Somewhere along I-94, just less than two hours northwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul, amid Minnesota’s rolling farmlands, spread across twenty-six acres of land adjacent to Lake Sagatagan, sits St. John’s Abbey.
Sarasota has historically been a popular destination for transient winter travelers seeking warmer weather, resulting in heightened hotel demand in the first quarter of the year. This seasonality pattern was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, when Florida’s position as a less-restrictive destination resulted in stronger visitation outside of the peak season and into the shoulder months. While demand has normalized somewhat in the post-pandemic period, off-season demand levels remain higher than those of pre-pandemic years.
After many years of study and proposals, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finally adopted its Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, or junk fees, which takes effect on May 12, 2025.
At the beginning of this year with the 2024 elections in the rearview mirror polls indicated that Americans were hopeful for what 2025 had in store. The Fed appeared to have achieved a soft landing for the economy, the stock market hit record highs, and investors were anticipating additional interest rate cuts.
About one year ago, the state of California passed two bills that introduced significant changes for the state’s hotel industry. By mid-May of 2025, the United States will implement a similar, comprehensive law that will affect hoteliers around the globe.
Hotels are complex assets that blend real estate with business value. For property tax purposes, only the real estate is taxable – yet all too often, assessors inadvertently include the hotel’s intangible business assets in the assessed value.
The Texas Hill Country has been undergoing a remarkable transformation since 2021. Once celebrated for its rustic inns and German heritage, the region is now emerging as a premier destination for rural luxury escapes, fueled by a wave of high-end investments, wellness-focused brands, and experience-driven developments.
Time off from school, warmer weather and a flurry of travel discounts drive millions of Americans to book vacations during spring break. And this year, changing vacation habits could see even more people booking getaways during this ideal travel time. Experts predict springtime travel is growing more popular as Americans begin to favor vacations in the months outside the busy summer season while also trying to prolong their trips.
The Newark Airport hotel market has faced significant adjustments since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes to the submarket’s hotel supply, coupled with the rebound in passenger levels through Newark Airport, have resulted in a slow but steady recovery of the hotel market. Recent and upcoming expansion projects at Newark Airport support a positive outlook.
The Baton Rouge lodging market is stabilizing after several years of mixed performance. Record-high ADR and demand tied to industrial projects are helping to balance ongoing occupancy challenges and longstanding supply pressures. Future demand growth will depend on correcting the hotel and event supply issues.
In June 2024, on World Refugee Day, over 120 million people and counting have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This number is higher than ever before, as global conflicts and humanitarian crises–including the climate crisis–continue to force people around the world to flee their homes. As families who have had their lives upended resettle in new communities across the US, finding employment is one of the most pivotal, challenging, and rewarding steps in being able to provide for their families and reestablish roots.
If there’s one word that defines the current U.S. hotel landscape, it’s uncertainty. As we move into 2025, hoteliers across the country are facing a slew of critical questions: How resilient is demand? Are rising costs here to stay? And most importantly—how can we maintain profitability in a market that feels, well, unpredictable?
Fresh from the Hunter Conference, two themes reign supreme right now. The first is uncertainty. Following last week's tumultuous stock market sell-off and the ongoing tariff chaos, our outlook on the future remains as uncertain as it was two years ago, if not more so today. The second theme is the beer and wine analogy: while wine appreciates in value with age, no one wants an old beer. Having sold nearly 300 hotels over the past five years, thanks to Mitch Patel from Vision Hospitality Group, I feel more like I'm in the liquor wholesale business than hotel brokerage. With that in mind, my comments will center around our beloved beer and wine theory:
A recent lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleges that Accor Management US Inc., the parent company of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, violated California’s privacy laws by improperly sharing users’ browsing and booking information with social media platforms without user consent. This data sharing is said to have enhanced the algorithms and ad targeting abilities of these platforms.
Leadership isn’t something you find in a textbook—it’s forged through shared experiences, honest conversations, and the quiet understanding that we are all in this together. At Newport Hospitality Group, we believe deeply in this truth. And nowhere was that more evident than at our recent Leadership Retreat in Wintergreen, Virginia.
The two key differentiating factors between economy and midscale extended-stay hotels are the quality of the finishes and the price point. Economy extended-stay hotels typically offer a more budget-friendly option for guests, focusing on basic, functional accommodations with limited extra features.
Why industry leaders are moving from the traditional marketing playbook in the new community era.
As we see time again, the story of a hotel is the story of the people working at the hotel. This is especially true for the luxury hospitality segment where service excellence, exclusive amenities and personalization are hallmarks of an experience worthy of the term ‘luxury’. With so much buzz around personalization these days, what is often missed is the precision of service delivery necessary to execute this attention to detail at scale, for which there’s no truer form of expressing this precision than through customization of the guest journey in a seamless blend of meticulously curated experiences.
The 36th Hunter Hotel Investment Conference took place this week at Atlanta’s Marriott Marquis, with the theme “Elevate Your Game” inspiring session topics and conversations throughout the event. This article provides our key takeaways from the conference.
It was a busy Saturday night at a luxury resort restaurant. Short-staffed and overwhelmed, the Assistant Restaurant Manager, Alex, rolled up his sleeves and started bussing tables, taking orders, and running drinks. Guests were happy, and the team appreciated Alex’s effort—but when tips were pooled at the end of the shift, a server hesitated: Can Alex really take part of the tips? Isn’t he management?