PARSIPPANY, New Jersey—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts released its second annual Owner Trends Report, which found that the hotel industry has reached an AI inflection point: owners and developers are embracing AI but are increasingly in need of greater guidance on how to convert early adoption into long-term returns.
Drawn from a survey of hundreds of hotel owners and property developers across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and representing a cross-section of the lodging industry across multiple brands and hotel companies, non-exclusive to Wyndham, the findings also showed continued confidence in hospitality’s long-term outlook, despite mounting pressure from rising costs, economic uncertainty, and operational complexity. Amid these trends, owners are looking to established brands for reliable guidance, proven technology, and long-term partnerships, especially as AI becomes an integral part of hotel operations.
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping hospitality—opening new opportunities while adding fresh layers of complexity,” said Scott Strickland, chief commercial officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “With years of early and significant foundational investment, Wyndham is well-positioned to help hoteliers navigate this evolving landscape, offering not only the guidance they seek but also proven, scalable platforms that make it easier to apply AI where it matters most, helping turn innovation into real revenue, greater efficiency and stronger returns.”
The Rise of AI
According to the report, nearly all hotel owners (98 percent) said they have begun incorporating AI into their business. Execution remained uneven, with less than a third (32 percent) saying AI was embedded across most aspects of their operations and nearly three-quarters (73 percent) wanting to do more but feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start.
- AI Is Already Delivering Operational Value: Of those owners and developers who said they already adopted AI in some form, the common uses were for driving operational efficiency (64 percent), energy efficiency (54 percent), and revenue optimization (53 percent).
- Opportunities in Design and Construction: Asked about their plans for 2026, hoteliers most commonly (61 percent) said they wanted to see AI play a larger role in construction planning (e.g., assisting with permitting and zoning), followed by revenue optimization (30 percent).
The Role of Brands as AI Reshapes Operations
Nearly nine in ten hoteliers (89 percent) said working with a hotel brand was beneficial when it came to incorporating AI into their business, with more than a third (34 percent) deeming it essential.
- Perceived Barriers: Asked to cite the top three factors keeping them from adopting more AI, hoteliers most commonly cited data privacy and security concerns (46 percent), costs of investing in AI tools (42 percent), and difficulty integrating AI with legacy systems and technology (40 percent).
- Not Yet Ready to Fully Let Go: When it came to AI making business decisions, hoteliers were mixed in their views of how much human oversight is required. Only two-in-five (40 percent) were comfortable with AI making operating decisions without human oversight, while 57 percent required human oversight to be comfortable.
Continued Optimism with Plans for Growth
Despite ongoing economic shifts and other pressures, hoteliers entered 2026 with continued confidence in both the short and long-term trajectory of the industry—echoing similar sentiments shared in Wyndham’s first Owner Trends Report last year. The vast majority (90 percent) said they were optimistic about 202,6 while an even higher number, 95 percent, were optimistic about the next five years.
- Expansion Remains on the Agenda: Nearly 8-in-10 hoteliers (79 percent) said they were planning to expand their portfolio over the next 5 years, a number virtually unchanged from last year’s report, while 97 percent said they were open to joining or switching brands if the right opportunity presented itself.
- Loyalty as an Advantage: Nearly two-thirds of hoteliers (65 percent) said a strong loyalty program was of great importance to their success, while top obstacles included operating costs, talent shortages, and rising competition.
- Investing in the Guest Experience: Nearly a quarter of hoteliers (24 percent) said they would be prioritizing increased staffing in 2026, while others planned to invest in property improvements (20 percent), sales and marketing improvements (20 percent), technology investments (19 percent) and enhanced amenities (17 percent).
“This year’s report shows once again the overwhelming confidence hoteliers have in the long-term resiliency and proven ROI of our industry,” said Amit Sripathi, chief development officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “The results also underscore improving market conditions, with 61 percent of hoteliers seeing easier financing and a near-even split when it comes to interest in new construction versus conversion opportunities. Taken together, the findings point to a market where Wyndham’s scale, experience, and platforms help create a real advantage, supporting owners’ growth decisions while driving value through every phase of the cycle.”
