Hotel Monitor is an annual forecast of hotel rates and analysis of the factors driving prices from the Consulting team at American Express Global Business Travel.

We expect hotel rates globally to increase off the back of resilient demand for corporate travel and meetings in destinations across the Americas and Europe.

Persistent general inflation in many countries could also contribute to rising prices. But there are also regions that could see prices stabilize or experience only moderate increases.

As we discuss, the Middle East conflict has suppressed demand in key Gulf destinations. Increased trip costs, inflated by the rising cost of air travel, may also mean reduced demand into Asia Pacific destinations.

Given the geopolitical context and commodity price volatility, Hotel Monitor 2027 will present the price forecasts as a range.

If the Middle East conflict does not resolve quickly or if global inflation remains in line with the IMF’s July World Economic Outlook forecast of 4.7% for 2026, we advise you use the lower forecast. If global inflation rises beyond 4.7%, use the upper forecast in the range.1

Price is, of course, a key indicator but it doesn’t always tell the full story.

In Hotel Monitor 2027, we look at value and ask you to consider: What are you getting for your hotel spend? Are your negotiated deals delivering the kind of traveler experience you’ve negotiated? Sara Andell Director of Consulting Strategy, Amex GBT Consulting.

AI ushers in new era for hotel sourcing

AI is transforming every aspect of managed travel and expense, enabling smarter, more efficient ways of working. Hotel sourcing is no exception. In Hotel Monitor’s Analysis section, we noted how hotel suppliers are turning to agentic AI tools to help them improve revenue management performance and finesse their rate setting strategies.

But AI could make the biggest impact on the buyer side, equipping travel managers with tools and insights that eliminate grunge work and accelerate sourcing decisions.

As well as being more efficient, AI-enabled sourcing is more accurate, drawing on more sources to sharpen pricing and deliver stronger negotiating positions

The Hotel Monitor 2027, produced by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT)