The Top 10 Hotel Marketing Trends for 2026 (and How STR Fits In)

The hotel landscape in 2026 looks very different from the rebound years. Demand is levelling off, guest expectations are rising, and discovery is shifting toward creators, culture, and short-form content. At the same time, brands are expanding asset-light, loyalty is evolving, and alternative lodging continues to influence how travellers compare their options.

For marketing and revenue teams, the question is no longer “How do we drive more nights?” but “How do we protect rate integrity and grow profit from the demand we already have?”

The 10 trends below answer that. They outline where guest behavior is heading, how hotel marketing must adapt, and where STR (short-term rental) channels fit in as a strategic hedge.

1. Demand Is Flattening: Shift From “More Nights” to “More Profit”

As we move into 2026, the hotel industry faces a new reality: demand growth is stabilising rather than accelerating. Forecasts across major markets point to softer occupancy gains and more conservative ADR projections.

For marketing and revenue teams, the focus shifts from lifting raw volume to maximising the return from the demand you already have. That means protecting rate integrity, tightening promo cycles, and building campaigns that convert clearly defined segments instead of broadcasting generic offers.

Where STR fits:

Short-term rentals become a flexible hedge inside that strategy. When pick-up softens on specific dates, especially one to two-night gaps, selectively listing inventory on Airbnb or Vrbo can quietly fill holes without discounting direct channels. For hotels and resorts, a partner like Jetstream’s channel marketing solution helps connect your PMS or channel manager to STR platforms without adding internal workload.

2. Asset-Light Brand Growth and the Loyalty Remix

Brands are expanding faster than ever, but not by building more hotels, by widening their ecosystems. Asset-light growth continues to dominate, with major groups adding soft brands, lifestyle collections, serviced apartments, and other “alt-lodging” products that broaden their footprint without heavy overhead. (CB Insights)

In this world, guests aren’t just choosing a hotel; they’re choosing a network of stay types. Points, upgrades, and perks matter, but experiential value, local events, curated neighbourhood guides, wellness access, co-working, and flexible perks, is becoming the new battleground.

Where STR fits:

Well-vetted STR-style units can live inside that ecosystem as another loyalty-earning, experience-driven option. You selectively plug STR-style inventory into your existing distribution stack, especially in markets where guests want more space or longer stays.

3. Corporate Travel

Corporate travel isn’t surging, but it isn’t collapsing either. Recent GBTA outlooks point to moderate growth and regional divergence: some sectors are cautiously increasing budgets, while others are holding volume flat and watching costs closely.

For hotels, this means an opportunity for those who package clearly around convenience and productivity. “Business-ready” offers with early check-in, reliable workspace, strong Wi-Fi, and flexible breakfast options tend to convert better than broad discounts.

Where STR fits:

Whole-unit stays, condos, lofts, multi-bedroom suites, are attractive to project teams and small groups who want to work and stay together. By connecting these units via a multi-unit STR solution like Jetstream’s “how it works” model, you can serve corporate micro-groups without reinventing your on-site operations.

4. Gen Z and Next-Gen Leisure

Gen Z enters 2026 as one of the most influential leisure segments. They’re global, mobile, and discovery-led, often searching for a vibe or neighbourhood before they ever search for a brand. Travel trend reports from OTAs show younger travellers prioritising unique, localised experiences and content that feels native to the platforms they use.

For hotel marketers, that means shifting from generic “stay with us” messaging to authentic, story-driven content: hyper-local guides, micro-itineraries, and behind-the-scenes looks that feel one-of-one.

Where STR fits:

This audience loves “living local,” and STR-style units, lofts, flats, small condos, deliver that quickly. When those units are tied back to your amenities (gym, pool, front desk, housekeeping), you offer the best of both worlds: local feel plus hotel-grade reliability.

5. Culture, Events, and Set-Jetting as Primary Demand Drivers

Travel is increasingly shaped by culture, not just geography. Concert tours, fan conventions, and “set-jetting” trips (to film and TV locations) are now primary triggers for where and when people travel. Expedia’s 2026 “Unpack” and set-jetting forecasts show that a large share of Gen Z and Millennial travellers now plan trips around on-screen locations and fan experiences.

Hotels that market through cultural relevance, “where to stay for ___,” “weekend around the ___ festival,” “film locations you can actually visit”, see stronger engagement and conversion than those relying on generic seasonal messaging.

Where STR fits:

Events create compression, and compression creates gaps. When standard rooms sell out, STR-style units let you capture spillover demand at premium rates, especially for groups of friends or families attending the same event.

6. Winter & Shoulder-Season Shifts

Winter and shoulder-season travel are increasingly “discovery-first.” Instead of defaulting to the same beach or ski markets, travellers are searching open-ended phrases like “winter sun near me” or “quiet ski towns,” then choosing based on inspiration. Airbnb’s seasonal trend updates show rising interest in secondary and “new to me” destinations for off-peak travel.

For hotels, this is a chance to reposition low or shoulder periods with fresh creative: winter micro-itineraries, “hidden gem” city breaks, or themed getaways that highlight reasons to visit at non-obvious times.

Where STR fits:

Discovery-driven travellers often filter for space and amenities first. Publishing STR-style units for softer weeks lets you target families, couples, and small groups who are already comparing “hotel vs apartment” layouts, without training them to wait for discounts.

7. The Efficiency–Experience Gap Is Widening

Operational efficiency is better than ever. Automation in pricing, messaging, housekeeping, and maintenance keeps costs in check. But guests are expecting richer, more personalised experiences: better storytelling, more meaningful local connections, and thoughtfully designed stays.

The gap between “running efficiently” and “feeling exceptional” is where many brands are getting stuck. The playbook for 2026 is to automate repetitive tasks, pre-arrival messages, simple upsells, ADR fences, and basic guest comms, and reinvest that saved energy into content, programming, and on-property experience.

Where STR fits:

STR channels amplify this expectation for authenticity and neighbourhood feel. By curating a small set of STR-compliant units with consistent standards and letting automation handle the distribution and comms, you add an “experience-forward” product without overburdening on-site staff.

8. Sustainability Moves From “Nice to Have” to a Market Signal

Sustainability has shifted from a side message to a meaningful booking influence. Booking.com’s latest sustainable travel research shows a growing share of travellers actively considering their impact on destinations and wanting to leave places better than they found them.

For hotels, that means turning broad pledges into simple, visible proof points: a sustainability snapshot on your site, clear communication about water and energy practices, local partnerships, and waste-reduction initiatives that are easy to understand.

Where STR fits:

Many guests associate STR-style stays with “living local” and slower, more intentional travel. Highlighting vetted STR units in adaptive-reuse buildings, heritage conversions, or energy-efficient properties reinforces your sustainability story and widens your appeal to eco-conscious travellers.

9. Social Commerce and Creator-Led Distribution Go Mainstream

In 2026, social and creator content sits at the centre of the discovery funnel. Travellers are booking based on short-form video, authentic reviews, and creator recommendations as much as they are on traditional search. TikTok and similar platforms report huge growth in travel content consumption, particularly among younger demographics.

Winning brands are building creator-ready assets: vertical-first video, micro-itineraries, “day in the life at our property” sequences, plus affiliate links and limited-time drops that make it easy to go from watching to booking.

Where STR fits:

Creators love visually distinctive stays. A curated set of STR-style units gives them content that performs well and drives bookings. When that STR inventory is integrated with your brand and distributed via a platform like Jetstream’s channel marketing solution, you can capture that creator-led demand without fragmenting inventory.

10. AI-Driven Pricing and Always-On Testing Become Mandatory

With demand flattening and acquisition costs rising, static pricing strategies are becoming a liability. AI-powered pricing and decisioning tools allow hotels to adjust rates based on pace, compression, comp-set moves, and micro-segment behaviour, but the real advantage comes from treating pricing and merchandising as continuous tests, not annual decisions.

Weekly experiments like new fences, refreshed packages, LOS tweaks, can produce meaningful conversion and ADR lifts without leaning heavily on discounts.

Where STR fits:

STR channels are ideal sandboxes for this testing mindset. You can experiment with gap-night pricing, minimum stays, and amenity-driven filters on Airbnb and Vrbo, then feed what you learn back into your direct pricing strategy. Resources like Jetstream’s guide to short-term rental pricing tools can help frame those experiments.

2026 Belongs to Hotels That Market With Precision

Across all ten trends, one message is clear: 2026 isn’t about chasing more demand; it’s about managing demand more intelligently.

This is where STR distribution becomes a true strategic lever. When paired with the right technology and operational standards, STR channels help hotels smooth pace, monetise short gaps, and reach segments traditional room types can’t capture.

If you want support turning these trends into a focused, measurable 90-day plan, we’re here to help. Book a working session with our team to:

• Identify your highest-value STR hedge opportunities
• Strengthen your channel mix without diluting direct
• Map demand risks across your key markets
• Build creator-ready content tied to events and culture
• Set up always-on testing for pricing and merchandising
  
  

Turn 2026’s biggest shifts into your competitive advantage, starting today.