Deanna Ting

Journal Hotels is out to prove that you don't necessarily need to be a brand to succeed in the increasingly crowded lifestyle hotel space.

In some ways, building a boutique hotel brand isn't much different from when the first pioneers did it in the early 1980s. The only distinction is that today, the competition is certainly tougher and increasingly more abundant.

Given the rise of homesharing and shared workspaces, there are plenty of more external forces at work that will impact the extended stay market in the coming years. The key to success for Extended Stay America's new CEO will be taking these all into account.

Hyatt is the latest hotel company to jump onto the new cancellation policy bandwagon, but with a twist: If you're a loyalty program member, chances are higher you'll have more wiggle room.

Backed by technology and out-of-the-box thinking, integrating travel management and meeting functions is becoming a thing — if territorial impulses don't get in the way.

Everyone wants a piece of the extended stay market, so it'll be interesting to see how the new CEO guides Extended Stay America in this increasingly competitive space.

Airbnb is getting into the very business it has spent the past decade disrupting. Will Niido Powered by Airbnb usher in an era of co-living residences that encourage homesharing?

It wouldn't be a proper end of the year in hospitality without at least one more merger or acquisition, right? Choice Hotels' purchase of WoodSpring Suites makes some sense as it bolsters its position in the midscale and economy extended-stay space.

Perhaps being bigger isn't always better, at least when it comes to luxury hotels. When you're bigger, the challenges can be, too.

Kenny replaces long-time Hilton executive Geraldine Calpin. The new CMO will have to enhance Hilton's direct-booking marketing efforts. And with artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies influencing every CMO's agenda, there is also an opportunity for Kenny to leverage them to really personalize the guest experience.