David Eisen

🏨 SH Hotels & Resorts rebrands as Starwood Hotels; Barry Sternlicht retains ownership of the name despite Marriott International's 2016 acquisition of original Starwood brands. Starwood, originally a REIT, was acquired by Sternlicht in 1995. 1 Hotels launched in 2015, expanded to multiple cities including Brooklyn and London, with further expansion planned through 2025 in locations such as Seattle, Melbourne, and Copenhagen. Baccarat Hotels opened in New York in 2015 and plans to expand to global destinations including Rome and the Maldives. Treehouse Hotels, starting in London in 2019, aims to open in Manchester, Silicon Valley, and other locations. Starwood Capital, with $115 billion in assets, acquired 10 Edwardian Group hotels in January 2024. A new loyalty program and branded residences are in development, with Baccarat Residences and 1 Homes planned for Dubai, the Maldives, Riyadh, Melbourne, Crete, and San Miguel de Allende.

```html 🏨 ``` Hilton achieved a record net unit growth of 7.3% in 2024, adding nearly 100,000 rooms. In Q4 alone, the company added 22,600 rooms, reaching a full-year total of 98,400 room openings across 973 hotels. Their development pipeline reached 498,600 rooms, marking an 8% YOY growth. The fourth quarter's net income was $505 million, with RevPAR increasing by 3.5% for the quarter and 2.7% for the full year. Hilton's luxury and lifestyle pipeline is nearly double its current supply, and recently, it added 400 luxury hotels through a partnership and aims to double its lifestyle segment presence in four years. Hilton also expanded internationally, debuting brands in new countries and signing an agreement to open 150 Spark by Hilton hotels in India.

📌 At the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, held at the JW Marriott LA Live in Los Angeles, lodging company executives discussed the impact of political factors like tariffs, taxes, and President Trump's policies on their decision-making. Aimbridge Hospitality's Craig Smith and Marriott International's Tony Capuano emphasized the need for stability and economic vitality for business growth. Hilton's Chris Nassetta expressed optimism that Trump's focus on immigration, taxes, and deregulation would benefit the hospitality industry. Immigration reform was a focal point, with illegal immigration levels reportedly three times higher in the past four years than under previous presidents, drawing comments from InterContinental Hotels Group's Elie Maalouf. Investment in the hotel sector was also a key topic; JLL predicts a 15% to 25% increase in global hotel investment volume in 2025, based on the relatively low $57.4 billion in 2024, the third-lowest since 2012. Expectations are for private equity to play a significant role in hotel asset purchases in 2025. Additionally, executives discussed the trend towards brand conversions, especially in Europe, where nearly half of hotels are unbranded, and the potential for further industry consolidation and adjacent market expansion. Diversity and inclusion (DEI) efforts were affirmed by CEOs amid discussions on Trump's approach to DEI at the government level.