HI Hub Experiential Learning Lab

The 2026 Hotel Technology Outlook: Best-in-Class vs. All-in-One Systems report, produced by the NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality in partnership with Stayntouch and IDeaS, examines how hotels are evaluating technology stack strategies amid growing operational and integration complexity. Based on insights from hotel executives and technology leaders, the report contrasts modular best-in-class systems with integrated all-in-one platforms, assessing tradeoffs across flexibility, scalability, cost, and performance. The findings clarify how technology architecture decisions are shaping operational efficiency, guest experience, and long-term competitiveness heading into 2026.

Researchers from the NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality and HEDNA partnered to examine the evolving economics of managed corporate travel and hotel distribution. Drawing on proprietary booking and channel data from leading global distribution system providers, the report offers a data-driven assessment of how managed travel demand, channel performance, and corporate segments have shifted from 2023 to 2025. The findings clarify where hotels are capturing revenue, which channels are delivering sustainable value, and how the managed corporate traveler is reshaping one of the industry’s most critical profit pools.

The State of Distribution 2025 report, developed in collaboration with HEDNA and RateGain, examines how hotel revenue, marketing, and distribution functions are converging into unified commercial strategies. Based on data from 700 hotel brands spanning more than 21,000 properties in 310 cities worldwide, the report identifies shifts in channel performance, organizational structure, and technology adoption, highlighting where hotels are capturing value and where execution gaps persist as the industry moves into 2025.

NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality and PricewaterhouseCoopers researchers came together to research the current state of digital transformation and technology innovation in hospitality. The findings from interviews and focus groups with major hotel brand executives, operators, owners, and technology vendors illustrate five areas of priority to elevate technology-enabled experiences including automation, standardized integration, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and technology investments.

NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality and StayNTouch have collaborated on a traveler sentiment research analyzing guest opinions relating to attribute-based shopping in hospitality. Researchers surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. travelers to uncover their opinions and sentiments surrounding a significantly more customizable booking experience. The study led by Dr. Vanja Bogicevic and graduate student Owen Wexman was presented at HITEC Orlando 2022 conference in June 2022.

Hotelier Technology Sentiment Report is a capstone project led by two graduate students at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, Chloe Carver and Cara Kun, in collaboration with hospitality technology company StayNTouch and HI Hub Lab. Chloe and Cara tell us about their project in the interview.