Hotel News Now

Procurement expert Alan Benjamin, founder and president of BenjaminWest, joins the podcast to discuss what hoteliers might expect from the $166 billion in promised tariff refunds and how getting that money back in the pockets of owners will be a complicated process.

In this episode of the CoStar News Hotels podcast, reporter Natalie Harms discusses hotel group demand trends with STR's Hannah Smith, including how smaller markets in the U.S. appear to be coming out on top when it comes to attracting group hotel business.

When Japan lost more than half of its travelers from China, many worried the year's long stretch of strong performance for hotels would end in that country. Instead, it replaced that demand in the aggregate. Listen for that and other highlights from across the Asia Pacific region with STR's Matthew Burke and Jesper Palmqvist.

In this interview from the 2026 IHIF EMEA conference, CoStar News Hotels' Terence Baker speaks with Navneet Bali, founder and CEO of LyvInn Hotels, who explains his goal of gearing his hostel-hotel brand toward the growing number of young, IT-savvy European travelers.

CoStar News Hotel's Sean McCracken speaks with Trinity Investments' Ryan Donn at the 2026 IHIF EMEA conference in Berlin where Donn spoke about the company's newer approach to finding deals and his interest in the demand outlook in Southern Europe in particular. 

Dimitris Manikis, president of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, joins the podcast from the International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin.

In this interview from the 2026 IHIF EMEA conference, CoStar News Hotels' Terence Bakers speaks with Wesam Okasha, managing director of TUI Blue Hotels and head of global development, Asia, Greater China and Europe, Middle East and Africa, about the necessity of security in travel, new projects in the works, the future of the Middle East's hotel industry and more.

Kew Green Hotels CEO David Taylor talks with CoStar News Hotels' Terence Baker at the 2026 IHIF EMEA conference about his company's next growth phase, which he said is undeterred by geopolitical headwinds.

In this episode, CoStar News Hotels reporter Natalie Harms discusses the rise and growth of branded residential projects with Nate Siehr, co-founder of The Big Key Group. The company's first project, the Ambar Residences Orlando, is rising to meet changing traveler behavior and deliver on a product outside the luxury price point.

Covivio Hotels CEO Tugdual Millet and Deputy CEO Sébastien de Courtivron joined the CoStar News Hotels podcast while at the 2026 International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin to talk about their plans to more evenly distribute their portfolio across Europe, the opportunities of office-to-hotel conversions, the importance of sustainability and high-quality operations, and more.

French hotel giant Accor might not be acquiring, investing in and launching as many new brands as it used to, but it has not stopped activity in refreshing and relaunching flags — and there is still space for the completely new. Xavier Grange, global chief development officer, Sofitel, Emblems and MGallery, and all luxury brands, Europe and North Africa at Accor, joined the podcast while at the International Hospitality Investment Forum in Berlin.

Andreas Löcher, head of investment management operational real estate for Hamburg-based Union Investments said he's seeing more hotel deals being done across Europe.

Euan McGlashan, co-founder and CEO of third-party management company Valor Hospitality, joins the podcast during the International Hospitality Investment Forum in Berlin to talk about how connecting cultures across the globe helps improve his business.

In an exclusive interview recorded at the International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin, Yotel CEO Phil Andreopoulos discussed the growth possibilities for his 23-hotel brand now that it's signed a franchise agreement with Hilton.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Chief Development Officer David Wilner sits down with CoStar News' Stephanie Ricca to discuss the global franchise company's expansion into higher-end brands and extended-stay. This episode was recorded at the 2026 Hunter Conference in Atlanta. 

Pete Dunne, vice president at planning, landscape architecture and urban design company EDSA, joined CoStar News Hotels' Trevor Simpson for an interview at the 2026 Hunter Conference.

STR's Jesper Palmqvist joins the podcast for our monthly overview of the Asia-Pacific region, focusing this month on why infrastructure improvements and foreign investment are buoying the outlook for tourism destinations in Vietnam.

At the 2026 Hunter Conference, Raines Co. CEO Grey Raines joins CoStar News' Natalie Harms to discuss the company's Lantern Hotels and why adaptive reuse, inclusive hiring and curated experiences are outperforming traditional development.

Parker Henderson, brand leader of Graduate by Hilton, joined CoStar News Hotels' Trevor Simpson for an interview at the 2026 Hunter Conference.

Natalie Harms of CoStar News Hotels speaks with Mark Sergot of IHG Hotels & Resorts about his move from leading global sales into heading development for the Americas. The discussion highlights IHG's loyalty engine, commercial performance, and the opportunities Mark sees for hotel owners in both new builds and conversions.

Helene Okabe, senior vice president of business development at Concord Hospitality, joined CoStar News Hotels' Trevor Simpson for an interview at the 2026 Hunter Conference.

 Newport Hospitality Group President Wayne West unpacks why the real opportunity lies just outside major city centers in this episode with CoStar News reporter Natalie Harms. He dives into deal flow, repositioning strategies, and why talent — not capital — is the real differentiator in today's hotel landscape.

Mitch Patel, CEO and founder of Vision Hospitality Group, joined CoStar News Hotels' Trevor Simpson for an interview at the 2026 Hunter Conference in Atlanta.

Karim Alibhai, founder and principal of luxury hotel and resort developer Gencom, sits down with CoStar News' Stephanie Ricca at the 2026 Hunter Conference to talk about Gencom's recent hotel deals in New York City. He talks about competition for bids in the city, why his company is focused on asset management for returns, and the future of luxury hotels. 

Ben Campbell, president and CEO at Hospitality America, joined CoStar News Hotels' Natalie Harms in conversation at the 2026 Hunter Conference. In the interview, Campbell discusses Hospitality America's 30-year anniversary and unpacks how the “small but mighty” management company is competing with larger players.

European hoteliers remained optimistic on deals and travel demand during the second day of the International Hospitality Investment Forum, recapped by CoStar News' Sean McCracken and Terence Baker. But they are also more reluctant to give specific expectations for the rest of 2026.

Arriba Capital's Ryan Bosch joined CoStar News Hotels Reporter Natalie Harms at the 2026 Hunter Conference to share what he's seeing in the hotel transactions market in the U.S. He said some submarkets are seeing more activity — even if the market as a whole is distressed — and there's a lot of opportunity for hotel conversions versus ground-up developments. 

CoStar News Hotels' Terence Baker and Sean McCracken share their takeaways from the first day of the International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin. 

American Hotel & Lodging Association Executive Vice President of Public Policy Chirag Shah said while there's significant optimism from major upcoming events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the hotel industry's top concern is finding a sustainable labor pool.

CoStar News Hotels' Natalie Harms and Stephanie Ricca recap the second day of the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. 

CoStar News Hotels' Stephanie Ricca and Trevor Simpson share the highlights from the first day of the 2026 Hunter Hotel Investment Conference.

Michelle Russo, founder and CEO of HotelAVE, had the eyes of the entire hospitality industry on her when she took over as receiver of the Parc 55 and Hilton Union Square hotels after Park Hotels & Resorts decided to hand back the keys instead of paying $725 million in debt. She joins the podcast to give an inside look at what it was like taking over those "beasts of assets" and find buyers for them during a uniquely challenging period in San Francisco's history.

In an interview at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Crescent Hotels & Resorts' Lily Hu talks about the third-party management company's growth and retention strategies and working out the balance among hotel owners, operators and brands.

In a recent interview at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Remington Hospitality's Chief Operating Officer Jason Kreul joined reporter Natalie Harms to discuss the hotel operator's new era of growth in the Caribbean and Latin America as controlling costs takes priority.

First Hospitality President and CEO David Duncan and Chief Operating Officer Dave Montrose talk with CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit about their company's strategies to differentiate themselves among other third-party hotel management companies and grow their portfolio in a difficult environment.

Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO of Peachtree Group, explained to CoStar News' Natalie Harms why 2026 will be a better year for hotel transactions. But, the recovery is going to be a slow process. Friedman joined the show at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in January.

Genna Panagopoulos, newly appointed vice president of development for North America for Minor Hotels, shares expansion plans with CoStar News Hotels' Natalie Harms at the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit.

Noble Investment Group Founder and CEO Mit Shah has put his money where his mouth is in terms of investing in extended-stay hotels, and he lays out why he's a big believer in the evolution of "branded long-term accommodations." 

During our monthly check-in on the Asia-Pacific region, Trilogy Hotels' Tony Ryan joins the podcast, along with news editor Sean McCracken and STR's Jesper Palmqvist, to discuss how his company is seizing on the white space for third-party management in Australia.

In this episode, CoStar News Hotels Reporter Natalie Harms speaks with Jason Ballard, global brand leader – Essentials at Hyatt, about how the company is thinking about growth. Ballard describes Hyatt's Essentials portfolio as the company's "growth vehicle" in the conversation, which was recorded at the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit.

Big events in the U.S. and growing their platform outside the U.S. are the recipe for success in 2026 according to Davidson Hospitality Group President and CEO Thom Geshay, but he thinks year over year comparisons should also get easier. This episode was recorded live at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit.

Accor's Chief Development Officer for luxury and lifestyle Agnès Roquefort joins the podcast to talk about how her company is looking to grow its presence on the high end and how success in those segments relies so much on unique experiences.

In an interview at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Kasa founder and CEO Roman Pedan speaks with CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten about his aparthotel company's recent acquisition of competitor Mint House, the recent spotlight on his corner of the hospitality industry and what's to come.

Even if hotel demand expectations don't come in as hopes for many FIFA World Cup markets, Hotel Equities CEO Ben Rafter thinks 2026 will be a year that exceeds expectations. This episode was recorded live at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit.

After capturing 6.7% of net unit growth in 2025, it'd be natural to expect a cooldown even for a major hotel brand like Hilton. But Chief Development Officer Christian Charnaux believes there is opportunity to continue at that pace, particularly as 1 in 5 global hotel rooms under construction are slated to carry Hilton flags. This episode was recorded live at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit on January 26, 2026.

Marriott International Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Development, Leeny Oberg talks with CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten at the 2026 Americas Lodging Investment Summit. With her retirement coming at the end of March, she talks about her experiences at Marriott, her favorite moments, the 2016 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide deal and what's next.

CoStar Group's Colin Sherman joined the CoStar News Hotels podcast to contextualize the Super Bowl's effect on hotel rates and occupancy in Santa Clara and San Francisco.

Thailand has had to overcome some negative headlines from 2025 in it, but tourism stakeholders in that country are making big pushes to bring in hopes of bringing in 3 trillion baht, roughly $96 billion, in tourism revenue for the year. STR's Jesper Palmqvist joins the podcast to unpack those efforts.

Kurien Jacob, partner at Highgate Tech Ventures, joins the show to dive deep into how AI is reshaping hospitality, from guest-facing search to operations productivity. 

Former Remington Hospitality CEO Sloan Dean joins News Editor Sean McCracken to talk through the second day of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit and expectations for 2026.

CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten and Natalie Harms share the highlights from the first day of the 2026 Americas Lodging Investment Summit.