Market Trends

🍽 Britain's licensed premises numbered 98,564 by June 2026, according to NIQ's Hospitality Market Monitor. This figure remained stable compared to three months earlier and was only 0.2% lower than June 2025. The second quarter of 2026 showed an improvement from the 0.3% decline observed between January and March, highlighting a balance between the closures and openings of hospitality venues.

🏨 In August 2025, a study by the American Hotel & Lodging Association involving 387 hotel owners revealed key challenges in hospitality development. Approximately 33% of projects faced delays, 25% scaled back, and 8% were canceled. Factors included market conditions, financing, and construction costs. Great Wolf Lodge exemplifies adaptive development, tailoring amenities to market demands. Effective site selection and strategic planning are crucial, as shown by Blue Harbor Resort's handling of costly subsurface issues, ensuring financial feasibility.

📚 André Fu, an interior designer from Hong Kong, has his 15-year career chronicled in a monograph, "André Fu: A Designer’s Vision," released by Assouline on 24 July 2026, priced at £100. The book covers projects like The Upper House and St Regis in Hong Kong, Waldorf Astoria Osaka, and London's Berkeley Hotel Pavilion Suites. It’s divided into three parts, including Heritage Reimagined, and features interviews with collaborators such as chef Daniel Calvert.

🏨 On July 24, 2026, Markus Busch discusses the transformation of hotel wholesalers into giants. Hotelbeds acquired Tourico Holidays and GTA in 2017, forming HBX, now a publicly traded company reaching 250,000 hotels and 60,000 sellers. RateHawk, part of Emerging Travel Group, handled $4.8 billion in bookings last year. Some wholesalers became OTAs, like Booking and Expedia. Hotel operators should reassess their reliance on these large networks, as true independence is rare.

🏨 In Q2 2026, the U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline includes 5,975 projects and 703,001 rooms. As of mid-2026, 1,081 projects with 133,216 rooms are under construction. Additionally, numerous projects are set to begin within the next 12 months. The data reflects a robust pipeline indicating significant growth and investment in the hospitality sector, with ongoing developments and future projects on the horizon.

📈 RevPAR at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ U.S. hotels rose 2% in Q2, while global RevPAR is projected to be flat to up 1% for 2026. Net income increased 17% to $102 million. The insolvency of Revo Hospitality led to a $160 million charge, impacting room growth metrics. Excluding Revo, system-wide rooms and development pipeline grew 4%. U.S. RevPAR saw gains in Texas, Florida, and California, while Latin America, EMEA, and China faced declines due to various regional challenges.

📊 12-18 July 2026, U.S. hotel industry: New York City leads with a 41.5% ADR increase to $425.03 and a 40.3% RevPAR rise to $377.07, spiking further on 18 July due to the World Cup final. Washington, D.C. posts a 7.0% occupancy gain to 78.3%. Miami sees a 26.7% ADR jump to $212.74. Dallas experiences a 26.6% RevPAR increase to $96.81, boosted by a 21.5% ADR gain to $144.41. CoStar's data covers 95,000 properties and 12.2 million rooms globally.

🏨 BH Group has secured planning permission for the initial phase of a £30m restoration of the historic Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon. Approved by Croydon Council, works include window restoration to improve energy efficiency. The hotel, vacant since 2023, is set to reopen in summer 2027 under the Elysium Collection brand. The redevelopment plan includes a spa, gym, and leisure facilities across 200 acres. The estate, dating back over 1,000 years, has ties to historical figures like King Henry VIII.

🍻 In June, Britain's managed pub groups saw a 1.9% year-on-year increase in like-for-like sales, marking it their best month of the year, according to the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Pubs were buoyed by early World Cup matches and warm weather, welcoming England and Scotland fans for group-stage games, while other hospitality segments faced growth challenges.