Loyalty Isn’t the Goal
What guests come back for now.
Welcome to Issue No. 010 of Sojourn. An independent publication delivering strategic interpretation for leaders shaping the future of travel and hospitality.
Interpretation: Travel decisions used to start with comparison: better, worse, more, less. Now they start somewhere quieter. People aren’t asking which hotel is best. They’re asking what kind of days they want to have. The stay isn’t the product anymore. The time inside it is.
From lists to instinct: Stars, rankings, and awards still exist, but they no longer decide. Choices are shaped by softer signals. A photo you saved. A place a friend mentioned. A story that stayed with you. Decisions aren’t handed off to ‘institutions’ anymore. They’re felt. A place can look perfect and still feel wrong. Another can be simple and feel just right.
The Shift: You can see this shift in places like MUJI Hotel Ginza, where return isn’t driven by rewards, but by ease. Nothing asks for attention. Nothing needs explaining. As Condé Nast Traveler notes, its appeal lies in being refreshingly spare, an experience designed to remove friction, not manufacture attachment.
Why this matters now: Choice hasn’t narrowed, it has expanded. There are more beautiful, well-designed stays than ever. In that landscape, loyalty doesn’t come from standing out once. It comes from feeling right more than once. Travel media is already reflecting this shift in 2026, noting that behavior is changing beneath the surface, and what people seek from travel is being quietly rewritten.
Bottom line: People aren’t booking trips the way they used to. They’re choosing how they want to spend their time.