As we strategize for 2025 and beyond, the Dhalla Group is actively planning its next wave of acquisitions across the U.S. The question driving our decisions is simple but profound: What does the future of hospitality look like? And more importantly, what do we need to do now to be prepared for the hotels of 2034?
Looking ahead to the next decade, it’s clear that the hospitality industry is on the verge of a revolutionary transformation. In a world in which an individual is able to express themselves in seconds through their social media channels it is the guest that has become the most powerful brand ambassador. In a world of influencers the most powerful influencer in our industry is the guest.
Hence the future of hospitality is not just about providing a place to stay, but about creating personalized, immersive, memorable and sustainable experiences that engage, surprise, inspire, and cater to our guests. Here are the key trends we believe will define hotels over the next 10 years and what we, as hoteliers, must focus on to reap the rewards in the future:
1. Hyper-Personalization through AI
In the future, guest experiences will be customized and tailored more than ever before, with AI-driven personalization shaping every interaction. Imagine AI systems that predict guest preferences, adjust room settings, and curate dining options before a guest even arrives. Hoteliers who invest in robust data analytics and AI technologies today will be able to offer seamless, individualized service tomorrow.
Hilton’s AI Concierge, for example, already adjusts room settings like temperature and lighting based on guest data. In the future, this AI will learn from each stay, delivering an even more personalized experience each time the guest returns to the property or to any property within the brand.
Personalization, technology and innovation do not start and end with the guest. It must work for our devoted colleagues as well. For example, Meyer Jabara Hotels is buzzing with excitement about their new partnership with Beekeeper! This innovative platform is transforming the way they communicate and engage with their employees by creating a digital hive where everyone, from property leaders to frontline staff, can connect in real-time. It’s like having all your work tools and information in one easy-to-use app! Employees are loving it! Within just 30 days, 81% of employees were actively using the platform, and 95% of those are using it every single day! Employees feel more connected to the company culture and each other. They’re able to share ideas, celebrate wins, and even vote on lunch menus — talk about employee empowerment! The “Wellness Hive” has also been a big hit, providing employees with valuable resources for their financial, physical, and mental well-being. What more can you ask? Engagement, productivity, and positive work environment.
Aimbridge Hospitality, for example, has teamed up with UKG to revolutionize the hourly workers employee experience, as well, through AI-powered tools. This innovative initiative focuses on empowering frontline workers by offering flexible scheduling, shift swapping, and cross-property shift opportunities, enhancing work-life balance and job satisfaction. With the addition of UKG Talk, a mobile platform that keeps employees connected and informed, Aimbridge is fostering a culture of belonging and engagement. This investment highlights the growing trend of prioritizing essential employees, leading to improved productivity, better customer service, and real-time performance insights, ultimately creating a workplace that benefits everyone.
2. Sustainability as a Standard
Sustainability is no longer optional; it’s becoming a core expectation from travelers, and the younger the traveler the higher the expectation. Eco-conscious guests will demand carbon-neutral stays, zero-waste operations, and locally sourced products. As hoteliers, it’s crucial to implement green practices and renewable energy sources to meet this growing demand. One of the best examples is Marriott’s “Net Zero Hotels”. This initiative is leading the charge, with properties operating on 100% renewable energy and sourcing food from on-site vertical farms.
One notable innovation from IHG is its focus on sustainable hospitality through the “IHG Green Engage” system. This online tool allows hotels within the IHG portfolio to measure and manage their environmental impact. Hotels can choose from over 200 green solutions to reduce energy and water consumption, waste, and carbon emissions. By offering customized environmental initiatives, IHG empowers properties to operate sustainably while enhancing the guest experience. The system also helps hotels save money by reducing operational costs, making it both an environmentally and economically beneficial innovation.
3. Culinary and Experiential Dining
The days of standard hotel dining are over. Starbucks in Courtyard hotels is boring. Guests now seek unique, interactive culinary experiences that immerse them in the local culture of their hotel’s location. For example, the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta offers an exclusive “Chef’s Table” experience, where guests can interact with the chef, learn about local ingredients, and enjoy a multi-course meal prepared right in front of them. Hotels must rethink their F&B offerings to provide not just meals, but memorable experiences — whether through kitchen parties, cooking classes, or personalized dining options. In an era where fitness and health are priorities, guests are also seeking healthy food options for themselves and their families. Hotels that embrace experiential dining with a local twist, like the Ritz-Carlton’s farm-to-table initiatives, and provide healthy food options will captivate this market.
Wyndham Orlando Resort & Conference Center/Celebration, managed by AD1, has partnered with Cecilia.ai to introduce a hospitality artificial-intelligence bartender named Sara. The robot is designed to serve cocktails and provide what the company describes as an “engaging and personalized experience”. How many hotels and bars would follow this trend?
Relay Robotics is revolutionizing guest service by seamlessly delivering a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee directly to guests in their rooms — navigating elevators, hallways, and even pinpointing the correct floor and room with precision. This innovative technology eliminates traditional service barriers, elevating the guest experience to new heights. With the ability to automate tasks that once required significant human effort, Relay Robotics is setting a new standard in hospitality, delivering convenience, speed, and personalized service like never before. This breakthrough exemplifies the future of guest engagement with many hotel departments, where technology enhances comfort and satisfaction.
4. Seamless Technology Integration
In 2034, the physical and digital worlds will blend seamlessly in hotels. IoT-(Internet of Things) enabled rooms, AR-enhanced tours, and VR pre-stay experiences will be commonplace. Hotels must start building their tech infrastructure today, ensuring that cutting-edge technologies are both user-friendly and integrated into the guest journey.
A good example is Accor’s digital key which now controls room functions, orders room service via voice command, and provides AR-guided tours of local attractions.
It is not surprising that technological trends in the hotel industry, particularly in-room entertainment are on the rise.
Hotels are taking their systems one step ahead. Hotel Equities, for example, partnered with Oracle NetSuite to launch a cutting-edge ERP system that will transform their operations and drive growth! This powerful integration will streamline productivity, automate business processes, and provide real-time data insights, creating a unified view across all operations. With seamless links to property management and POS systems like OPERA Cloud and MICROS Simphony Cloud, hotels boost efficiency, improve financial accuracy, and enhance collaboration with partners. This move sets the stage for future innovation, delivering even greater value and exceptional guest experiences.
Hyatt for example focuses on seamless and personalized technology integration: Hyatt is partnering with companies like LG and Sonifi to integrate Google Cast into their hotel TVs. This allows guests to easily stream content from their personal accounts and access hotel services.
In addition, we see emphasis on flexibility: Guests can use their TVs for various tasks like booking spa appointments, making dinner reservations, and adjusting room settings.
Hyatt is also moving toward Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) for easier data network connection, performance optimization, and analytics monitoring.
It is also important to notice that we see a shift from server-based systems to cloud-based streaming: Hotels are moving away from traditional entertainment systems to offer guests access to familiar streaming services, reflecting a shift in guest expectations and demands.
Ever been stuck waiting for the airport shuttle, unsure of when it will arrive? Those days are over. No more endless phone calls, guessing, or hoping the shuttle will show up soon. Now, guests are in complete control with a seamless experience: simply follow a link from the hotel’s website to request a shuttle in real time. Not only can you order it with ease, but you can also track its location, knowing exactly how far away it is. This innovation enhances convenience, offering guests peace of mind and a more efficient way to start their stay stress-free.
In a world where technology is integrating into our daily lives the hotels of 2034 must start that journey now so that from the initial booking to the checkout the hotel stay is seamless, efficient and enjoyable for the guest.
5. Biophilic Design and Wellness
The future of hotel design will embrace nature. Guests will seek spaces that connect them with the natural world, especially in urban environments. Biophilic design — incorporating natural elements like green spaces and air-purifying plants — will become the new standard. Coupled with wellness integration, hotels will offer in-room fitness tech and personalized health services, making wellness a core part of the guest experience.
1 Hotels’ “Living Buildings” for example feature vertical gardens and rooftop farms, blending nature and architecture to create restorative spaces.
6. The Rise of Bleisure and Flexible Spaces
As remote work continues to shape travel patterns, the rise of “bleisure” (business + leisure) travel will become even more prominent. Hotels need to offer flexible spaces that cater to digital nomads and business travelers, providing environments that effortlessly transition between work and relaxation.
Citizen M’s modular “Work-Live-Play Suites” for example are designed for digital nomads, with rooms that transform from office spaces by day to cozy bedrooms at night.
7. Local Immersion and Authenticity
In 2034, travelers won’t just want to visit a destination — they’ll want to immerse themselves in it. Hotels will need to serve as gateways to local culture, offering authentic, community-driven experiences. This trend calls for building strong local partnerships and curating unique, location-specific offerings.
Hyatt’s “Local Immersion” program partners with local artisans and cultural experts, offering guests hands-on experiences like pottery making in Kyoto or a home-cooked meal with a family in Marrakech.
8. Enhanced Security and Privacy
With advances in biometric technology, security and guest privacy will be top priorities. Facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and other contactless services will ensure a seamless yet secure guest experience.
Wynn Resorts’ biometric systems for example provides a heightened security, allowing guests to access their rooms and amenities effortlessly while maintaining a strong focus on privacy.
9. Robotics and Automation
Automation will become a cornerstone of hotel operations. AI-powered robots will handle tasks like room service and housekeeping, freeing up staff to focus on more personalized guest interactions.
Yotel’s approach to fully integrate robot butlers to deliver room service and perform housekeeping tasks, enhances efficiency and provides personalized service while reducing human contact.
10. Virtual and Augmented Reality Experiences
VR and AR will revolutionize how guests interact with destinations and hotels. From virtual tours of cultural sites to AR-enhanced room experiences, these technologies will offer immersive ways for guests to explore and engage without leaving their rooms.
Take for example Shangri-La’s “Destination Immersion” program which uses VR to offer virtual tours of the Great Wall of China or the Louvre, directly from the guest’s room. Who wants to step out of the cozy room when you can visit the destination of your choice from the comfort of your bed.
11. Data, Data, Data
It’s not just about what we know; it’s about the data we can generate and how we utilize it. Numerous software solutions tailored to the unique needs of each hotel and its owners offer daily updates that provide real-time access to critical insights and benchmarks, particularly through Microsoft Power BI. This personalized tool ensures transparency in property ownership by tracking leading performance indicators, analyzing market share and channel contributions, monitoring guest experiences across hotels and restaurants, and providing a dynamic General Manager scorecard aligned with quarterly incentives. Additionally, it assesses individual sales leader performance against booking goals and ROI.
We will have to make Data-Driven Decisions. The future of hospitality will be shaped by how we harness data. Well-designed morning reports delivered via email to stakeholders are crucial for product retention. While DIY design solutions like PowerBI and Tableau offer flexibility, be aware of quickly becoming cluttered so we’ll have to do extensive customization. This will allow us to present a dashboard telling a story, leading users logically through the data to focus their attention on areas with the best return on effort.
Revenue management is advancing at an unprecedented pace. In today’s rapidly evolving hospitality industry, leveraging omnichannel data is key to optimizing revenue management strategies. By integrating data from sources such as online travel agencies (OTAs) and direct booking engines, hotels can better manage distribution channels, maximizing revenue while minimizing costs. Revenue managers can now visualize the entire customer journey, tailoring pricing and promotions to specific channels and guest segments. Beyond room revenue, dynamic pricing strategies for ancillary services like spa treatments and dining experiences offer hotels a powerful way to boost overall profitability. By adjusting prices based on demand, seasonality, and consumer preferences, hotels can enhance revenue per guest through effective upselling and cross-selling. Advanced revenue management systems also use customer segmentation to deliver personalized offers, increasing both revenue and guest satisfaction. The rise of mobile and cloud-based solutions has further revolutionized the field, allowing hoteliers to access critical tools and analytics on the go, providing greater flexibility and agility in decision-making. These advancements in hotel technology empower hotels to stay competitive and thrive in a data-driven world.
Conclusion: What We Must Do Today to Prepare for Tomorrow
The hospitality industry is on the cusp of a major transformation, and the decisions we make today will shape the hotels of 2034. From investing in cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices to creating hyper-personalized experiences and authentic local connections, we have the opportunity to lead the future of hospitality. What we can say for sure — it is not about PIP or renovation it is about transformation in product and service!
As hoteliers, our job is to anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s travelers — those who seek more than just a place to stay, but a space that resonates with their values and offers meaningful, memorable experiences. By embracing these trends now, we can ensure that our hotels not only meet but exceed the expectations of future generations.
What trends do you think will shape the future of hospitality? Let’s continue the conversation.
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The writer, David Zaltzman, is Vice President of Development for Dhalla Group of companies. Dhalla group is a recognized leader in hotel investments, acquisitions, development, and operations. With a strategic focus on growth and innovation, Dhalla Group navigates every facet of hotel development, from identifying high-potential investment opportunities to implementing operational strategies that maximize returns for its stakeholders.