The Reinvention Race is On

If I handed you $10M today, how would you reshape hospitality?

Not optimize it.
Not add features.
Actually change it.

Because travel isn’t being disrupted.

It’s being 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱.

And the brands that will matter in the next decade won’t be the ones that add more.

They’ll be the ones that understand people better.

Here’s where I’d place the bets:

𝟭. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

People don’t choose hotels for aesthetics anymore.
They choose them for 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴.

Think: Aman × Six Senses × Blue Zones
Stays designed around emotional outcomes: calm, clarity, reconnection, belonging.

Action: Stop designing for rooms. Start designing for 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹-𝗳𝗼𝗿-𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗯

There’s a gap between wellness retreats and real change.

Think: Soho House & Co × Therapy × Masterclass
Places where people integrate meaning, not just escape stress.

Action: Build experiences that help guests move into a different rhythm, not just disconnect.

𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀

People want beautiful, ethical stays without hours of research.

Think: 1 Hotels × Design Hotels × B Corp
Discovery built around integrity, not inventory.

Action: Curate less. Stand for more.

4. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘀

We don’t need more places that could be anywhere.
We need 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.

Think: Zannier Hotels × Desert Rock × Fogo Island Inn

Action: Stop importing concepts. Start listening to land, history, and community.

𝟱. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿)

AI will reshape travel. But the real opportunity isn’t speed.

It’s 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨.

Not as a feature. Not as a dashboard. Not as a novelty.
But as part of the story.

Think:
OpenAI × Notion × Airbnb

Action: Don’t ship AI as a product. Weave it into the narrative.
Use it to 'reflect' why people travel and who they’re becoming.

If people notice it, you probably did it wrong. The most useful intelligence is the one that 'supports' the story. It doesn’t become it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵?

Travel is no longer about where you go.
It’s about 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰.

And the brands that understand this will define the next decade of hospitality. None of these require scale first. They require 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻:
If you had $10M to reshape travel or hospitality, where would you place your bet?

Image via Rimowa