BLLA sets 2026 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference on the Age of Wonder

The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association will bring its 17th Boutique Hotel Owners Conference to Westlake Village Inn in Southern California on Oct. 19-20, framing the event around the theme “Age of Wonder.” The independent-hotel gathering will focus on how curiosity, design and storytelling can become a competitive advantage for boutique properties.

Why it matters: - BLLA is using BHOC 2026 to frame boutique hospitality as a business built on curiosity, not just operations. - The conference is designed for independent hotel owners and leaders who want practical ideas on guest experience, revenue and long-term strategy. - The event also doubles as a major networking and sponsorship platform for the boutique hotel sector.

What happened: - The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association announced that the 17th Annual Boutique Hotel Owners Conference will take place Oct. 19-20 at the Westlake Village Inn in Southern California. - BLLA named 2026 the “Age of Wonder” and made that the conference theme. - Registration is open now, and sponsorship opportunities remain available. - The Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference will follow on Oct. 21 at the same venue, creating three consecutive days of programming.

The details: - BHOC has run since 2012 as a conference built exclusively for independent boutique hotel ownership and leadership. - BLLA says conference executives stay present throughout the two-day event, so conversations can continue beyond the stage. - The 2026 agenda includes sessions on hotel construction costs, luxury general management, retail, hotel restaurants, meeting technology, succession planning, innkeeping, budgeting, branding and new openings. - Confirmed speakers include Ed Scheetz of PUBLIC Hotel West Hollywood, Daniel André Langer of Équité, Oliver English of Common Table Creative, Tony Greenberg of SingleThread Farm, Gregory Day of Malibu Beach Inn, Jayson Seidman of Sandstone, Kama Carter of Southall Farm & Inn, Hya Valdez of Capital One Travel, and Mike and Matt French of Life & Times Hospitality. - The program was shaped by BLLA’s Program Planning Committee, which includes Kimberly Walker, Maya Mallick, Jon Sakshaug, Gary Pearl, David Bowd, Christie Toal and Todd Towers. - Networking events will include lakeside lunches with guided prompts, founder manifestos, evening receptions, “Connect with Strangers” sessions and discussion-based gatherings. - Top sponsors listed for the event are Greenberg Traurig, Pacific Advisors, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, Arch RoamRight, The Company Store, Coast to Coast, Cvent, Nespresso, Capital One Travel, ThinkReservations, Petra Risk Solutions and SiteMinder. - Supporting sponsors include Sencie, Jonas Chorum, Groove Technology Solutions, CDH, AmWins-ResortGuard and PriceLabs. - BLLA said the conference is supported by partners aligned with the independent boutique hospitality industry. - BLLA also said thousands of executives have attended BHOC over the past 17 years and returned to their hotels with new ideas. - More information is available on the event page at BLLA events. - BLLA also shared social profiles on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Between the lines: - The “Age of Wonder” theme signals an effort to position boutique hotels as experience-driven businesses where storytelling and design matter as much as the physical asset. - The speaker mix leans toward operators, owners and advisors, which suggests the agenda is aimed at execution rather than broad industry theory. - The emphasis on extended conversations, curated networking and repeated touchpoints reflects BLLA’s view that independent operators want peer exchange, not just presentations.

What's next: - BHOC 2026 will run Oct. 19-20 at Westlake Village Inn. - The Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference will immediately follow on Oct. 21. - BLLA will continue promoting registration, sponsorships and the full agenda ahead of the event.

The bottom line: - BLLA is betting that curiosity, not convention, is what gives boutique hotels their edge.