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David Eisen

109 posts

Wyndham links up with Ovolo Group to expand APAC network

🏨 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts expands with a strategic partnership with Ovolo Group, involving five hotels totaling 450 rooms in Australia and Hong Kong. In South Asia, Wyndham plans to add over 60 hotels by 2026 through a 10-year partnership with Cygnett Hotels & Resorts. This expansion taps into the growing lifestyle hotel market in Asia Pacific, projected to increase room supply by 34% by 2027. The Ovolo hotels, retaining their brand, join Wyndham's network later this fall.
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Wyndham runs into RevPAR wall but development is humming

📈 Q2 2025 saw Wyndham Hotels & Resorts experience a 3% global RevPAR decline YoY, with a 4% drop in the U.S. Despite challenges like interest rates and inflation, EMEA RevPAR rose 7%, and Latin America and the Caribbean saw an 18% increase. Wyndham expanded its room count by 4% YoY and pipeline by 5%, marking 20 consecutive quarters of growth. International net rooms grew 8%, with significant expansion in EMEA and South Asia.
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  • 3 min

Hilton RevPAR turns negative in Q2 as CEO cites “noisy” environment

📈 Hilton's Q2 2025 saw global RevPAR down 0.5% and U.S. RevPAR down 1.5% compared to last year. CEO Chris Nassetta remains optimistic, expecting economic growth driven by AI and regulatory changes. Hilton opened 221 hotels with 26,000 rooms, including Waldorf Astoria New York. Their pipeline includes 510,000 rooms, with plans in Helsinki, Bali, New Delhi, Singapore, and Detroit. Conversions are significant, comprising a third of Q2 openings. China faces challenges but promises growth opportunities.
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Mid-Atlantic Tastemaker: Peter Fillat and his eponymous architecture firm succeed in and around home

🏨 In March 2025, Canal House, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel, opened in Georgetown, D.C., under Peter Fillat's FILLAT+ Architecture. The project adapted a vacant office building, maximizing guestroom density. Fillat's firm, based in the DMV area, leverages local expertise for streamlined project execution. Marriott CEO Tony Capuano attended the opening. Fillat emphasizes the impact of AI and technology in architecture, enhancing designs and client interactions. The hotel design blends hospitality and multifamily elements, creating engaging public spaces.
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  • 3 min

How wellness is helping reshape the luxury hotel experience 

🏨 Santa Monica Proper Hotel offers wellness-focused amenities like cold plunges, red light therapy, and infrared saunas. The Ranch Hudson Valley in New York and The Ranch Malibu focus on holistic wellness through minimalistic retreats. Equinox Hotels, a spinoff of the luxury fitness brand, integrates sleep tourism with custom mattresses and soundproofing. Park Hyatt New York features AI-enabled beds. In 2022, the wellness tourism industry was valued at $651 billion, projected to exceed $1.4 trillion by 2027.
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Pandox and partner to acquire Ireland’s largest hotel group

💰 Dalata Hotel Group's board has approved a €1.4 billion sale to Pandox AB and Eiendomsspar AS, with the deal expected to close in Q4 2025. Dalata, operating 56 hotels across Ireland and the UK, will see a €6.45 per share offer, a 12% premium. Pandox will hold 91.5% ownership, with Eiendomsspar owning 8.5%. Dalata's 2024 revenue was €652 million, up 7.3%. This acquisition strengthens Pandox's Northern European presence.
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  • 1 min

Extra, extra! July/August digital issue of HOTELS Magazine is live.

📚 July/August 2025, HOTELS Magazine highlights: Global hotel rankings in "The List"; BWH Hotels' CEO Larry Cuculic featured; BD Hotels expands to Palm Beach; Hyatt Hotels in New Orleans; focus on brand partnerships; middleware tech's crucial role; "I Do" F&B business; Texan design at Denizen McKinney Hotel; JLL insights on luxury investments. Explore the full issue for comprehensive industry updates.
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BWH Hotels drives membership through diversification, egalitarianism

🏨 BWH Hotels, a non-profit membership organization, generated $8.5 billion in global revenue last year. CEO Larry Cuculic, appointed in 2021, oversees 18 brands, including Best Western and WorldHotels. BWH operates 4,300 hotels worldwide and continues to expand with new projects in New York, Palm Beach, and Saudi Arabia. Significant acquisitions include WorldHotels in 2019. The company emphasizes flexibility, less prescriptive brand standards, and plans digital transformations under CTO Bill Ryan, hired in late 2024.
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  • 2 min

Brand Bashing: Fair or Foul?

🗺️ April/May 2025, the best hotels list featured 42 global hotels, with only nine being hard brands. Examples include Populus in Denver and Hotel Hana in Paris. Independent hotels often provide unique experiences compared to known brand hotels like SIRO One Za’abeel in Dubai versus Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Barry Sternlicht, speaking at NYU IHIF in June, noted the rise of independent startups, and Hailey Bieber sold her beauty brand for $1 billion, illustrating market dynamics. 💼📊
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Hyatt to offload Playa real estate, remain operator

🏠 Hyatt recently completed the $2.6 billion acquisition of Playa Hotels & Resorts. Days later, Hyatt agreed to sell Playa’s 15-resort real estate portfolio in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica to Tortuga Resorts for $2 billion. The deal includes 50-year management agreements for 13 properties and a retained $200 million preferred equity. Closing is expected by 2025, subject to approval. This transaction aligns with Hyatt’s asset-light strategy, boosting its all-inclusive portfolio to around 55,000 rooms.
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