The Future of 2026 Brand Expansion Strategies

Presently, LLMs do not have rich imagery and material, such as images of the spaces and amenities, that customers typically demand when making hotel bookings, Kletzel said. When this is boosted, including by brand names exposing their material to LLMs, that will be "a huge leap forward to getting customers comfortable." Hotel guest commitment and brand name trust, meanwhile, has actually quickly broadened recently.

Beyond the visitor experience, agentic commerce has the potential to move the way hotel business' customer service teams run and are structured, Klein stated. Yes," Klein stated.

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This year, a number of collection brands that introduced in 2025 will continue to expand. Additional new brand names and partnerships, especially in the lifestyle sector, will likely debut as well, according to hospitality experts.

Marriott's Outdoor Collection uses special accommodations in destinations near national parks, deserts, ski areas and coastlines.

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Hilton's Outset Collection, specifically, has more than 60 hotels in the works across the U.S. and Canada, Kevin Osterhaus, president of lifestyle brand names at Hilton, informed Hotel Dive. Beginning is presently exploring possible new locations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as markets in New Mexico and Colorado in 2026, Osterhaus stated.

"Collection brand names are appealing due to the fact that they use the very best of both worlds: Owners keep the unique DNA of their home, while opening global circulation, earnings management, loyalty and assistance. Guests get distinctive stays with the reassurance of a trusted brand name." "As long as brand names are purpose-built and unique in experience and cost point, they include clarity instead of confusion." Kevin Osterhaus President of lifestyle brands at Hilton From the visitor viewpoint, independent boutique hotels are preferable since they use genuine experiences, Gabriel Perez, chief operating officer of accommodations at The Indigo Roadway Hospitality Group, informed Hotel Dive.

As for why the hotel companies are chasing independents in the lifestyle segment, "it's not about the guests. It's about producing sub-brands within their own brands to please financiers' needs and to satisfy owner and designers' objectives," Perez said. This, in turn, puts even more pressure on hotel business "to create brand names, micro brand names and subsets of brand names in order to expand their footprint of existing properties," Davis said.

Hilton's collection brands' "unique positioning and storytelling continue to drive interest throughout chain scales," Osterhaus said. According to Bobby Molinary, Marriott's chief development officer for choose brand names, interest in Marriott's brand-new collection brands comes amidst a tough high-cost-of-construction environment that has made it "significantly difficult to build brand-new hotels." Series and Outdoor Collection, both conversion-friendly offerings, refer to an ownership community and developers who "are constantly trying to find methods to grow, and conversions represent a path for growth," Molinary stated.

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According to Osterhaus, "As long as brand names are purpose-built and distinct in experience and cost point, they add clearness instead of confusion." This year, Hilton plans to stay "really active in the lifestyle space through strategic collaborations, brand-new finalizings and continuous development of our current brands," Osterhaus said. Molinary anticipates Marriott rivals to begin offering some type of branding option in the outside space, specifically, as "it's a really popular and growing space" with "a lot of interest." Another growing space is the high-end section.

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That trend is expected to continue in 2026 as luxury consumers drive travel spending and hotel bookings amidst a wealth bifurcation at play in the industry. "High-net-worth travelers are anticipated to stay among the most trusted chauffeurs of international travel spending next year," Giray Boran, managing director of BLG Capital, informed Hotel Dive.