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Opinion Articles

Opinion Article

How Hoteliers are Moving from Green Screens to Guided Insights

Hotel tech looks simple from the lobby; but as we know, behind the front desk it’s anything but. Recently, Otelier’s Distinguished Architect  Lex Raleigh sat down with SnapLogic CMO Dayle Hall to explain why hospitality’s data problem is unlike any other – and how progressive hoteliers are solving it with a mix of pragmatic integrations. Below is a recap of the conversation focused on how innovative hoteliers have already turned to automation, including AI that actually answers questions to help you drive real-life demand.

Jason Q. Freed
By Jason Q. Freed, Hospitality Data Evangelist, Otelier
Opinion Article

The Lodging Conference 2025: HVS Takeaways

HVS was pleased to sponsor this fall’s pinnacle event for our industry, a highly-attended and hopeful Lodging Conference, despite the challenges currently facing our industry. HVS President, Rod Clough, MAI, CRE, MRICS, helped open the conference during the Speed Stats session, followed by a presentation later that day. Neil Flavin, COO of HVS Asset Management & Advisory, also participated on a panel. Our suite was bustling with meetings all week, held by leaders from the HVS Design, Executive Search, Brokerage & Advisory, Asset Management & Advisory, and Consulting & Valuation divisions.

Kasia RussellAlice ShermanJames RebullidaLuigi MajorRodney Clough
By Kasia Russell, Alice Sherman, James Rebullida, Luigi Major, and Rodney Clough
Opinion Article

For Hotel Owners Loyalty Program Benefits and Costs Continue to Rise

In 2024, the fees a hotel owner paid to support their brand’s guest loyalty program continued to grow at a relatively strong rate. During the year, the annual growth of guest loyalty program fees exceeded the increases in brand royalty payments, as well as the brand marketing and reservation assessments. Further, the pace of growth for guest loyalty program fees was greater than the increases in both rooms occupied and rooms revenue, two factors that influence the guest loyalty program fees charged to hotels.

Rachael RothmanChristine BangRobert Mandelbaum
By Rachael Rothman, Christine Bang, and Robert Mandelbaum
Opinion Article

Hotel Market Beat 2025 H1- CEE

CEE hotel investment volumes reached €682M in H1 2025, marking a 364% year-on-year increase and the highest volumes since 2019. This rise was primarily driven by heightened activity in the Czech Republic, which led the region in hotel investment, followed by Poland and Hungary. Most transactions within the region involved Upper Upscale properties, followed by Luxury assets. The positive momentum is expected to continue throughout the second half of 2025 and into 2026, with numerous deals advancing through various stages of the sales process, and additional opportunities anticipated to enter the market soon.

Cesarine CalafellNicolas Horky
By Cesarine Calafell and Nicolas Horky
Opinion Article

Key Money in Hotel Management Agreements – Boon or Burden?

In the competitive world of hotel development and acquisitions, few incentives capture an owner’s attention more quickly than key money. This upfront payment, offered by a hotel brand or operator, can feel like free capital. However, behind the allure lies a complex set of trade-offs that can significantly impact profitability, flexibility, and asset value for years. Understanding how key money works—and the strings attached—is critical for making a sound business decision.

Stephen Rushmore
By Stephen Rushmore, Hotel Valuation Expert and Founder of HVS, Hotel Valuation Software
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Why Hospitality Net Leads B2B in Hospitality

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Hospitality Net
Opinion Article

Navigating the Property Tax Maze: How Location and Hotel Type Impact Your Bottom Line

Property taxes represent a substantial expense for hotels, significantly impacting profitability. A recent analysis of over 6,000 hotels, using CBRE’s Trends® in the Hotel Industry database, reveals dramatic disparities in property tax burdens based on both location and hotel type. This article explores these critical variations, providing insights into how these differences can impact hotel valuations.

Desiree Flanary
By Desiree Flanary, Director of Property & Transaction Tax Service, CBRE Hotels Valuation and Advisory Services, CBRE Hotels
Opinion Article

Hospitality and Real Estate Explained: A Guide to Assets, Trends, and Investment Opportunities

On the global property market, hospitality real estate stands out as one of the most multifaceted segments. Hospitality assets sit at the intersection of real estate, service, and consumer culture, as in addition to being physical properties, they are operating businesses that generate revenue through offering guest experiences.

Emma Näpänkangas
By Emma Näpänkangas, M.Sc. Student in Hospitality Management, EHL
Opinion Article

FHS World 2025: Celebrating 20 years of shaping global hospitality investment

This year marks a milestone for us at The Bench as we celebrate 20 years in the UAE. Over the past two decades, Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) has evolved into the region’s most influential hospitality and tourism investment event, serving as a vital platform for leaders, innovators, and investors to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of the industry.

Jonathan Worsley
By Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO The Bench, The Bench
Opinion Article

Top 10 Risks Hotel Owners Face When Hiring a Hotel Management Company

Engaging a professional hotel management company can be a wise strategy to leverage operational expertise, benefit from brand recognition, and enhance market competitiveness. However, many owners are unaware of the significant risks these agreements can pose to the long-term value of their assets. Without careful negotiation, a hotel management contract can favor the operator's interest at the owner’s expense.

Stephen Rushmore
By Stephen Rushmore, Hotel Valuation Expert and Founder of HVS, Hotel Valuation Software
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Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)
Opinion Article

IHIF NYU as the Beacon of Hope for Hotels with Three Key Takeaways

The pall in the air surrounding the near-term future of the hotel industry for the first half of 2025 has unsurprisingly centered around the disruption caused by one word: tariffs. It’s led to erratic travel behavior making forecasts less predictable, the reshuffling of international flight routes (mostly into and out of the United States) and lots of investment dollars in a wait-and-see pattern that we so often call ‘dry powder’. 

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
HN Original
Opinion Article

The GINTO Model: Boutique Hotel Substance Meets Scalable Growth

In a hospitality industry where boutique often means niche and scale often means compromise, GINTO Hotels is quietly proving that the two can coexist. On a recent trip to Paris, I had the opportunity to meet with Brice de Puymorin, Julien Kiefer, and Emmanuelle Pochat, the visionary trio behind GINTO, and to experience their philosophy firsthand during a stay at PILGRIM, their bold Left Bank property. What emerged from our conversation was more than a brand story—it was a blueprint for a new kind of urban hospitality: one that preserves the charm and substance of a neighbourhood hotel while delivering a business model designed for growth across Europe.

By Henri Roelings, Founder, Hospitality Net
France
Opinion Article

Owner’s Priority- The Most Important Provision in a Hotel Management Contract Fee Structure

In hotel management agreements, the alignment of interests between hotel owners and operators is often more theoretical than practical. Operators typically earn a base management fee tied to a percentage of gross revenue and an incentive management fee tied to profitability, most often a percentage of gross operating profit (GOP) or adjusted net operating income. While this incentive fee is meant to motivate the operator to maximize the hotel’s bottom line, it does not always ensure the owner receives a fair return on their investment, especially during periods of underperformance.

Stephen Rushmore
By Stephen Rushmore, Hotel Valuation Expert and Founder of HVS, Hotel Valuation Software
Opinion Article

How Japan’s Vacant Akiya Houses Are Becoming Hospitality Businesses

In Japan, “akiya” (空き家) refers to vacant homes that have been abandoned due to a growing phenomenon driven by demographic shifts and economic changes. Decades of low birth rates, rapid urbanization and an ageing population have gutted rural areas, which has left many traditional houses empty. Often, heirs inherit these properties but cannot afford their upkeep or renovation

Masaki Mori
By Masaki Mori, PhD, Associate Professor, EHL
Opinion Article

Caribbean Investment Opportunities: USVI's Hotel Development Act Offers Attractive Incentives

The Hotel Development and Finance Program Act (HDA) is a program created by the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) government through its Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (USVIEDA). The USVI is a territory of the United States located in the Caribbean Basin and includes the four main islands of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and the smaller Water Island, as well as dozens of other minor islands. To be eligible for HDA benefits, a project must be located on one of the four named islands.The first benefit available through the HDA is the hotel occupancy tax (HOT) rebate. Hotel guests on the Islands are currently charged a 12.5% tax on rooms revenue, and investors can apply to receive an annual rebate of half or all of that tax for up to 30 years.Another incentive available to properties with a gaming operation is the Designated Casino Tax rebate. Properties that generate revenues through gambling offerings are subject to taxes of 8.0% of gross revenues from gaming operations in years one and two, 10.0% in years three and four, and 12.0% thereafter. Similar to the HOT, investors can apply for a rebate of either half of the casino tax or the full amount for up to 30 years.The third component of the HDA is the Economic Recovery Fee (ERF). The ERF incentive was added to the HDA following the particularly devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Investors can apply to have an ERF tax (up to 7.5% of rooms revenue) added to their property’s guest bills. This tax would then be returned to the investor annually as a rebate for up to 30 years.These incentives are intended to offset development costs (including redevelopment, renovation, and new construction) incurred by investors in hospitality projects (largely hotels and resorts) on the Islands that are oriented towards tourists and visitors. Thus, the HOT, Designated Casino Tax, and/or ERF benefits will expire after either ownership’s recoupment of the property’s development costs (excluding operating costs and owner-funded capital improvements after the initial investment), or a maximum period of 30 years.

Kannan Sankaran
By Kannan Sankaran, Managing Director of the HVS Consulting & Valuation practice in Washington, D.C, HVS
Virgin Islands (USA)