After 14 Years, BLLA’s Boutique Hotel Investment Conference Lands at Convene Hospitality Group and Sets Its Sights on a Bigger Conversation
BLLA's 14th annual conference partners with Convene to explore how boutique hospitality principles are expanding beyond traditional hotels into commercial real estate.
Photo by BLLA
A landmark partnership with Convene Hospitality Group (CHG) brings the industry’s defining independent hospitality conference to 237 Park in Midtown Manhattan on June 3, 2026, marking a new chapter for an event that has shaped the boutique sector since 2013
The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) today announced that its Boutique Hotel Investment Conference will take place on June 3, 2026, at Convene’s 237 Park venue in Midtown Manhattan — marking the beginning of a new partnership between the two organizations and the 14th consecutive year BLLA has convened the industry’s most influential independent hospitality event.
Since its founding in 2013, the conference has served as the annual gathering point for the owners, investors, developers, and operators who have defined and driven the boutique hotel movement. No other event is dedicated exclusively to this sector. The partnership with Convene — a company that has built its reputation on bringing hospitality-grade experience into commercial real estate — reflects where that movement is headed next.
We have watched this sector go from underestimated to undeniable. The investors, the developers, and the capital that once looked past independent hotels are now chasing them. Convene represents the next frontier of that story — hospitality thinking applied beyond the hotel walls, and we could not be more excited to tell it together on June 3rd. Frances Kiradjian, Founder & CEO of BLLA
Conference Programming
The conference brings together hotel owners, operators, investors, developers, and strategic partners for a full day of programming at Convene’s 237 Park, a 30,000-square-foot venue featuring seven meeting rooms, in-house culinary programming, and the technical infrastructure to support a seamlessly executed event from the main stage to breakout sessions.
This year’s programming examines the forces reshaping boutique hospitality from both the capital and cultural sides: evolving financing structures, sustainable growth models, and guest-experience trends driving demand at independent properties. Scheduled topics include the influence of listening bar culture, sauna culture, and other experience-driven movements that are changing what travelers expect from a stay.
The most interesting deals we have seen come out of this conference were never just hotel deals. They started as a conversation between two people who had never been in the same room before. That is what we are building toward — a conference where the boundaries between hospitality, capital, real estate, and experience start to disappear
Ariela Kiradjian, Partner & COO, BLLA
The Convene Partnership
BLLA's selection of Convene as this year's venue is deliberate. Convene has built its business around integrating elevated hospitality into commercial real estate, transforming standard office environments into spaces defined by service, design, and human connection. That work aligns directly with what BLLA has long argued: that the principles underlying great boutique hotels belong far beyond the traditional hotel sector.
The evening extends the conversation. Following the conference, NeueHouse Madison Square, part of CHG’s extended portfolio, will host a dedicated night event with its own programming, bringing the day's dialogue into one of New York's most distinctive cultural venues.
Hospitality is a fundamental driver of value in commercial real estate today. We're seeing the boutique mindset traditionally reserved for hotels successfully migrate into non-traditional venues like office towers, mixed-use developments, and special event venues. At CHG, we're leaning into that shift, and there's a lot we can learn from one another. I look forward to discussing how we can collectively explore new industry territory with the visionaries at BLLA
Ryan Simonetti, CEO and Co-Founder of Convene Hospitality Group
Registration - Click here to register!
The 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference is made possible with the support of Greenberg Traurig, RBS, Gecko Hospitality, Escoffier, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, and Blank Rome LLP. Seating is limited. Early registration is encouraged. Tickets and additional information are available at blla.org/events
BLLA (Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association)
Established in 2009, the Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) is the world's most innovative and influential association for independent boutique hotels, brands, and suppliers. Dedicated to championing the unique essence of boutique hospitality, BLLA offers its global membership base unparalleled networking opportunities, industry insights, and advocacy initiatives. With a mission to elevate and empower independent hotel owners and operators, BLLA continues to shape the future of hospitality through innovation, collaboration, and excellence. The organization is a pioneer in forecasting the boutique movement. The corporate manifesto showcases BLLA as a catalyst for trends and the future of the boutique lifestyle, with a focus on hospitality. BLLA.org BLLA LinkedIn BLLA Events LinkedIn