Marriott COO unveils key openings and emerging travel trends for 2026

Bookending holidays with short luxury stays and travelling for leisure events will be among the leading motivations for booking holidays in 2026, as experiential travel remains a strong trend, according to new research from Marriott.

 

Marriott’s Chief Operating Officer, Middle East & Luxury, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Sandeep Walia, shared findings published in the brand’s annual Ticket to Travel Report at an exclusive press conference held in Dubai, UAE, on 27 November 2025.

 

Walia went on to reveal the brand’s most significant hotel openings pegged for 2026, finally sharing details of the upcoming St Regis London, one of the most hotly anticipated hospitality launches scheduled for next year. 

 

Before sharing the highlights, Walia announced that the brand’s loyalty programme, Marriott Bonvoy, has now accumulated a milestone 260 million members, with successful new partnerships with entities such as Etihad Arena underscoring the market’s appetite for experiential travel.

 

2026’s Top Travel Trends

Marriott predicts that travellers will take an average of seven trips in 2026, with most travel inspiration coming from friends and family, as well as social media. 

 

‘Lux-scaping’, a new emerging trend, involves bookending longer trips with short-term indulgences such as five-star hotel stays or spa bookings, with 80% of survey respondents saying they had done this on a recent holiday.

 

Events remain a core focus, with half of all respondents citing ‘passion pursuits’ as a reason to travel, with sports matches, concerts and adventure tourism offerings, such as safari and treks, listed as the biggest drivers. 

 

Meanwhile, hotel rates continue to rise. “ADR [Average Daily Rate] has been growing as people have been willing to spend more as resorts have become more experiential,” said Walia. 

 

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Brand Extensions and Revamps

The hospitality group has also seen considerable growth in branded residential developments, with Walia describing it as “another way to connect with our guests”. 

 

Nujuma, Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence in Saudi Arabia sold out within six months of coming onto the market, while residential projects in the pipeline garnering a great deal of interest include the Dubai Beach Edition, set to open in 2029. 

 

Walia pointed out that, while the branded residential trend began in the luxury market, it is now extending to premium brands, with Marriott-branded residences joining the portfolio. “It builds confidence in our brands,” he said. 

 

“Other brand extensions doing well include our first hotel at sea,” added Walia, talking about the company’s Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, with three vessels serving the US, Europe and Asia. 

 

A major focus of the group in 2025 was the rebranding of W hotels, maturing from a party-centric brand to “global luxury-lifestyle brand”, with a series of renovations and enhancements made across the portfolio, and major investments made at W New York – Union Square and European locations, including W Budapest, W Prague and W Florence.