Finance, Op Planning & Forecasting

Revenue management has always been central to hotel performance, but it’s no longer just about ADR and RevPAR. The most innovative hoteliers are shifting their focus toward metrics that capture the whole guest experience – and the revenue it generates.

Revenue management, at its core, has always been about balance—the delicate calibration of price, timing, and demand. For decades, this equilibrium was achieved by revenue managers hunched over spreadsheets, fueled by experience, instinct, and often, last-minute adjustments. But in an industry increasingly defined by data and disruption, those days are fading fast.

Manual accounting may seem like a manageable process—especially for small hospitality operations—but the reality is far more costly than it appears on the surface. From labor-intensive data entry to delayed financial insights, manual systems create inefficiencies that ripple across the business. In today’s hospitality landscape, where margins are tight and customer expectations are high, these inefficiencies can undermine growth and profitability.

Budget season isn’t just about numbers—it’s about vision. As a hotel finance executive, I have found that success in 2026 will come down to discipline, collaboration, and clarity. Hoteliers face a marketplace defined by uncertainty: shifting demand patterns, evolving technology, rising operating costs, and persistent talent pressures. Yet, uncertainty is precisely why a strong, collaborative budgeting process is essential.

As summer winds down and the robust vacation season slows, it’s time for resort and venue operators to shift gears and ramp up for budget season. Fall offers the perfect opportunity to take a step back, evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and new opportunities to improve both operations and revenue in the coming year. With advances in experiential technology and AI, businesses can plan smarter, crafting memorable guest experiences that align with evolving expectations while staying budget-conscious.

Immersive experiences are not entirely new to hospitality and leisure—theme parks, destination hotels and resorts, and cultural attractions have long found ways to draw guests into unique worlds. What is changing is how properties are increasingly using technology to push those experiences further, creating spaces that blur the lines between the physical and digital and redefine what guests expect from leisure destinations.

When I first arrived in Kep, Cambodia, in 2003, it felt like a town lost in time. Once known as the “Côte d’Azur of Cambodia,” Kep had been a glamorous seaside escape filled with beautiful villas and vibrant life. But after years of war and hardship, the beaches were deserted, the roads crumbling, and the elegant homes reduced to ruins. What remained was only a faded memory of a golden era.

Property taxes represent a substantial expense for hotels, significantly impacting profitability. A recent analysis of over 6,000 hotels, using CBRE’s Trends® in the Hotel Industry database, reveals dramatic disparities in property tax burdens based on both location and hotel type. This article explores these critical variations, providing insights into how these differences can impact hotel valuations.

The global hospitality industry is undergoing significant change. In recent years, humanoid AI agents have evolved from futuristic novelties to key players within the world’s most advanced hotels. In 2025, competition for guest loyalty, operational efficiency, and brand differentiation is fiercer than ever. In this environment, AI‑powered agents offer a way not just to impress guests, but to fundamentally reshape how hotels operate and connect with their visitors.

At the luxury and ultraluxury levels, what we see throughout the world is not just lavish amenities and impeccable service, but a dedication by the brands, developers, owners and onsite teams to steward the local community, cherishing its past while responsibly guiding its present for a better future.