Outdoor travel stays strong in 2026 as AI enters trip planning
Why this matters
Hospitality has separated by chain scale and demand segment, with luxury and resort outperforming and select-service holding pricing power on a leaner cost base. New construction starts remain at multi-decade lows, which has supported in-place RevPAR and made conversions of soft-branded flags an increasingly active part of transaction velocity. For sponsors with operational expertise, the sector continues to offer one of the more compelling income-plus-appreciation profiles available across CRE.
Editorial analysis · Real Estate Trail Editorial
On the RET wire
- Disclosed hospitality deal value tracked in September 2026: $375.2M across 6 reported transactions. All Hospitality coverage →
Computed from Real Estate Trail’s own tracked coverage
RMS survey of 1,500 campers across the US, UK, Australia and NZ finds 66% plan to camp more in 2026, with online search now the top discovery channel and AI tools used by 14% for trip research.
External link. Real Estate Trail does not republish source content.
Related coverage — Hospitality
Guest recovery windows are shrinking. Is your team built for that?
As guest expectations for instant response accelerate, hotels face a shrinking window to resolve issues privately before they become negative public reviews.
Leonardo Hotels takes over four hotels in one go
Leonardo Hotels Central Europe simultaneously acquires four former Revo Hotels across Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Dortmund, adding 1,328 rooms spanning its Leonardo Smart and Leonardo Royal brand concepts.
When Hotel AI Can Understand Both the Stay and the Spend
The article examines how integrating PMS and POS data gives AI systems the combined context of guest stay and spend behavior to support real-time, event-driven operational decisions in hotels.
HOSPA expands events portfolio with acquisition of leading industry conference
HOSPA acquires the 20-year-old National Hotel Marketing Conference from Martin Evans, with the next edition scheduled for 27 May 2027 at Hilton at St George's Park.
Hospitality Veteran Releases an Insider's Guide to Hotel Operations, Management, and Industry Trends
Robert A. Rauch, a 50-year hospitality veteran, releases a 20-chapter book covering hotel operations, revenue management, AI, cybersecurity, sustainability, and leadership development.
Otel Launches Otel Academy, a Webinar Series that Cuts Through the AI Noise for Hotels.
Otel AI launches a free webinar series for hoteliers, with the first 41-minute episode featuring former Accor Group CTO Floor Bleeker on building a practical AI strategy.