Market Trends

🏨 New York City and Nashville lead U.S. hotel room openings for 2025 with 5,719 and 2,849 rooms respectively. Other top markets include San Diego (2,818 rooms), Dallas (2,749 rooms), and Phoenix (2,483 rooms). In 2023 and 2024, NYC reported the highest occupancy levels among U.S. markets. U.S. hotel openings for 2024 reached 721 hotels with 73,682 rooms, while 2025 projections indicate 953 hotels opening with 108,366 rooms, and 2026 is expected to see 1,865 hotels with 198,319 rooms. The U.S. will open nearly 34,000 upper midscale rooms in 2025, a segment leading current construction counts.

🏠 Fabian Freytag named 2025 Ambiente Designer, presents "The Lounge—Shades of Space" at Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, from Feb. 7-11, 2025. Freytag's concept focuses on creating characterful, bold, and fun hospitality spaces, countering generic design and enhancing guest experience through theatrical and sensual elements.

🏨 Marc Schwarz, Director of Service at Thrive Hospitality, discussed working with Ian Schrager of Morgan's Hotel Group on Feb. 10, 2025. The episode highlights Schrager's distinctive hotel culture and includes music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound. The podcast aims to turn insights into actionable benefits for businesses and their clientele.

📢 Marc Schwarz, Director of Service at Thrive Hospitality, shares insights on hospitality success in a podcast episode released on Feb. 10, 2025. The episode is part of the Hospitality Daily Podcast and focuses on the mindset required for a career in hospitality. The podcast episode can be found on various online platforms, including Buzzsprout and getpodpage.com, with related resources and most popular episodes featured on the Hospitality Daily Podcast website.

🏠 Ste Marie designed a spa-like store for luggage brand Monos on Toronto's Ossington Street, near Little Portugal. Influenced by "mono no aware," a Japanese concept, and Portugal's "pousadas," the store features an olive tree, water feature, waxed plaster walls, and stone displays. Rainbow onyx from Turkey and Italian Onice Striato Avorio stone highlight the design. Cove lighting and mirrors amplify the curated collection of luggage and accessories for the mindful traveler.

🍔 In 2018, the FDA required restaurant chains with 20+ units to display calorie counts on menus, but not macronutrients. Dallas-based HG Sply Co., with four units, has voluntarily added transparent calorie and macro counts on its new menu. Sameer Patel, co-CEO of parent company UNCO, inspired the health-focused menu revamp after his lymphoma diagnosis in early 2024. Partnering with Texas Women's University nutrition students and sourcing sustainable ingredients, the company reworked nearly its entire menu, removing seed oils and reducing added sugars. The new kale Caesar salad has 29 fewer grams of fat and 250 fewer calories, while the fries are now water-blanched, steamed, and fried for a lighter finish. Even cocktails use natural sweeteners, with many under 120 calories. Patel emphasizes the company's belief in fueling life with food.

📈 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a decrease of 15,700 restaurant industry jobs in January, contrasting with a 143,000 job increase in the overall workforce. The unemployment rate dropped to 4% from December's 4.1%. December's revised figures show 307,000 jobs added, with 23,200 in eating and drinking places. In the second half of 2024, 148,000 restaurant jobs were added, 72,000 above the pre-pandemic peak. Full-service restaurants are still 4.1% below early 2020 levels. Recruitment and retention challenge 77% of restaurant operators. The National Restaurant Association forecasts 200,000 job additions in 2025, expecting the industry's workforce to reach 15.9 million and 17.4 million by 2035.

🏨 Europe's travel to see 747 million arrivals in 2024. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts adds 25 new city hotels across Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, in partnership with HR Group. The expansion enhances Wyndham's European presence, under Trademark Collection and Vienna House Easy brands. Fourside Hotel Salzburg and Vienna House Easy Amsterdam are highlighted locations. Wyndham's global reach, technology, and loyalty program merge with HR Group's local expertise for seamless travel experiences. Eight hotels join Vienna House Easy, with the rest joining the Trademark Collection. This follows HR Group's 2024 acquisition of Centro Holding and Centro Hotel Management.

🏨 Marriott International signed 109 new hotel deals in the Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) in 2024, adding 21,439 rooms, a 12% increase from the previous year, to a total APEC pipeline of 77,532 rooms. By the end of 2024, Marriott had 635 open properties across 25 brands in 22 countries and territories in the APEC. India, Japan, and Indonesia accounted for 72% of the signings. 19% of new deals were in the luxury segment, with notable openings including EDITION in Jakarta and Mumbai; The Ritz-Carlton in Jaipur and Udaipur; and a second W Hotels in Singapore. Conversions were 36% of signings, with 14 properties in 10 Japanese cities rebranded to Four Points Flex by Sheraton. New market entries included Papua New Guinea and brand debuts like Moxy Hotels in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. Major hotel openings marked the 600th APEC property in Adelaide, the 150th in India, the 50th in Malaysia, and the 100th in Japan.