FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 9, 2026
Contact:
Scott Samuels, CEO
Horizon Hospitality Associates, Inc.
scott@horizonhospitality.com
A Comprehensive Hospitality Industry Resource Covering Compensation, Legal Updates, Benefits, and Workforce Trends
Overland Park, Kansas – Horizon Hospitality, the nation’s leading executive search firm dedicated exclusively to the hospitality industry, today announced the release of its 2026 Hospitality Compensation & Employment Report. This report is a comprehensive, data-driven resource designed to help hospitality owners, operators, and leadership teams navigate an increasingly complex labor market.
The 2026 report delivers a full-spectrum view of the hospitality employment landscape, combining compensation benchmarks with legal guidance, benefits analysis, and forward-looking workforce trends across multiple industry segments.
“Hospitality leaders are making critical hiring and compensation decisions in an environment that continues to evolve rapidly,” said Scott Samuels, CEO of Horizon Hospitality. “This report is designed to provide clarity, not only around what roles are paying, but how organizations should be thinking about total compensation, compliance, benefits, and long-term talent strategy.”
What’s Included in the Report
- 2025 Industry Recap – A detailed look back at the key hiring, compensation, and workforce dynamics that shaped the hospitality industry over the past year, including challenges, recoveries, and emerging opportunities.
- Compensation Report by Industry Segment – The report provides role-specific and segment-specific compensation insights across various sectors of the hospitality industry. Each section includes current salary ranges, bonus and incentive structures, and market observations drawn from real hiring activity and employer data.
- Legal Update – An overview of key employment-related legal considerations impacting hospitality employers, including regulatory changes, compliance considerations, and emerging risks to be aware of when structuring compensation and employment agreements.
- Employee Benefits – Insight into evolving benefit offerings across the hospitality industry, including trends in healthcare, paid time off, incentives, and non-traditional benefits being used to attract and retain talent.
- Employment Trends – Analysis of broader employment and workforce trends shaping hospitality hiring in 2026, including candidate expectations, leadership mobility, and competitive pressures influencing recruitment and retention strategies.
About Horizon Hospitality
Founded in 1998, Horizon Hospitality is the leading executive search and recruitment firm serving the hospitality industry nationwide. The firm specializes in restaurants, hotels, resorts, private clubs, senior living, and hospitality-related organizations, partnering with clients to identify top leadership talent and provide strategic workforce advisory support.
For more information, visit www.horizonhospitality.com.