Inna Ryndina, Commercial Director of the "Russian Seasons" Hotel Group Management Company: "Things won't be easy for hoteliers anymore, but it's going to be interesting!"

Question No. 1 for the hospitality industry: How to survive in an era of change? During the big online broadcast of the Hoteliers Association, AMOS spoke about trends and bright time markers that are worth paying attention to Inna Ryndina, Commercial Director of the Russian Seasons Hotel Group:

— What happens after the dollar exchange rate drops? "Fives" fall in price to "fours", "fours" to "threes", and "threes" do not understand at all what to do and how to survive! The most difficult thing on the Black Sea coast is for small hotels with up to one hundred rooms, because the cost of a room is currently growing to 4 thousand rubles.

When we talk about changing the flow of tourists, price wars will not lead to anything good. Hotels will just start closing. I want to give an example of restaurants. Just imagine that 1,680 restaurants have closed in Russia since the beginning of 2026! Boutique hotels are next in line. The owners don't openly talk about it, but we receive up to five offers a week offering to rent hotels. And I'm not talking about Sochi. In Sochi, most owners simply decide to close the business rather than try to survive amid rising rental rates.

Therefore, the only way to survive is to adapt marketing concepts. Not to play on the price field, but to play on the field of the correct segments of the guests. If at the beginning of the year we believed that everything would be fine, now we understand that it will not be fine. It will become interesting and difficult. But difficult times give rise to strong leaders.

What happens to the guests? Main trends:

1. They get very annoyed with AI. Those who say that AI will replace humans are mistaken. It won't replace it. AI will be a good analytical tool, allowing you to save on the analytics unit, but not on employees.
2. Guests want to get a clear understanding of their vacation. Don't get emotional from the "Feel the new version of yourself" series! It doesn't work. Guests believe that the best experience is the one that transforms them.
3. The guests are concerned about the geopolitical situation. They are looking for recreation formats that allow them to escape from everything that is happening. The simplest possible messages are important.

Hoteliers need to review not only the market, but also their own product. It is important to adjust to the new realities and context.

Source: AMOS Hoteliers Association (VKontakte)