Steve Carran and David Millili join a special holiday roundtable led by Katie Cline (Suite Success), alongside Glenn Hausmann (No Vacancy), Josiah Mackenzie (Hospitality Daily), and Zach Busekrus (Behind the Stays), to unpack the biggest hospitality moments of 2025 and what’s likely coming in 2026.

From the long-awaited Waldorf Astoria New York revival and the acceleration of “ultra-luxury,” to loyalty disruption, trade show fatigue, boutique brands being gobbled up by the majors, and the industry’s messy (but inevitable) race to adopt AI—this conversation is packed with sharp takes, real operator perspective, and plenty of friendly debate.

They wrap with 2026 predictions, including the growing divide between luxury and everyone else, the next evolution of loyalty (beyond points), authentic content backlash against the “AI buffet,” workforce shifts driven by automation, and what’s next for branded short-term rentals and experience-led travel.

In this episode, we cover:

2025’s biggest headline: the Waldorf Astoria New York restoration and what it signals for luxury
Why points can feel more like “bribery” than true loyalty
AI in hospitality: confusion, hype, and the gap between “buzzwords” vs real results
How AI should support staff (reduce stress, protect service) rather than replace people
Travel behaviour shifts: more local trips, road trips, and value-driven getaways (without giving up travel)

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT3HtYbHDNY

Links:
Katie Cline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiecline13/

Host of Suite Success: https://www.suitesuccesspodcast.com/

Josiah Mackenzie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahmackenzie/

Host, Hospitality Daily: https://podcast.hospitalitydaily.com/p/start-here/

Glenn Hausmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennhaussman/

Host, No Vacancy: https://novacancynews.com/

Zach Busekrus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/

Host, Behind the Stays: https://www.journey.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/239

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Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

#239: Hospitality's Biggest Stories in 2025 & Predictions for 2026 | Hospitality Roundtable with Katie Cline, Glenn Haussman, Josiah Mackenzie, and Zach Busekrus

The Modern Hotelier

#239: Hospitality's Biggest Stories in 2025 & Predictions for 2026 | Hospitality Roundtable with Katie Cline, Glenn Haussman, Josiah Mackenzie, and Zach Busekrus