💸 Hotel Inflation Outlook: What Spikes, What Drops in 2026

Avendra’s 2026 Cost Outlook report signals major price swings for hotel operators: beef tenderloin prices are up 29% year-over-year, egg prices have dropped from $3.00 to $2.30 per dozen, and HVAC units are expected to rise up to 10% in Q2. Meanwhile, coffee and shrimp face extreme tariff-driven volatility with shrimp costs projected to rise as much as 50%.

🎯 Why it matters: Cost volatility is hitting hotels on both sides of the house F&B and facilities. While some commodities like pork and dairy are cooling, others (beef, HVAC, electrical) are being pushed higher by long-term structural issues like supply chain shifts, tariffs, and sustainability mandates.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hotel operators should prepare for a second year of elevated beef costs and factor in capex increases for HVAC and electrical retrofits. Immediate actions include menu engineering away from high-cost proteins and planning ahead for equipment purchases tied to environmental upgrades. Avendra’s procurement tools like Mosaic AI Supply Chain and bundled supplier programs can help mitigate the worst of these impacts.

👉 Download the report and audit your top spend categories

OpenAI is beginning to test advertisements inside ChatGPT, initially for free and “Go” tier users in the U.S., with ads appearing below or alongside AI responses when relevant to the user’s query. The ads are clearly labeled and don’t change how ChatGPT generates answers, and higher-tier paid plans remain ad-free. This move represents a major shift in how brands could connect with users at the precise moment of travel planning and intent, not just through links on search pages but within conversational AI itself.

🎯 Why it matters: ChatGPT is already one of the highest-traffic AI platforms globally, and adding ads positions it as a new digital touchpoint where buying intent and discovery converge. For hotels, this means that travelers might encounter hotel recommendations or travel offers inside the AI conversation they use to plan trips, not just via OTAs or traditional display/search ads. This could shift where and how hotel brands influence decisions and potentially fragment attention across more AI-mediated channels.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hotel leaders should start planning for a world where AI assistants participate in the distribution funnel. That means ensuring your inventory, pricing, and offers are structured and discoverable by agentic platforms, and considering how you might test or engage with conversational advertising formats as they evolve. Being early and relevant in AI-driven engagement environments could give your property an edge in an increasingly conversational booking landscape. Read More →

Expedia and Booking.com are investing heavily in AI, but in recent press both emphasize the disciplined measurement of returns on that investment. Expedia is seeing gains from generative AI in traveler engagement and operational efficiency. Booking is focusing on AI-driven improvements in customer service, personalization, and pricing, and they company tracks impact through conversion, satisfaction, and cost savings, even as some use cases remain hard to quantify.

🎯 Why it matters: AI is a strategic investment area that can affect distribution, pricing, guest experience, and operational efficiency. But ROI isn’t just about install counts or pilot projects; it’s about measurable outcomes like conversion lift, reduced handle time, higher guest satisfaction, and cost savings across functions. Expedia and Booking’s mixed experiences show that AI’s business impact must be tracked with clear metrics, not assumed.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hoteliers should adopt a rigorous framework for AI ROI before rolling out new tools. Define what success looks like (e.g., direct booking lift, upsell rates, staff efficiency gains), ensure clean, integrated data across PMS/RMS/CRM, and choose tools that tie directly into revenue or cost drivers. Treat AI as a business enabler (not just a tech experiment) and build your measurement strategy alongside implementation so you can scale or pivot as needed. Read More →

Airbnb has created a dedicated hotels division, led by Jesse Stein and newly hired Lou Zameryka, a 20-year Booking.com veteran. Their mission: build partnerships with hotels and redefine how hotel inventory appears on Airbnb, signaling a serious move into OTA territory.

🎯 Why it matters: This pivot deepens Airbnb’s shift from peer-to-peer rentals toward a broader lodging platform, especially as city-level regulations tighten. Competing with Booking.com and Expedia means Airbnb is targeting professional hospitality, not just spare bedrooms. Booking and Expedia have made major inroads into STRs and let’s be honest…’experiences’ is kind of a crappy business - so this move makes complete sense.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hotel owners now have a new distribution option — but need to watch how Airbnb integrates hotel listings alongside homes. Operators should evaluate if Airbnb's platform can offer incremental, high-margin bookings, especially for boutiques and independents seeking visibility without chain affiliation. Read More →

✅ Avendra: Procurement solutions that cuts costs and secures quality products.

✅ Cloudbeds: All-in-one hotel management software at the speed of AI.

✅ Tripleseat: Manage hotel group bookings, catering and event sales with AI.

✅ Sertifi: Simplify hotel check-ins and payments with secure digital solutions.

✅ Canary Technologies: Powerful but simple AI powered digital guest journey platform.

1️⃣ Bluesun Hotels Doubles Revenue with HubSpot via Hubspot

Since implementing HubSpot Marketing, Sales and Service Hub, Bluesun doubled direct revenue, enhanced customer support and satisfaction while improving operational productivity and efficiencies.

2️⃣ AirPlay is now available in IHG Hotels & Resorts properties via Apple

Users can automatically connect to the compatible LG hotel TV in their guest room and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning a unique QR code on the screen. Once connected, guests can share almost anything on the big screen in their hotel room directly from their iPhone or iPad. Guests can also pair multiple devices to the TV, so friends and loved ones traveling together can also enjoy.

3️⃣ Understanding digital signage in the hospitality environment via Samsung

Read the ebook to see how hotels are leveraging advanced communications tools & AI to enable next-generation guest and employee experiences.

🤖 IHG appoints a senior technology executive to accelerate digital platforms, AI adoption, and owner-facing tech strategy.

🏨 Kasa and Mint House combine operations to scale apartment-style lodging across U.S. urban markets.

🏢 Hilton expands extended stays with the new Apartment Collection by Hilton brand, targeting long-stay and blended travel demand.

✈️ Accor’s 2026 travel trends report highlights AI personalization, purposeful travel, and experience-led demand.

🔐 Ransomware attacks exposed data from Hyatt, underscoring hospitality’s rising cyber risk.

✨ Langham’s CEO says technology is redefining luxury hotels through personalization without sacrificing human service.

🧠 Airbnb hires a former Meta exec as chief technology officer to deepen AI-driven product innovation.

🇨🇳 China launches an antitrust probe into Trip.com, tightening scrutiny on dominant online travel platforms.

👷 The U.S. hotel labor market stabilizes as employers offer flexible pay and scheduling to retain workers.

🧠 Generative AI threatens dominant online travel platforms by reshaping discovery, loyalty, and distribution economics.

📈 Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt shares hit record highs as investors reward scale, loyalty, and pricing power.

🇪🇺 Europe launches a €307M AI funding call to boost regional competitiveness against U.S. and China.

👨‍💼 Brian Chesky says Airbnb’s AI push will reshape hiring, emphasizing smaller teams and higher-leverage roles.

🌍 Minor Hotels pursues asset-light global growth after record brand signings in 2025.

🏗️ Hotel development in 2026 shifts toward conversions, mixed-use projects, and capital discipline.

🍎 Apple’s reliance on Google Gemini exposes iPhone’s AI gap, raising questions about long-term differentiation.

How do you scale hotel operations across brands, countries, and systems - without losing control or culture?

 In this episode of Hotel Tech Insider, we sit down with Øyvind Bøhm Frisak, Chief Commercial Officer at CIC Hospitality, to unpack how a fast-growing Nordic hotel operator is using AI, data, and unconventional guest-facing tech to drive efficiency, improve service, and prepare teams for the future.

This conversation is especially relevant for hotel owners, operators, GMs, and commercial leaders managing multi-property portfolios, complex tech stacks, or brand-franchise environments—and anyone navigating the real-world impact of AI on hotel operations and staffing.

Key takeaways from this episode:

Along the way, Øyvind shares candid insights on AI adoption, tech stack integration, revenue management evolution, guest communication automation, and preparing hotel teams for change—without fear-mongering or hype.

👉🏼 Check out the interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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