Hotel Summit 2026 in Dubrovnik: How AI, technology and new trends are changing the hotel industry

The hotel industry is changing faster than ever. Artificial intelligence is changing the way guests search for and choose a hotel, technology is changing their experience, data is changing the way decisions are made, new hotel brands are entering markets and rising costs are simultaneously forcing hoteliers to rethink every euro they invest.

That is exactly why Hotel Summit is not designed as just another conference talking about the future, but as a place where hoteliers can hear what is happening in the industry right now – from the people who lead and implement these changes every day. Hotel Summit is taking place from 14 to 16 October at the Valamar Lacroma hotel in Dubrovnik.

Who is coming?

The programme gathers experts from various segments of the hotel industry. From hotel operations, development and management of international brands to investments, sales, distribution, revenue management and human resources, but also experts from industries that are increasingly influencing the hotel experience and business. There are representatives from technology, architecture and design, retail, leadership, finance and other fields that are today becoming an integral part of successful hotel operations.

Among the already confirmed speakers is Carolyn Turnbull, CEO of Nammos Hotels & Resorts, who will speak at the Hotel Summit about how to build a global luxury lifestyle brand. With over 25 years of international experience in luxury hospitality, Carolyn spent more than a decade working on the development of the global strategy and operational concept for the Aman brand and today leads the transformation of Nammos from its roots in Mykonos into an international ultra-luxury hospitality platform. Today, alongside Nammos Hotel Mykonos, Nammos is developing new resort projects in destinations such as AMAALA, Montenegro, Egypt and the Maldives.

The programme also features representatives of international hotel brands such as Hilton, Accor, IHG and Marriott, as well as numerous regional hoteliers and experts who run hotels, develop projects and make decisions every day in markets that are close to us. These are exactly the people from whom one can learn a lot because they do not come to talk only about theory, but about experiences, decisions, successes and challenges they encounter in real business.

The organisers chose the speakers with exactly this idea in mind: to bring people to the stage who have experience, perspective and something concrete to say. Those whose view can open a new question, challenge the way we think or offer an idea that we can apply tomorrow.

The special value of the programme lies precisely in the fact that hotel operators, owners, international brands, technology companies, consultants and experts from other industries meet on the same stage, creating a space for conversations that go beyond classic hotel topics.

From luxury brands to ChatGPT: what will be discussed?

The programme is divided so that participants can get a broader picture over three days of where the hotel industry is heading, but also very concrete answers to the challenges they face every day in their hotels.

• How to build a global luxury lifestyle brand?

Carolyn Turnbull from Nammos brings a first-hand look at the transformation of one of the most recognisable lifestyle brands in the world of luxury hospitality.

• Should a hotel develop its own brand or join an international chain?

Representatives of Maistra Collection and Hilton will discuss this, opening a question that is very concrete for many hotel owners: which model brings greater long-term value? For hotel owners, the panel Franchise or Management Agreement: Which Hotel Operating Model Is Right for Owners? will be particularly interesting, where speakers from InterContinental Hotels, Accor and Delta Holding will compare different hotel management models.

What can the hotel industry learn from technology companies? Microsoft will bring the perspective of one of the world's largest technology companies on data, artificial intelligence and personalisation.

• Is your hotel visible in the new AI world?

One of the questions that will soon concern every hotelier is: if a guest asks ChatGPT where to stay, will it recommend your hotel? There will also be talk about hotel data and performance, direct sales, distribution, revenue management, rising costs, profitability, sustainability, cleaning, F&B trends and design.

• A guest is no longer just a guest

One of the more important topics of this year's Summit will be the change in how we observe the guest experience. How to turn one conversation with a guest into additional revenue? How do content, storytelling and technology influence a guest's decision before they even arrive at the hotel? However, the experience does not end in the hotel room. The programme also brings topics such as From Customer Journey to Spatial Journey: How Design Shapes Experiences, as well as a presentation analysing what the hotel industry can learn from retail.

• People nevertheless remain the biggest hotel advantage

In an industry that increasingly talks about technology, AI and automation, Hotel Summit also opens a question that no technology can solve alone, which is: how to lead people? Katrin Melle, former Regional Vice President for Talent and Culture for the EMEA region at Hyatt, will talk about emotionally intelligent leadership and why the human component is becoming even more important in the digital age. A hotel can have the best technology, the best revenue management and the best design, but the guest experience is still created by people.

Hotel Summit is not just a program

This is exactly what makes this event different. Hoteliers do not come just for new knowledge. They come to meet colleagues whom they often do not have the opportunity to see due to the intensity of the season, to renew existing contacts, to meet new people and to talk with colleagues from other hotels and destinations. They come to find new partners, exchange experiences and openly discuss challenges that are often best understood precisely by people doing the same job.

Three days in Dubrovnik thus become a combination of education, inspiration, business networking and socialising with people who understand the hotel business.

Why attend?

• You will have the opportunity to meet people whom hoteliers usually meet at various European conferences.
• You will be able to hear how international hotel brands think about the future and how they are preparing for the coming changes.
• You will gain insight into the technologies that are already changing the hotel industry and the way hotels operate and communicate with their guests.
• You will hear the concrete experiences of other hoteliers: what works for them, what problems they have encountered and what they would do differently today.
• You will have the opportunity to talk to people who develop new hotel projects, manage international brands and make decisions that shape the market every day.
• Topics and challenges facing the hotel industry today will be discussed.

What is perhaps most important - Dubrovnik will gather more than 300 people who daily make decisions about hotels, people, investments, technology, sales and the guest experience. If you run a hotel, manage a hotel department, develop a hotel project or make decisions about the future of your business, Hotel Summit 2026 s not just another date in the calendar, but the place you need to be.