2025 Promises Accelerated Change in Hospitality

Welcome to The Hotel Yearbook 2025 – your concise guide to the next wave of hospitality innovation and strategy. As always, we’ve invited a cross-section of senior executives, consultants, analysts, and thought leaders to answer the central question: What lies ahead for the global hotel industry?

A core theme this year is how employees remain at the heart of hospitality. Experts highlight that treating staff as “first guests” boosts retention, drives better service, and ultimately elevates your property’s performance. At the same time, technology-driven transformation—from AI-powered personalization to fully automated workflows—continues to reshape daily operations, delivering hoteliers new tools to optimize revenue, guest engagement, and improved bottom-line results.

On the asset management and finance front, our contributors spotlight agile frameworks and advanced forecasting methods to address rising costs, complex lending conditions, and evolving market expectations. Across multiple articles, sustainability emerges as a key priority—properties that champion social and environmental responsibility enhance their brand reputation and attract future-focused talent.

Further, data analytics and integrated platforms come to the forefront, enabling real-time, hyper-personalized guest experiences. We see examples of seamless self-service check-ins, dynamic upselling, and robust data governance. Throughout these discussions—from revenue management to social media—authors underline the importance of intuitive systems and empowered teams, making sure new technologies serve genuine hospitality without overshadowing it.

Finally, a special shout-out to all the amazing friends and partners who contributed their ideas, time, and enthusiasm to The Hotel Yearbook 2025. Your insights and expertise make this publication a truly unique resource. We’re grateful for your commitment to pushing our industry forward and helping us shape what’s next in hospitality.

Henri Roelings
Publisher - The Hotel Yearbook