8 game-changing hospitality trends for 2025
Key takeaways:
- Hotels are increasingly using AI to offer guests highly personalized experiences that enhance satisfaction and drive loyalty
- By thinking like retailers, hotels can generate more income with unique amenities and services that appeal to guests and locals alike
- “Buy Now, Pay Later” options make it easier for guests to book higher-value stays and upgrades, appealing to those who want flexible spending options
- AI-powered chatbots allow hotels to offer 24/7 support, enhancing guest convenience and freeing up staff for more complex tasks
As we move into 2025, the hospitality industry is at a transformative crossroads, spurred by shifting consumer expectations and the rise of a new generation of travelers. Gen Z is taking the reins as a dominant consumer segment, bringing high expectations for personalization, flexibility, and digital convenience.
Simultaneously, travelers of all ages prefer immersive, meaningful experiences that emphasize sustainability, convenience, and seamless service. The confluence of these demands is reshaping hospitality, with advanced technology leading the way in helping hotels respond to this new landscape.
With tools like AI, integrated retail solutions, and more, hotels are uniquely positioned to adapt to these changes and capture new revenue streams. Sabre Hospitality Solutions has curated the top 8 trends set to define 2025, highlighting ways for hoteliers to enhance guest satisfaction, foster loyalty, and drive profitability.
1. Hyper-personalized guest experiences
Hyper-personalized guest experiences are quickly becoming a hallmark of the modern hospitality landscape. Today, 71% of consumers say they expect personalized service that reflects their individual preferences, from room setup to dining choices.
This demand has paved the way for hyper-personalization, allowing hotels to deliver unique, memorable experiences through the power of AI, machine learning, and data analytics. By analyzing guest behaviors and preferences, hotels can tailor every touchpoint of the guest journey, whether it’s suggesting curated activities based on past stays or customizing in-room amenities.
3 in 4 travelers seek personalized experiences
Studies show that 57% of consumers feel more loyal to brands that provide personalized experiences, and three-quarters of travelers are more likely to book with properties that cater to their preferences. This level of personalization enhances satisfaction and encourages repeat bookings, opening the door to new revenue streams as guests are more inclined to pay for experiences that feel tailored to them. In a competitive market, the ability to personalize every interaction is fast becoming a critical driver of guest loyalty and competitive advantage.
Next Steps: Harness AI-driven insights to make each guest’s stay unique. By implementing machine learning capabilities within your booking engine, hotels can analyze guest profiles to generate personalized recommendations, enhancing every aspect of the guest journey. Sabre’s retail management solution, SynXis Retailing, utilizes machine learning to suggest tailored add-ons at booking that are designed to resonate with individual guest preferences.
2. Hospitality retailing
Another game-changing trend is the rise of hotel retailing, as hotels increasingly look to expand their offerings beyond traditional room bookings. In response to intensified competition and evolving guest expectations, the hospitality sector is embracing a retail-oriented mindset.
Hotels are now offering an expanded array of services and experiences—from spa packages and local tours to on-site dining and wellness activities—all of which transform a property into a one-stop shop for travelers seeking a seamless, immersive experience. Studies show that 75% of travelers are interested in more personalized hotel experiences, with nearly 60% willing to pay extra for additional amenities and unique services, signaling a vast potential for ancillary revenue.
60% of travelers are willing to pay extra for added amenities
By adopting this retail-driven approach, hotels can redefine the guest experience, presenting themselves as destinations for lifestyle and leisure. This model also enhances profitability, with properties that offer diverse, customized services seeing up to a 25% increase in ancillary revenue. Additionally, by opening up select amenities to non-guests, hotels can expand their reach, build brand loyalty, and draw new customers from the local community, all while providing meaningful, on-brand experiences that resonate with modern travelers.
Next steps: Explore untapped revenue opportunities within hotel amenities. SynXis Retailing empowers hotels to merchandise a diverse range of amenities, services, experiences, and products as standalone offers—from spa packages and dining to exclusive local tours—available to both guests and non-guests.
3. Flexible payments
Flexible payment options, particularly the popular “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) model, also reshape the hospitality landscape. Originating in the retail industry, BNPL has found a stronghold in travel, offering guests a way to split costs over time instead of paying everything upfront.
This flexibility particularly appeals to younger travelers, with 43% of Gen Z consumers expressing interest in BNPL, and 40% of hotel-goers prefer staggered payments over lump-sum bookings. For hoteliers, BNPL not only makes premium experiences like room upgrades and extended stays more accessible but also encourages guests to spend more. Properties that offer BNPL have reported a 48% rise in average booking values, demonstrating the model’s effectiveness in driving revenue while catering to budget-conscious travelers.
By removing the upfront payment barrier, flexible payment options align with current consumer preferences, encouraging guests to opt for enhanced experiences and extended stays, ultimately building loyalty by making premium services more attainable and convenient.
Next Steps: To attract guests interested in a more luxurious experience without financial pressure, consider implementing flexible payment options like BNPL. Solutions like the SynXis Booking Engine already offer BNPL integration, making it easy to provide this service and enhance the booking experience.
4. Concierge bots
The adoption of concierge bots is prevalent, where AI-driven assistants are redefining how hotels approach guest service. With 51% of consumers expecting businesses to be available 24/7 and 71% expecting personalized customer interactions, the demand for round-the-clock, seamless support is more relevant than ever.
Concierge bots address this need by responding instantly to guest inquiries, from booking requests and room service to recommendations and general queries. With technology advancing rapidly, experts predict that by 2025, 80% of hotel guest interactions could be managed by AI, empowering hotels to provide efficient service without increasing staff. Hotels that have implemented chatbot technology report a 20-40% reduction in customer service costs, as well as higher upsell conversion rates for premium services such as spa treatments, dining reservations, and late check-outs.
This approach not only improves guest satisfaction through responsive, efficient service but also creates additional revenue opportunities, as AI chatbots can effectively engage guests in upselling conversations, making concierge bots a valuable asset in enhancing both the guest experience and operational efficiency.
Next Steps: Hotels can further leverage AI chatbots to handle in-room requests—such as through Sabre’s Concierge.AI—which can significantly speed up response times and boost guest satisfaction. Beyond real-time support, chatbots are also valuable for post-stay engagement, collecting feedback, sending reminders, and promoting loyalty programs to nurture long-term guest relationships.
Want to reveal the next 4 trends?
Download Sabre Hospitality’s comprehensive trend report for the full list of 2025 trends, complete with actionable insights to help your property stay competitive ahead of the curve.
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Written by Tiffany Lung
SynXis® Retailing
Go Beyond booking rooms with a comprehensive retail management solution designed to enable choice and accelerate revenue. SynXis® Retailing uses machine learning to suggest tailored add-ons for bookings designed to resonate with individual guest preferences.
