Among the noteworthy quotes from stories this week is Trinity Investments' Sean Hehir talking about anticipated strong growth in 2026 from group and business transient.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We anticipate the strongest customer-segment growth from group and business
transient – group will remain the primary engine of topline and profitability
gains, supported by improved booking pace, shorter lead times, and stronger
meeting planner confidence. Business transient is projected to show continued
recovery as corporate travel budgets stabilize- leisure transient will remain
an important contributor, though growth is expected to be more moderated. With
tighter compression from group, we expect to yield out lower-rated discounted
leisure and strengthen ADR across peak periods.” – Sean Hehir, Trinity
Investments Read story
“Distress and fatigue may cause M&A to tick up, albeit
with Marriott’s embarrassing Sonder problem it likely won’t be coming from the
big flags. Management companies are looking for alternatives as a lot of
CEOs/owners/founders held on through COVID and are now five years out looking
for things to do. Hence the ‘fatigue’ commentary. Properties themselves are
going to find themselves in distress and something may actually happen this
year.” – Ben Rafter, Hotel Equities
Read story
“This deal is proof that the alternative accommodations
sector is maturing. As the category evolves, owners are prioritizing
disciplined operators with the infrastructure and processes to perform
consistently across market cycles. In this context, discipline supports
durability. Mint House ran a comprehensive strategic process and selected Kasa
because the combined platform delivers clear benefits: deeper operational
expertise, stronger commercial capabilities, and a more resilient operating
model for owners.” – Roman Pedan, Kasa
Read story
“After an extensive search, Hilton is proud to partner with
Placemakr to introduce Hilton’s new lodging category. We’ve long seen the
opportunity to deliver hospitality-driven apartment stays, offering spacious
accommodations, thoughtful amenities, and authentic connections to local
neighborhoods, and Placemakr shares that vision. For nearly a decade, they’ve
demonstrated a strong commitment to guests through high product standards and
exceptional service.” – Chris Silcock, Hilton
Read story
“In 2021-23, we really, as an industry, had no clue what was
going to happen. We were optimistic that things would return to 2019 levels at
some point. Well, that hasn't quite happened,” he said. “Obviously, nobody knew
what impact inflation was going to have and how it was going to trickle down to
every line item on our P&L, and that's had a big impact.” – Jay Batra,
Whitestone Capital Read story
“We see these rates of growth [in limited-service] better
than the approx. +1%-1.5% that most industry forecasters and Wall Street
consensus are currently expecting.” – C. Patrick Scholes, Truist
Securities Read story
“We are honored to lead Sonesta into its next phase of
growth. Over the past several years, Sonesta has transformed its management
business, franchise business, technology, and commercial infrastructure under
John’s leadership, creating a strong foundation for the future. Building on
this progress, we are committed to advancing Sonesta’s ‘asset-right,’
franchise-focused growth strategy, leveraging innovative technology, and
driving operational excellence to expand market share and deliver an
exceptional guest experience across all segments.” – Keith Pierce, Jeff Leer,
Sonesta Hotels International Corp. Read
story
“With the Indian hospitality industry at an important
inflection point, we look forward to leveraging Warburg Pincus’ global network
and deep real estate and hospitality experience to scale responsibly, advance
digital-led capabilities and embed sustainability as a core pillar of Lemon
Tree’s and Fleur’s long-term growth journey.” – Patanjali Govind Keswani, Lemon
Tree Hotels Read story
“Many [World Cup] cities have seized this opportunity to
embrace a global trend: building hospitality and entertainment districts around
sports stadiums. With numerous new brands and nearby convention centers, this
approach is a natural fit for the right developers.” – Bruce Ford, Lodging
Econometrics Read story
“We discussed with Accor about converting the management
agreements for our Novotel and Ibis [in Chiang Mai] to a franchise. When we did
that, we saw an improved cost management and a significant uplift in
performance due to us as owners directly handling the revenue management. That
gave us the conviction that franchising is a pretty good model.” – Prab Thakral,
Boutique Corp. Read story
“While we continue to see opportunities to diversify our
footprint across all segments, the signing of our first Four Points Flex by
Sheraton marks an exciting milestone, and we see strong potential to further
grow our midscale brands across the Kingdom.” – Karim Cheltout, Marriott
International Read story