01/15/2026
Today’s Washington Post features an article on “25 ways travel has changed this century.” (Can you believe we’re a quarter through “this century”?) Number 17 will resonate with people who work in the hotel industry: “Hotel Brands multiply like rabbits.”
The article continues, “We knew what we were getting into with a Courtyard by Marriott, a Hilton Garden Inn, or a Motel 6. But then came the hotel brand explosion: Your destination might offer an Aloft, a Spark, a Motto, or a Moxy.
“You might wonder, aren’t those just nouns? No, they’re part of hotel companies’ ever-growing ambition to get more heads into their beds.”
Our staff discusses the biggest moments and advancements that took place between 2000 and 2025. Then we asked travel industry stalwarts for theirs.