Amadeus report highlights new pressures in hotel group sales

Sales leaders say lead quality, faster RFP handling, and commercial alignment will define hotel performance in 2026

According to new research from Amadeus, hotel sales leaders worldwide are entering 2026 with growing pressure to improve lead quality, respond faster to inquiries, and differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market. The company’s Global Hotel Sales Leader Insight Report surveyed more than 315 hotel and venue sales professionals responsible for group, event, and corporate business. The findings suggest that commercial success is becoming less dependent on volume alone and more tied to operational speed, cross-team coordination, and the ability to prioritize high-value opportunities. The report also highlights the growing role of AI and connected commercial systems in helping hotels simplify workflows and accelerate conversion.

Key takeaways

• Lead quality has become a major growth challenge: Sales leaders identified qualified demand and better third-party lead quality as the two biggest barriers to growth, reflecting a more selective booking environment for group and corporate business.
• Commercial alignment is increasingly strategic: Hotels are moving toward integrated commercial structures where sales, revenue management, and marketing teams share demand intelligence, pricing strategy, and forecasting insights more closely.
• Corporate meetings remain the strongest opportunity: Seven out of ten respondents ranked corporate meetings as the leading growth segment for 2026, while S.M.E.R.F. demand continues to provide complementary business opportunities.
• RFP speed is becoming a competitive advantage: Faster qualification of inquiries and simpler intake processes are now seen as critical to improving conversion rates and reducing operational friction in group sales.
• Sales technology must reduce complexity: More than half of respondents said ease of use is the most important feature in commercial technology platforms, ahead of automation and connected data capabilities.
• AI adoption is already widespread: The report found that 86 percent of surveyed sales leaders are already using AI, primarily for proposal personalization, market intelligence, and lead qualification support.
• Connected systems are reshaping hotel sales operations: The findings suggest hotels increasingly want unified commercial ecosystems where sales workflows, client intelligence, pricing, and forecasting operate together rather than in isolated systems.
• Operational responsiveness is becoming central to conversion: The report indicates that hotels able to respond quickly, coordinate internally, and present clear value propositions are more likely to win group and corporate business in a slower, more selective demand environment.

Source: Amadeus

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