From the Show Floor: What HD Expo 2026 Revealed About the Future of Hospitality
The hospitality industry gathered in Las Vegas last month for HD Expo + Conference 2026. Regional Sales Manager Jill Sharp Tollison shares what she saw, what she heard, and what it all means for the hotels and partners we serve every day.
Explore the latest hotel hospitality trends from HD Expo 2026, where wellness, guest experience, and sleep quality are reshaping hotel procurement and brand strategy.
Where the Industry Comes to Talk: Tempur Sealy Hospitality at HD Expo 2026
HD Expo + Conference 2026 took place May 5–7 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, bringing together more than 10,000 design professionals, hoteliers, and suppliers under one roof. For Tempur Sealy Hospitality, it’s one of the most important events on the calendar: a place where the entire hospitality world converges to share what’s working, what’s changing, and what comes next.Regional Sales Manager Jill Sharp Tollison, who oversees the Eastern US, is no stranger to the show floor. She came away this year with a clear picture of where the industry is heading, and why our team is positioned to lead it.
Procurement Has Changed, and Hotels Know It
One of the clearest signals at HD Expo was a meaningful shift in how hotels approach purchasing decisions. According to Jill, procurement is no longer driven by a single factor. It’s become a full decision model.“It used to be things like, does this meet the brand standards? Now it’s more about, how does this actually deliver for guest satisfaction? From an ownership perspective, what can this product do to drive revenue back to that hotel?”Procurement firms, developers, and ownership groups are making tighter, more data-driven decisions. The conversation has shifted from upfront cost to total cost of ownership: product longevity, operational efficiency, and the impact on performance metrics. It’s a shift that rewards vendors who can demonstrate sustained value, not just an attractive price point.“Designers were talking more about durability and maintenance. Ownership groups were really focused on the guest experience and the brand story. How do you tell that through the products you sell?” she explains. “Pretty just isn’t enough anymore. You can have the most beautiful product, but if it’s not going to last, it’s not going to be the right thing.”
Sleep Is No Longer Optional: It’s Foundational
The other theme that surfaced in nearly every conversation was one our team knows well: sleep quality is central to the guest experience, and the industry is paying closer attention to it than ever before. Owners and operators are becoming more precise about where they invest, and they want a measurable return.“Owners were coming to us and saying, if the guest doesn’t sleep well, nothing really matters,” Jill recalls. “We see an immediate impact in our reviews when we replace our mattresses. The mattress to me is the center of the sleep experience. It’s the one thing in the hotel room that a guest is truly going to use.”That thinking extends to the broader wellness conversation happening across the industry.“Wellness is a huge theme that’s out there, and sleep is a big part of that,” she adds. “The hoteliers are wanting to make sure their guests sleep longer and feel refreshed. That message is now being noticed more than it was in years past.”For Jill, that shift changes everything about how we approach the conversation. “Historically, mattresses were more of a spec decision. Now they’re a true sleep experience decision. Sleep quality directly impacts guest satisfaction scores, online reviews, and brand loyalty, and those are the things our team needs to carry into every conversation we have.”
The Bottom Line
For Jill, the show reinforced something she already believed: Tempur Sealy Hospitality is built for exactly this moment.“HD confirmed that hotels are competing on experience and wellness, and sleep sits right smack dab in the center of both,” she says. “What we do is truly special. And I think that is being noticed now.”It is definitely being noticed, and for good reason. A 10-year warranty, testing standards that go beyond what the industry requires, and a team focused exclusively on hospitality back up every conversation we have on the show floor and beyond. After 28 years in the industry, Jill knows the difference between a vendor and a partner. So do her clients.
