Market Trends

🏡 Choice Hotels International rebrands Radisson with new logos for Radisson, Radisson Blu, and Radisson Individuals following 2022 acquisition. The repositioning targets the upscale and upper-upscale segments, with revamped identities reflecting each brand's heritage. Radisson's 115-year history is honored; Radisson Blu maintains its Scandinavian design roots since 1960. Upgrades, like Scandinavian-inspired designs and food/beverage concepts, will appear in Radisson properties across the Americas, starting with the Radisson Hotel El Paso Airport and Radisson Blu Fargo. Planned investments include a $15 million renovation of Radisson Blu Mall of America and updates to Radisson Salt Lake City Hotel. Choice Hotels operates over 7,500 hotels in 45 countries.

🏡 JLL Capital Markets arranged a $300 million refinancing for the Omni Nashville Hotel for TRT Holdings, Inc., with a fixed-rate, seven-year loan sourced from a U.S. insurance company and AllianceBernstein. The 21-story, LEED Silver-certified hotel, with 800 rooms and 80,000 sq ft of meeting space, integrates with the Country Music Hall of Fame and benefits from Nashville's 14 million annual visitors. The JLL team was led by Kevin Davis and included Whit Johnson, Jim Curtin, Mike Huth, Shalin Patel, Luke Rogers, and Nick Warta.

📆 U.S. hotel industry saw year-over-year increases from December 29, 2024, to January 4, 2025: Occupancy up 2.9% to 48.3%, ADR rose 11.7% to $168.90, and RevPAR grew 14.9% to $81.53. Tampa had the largest occupancy jump to 77.5% (up 29.7%). New York City led in ADR and RevPAR growth, with ADR at $340.79 (up 30.7%) and RevPAR at $283.03 (up 48.4%). Conversely, St. Louis and Seattle faced RevPAR declines to $36.02 (down 26%) and $54.23 (down 18.4%), respectively.

🏨 Rocco Forte Hotels announces The Carlton Milan, opening this summer after refurbishment. Directed by Olga Polizzi, the hotel will offer 70 rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge bar, wellness center, and rooftop bar. Marking the group’s second Milan property and 10th in Italy, following Rocco Forte House Milan (2024). Rocco Forte, expanding in Italy, also eyes Spain, the U.S., and has a new hotel in Dubai. Saudi Arabia's PIF acquired a 49% stake for $1.8 billion, including debt. The group, founded in 1996, manages 14 European properties.

🏨 Thomas B. Meier has been appointed as the new CEO of Jumeirah, a luxury hospitality leader. With a history of success in the industry, he aims to double Jumeirah’s portfolio by 2030, as part of the brand's Mission 2030 strategy. Meier's previous roles include COO since October 2021 and Interim CEO. Under his direction, Jumeirah has expanded into Africa with Jumeirah Thanda Island in Tanzania and Jumeirah Thanda Safari in South Africa. The company manages 30 hotels worldwide and is eyeing further global expansion.

📖 Saladplate, part of Informa Markets, serves as the official content and engagement hub for the Hospitality, Food and Beverage industries, offering weekly news updates, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-monthly e-magazine. It provides exclusive insights into over 10,000 brands and companies, alongside updates from over 35 international trade events.

💪 Since 2020, health & wellness has been the leading mega-trend, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted focus to immunity and mental wellness. Continuous tracking of this trend is crucial for addressing consumer behavior and demands.

🥃 Indian whiskeys, often called "rum whiskeys," are blended malts made with molasses and can mature within a year due to India's hot weather, contrasting with Scotch and Irish whiskeys' three-year maturation. This rapid aging process and the common practice of selling Indian brands with low-age or no-age statements have impacted their reputation among whiskey enthusiasts.

🍜 Since 2018, plant-based dairy and meat alternatives have gained traction in the Asia-Pacific region. The global meat supply chain disruptions and increased concerns of disease transmission via meat during COVID-19 in 2020 further accelerated this growth, leading to more consumers trying plant-based meat alternatives.

🏨 Whitbread PLC, owner of Premier Inn, will open a new 81-room hotel at Belfast International Airport in 2026, following investments in over 550 rooms at UK airports since September 2024. The Belfast hotel, with 125 parking spaces, a restaurant, bar, and landscaped gardens, is part of a growth strategy targeting key transport hubs. It represents a £6 million investment and will create 30 jobs. Whitbread operates 85,500 rooms across 855 locations and aims for 125,000 rooms in the UK and Ireland.