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David Eisen

35 posts
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  • 2 min

Asset-light only works if someone else owns the asset. And that’s the concern.

🏨 At ALIS 2026, IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf highlighted the dependency of asset-light hotel companies, like IHG, on asset-heavy owners. Hotel owners face declining profitability due to rising expenses and high interest rates. Over five years, hotel REITs declined by -9.5%, while the S&P rose by 74% and lodging companies like Marriott and Hilton increased by over 110%. Marriott's Tony Capuano emphasized the need to address high expenses to support owner profitability.
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  • 2 min

G6 Hospitality to “reduce engagement” with AAHOA

🛌 G6 Hospitality, parent of Motel 6 and Studio 6, is reducing its involvement with AAHOA immediately due to concerns about AAHOA's focus on economy hotels. G6, acquired by OYO (now PRISM) in 2024, follows previous actions by Choice Hotels in 2023 and Marriott in 2022. G6 attempted alignment but found governance and policy issues unresolved, leading to this decision. AAHOA represents nearly 20,000 members owning 60% of U.S. hotels.
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  • 5 min

From ICE to cap rates, hoteliers have an opinion

🏨 The triannual meeting of the Lodging Industry Investment Council took place at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in January. Hilton deflagged a Minneapolis hotel for refusing ICE agents, with 83% of LIIC members agreeing hotels should accommodate them. In 2025, U.S. hotel transactions totaled $24 billion, a 17.5% increase from 2024, yet lower than the 2015 peak of $45.7 billion. Hotel cap rates hovered above 5%, with predictions of staying flat or rising in 2026.
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  • 8 min

Out of the past: Gilda Perez-Alvarado drives Orient Express down the track

🛡️ Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO of Orient Express for Accor since 2023, is leading the revival of the historic brand. Accor acquired full ownership of Orient Express by 2022 and opened the Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome in 2025. Plans include a Venice property debut in 2026 and a Caribbean yacht launch in 2023. Perez-Alvarado, influenced by her childhood in Costa Rica and her hotel industry background, aims to honor the brand’s rich history through these new ventures.
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Wyndham Hotels chief talks up AI as a moneymaker, cost saver

📈 In Q4 2025, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts spotlighted AI's role in cost savings and direct booking enhancements. Their $425 million AI investment includes Wyndham Connect, which handled 885,000 upsell requests and self-served 25% of inquiries in 2025. A Howard Johnson in Anaheim earned $120,000 annually through this system. Despite AI advancements, global RevPAR decreased by 6% in Q4, with a 4% drop in the U.S. for 2025. System-wide rooms grew 4% YOY. Revo's bankruptcy led to a $160 million write-down.
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