Five hospitality developments retreat operators should watch this fall
By Ryan Tyrrell
The changing of the leaves is always a great time to be in nature, and as an outdoor enthusiast, it always brings my mind to guest experience at our properties. While fall foliage makes for some great vistas and memories, operators of course can’t sit back and let Mother Nature do all the work. Here are the latest hospitality developments and trends I’m watching from headquarters in Nashville this week.
Nashville has a substantial pipeline of new hotels
The trend: In its August 19 report on the global hotel development pipeline, Lodging Econometrics counted 122 projects representing 16,281 rooms in the Nashville market at the end of the second quarter. Nashville ranked fourth among the cities listed worldwide by project count.
Those figures include multiple stages of development; they do not establish that every project will open. They do show how much potential supply is being planned around this market.
My take: For a retreat operator, I would treat that as a reason to get more specific about the experience. A rural property and a downtown hotel serve different needs, but they may still compete for some of the same groups, employees and guest spending. What makes the trip worthwhile? Perhaps it is privacy for a whole team, access to a working farm or enough room for a family to spend an unhurried weekend together. Those distinctions should be evident in the stay and easy to understand before booking.
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller curates guest experience
The news: The late Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum are scheduled to open together in Nashville on September 29. The hotel’s plans include two live entertainment venues, with songwriting and performance built into the guest experience.
My take: What interests me is how a property’s story can shape guest experience. Music influences the spaces, the programming and the reasons people gather.
There is a lesson here for much smaller operators. A farm’s history or a local craft can influence the experience in a similarly concrete way. If beekeeping is part of the place, guests might meet the person who tends the hives. If a property has a dairy history, that history can help explain the buildings and the land. The people involved should have a real connection to what they are sharing. That is what gives a guest something worth remembering.
Hotel satisfaction improves while common spaces lag
The trend: In its September 2 guest satisfaction benchmark, J.D. Power reported that overall satisfaction with large third-party hotel management companies rose 14 points from the previous year. Yet only 43 percent of guests described hotel common areas as inviting.
The benchmark covers branded hotels operated by large management companies.
My take: Have we created places where people want to spend time together?
A beautiful room can still be awkward to use. Chairs may be too far apart for conversation. Lighting may be harsh. A group may have nowhere comfortable to gather once a scheduled activity ends. I would walk the property as a guest and look for those small barriers.
Meeting planners need more help from their venues
The trend: August’s Northstar/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE survey, produced with Phocuswright, found that more than two-thirds of planners remained optimistic. At the same time, fewer than a quarter of respondents had increased their team’s staff this year, and rising costs remained a concern.
My take: An enthusiastic buyer may still be a stretched buyer. A company can be committed to bringing people together while the person organizing the gathering has very little capacity to manage another vendor or chase another answer.
That gives retreat properties a practical way to add value. Assign a clear point of contact. Make sure the kitchen and activities team are working from the same schedule. Agree in advance on what happens if the weather changes. The planner should be able to spend more time with the people they brought and less time coordinating the property’s departments.
Loyalty programs are reaching further into the trip
The news: Hyatt and Delta announced a planned loyalty collaboration that would let eligible elite members earn additional points or miles on qualifying flights and hotel stays. The companies said the relationship would launch in the coming months, with eligibility and other details still to follow.
My take: I read that as a reminder that a guest’s next booking can be influenced by benefits well beyond the room itself. Large brands have substantial tools for encouraging a return visit.
An independent retreat property needs its own reasons for people to come back. A returning group should be able to build on what worked during its last visit. Guest feedback should inform the next proposal. The person arranging the stay should feel that someone understands what the group needs. Those are practical things a smaller team can do well, provided it keeps useful notes and follows through.
The question I would carry into the next planning meeting is simple: Where are we asking the guest to do work that our team could handle? Fixing an awkward gathering space or a confusing handoff may do more for the stay than adding another activity. Guest feedback should inform the next proposal (I can't stress this enough). The person arranging the stay should feel that someone is listening to them and understands what the group needs.
Further Reading:
J.D. Power — 2026 hotel management guest satisfaction benchmark, Sept. 2, 2026
Northstar/Cvent — Meetings Industry PULSE survey, Aug. 2026
Lodging Econometrics — Global hotel construction pipeline at Q2 2026, Aug. 19, 2026
SongTeller Hotel — September 29 opening announcement, Sept. 8, 2026
Hyatt — Planned collaboration with Delta Air Lines, Sept. 9, 2026
