine tasks. Still, profit margins remained tight. Rising wages, energy, and food costs made things tougher. Guests spent more carefully, looking for obvious value. Staffing was a challenge, and the uncertain economic outlook made investors hesitant.

Owners are mainly worried about profits. It’s tough to show value without always offering discounts. Technology offers solutions, but connecting systems like PMS, ordering, and AI takes real effort. Managing more guest data also increases cybersecurity risks. At the same time, guests expect personal service, flexible choices, and real sustainability. Balancing all of this without overwhelming your team is the main challenge.

To succeed in 2026, you must make it easier for customers to say yes, so they decide more quickly. Use AI behind the scenes to prevent small mistakes from reaching guests. Offer products and stories that support your pricing.

---

🌍 The 2026 Outlook from Substack’s Hospitality Heroes

Next up, practical solutions from Substack’s hospitality creators, who operate real venues and solve real issues. If this helps, tap “Like” on Substack so more operators see it, then let’s get into the insights.

📊 How Will AEI Change the Restaurant CFO’s Day-to-Day?

2026 will be the year of data for restaurant CFOs. Beyond taxes, compliance, and FP&A, our focus will shift toward mastering analytics as AEI (Actionable Executive Intelligence), transforming raw data into real-time, KPI-driven insights.

Expect new roles, like Data Integrity Specialists, to bridge accounting and IT, and to manage a growing network of SaaS platforms and data reservoirs. While “True Restaurant AI Integration” is still emerging, several innovative companies are close. Just as the late ’90s tech boom reshaped hospitality, AI is doing the same today. The restaurants that embrace data-driven insights and intelligent automation, while still maintaining a human touch, will be the ones to watch.

The modern restaurant CFO will be the strategic innovator of technology, talent, and transformation.

Bruce Nelson is a restaurant CFO and profit strategist; he has 20+ years leading finance in multi-site groups and as a fractional CFO, and is the author of The Restaurant CFO, a practical newsletter on pricing and menu profitability, labour planning, and AEI-driven P&L decisions.

Learn more

The Right Kind of AI

---

💊 How Will GLP-1 Shift Portions and Total Take for Operators?

In 2026, I think we’ll see three key shifts:

1️⃣ Restaurants will slow down.

• Less pistachio-green trend chasing, more focus on being an ‘establishment’.

• The antidote to AI overwhelm and modern life.

• Think brasserie-style comfort, nostalgic dishes, and spaces built to last 60 years, not six months.

2️⃣ Conversely, GLP-1 will reshape menus, especially around city (financial district) restaurants.

• Smaller, protein-packed portions will become the norm - likely easing costs for diners but contracting overall take for operators.

• That’ll force a need for innovation and new revenue streams: think more “at-home” products and retail plays, the way Ottolenghi and Gymkhana have done.
  (Also, don’t be surprised if you see Dishoom on grocery shelves in the UK and US next year.)

3️⃣ The rise of no-and-low finally hits the mainstream.

• Operators are waking up to how much money (and guest satisfaction) they’ve been missing.

• Kombucha, Botivo, Mother Root - expect them to become menu staples, not side notes, hidden away in fridges but not always actually written on menus.”

Ben Walton is a food and drink growth strategist and founder of On A Plate; he has 20+ years across hospitality and FMCG (including Ben’s Canteen and Bloody Bens), and is the author of On A Plate — Growth Marketing Ideas, an operator-first resource for email and retention plays, e-commerce conversion, and community-led growth.

Learn more

SUNDAY SERVICE: Community Isn’t Vibes - It’s Your Growth Plan

---

🏨 What Will AI Actually Do for Independent Hotels in 2026?

In 2026, AI finally earns its hospitality name tag. For independent hotels and vacation rentals, it won’t be about robots taking over the front desk. It will be about finally having help that shows up on time. AI will write smoother guest replies, catch small mistakes before guests do, and free owners from the endless cycle of doing it all. The best operators will use it to sound more human, not less, because real hospitality isn’t disappearing. It is just getting a little smarter behind the scenes.

Kay Walten is a hospitality and destination marketing strategist and founder of Smart Pineapple; she has 35+ years’ experience (including launching one of Mexico’s first online reservation services and building/exiting a travel brand), and is the author of AI for Hospitality & Tourism – Smart Pineapple, an essential source for direct-booking growth, guest-experience design, and AI-powered marketing workflows.

Learn more

Steal Your Guests’ Words to Boost Bookings by Up to 30% — in 30 Minutes

---

✋ What Does the “Intelligence of Touch” Look Like in Practice?

In 2026, hospitality comes alive through the intelligence of touch, where service mastery meets guests’ expectations and every meal tells a story. Visionary culinarians compose experiences that awaken the senses, blending innovation with soulful creativity. Ingredients reveal their provenance, menus express individuality, and service moves with effortless precision.

Increasingly, ‘Green’ becomes not just an aspiration, but a mandate. Green Globe Certifications define excellence in sustainable tourism, honouring those who unite ethical purpose with exceptional craft.

The future of hospitality is unmistakably human, an art shaped by empathy and imagination, designed for travellers who seek meaning in every encounter.

Kiran Robinson is an author, advisor, and mentor on service leadership; she has 30+ years across kitchens, dining rooms, and operations (including 17 years at Stanford Health Care), and is the author of Hospitality is a Lifestyle, a thoughtful read on service leadership, global dining culture, and seasonal hospitality rituals.

Learn more

More Than a Job: Hospitality is a Lifestyle

---

⏳ How Do We Give Guests Time Back in 2026?

Luxury has always evolved. Once it was opulence, then it became space, and for a moment even air — clean and healthy. In 2026, luxury will be defined by time.

The brands that win will be those that reclaim time for their guests. That means eliminating decision fatigue, anticipating needs before they’re voiced, and delivering just-in-time assistance that feels effortless.

The real differentiator will be hidden technology — not dashboards and apps, but seamless outcomes. Guests won’t ask which AI model you’re running; they’ll remember that you gave them back an evening, an hour, a moment that mattered.

Prabhjot Singh Bedi is Founder & CEO of Eclat Hospitality and a hospitality leadership advisor; he has 20+ years spanning hotel operations, recruitment, and coaching, and is the author of Eclat Hospitality Weekly, a weekly briefing on careers and recruitment, leadership development, and industry opportunities.

Learn more

Bouncing Back Stronger: Career Comebacks, New Openings & What’s Buzzing in Hospitality

---

👁️ Why Must Hospitality Brands Be Visible to AI in 2026?

For your 2026 resolutions: if you want to understand the future of hospitality, you have to follow it globally. The trends shaping tomorrow’s travel experience are accelerating across Asia and the Middle East, where digital and physical innovation merge fast. What is piloted there today will be expected everywhere tomorrow.

Adaptation is not optional. In 2026, hospitality brands will not compete on location or luxury. They will compete on how well they are understood by AI. If you do not know how large language models shape travel decisions, you are not invisible to customers. You are invisible to the algorithms that choose for them.

Alex Baar is a global e-commerce and digital marketing leader; he has 15+ years’ experience across B2B/B2C and international localisation (Europe and Asia), and is the author of Crossborder Alex — Global Marketing & E-commerce, a weekly briefing on localisation & cross-border retail, AI & tooling, and global marketing playbooks.

Learn more

Global Digital Marketing & Retail by Alex 113

---

🎙️ Why Will Operators Who Act Like Media Win in 2026?

Hospitality in 2026 will be defined by digital storytelling and AI-powered personalization. Guests don’t just want great food or service, they want a brand they can connect with online before they ever walk through the door. Operators who embrace content creation, automation, and community-driven media will win. The restaurants that thrive won’t just serve meals, they will serve meaningful stories, consistently shared across platforms. The future belongs to those who understand they are not just in hospitality, they are in the media business.

Shawn Walchef is a restaurant media entrepreneur and host of Restaurant Influencers and Digital Hospitality; he has 15+ years operating Cali BBQ and building Cali BBQ Media to help brands “be the show, not the commercial,” and is the author of Restaurant Technology, a hands-on reference for digital storytelling, AI-enabled guest engagement, and operator media strategy.

Learn more

What's Happening Inside Google? A Restaurant Search Evolution

---

♟️ What Changes When Hospitality Becomes Strategy, Not Service?

In 2026, the best brands will use hospitality as strategy, not service — creating experiences, not just products. Guests no longer separate a brand from the world you invite them into, from its stay to its store to its service. Expect brands to double down on thoughtful details that make people feel seen and cared for — that’s the strongest retention strategy. From signature scents to personalized service touches and storytelling woven through every space, the smallest details will define the biggest loyalties.

After a decade producing brand experiences, I’ve learned one truth: in a world chasing efficiency, care remains the ultimate luxury.

Maya Seshadri is Director, Global Event Strategy & Ops at TikTok, she has over a decade producing high-stakes brand experiences for Twitter and TikTok, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and franchise programmes, and she is the author of Run of Show, an essential source for step-by-step planning systems, experiential event strategy, and backstage career growth.

Learn more

Plan Like A Producer: The 90-Day Workback Timeline That Actually Works

---

📡 What These Signals Point To

Across the expert quotes, three themes stand out for 2026. Guests reward brands that give them back time. AI does the heavy lifting out of sight. Storytelling protects margins by building trust and value perception.

🕰️ Time is Luxury

Guests don’t want more amenities; they want less hassle. Winning brands remove decisions, anticipate needs, and make “green” feel simple and credible at the moments that matter. That direction is clear in

Eclat Hospitality

’s focus on giving time back and in

Kiran Robinson

’s emphasis on service mastery with visible sustainability that feels effortless, not performative.

Maya Seshadri

’s lens reinforces this: hospitality is a strategy of thoughtful details across spaces that quietly earn retention.

Putting ‘time back’ into your guests’ day starts with small, dependable changes. Try using AI tools to help draft polite, on-brand replies in just a few minutes, then have a team member review them to keep the tone natural. For arrivals in 2026, consider sending a confirmation link 24 hours before check-in, a simple message an hour before arrival with directions, and an easy one-tap checkout option the next morning, including a late-checkout offer. Focus first on the steps that slow things down, like pre-arrival messages, finding the entrance, breakfast lines, and paying the bill. Show how these changes improve results by tracking how quickly you respond, how long it takes guests to reach their room or table, how crowded breakfast gets at busy times, how often guests accept upsell offers, and whether reviews mention things feeling ‘easy’ or guests feeling ‘looked after.’

---

🧰 AI Moves Backstage

AI is becoming a dependable tool working behind the scenes. It tidies up data, helps you reply faster, and makes everyday decisions easier. Both

Kay Walten

and

Bruce L. Nelson

highlight that stronger data and clearer visibility, like AEI, are what really make the difference. Meanwhile, Crossborder Alex points out that if LLMs can ‘see’ you—clean names, consistent data, basic schema—you’ll show up more when guests ask assistants for help.

Make your brand AI-visible in 3 moves:

1. Use clear entity names everywhere (venue name, room types, dish names), add basic schema to key pages (Hotel/Restaurant, Menu, Room, FAQPage, Organisation), keep hours, prices, and amenities consistent across site and Google Business Profile, write FAQs in plain question–answer format, add descriptive alt text to images that names the entity, and link related pages internally so AI assistants can follow the path.

2. Test AI visibility by checking common answers, search for “[brand] menu”, “[brand] breakfast hours”, “parking at [brand]”, and “best [venue type] in [area]”; if answer boxes or map snippets don’t show you, fix the matching page and markup.

3. Keep your data clean and consistent. Choose one person to own it. Keep a single shared master sheet. Run a weekly check for menus, opening hours, prices, room names and policies. Make field names match across systems so nothing drifts — POS, booking, and website should use the same labels and spellings.
   Example: “King Room” everywhere, not “King” on POS, “King Room” on the website, and “KR” in booking.

---

🧾 Hospitality Stories Protect Revenue

Operators who tell real stories at decision touchpoints sell at full price more and discount less.

Shawn Walchef

shows that simple, steady proof about sourcing, craft, people, and guest wins builds trust before the visit; Kiran Robinson reminds us that the proof must feel human and earned. This is not “content”. It is evidence placed where decisions happen: on the dish page, the menu, your Google Business Profile, and the booking or order email.

Each week, pick one item you want to sell at full price and run a simple proof loop.

• Write a 6–10-word provenance or craft line, add one clear photo, and use the same line in three places with a single link to the item: on the menu or item page, as a Google Business Profile post, and in your newsletter.

• Mirror the line at the point of choice in-venue. Use the same 6–10-word sentence beside the item on the printed or QR menu, chalkboard, shelf tag, table talker and POS button. Brief FOH to repeat it when recommending. Consistency shifts the decision from “how much?” to “is it worth it?”

Example lines to mirror:
Line-caught Cornish hake, roasted fennel, lemon butter.
28-day dry-aged ribeye, hand-cut chips.
48-hour dough, San Marzano tomatoes, traditional buffalo mozzarella.

• Then measure these 4 things: views of the post, clicks to the item, social media shares with full-price mentioned, and review words like “quality”, “worth it”, and “looked after.”

---

📝 2026 VIP Action Plan - Unlocked for All Readers

🚦 Create an Executive Intelligence Report

Purpose: A one‑page weekly brief for owners and HODs.

Include:

• Last week vs target

• 14–28 day outlook

• Risks and quick wins

• Three decisions needed

Inputs: bookings pace, covers by daypart, RevPASH or RevPAR, top items, complaints, staffing, cash.
Format: headline, three bullets, one chart, traffic‑light risks, “Decisions” box.
Owner: GM or Finance with Marketing.
Measure: time from meeting to decisions, forecast accuracy, actions completed.

---

🧀 Add more protein to Gen Z‑favourite dishes

Why: Lift satisfaction and perceived value without oversized portions.
How: add protein boosters and smart swaps.

Examples:

• Pesto pasta + grilled chicken or burrata add‑on

• Loaded fries + shredded brisket

• Ramen + extra egg

• Açaí bowl + Greek yoghurt

• Plant‑protein crumble for tacos
  

Menu cue: “+10 g protein for £1.50”.
Owner: Executive Chef and Menu Engineer.
Measure: booster attachment rate, plate waste, margin per cover.

---

🍽️ Offer portion guides and tiered pricing

What: Small, Regular, Share and Meal bundles so guests buy the right size.

How:

• Show grams or clear descriptors on menu and POS

• Use an “Express Lunch” anchor

Examples: “Small 120 g • Regular 180 g • Share 300 g”; “Express Lunch: half‑portion + side + drink £12”.
Owner: Chef, Ops, POS lead.
Measure: mix by size, food cost %, waste, add‑on rate.

---

✍️ Use AI to draft guest‑reply templates by segment

What: A bank of on‑brand replies that staff personalise.
Segments: Families, Couples, Corporate, Solo travellers, Groups.
Templates: confirmations, delay notices, allergy replies, review responses, upsell notes.
Tone grid: warm and practical for families; concise and efficient for corporate; celebratory for couples.

Examples:

• Family allergy: “Thanks for flagging the nut allergy. Our kids’ menu has safe options and we prep fries in a separate fryer. Add ‘ALLERGY’ in booking notes and tell your server on arrival.”

• Corporate change: “We have you rebooked for 19:30. Table near power sockets. Receipt will be emailed after payment.”

Owner: Marketing with FOH lead.
Measure: first‑response time, CSAT wording, follow‑up questions reduced.

---

🌿 Train the team on provenance and sustainability

What: Ten‑minute weekly huddle with a one‑page cheat sheet.
Content: top five ingredients, where from, why chosen, welfare or accreditation, prep craft, waste policy.
Proof tools: supplier cards on host stand, QR to sourcing page, kitchen window shout‑outs.
Micro‑scripts: “That is line‑caught hake from Cornwall. We roast fennel and finish with lemon butter.”
Owner: Chef and FOH trainer.
Measure: review keywords “quality”, “sourced”, “looked after”; upsell rate on spotlight items.

---

🔁 Optimise the Buyer Journey to save guests’ time

Dreaming: clear photos, price cues, availability widget.
Planning: fast FAQs, parking and access info, allergen matrix, kids and no/low options.
Deciding: one‑click table or room booking, visible cut‑offs, deposit clarity.
Experiencing: pre‑arrival message 24 h out, wayfinding 1 h before, QR menus that load fast, pay at table.
Belonging: thank‑you email next morning with receipt and one‑tap rebook or reorder.
Owner: Ops with Marketing.
Measure: time to book, abandonment, queue length, time to bill, repeat rate.

---

📱 Scan the Middle East for emerging hospitality tech ideas

Watch for: mobile‑first ordering, WhatsApp concierge, digital queueing, frictionless check‑in, smart lockers, scent and soundscapes, VIP recognition, robotics in coffee or ice cream, and dynamic wayfinding.
Apply: pick one guest bottleneck and pilot a lightweight version.
Example pilots: WhatsApp pre‑arrival concierge, QR valet request, digital waitlist with ETAs.
Owner: GM or Innovation lead.
Measure: uptake, queue shrink, NPS lift at the touchpoint.

---

✅ Run an AI Visibility Audit

Search tests: “[Brand] menu”, “breakfast hours”, “parking”, “allergen info”, “best [venue type] in [area]”.

Checks:

• Do assistants or map packs show you accurately

• Does your Google Business Profile match the site

• Do key pages have clear entity names, schema and plain‑English answers

Fixes: align names everywhere, add FAQs, update GBP, mark up menus and dish pages, add internal links.

Owner: Marketing and Web.
Measure: impressions on target queries, assistant mentions, map pack presence, click‑throughs.

---

📖 Explore different angles to tell your story

Angle buckets with 6–10‑word lines:

• Sourcing: “Line‑caught Cornish hake. Landed yesterday.”

• Craft: “48‑hour dough. San Marzano tomatoes.”

• People: “Grilled by Ana, our charcoal specialist.”

• Guest wins: “Business lunch in 45 minutes. Guaranteed.”

• Care and time: “Parking tips and table-ready alerts.”

• Community: “Surplus bread goes to local shelters.”
  Sustainability proof: “Yorkshire beef. Whole‑animal butchery.”

• Design and comfort: “Quiet tables with power and light.”

Placement: use the same line on the menu or item page, a Google post, the newsletter and in‑venue signage.
Owner: Marketing with Chef and FOH.
Measure: item views and saves, full‑price share of sales.

---

⭐ Analyse reviews to find details guests love

What: monthly text scan to spot sticky details.
How: export reviews and tag recurring words by theme: speed, warmth, specific dishes, rooms, beds, breakfast, access, noise. Pull five “golden details” into next month’s Proof Loop.
Action: promote those details at decision points and brief FOH micro‑scripts.
Owner: Duty Manager and Marketing.
Measure: frequency of target keywords, rating trend, and conversion on promoted items.

---

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2026 favours operators who save guests time, make AI work quietly in the background, and use simple, steady storytelling to protect margin.

That’s it for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed the newsletter. I look forward to serving you again on your next visit.

All the best
Dawn Gribble MIH MCIM
Hospitality Marketing Insight
Here’s to Your Success 🥂