Hotels Are Splitting Into Two Completely Different Businesses - Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality

In this episode, Walter Isenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Sage Hospitality Group, shares his reflections on 2025, the lessons he's bringing into 2026, and his perspective on the bifurcation in hospitality: commodity hotels moving toward automation and reduced staffing versus experience-driven hospitality, where people remain the competitive advantage. More from Walter: Walter's article in Hotel Management: "Hospitality Begins from Within"The Letter That Turned a Young Dishwasher into a Hospitality Leader - Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality GroupHow Sage Hospitality Enriches Lives Through Culture - Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality GroupThe Dana Crawford Playbook: How Risk, Storytelling, and Grit Built Iconic Hospitality - Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality Group A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands