First Quarter Recap: From the Front Row to the Front Desk
What happened in Q1, what resonated, and where this is all headed.
If Q4 was about measured optimism, Q1 was about putting in the work. Here is what landed, what resonated, and where I think this is all headed.
Fresh Off the NEWH Leadership Conference
Last week in DC, one word kept surfacing across every panel: intentionality.
How Intention Can Break the Gravitational Pull of the Waffle Maker started with a joke from Barry Sullivan about hotel brands never escaping the waffle maker and ended with Rado Ivanov reminding the room to design for people, employees first. In between, the BrandED panel made the most compelling case I've heard for why 77% of Marriott's premium portfolio renovation cycle is a chance to rewrite the story, not just refresh the rooms.
The Myths We Tell Ourselves About Hotel Projects - pressure-tested industry assumptions about consultant alignment, tariffs, budgets, and AI. My editorial take: the biggest schedule play in hospitality, bringing long-lead FF&E items forward, was never mentioned. Read it here:
Our most-engaged audio podcast was with Chelsea Hershelman at Coral Tree, and our most-engaged video was with Saxton Sharad at Hideaway Inns. Check ‘em out here (links to audio and video - whichever you prefer, in the show notes)
Earlier This Quarter: ALIS 2026
ALIS, in late January, gave me three Notes From the Front Row articles. Lead With the "B" became the most-engaged piece I've published in a while (64 likes, 5 comments) and argued that F&B is a strategic lever, not a cost center. Procurement, Project Management, and How to Deflect the Unexpected preached what I love most: front-load intelligence and shorten timelines. And When AI Becomes the Gatekeeper, Story Becomes the Asset explored why storytelling matters more than ever.
The Show Got a Fresh Look
In March I relaunched the podcast with a new format. When I published The Show Got a Fresh Look, 66 of you liked it. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a guide to 7 episodes from 243 that I keep coming back to.
Looking Ahead
Q2 is already stacking up. More meetings, presentations, conferences, more conversations, more Notes From the Front Row, and a deeper dive into the long-lead FF&E acceleration thesis that I believe can reshape how our industry thinks about project timelines.
If you're navigating these same questions or seeing different signals entirely, I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email or reach out directly.
Onward,
Dan Ryan