Quotes of the Week: Yotel, Fusion, hotelAVE, Hilton

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Hilton brings unmatched global distribution and loyalty scale to our brand and business. Yotel’s relationship with Hilton allows us to expand our reach while staying true to who we are. What changes for Yotel is access – not identity – in a capital-light, and scalable way.” – Phil Andreopoulos, Yotel   Read story

“We currently see a healthy development pipeline and are targeting at least four to five new signings per year. Our immediate focus will be to continue expanding across all key areas of Vietnam while also growing selectively in regional markets.” – Christopher Hur, Fusion Hotel Group   Read story

“Generally, there has been little impact [of higher gas prices] to hotel occupancy; instead, there is an occupancy shift – shorter driving trips and more regional vacations. Lower-tier hotels are more sensitive to gas prices (but not luxury).” – Michelle Russo, hotelAVE   Read story

“What we were expecting in 2026 was that this was going to be a year of rebound. But sadly, that is not the case for reasons I'm sure everyone's aware of. This is something we're coming to grips with now. We are updating all of our forecasts. We're running alternative scenarios. This is a sneak peek of our current thinking, some of the key risks, some of the key changes that may [happen].” – Dave Goodger, Tourism Economics   Read story

“We were 10% of inbound global travel 30 years ago. Now we’re 5%. I don’t think we should accept that.” – Chris Nassetta, Hilton   Read story

“There’s more of an appetite from lenders… who are more willing to invest in things that have ancillary revenue, not just rooms revenue. That has been a big shift.” – Amber Asher, Helbraun Levey   Read story

“Investors are drawn to the resilience of the high end of the market, illustrated by upper-tier hotels retaining stronger pricing power, supported by sustained ADR gains in key gateways.” – Alex Sogno, Global Asset Solutions   Read story

“Acquiring a property like this allows us to leverage Eight Form’s platform to drive both cultural and financial relevance. We see a significant opportunity to elevate the guest experience by leaning into the privacy and scale of the hotel to position the property as a sought-after retreat for discerning travelers and special events. We believe that, taking an already great asset and applying the right strategic oversight, will allow us to create exponential value.” – Zach Demuth, Eight Form   Read story

“Projects like this require thoughtful structuring given the complexity of historic redevelopment and construction completion. That complexity is exactly why sponsors seek lending partners with the experience and balance sheet to structure capital solutions and help move projects forward.” – Jared Schlosser, Peachtree Group   Read story

“We see a compelling opportunity emerging to acquire high-quality, income-producing hospitality assets. AWH is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this environment through our data-driven investment platform, which leverages proprietary analytics as well as deep investment and operational expertise to identify, acquire and manage hospitality assets with a focus on durable cash flow and strong downside protection.” – Chad Cooley, AWH Partners   Read story

“The Southeast continues to lead the country in population growth and corporate relocation activity, creating sustained lodging demand in smaller markets. Our Essentials brands are built to capture that opportunity, offering efficient models backed by Hyatt’s commercial strength and distribution platform.” – Jason Ballard, Hyatt Hotels Corp.   Read story

“Garner’s initial global success reflects IHG’s proven expertise in building and scaling conversion-ready brands that owners and guests trust. Even as we’ve reached some amazing initial milestones, we’re just starting to tap into Garner’s full growth potential and look forward to introducing its unique offering to more owners and travelers in the years ahead.” – Karen Gilbride, IHG Hotels & Resorts   Read story