The American Hotel & Lodging Association supports recent legislation that changes the federal protections afforded to short-term rental companies like Airbnb, Flipkey and HomeAway. "For far too long, these Big Tech short-term rental platforms have been hiding behind this antiquated law in order to bully and threaten legal action against local elected officials who are simply trying to protect their residents from illegal rentals that are destroying neighborhoods and access to affordable housing," AH&LA President and CEO Chip Rogers says.

Camas Hotel, a 107-year-old hotel in Camas, Wash., has a new owner who, at 32, has already started a clothing line and owned two previous hotels. Brendan Lee wants to use his business experience, along with his knowledge of social media, to build a following for the boutique hotel and make business thrive.

NewcrestImage opened three hotels this summer, one of which included renovating a building on the National Register of Historic Places, requiring changes to be approved by several government agencies. Chairman and CEO Mehul Patel said the renovations blended "yesterday's glamour with today's needs."

Tourism improvement districts can help hoteliers by giving them more of a voice on how money is raised and spent in the districts, Civitas President and CEO John Lambeth says. Funding that's raised, Lambeth said, stays in the district and does not get funneled out to state or local governments.

Asian and Eastern European five-star hotels are generally less expensive than others around the globe -- such as North America's $844-per-night average -- and urban luxury hotels tend to cost less than beach and ski hotels, according to a recent study. Aspen's $2,021 is the priciest nightly average in the world, whereas five-star rooms in Brussels average just $175 per night.

The $4.5 billion immersive entertainment industry -- which encompasses art installations, virtual reality, escape rooms and more -- offers a potential revenue thread for the hospitality industry with such options as VR travel tours and interactive hotel rooms. Santa Fe's Meow Wolf artist/mystery house space will expand to Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., with a themed hotel attached at a planned Phoenix location.

Hotels' direct-booking and loyalty programs can mean free Wi-Fi, digital keys, discounts and reward points for guests and details such as demographics, spending habits and customer preferences -- down to hypoallergenic pillows -- for hotels. "The more we know about you, the more we serve you," Hilton's Kellyn Smith Kenny says.