Host of the Suite Spot podcast and Vice President of Advertising at Journey Media Group, Ryan Embree, breaks down the important thing takeaways from the 2025 Hospitality Present that passed off in Denver, Colorado, final month.
Ryan shares not solely his opinion on a few of the most prevalent subjects from the famend trade occasion, however he additionally shares what panelists, attendees, hoteliers, and others needed to say concerning the convention and the state of hospitality.
Tune in now to hearken to the total episode.
Ryan Embree:Welcome to Suite Spot, the place hoteliers verify in, and we try what’s trending in lodge advertising and marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hey everybody. Ryan Embree right here with the Suite Spot Podcast, and we’re recent off of our 2025 Hospitality Present protection in Denver, Colorado. We’re again right here in our Journey Media Group headquarters, just a little bit nearer to C-level in our Suite Spot podcast studio. Completely unbelievable occasion. Wanna first suppose Questex and AHLA in addition to town of Denver for internet hosting from finish to finish. So wonderful from the programming to the networking to the trade professionals that we had the privilege of interviewing. You could find all of these unique interviews on our TMG YouTube web page, ensure that to comply with alongside. However in as we speak’s episode, we’re gonna go along with our high takeaways from the Hospitality Present in Denver. And it actually began proper off the bat. I imply, this was an finish to finish, simply jam packed insights, tendencies, every part a hotelier might need. You already know, this was billed as some of the complete exhibits in hospitality. And from all the schooling periods that we noticed, the panelists, the conversations that we had, the networking that went on once more, hats off to the groups over at AHLA and Questex, the place I’ll begin my key takeaways is absolutely one of many first quotes that actually resonated with me as an attendee on the primary day. And this was I neglect who I can attribute this quote to, however was speaking about how we ended the 2024 Hospitality Present in San Antonio. And every part that has occurred between then and the beginning of the 2025 Hospitality present, an election, you realize, a tumultuous begin to the 12 months, with tariffs, worldwide journey, virtually seeing double-digit drops in some locations between some nations. After which now we’ve got a authorities shutdown right here. So, so many issues that the hospitality trade needed to take care of. And, you realize, I’ve the privilege of attending a number of occasions all year long, and by no means have I ever been on such a rollercoaster trip. It began originally of the 12 months in March the place we met a number of hoteliers that had been form of bracing for affect. They had been coming down this hill. Projections didn’t look nice. A variety of sentiment on the market was not was not superior. Offers weren’t getting carried out. It simply really feel very like a crawl. After which abruptly summer season got here and as we had been form of bracing ourselves for this simply dip or this horrible form of cliff that we had been about to, to fall off, we form of opened our eyes as an trade and stated, it’s actually not as unhealthy because it’s being made out to be. And a number of hoteliers, as we noticed and we interviewed, talked to, had some actually good summers, had some actually good numbers, occupancy, trying throughout totally different markets, a few of the markets that weren’t doing as nicely rebounded. They usually had been beginning to see just a little little bit of glimmer of hope. And now right here we’re on the finish of the 12 months and it seems like these storm clouds are brewing once more. And we’re bracing ourselves for a brand new 12 months in 2026. And possibly it’s as a result of we’re simply trying on the numbers. It’s funds season. We’re beginning to attempt to forecast like we like to do and should do frankly in hospitality, but it surely simply seems like that fear is coming over us once more. However to that, I really feel prefer it’s in these instances the place there’s a number of creativity and ingenuity that begins to actually spur and, and it’s these occasions that could possibly be a catalyst for actual change in our trade. There have been a number of trade leaders up on stage over these previous couple of days on the hospitality present in Denver that offered some fairly attention-grabbing concepts when it got here to housekeeping, staffing, the reserving expertise and actually difficult the established order. And it’s these kinds of occasions that may actually begin a dialog and construct a basis and momentum for true change inside our trade. We noticed that change occur very, in a short time throughout COVID as a result of it wanted to, it was a necessity. However now right here we’re and we are able to all really feel it. We are able to really feel the belts tightening from the lodge all the way in which to our company and shoppers. And that is when we have to begin trying round and making an attempt to return up some recent concepts. And, you realize, a few of these may not even be inside hospitality. I imply, one of many keynote audio system was Chris Barton from Shazam, and, you realize, making an attempt to get these recent voices possibly exterior of hospitality. Blue Origin was one other speaker speaking about house tourism, possibly in search of some new channels. You already know, house tourism may not be a pair years down the road in your portfolio when you’re a administration firm proper now. However is it a development you can capitalize on, proper? Are there areas the place this could possibly be occurring throughout the subsequent decade? You’re positioning your self in markets which are going to cater to that demand, which might exponentially enhance. It was actually wonderful to listen to a few of the tales that we heard on the hospitality present when it got here to house tourism. However all that to say doesn’t essentially must be hospitality led for these hospitality innovation to return from. And I really feel prefer it’s throughout these instances, throughout these occasions the place you’re going to see that we had a number of totally different conversations. One with a pacesetter of touchdown place inns, the model chief of touchdown place inns who noticed a chance, to do issues just a little in a different way with a model. They usually’re seeing double digit. They already amassed a double digit pipeline proper now in improvement. It’s very, very attention-grabbing. We’re at, we’re at a, a form of an inflection level in hospitality proper now as we enter 2026 and we in into this type of unknown. However will probably be actually, actually thrilling to see what sort of innovation comes from this. As a result of I do suppose that is when individuals are gonna begin getting inventive. ’trigger these margins are simply too tight proper now, proper? Between staffing, development prices. The demand continues to be there, however the earnings will not be being seen. And that was, there was no, it was not an error that the Hospitality Present began its programming with a number of periods on earnings and the way these administration firms, manufacturers can work collectively and these house owners property can work collectively with the intention to see revenue margin enhance. As a result of proper now it’s simply slimmed over these final couple years. And it’s being felt, it’s being felt all through the trade. You already know, it was attention-grabbing to see a few of the leaders that I spoke to and interview, bought the chance to interview, discuss capitalizing on a few of these tendencies that we’re seeing proper now in hospitality, you realize, personalization, multi-generational journey, experiential journey, proper? Marriott introduced not too long ago it’s outside assortment and, you realize, life-style manufacturers, all of this combined in. And I feel what’s occurring proper now could be the traveler, the buyer is feeling that tightening of their belt, however they nonetheless wish to journey. It was, it has not been taken away from them prefer it was in 2020, however they definitely should do some extra due diligence. And once they do journey, which they’re going to prioritize, they wanna ensure that they make the largest bang for his or her buck. So that they’re gonna begin prioritizing and possibly in search of these inns that they really feel may give them the widest and breadth of expertise, proper? Quite than simply be loyalty to these manufacturers. So these manufacturers are seeing that they’re making an attempt to capitalize on these tendencies they usually’re exploring extra into the comfortable model life-style division. We had heads of man of a pair totally different administration firms discuss, you realize, the patterns that they’re seeing in shopper sentiment and what they need out of their expertise. They wish to really feel like they’re having a localized expertise. We’ve at all times talked about that on this podcast about learn how to attempt to inform your story, learn how to make your visitor a part of the story, a part of your local people, learn how to give them that neighborhood first expertise. However now company are clamoring for it. They’re in search of it, they’re doing analysis, they’re doing analysis in other places. That was one other large development and takeaway that I heard rather a lot is inns administration firms. They’re beginning to have a look at how company are utilizing the reserving journey proper now. And l and the place does LLMs match into that? They really feel like they don’t wish to be get left behind in a search, identical to I’m positive when Google began to combination all these inns on-line, they didn’t wish to be on web page two or web page three, proper? So how can, when a traveler searches greatest inns on this market, or possibly just a little bit extra particular of a search your lodge be retrieved in these how can your lodge be part of these outcomes, proper? And I feel increasingly more inns are asking that query. It’ll be actually attention-grabbing to see the place that goes. AI and know-how, it feels prefer it must be part of each programming agenda and dialog that we talked about now. However it’s beginning, I really feel like, to settle into two separate camps. One that actually wanna prioritize the worker empowerment, proper? How can I take advantage of AI and know-how to empower my staff to do their job effectively? One thing that we’ve preached at Journey Media Group the place we’ve got a number of AI improvements that assist the worker get some actually deeper insights into its on-line fame. But in addition, you realize, there’s that second camp of, nicely, we’re gonna attempt to go visitor expertise first. What can I do with AI and know-how with the intention to make a giant distinction on the visitor expertise? And I feel these two camps really go hand in hand, to be trustworthy with you. In the event you empower your staff to enhance the visitor expertise, one is gonna occur in the direction of the opposite. It’s form of a symbiotic relationship. However it’s attention-grabbing to see, since you discuss AI and know-how, I feel the one factor that everybody can agree on hospitality is you don’t wish to be left behind, proper? And there was an attention-grabbing keynote that was on the hospitality present, futurist that was speaking about hospitality and the way it’s a must to, you don’t wanna be the primary one into the bear cave of know-how. You’d somewhat be the second individual exploring the bear cave. And whereas I do agree with that, I do suppose it’s gonna be these innovators that soar into form of the deep finish and attempt to combine these items. I feel company proper now, and shoppers are out misplaced the place they’re nonetheless prepared to just accept just a little little bit of a studying curve relating to AI and know-how, then they are going to be in, let’s say six months to a 12 months. So it is likely to be that first model that goes all in that is likely to be often known as a trendsetter somewhat than saying, nicely, this was, this was rolled out prematurely. So we’ll be attention-grabbing to see increasingly more manufacturers clearly rolling various things out. However I feel, you realize, they’re making an attempt to go about this actually systematically in hospitality as we all know, just a little bit late to the sport with adopting a few of this know-how. I imply, you get to a few of the inns and a few of the a few of the applied sciences nonetheless very outdated. So that you discuss rolling that up throughout a model or a portfolio of inns might take a while. So we’ll see how that performs out. You already know, a pair nice conversations. That is at all times an awesome present to have a look at the connection between manufacturers, administration firms and house owners, particularly at a time, like I stated, the place earnings are so tight, margins are so skinny, who can bend just a little bit extra and what goodwill is that going to doubtlessly serve in the long term right here? I feel there’s a jockeying for place between the manufacturers proper now. We’ve seen administration firms, you realize, sprout in a single day and a few actually, actually profitable administration firms begin to make some strategic partnerships and begin to get into areas which are trendsetting. You already know, I take into consideration lodge equities within the postcard, cabins, portfolio and play. I feel it’s very attention-grabbing to see, and we’ll proceed to see that as a result of proper now we’re at a spot that simply feels we’re getting just a little caught in our trade and we gotta work out a approach to kinda wiggle by means of it. And that’s the place that creativity and ingenuity that I used to be speaking about comes into play. After which lastly, you realize, my final takeaway from the unbelievable couple days that we had out in Denver was, initially, what an incredible metropolis. Denver, Colorado. And I like the truth that they really, that they had the mayor of Denver on the present was part of the ribbon reducing ceremony. Rosanna Maieta from AHLA did an awesome interview with, the mayor of Denver and speaking about how town had teamed up with hospitality. And it was actually inspiring and it was actually cool to see Denver, you realize, they talked concerning the significance of sports activities tourism. We had been there throughout a Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys recreation. You possibly can see that sports activities tourism greenback being spent everywhere in the eating places, inns. So it’s attention-grabbing in markets that is likely to be just a little bit extra challenged proper now, you realize, we noticed this final 12 months with San Francisco, this 12 months, Las Vegas. Can a few of these metropolis stakeholders come along with hospitality administration firms, associations, professionals, and do some issues to once more, form of get us unstuck in a few of these markets which have been struggling? There’s different markets proper now which are doing a unbelievable job and we spoke to you realize, a few of the portfolio leaders which have property in these, in these markets. And it was extraordinarily compelling. Positively suggests, when you haven’t already subscribe to our YouTube web page, you may see all of the unique content material. We had eight unbelievable interviews with professionals, hospitality professionals, like I stated, heads of associations, model leaders and c-suite executives from a number of administration firms. And it was simply such a privilege and an honor to have the ability to, to form of speak hospitality with them. So, you realize, once more, Denver was unbelievable, very enthusiastic about Miami subsequent 12 months. And if he didn’t get the chance, go try my interview with Alexi Khajavi at Questex who did. I feel among the finest methods we at all times have our, our hospitality present preview with Alexi, I feel within the interview we had out in Denver was most likely one of the best ways to actually hype up what Miami 2026 is gonna be about in a occasion that’s so complete. The unbiased lodge house is absolutely effervescent up proper now. Manufacturers wish to be independents, independents wanna act extra like manufacturers. There’s this, there’s this inflection level that we’re headed in the direction of this fork within the street that we’re headed in the direction of. And it’s all gonna culminate subsequent 12 months in Miami, an unbiased lodge capital of the world. We’re very acquainted, as you realize, we head down there on an annual foundation. I’m so excited that it’s proper right here in our yard. We’re gonna take the brilliant line down. We’re gonna be bringing you a lot protection, unique interviews, and we’re gonna get, we’re gonna get just a little bit extra unique protection and we’re gonna be doing a number of stuff main as much as the present to arrange you for it. So I hope you’ll stick with me. Subscribe, comply with, however to place a last bow on 2025 hospitality present. Unimaginable. Thanks once more to AHLA and Questex for making this attainable. Can’t wait to see what you will have in retailer for us in Miami 2026. Thanks for listening to the Suite Spot, and we are going to speak to you subsequent time. To affix our loyalty program. You should definitely subscribe and provides us a 5 star score on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Journey Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cowl Artwork by Bary Gordon. I’m your host Ryan Embree and we hope you loved your keep.
