Why Guests No Longer Just Want to Be Served. Dr Maggie Chen on the Future of Immersive Experiences
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 August 2026: $10.4B across 9 reported transactions. All Hospitality coverage →
Computed from Real Estate Trail’s own tracked coverage
EHL's Dr. Maggie Chen argues guests now seek immersive, co-created experiences driven by a craving for authenticity and human connection in an AI-saturated world.
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