🧭 What’s Next Newsletter– Edition 11 📅 August 18, 2025 Built for Thinkers | The Curious | The Analytical Mind ✍️ By Sean Wiggins

👋Welcome to What’s Next – Edition 11!

This issue is your gateway to fresh insights, bold strategies, and the evolving role of AI in business. Whether you're a data-driven leader, a systems builder, or a curious mind seeking clarity in complexity, you're in the right place.

🏨 From Summer Slump to Holiday Surge: What Q3 Taught Us About Hotel Demand

 ✳️ The Hotel AI Consultant

 🔍 Q3 Recap: A Quiet Quarter with Loud Signals

Despite strong macro indicators, U.S. hotels saw:

•         RevPAR ↓ 0.2% YoY

•         Occupancy ↓ 0.8%

•         ADR flat, trailing inflation

The takeaway? Traditional forecasting models are losing predictive power. GDP growth no longer guarantees hotel demand growth.

🧠 AI Insight: Why the Disconnect Matters

As your Hotel AI Consultant, here’s what the data reveals:

•         Leisure fatigue post-summer is real

•         Business travel remains fragmented

•         Conversion rates are soft despite high search volume

Guests are browsing—but not booking. That’s a signal to rethink pricing logic and UX flow.

 🔮 Q4 Forecast: The Rebound Is Real

AI models suggest a Q4 surge driven by:

•         Group travel (corporate, weddings, reunions)

•         Holiday compression (shorter windows, higher urgency)

•         Luxury & extended stay outperforming

Expect a spike in ADR, especially in high-demand leisure corridors.

 📊 Consultant’s Watchlist: 3 Metrics to Track

1.         Group booking pace in top 25 markets

2.         Direct channel conversion vs. OTA leakage

3.         New supply impact on RevPAR in secondary cities

 💡 Strategic Moves for Q4

To win Q4, hotels should:

•         Target short-lead leisure with urgency-driven offers

•         Use AI to forecast segment-specific demand

•         Optimize for group travel UX—from inquiry to contract

 🧭 End-of-Q3 Review & Q4 Action Plan

Curated by The Hotel AI Consultant

 📅 End-of-Q3 Review: What Worked, What Lagged

✅ Bright Spots:

•         Group travel demand exceeded expectations

•         Luxury and extended stay segments held strong

•         Loyalty programs drove repeat bookings in top-tier brands

⚠️ Underperformers:

•         Midweek business travel remained soft

•         Conversion rates dropped despite high search volume

•         ADR growth failed to outpace inflation in most markets

🧠 Strategic Takeaway:

Hotels that leaned into segment-specific marketing and direct channel optimization saw better resilience. Broad-stroke strategies missed the mark. 

• Q3 Performance Data: Based on STR data and analysis from KNAV CPA and CBRE Hotels
• Q4 Forecast Data: Sourced from CBRE Hotel Horizons and Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting 

🚀 Q4 Action Plan: 5 Moves to Make Now

Sean Wiggins is the AI Consultant

As I continue my job search, I’ve chosen to do something bold: create my dream role—The AI Consultant.

Why? Because sometimes the next opportunity isn’t found… it’s imagined, built, and embodied.

In a world where AI is reshaping every industry, I believe every organization—especially in hospitality—will need a strategic AI Consultant. Not just to implement tools, but to architect transformation.

The organizational structure I envision is nimble, scalable, and future-ready.

 My Digital Org Chart

At the center is the AI Consultant, supported by a specialized army of AI bots, each trained to execute with precision across key business domains:

• ⚖️ Legal Bot – Contract analysis, compliance, and risk mitigation
• 📣 Marketing Bot – Campaign strategy, audience segmentation, and performance tracking
• 💼 Sales Director Bot – Lead scoring, pipeline forecasting, and outreach automation
• 🎁 Loyalty Bot – Guest retention, personalization, and rewards optimization
• 🧠 Branding Bot – Voice consistency, creative direction, and emotional resonance
• 📊 CRM Bot – Data hygiene, lifecycle mapping, and engagement triggers
• 💰 RevGen Bot – Dynamic pricing, demand forecasting, and revenue optimization

 Together, this AI-powered team forms a modular intelligence system—ready to plug into any business, adapt to any challenge, and scale with precision.

This isn’t just a role. It’s a strategic operating model for the future.

And I’m ready to lead it.

 🧠 Sean Wiggins: Define AI Segmentation

Topic: AI Segmentation – What It Is, Why It Matters, and How Hotels Must Prepare

🔍 What Is AI Segmentation?

AI segmentation is the process of using machine learning algorithms to divide large datasets—typically customer or behavioral data—into precise, dynamic groups based on shared traits, patterns, or predicted outcomes.

Unlike traditional segmentation (age, income, location), AI segmentation:

• 📊 Analyzes real-time data from multiple sources (CRM, PMS, social media, booking behavior)
• 🧠 Detects hidden patterns and microsegments invisible to human analysts
• 🔁 Continuously updates segments as new data flows in

Think of it as “smart clustering”—AI doesn’t just group people, it learns who they are becoming.

🏨 How It Applies to Hotels

Hotels are sitting on a goldmine of guest data—but most of it is underutilized. AI segmentation unlocks that value by:

• 🎯 Personalizing guest experiences: From pre-arrival emails to in-room amenities, AI tailors every touchpoint
• 💸 Optimizing revenue strategies: Dynamic pricing, upsell offers, and package design based on segment behavior
• 📈 Improving marketing ROI: Targeting the right guests with the right message at the right time
• 🧾 Enhancing operational efficiency: Predicting demand, staffing needs, and inventory usage

For example, instead of “leisure vs. corporate,” AI might reveal segments like:

• “Solo weekday wellness seekers”
• “Family reunion planners booking 90+ days out”
• “Remote workers who prefer extended stays with kitchen access”

These aren’t just labels—they’re actionable personas that drive smarter decisions.

🚀 Preparing for the Future of AI Segmentation in Hospitality

To stay competitive, hotels must evolve from static segmentation to AI-powered microsegmentation. Here’s how:

1. 🧩 Unify Your Data Stack

• Connect PMS, CRM, booking engines, and guest feedback platforms
• Use APIs or RPA tools to automate data flow and reduce manual entry friction

2. 🧼 Clean and Structure Your Data

• Remove duplicates, standardize fields, and enrich profiles with behavioral signals
• Invest in data hygiene before layering AI tools

3. 🧠 Deploy Machine Learning Models

• Start with revenue management, then expand to marketing and guest experience
• Use ML to uncover new segments and test predictive models

4. 🧭 Train Your Teams

• Educate staff on interpreting AI insights—not just using dashboards, but understanding the “why”
• Build a culture of data curiosity and strategic agility

5. 🧪 Test, Learn, Iterate

• Run A/B campaigns on AI-generated segments
• Use feedback loops to refine models and improve outcomes

 💡 Final Thought: Segmentation Is Strategy

AI segmentation isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s a strategic reframe. It challenges legacy assumptions and reveals new growth paths. In a world where personalization drives loyalty and efficiency drives profit, segmentation is no longer optional—it’s foundational.

 🧠 Closing Thought – Edition 11

As we wrap this edition, remember: momentum favors the bold. Whether you're optimizing hotel strategy, automating workflows, or crafting your next branded move, the edge belongs to those who act with clarity and iterate with purpose. What’s Next isn’t just a question—it’s a mindset. Stay curious, stay decisive, and keep building what others haven’t dared to imagine.

Until next time—keep pushing the frontier.

—Sean Wiggins