In this episode, Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, shares an unfiltered look at what is shaping his thinking as the industry enters 2026. He breaks down the reality of flat revenues, rising labor and insurance costs, policy uncertainty, and why eroding margins feel more dangerous than an outright downturn. Bashar explains how uncertainty is freezing investment, delaying renovations, and reshaping owners' thinking about growth, debt, and risk. This conversation provides hospitality executives with a grounded view of what matters most right now and where disciplined operators continue to focus to survive tough cycles. Also see: The Next Wave of Hospitality: Trends, Brands, and Innovation - Bashar Wali, Practice Hospitality Hospitality Daily is brought to you with support from Mews, the operating system for hospitality that replaces fragmented systems with one connected way to manage reservations, payments, revenue, and guest service. Listen to my recent conversation with Mews founder Richard Valtr for a deep dive on what's happening with AI and hotel tech today. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands
