Market Trends

🏡 Sonesta International Hotels Corporation extended its Master Franchise Agreement with GHL Hoteles until 2034, strengthening its expansion in Latin America covering Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. Sonesta's growth in the region began with the Sonesta Hotel El Olivar in Lima in 1998. GHL Hoteles manages 63 hotels across nine countries and currently has 14 Sonesta hotels. Sonesta Hotel Miraflores is set to open in Lima in summer 2025. GHL, supported by Advent International, operates over 7,600 hotel rooms.

🏠 Preferred Hotels & Resorts added 19 new properties in Q1 2025 from Jan. 1 to March 31 in 12 countries, including urban, resort, and countryside locations in Europe, Asia, North and South America. I Prefer Hotel Rewards members can earn 2,500 bonus points on qualifying stays. Highlights include Andronis Luxury Suites in Santorini, Greece, with 39 suites and villas, reopening in May 2025; Boar's Head Resort in Charlottesville, Va., with a 600-acre estate, and Hotel Convent de la Missio in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, with 27 rooms. Other notable additions cover various collections and locations such as Brazil, Taiwan, Hungary, and Italy.

💰 Motel One Group's turnover in 2024 hit a record EUR 980 million, up 15% from EUR 851.5 million in 2023. EBITDAR rose 14% to EUR 532 million with a 54.3% margin, and Management EBITDA increased 13% to EUR 265 million. Five new hotels added 1,458 rooms, with The Cloud One Hotels opening in Düsseldorf and Gdańsk, and a Motel One in Antwerp. Average occupancy was 71%, reaching 74% in Q4 2024 with a TRevPAR of EUR 102. For 2025, five more hotels will open in Munich, London, Lisbon, Paris, and Vienna, adding 1,140 rooms. PAI Partners' acquisition of an 80% stake will be completed in Q2 2025, supporting further international expansion.

🏖️ May 1st bank holiday bookings surged by 8.5%, with Paris up 17.5%, eastern Mediterranean coast 14.5%, and western Mediterranean coast 11.8%. France Météo forecasts near-summer temperatures, making it the best-weathered May bank holiday of 2025. However, Brittany coast fell by -11.5%, and North Atlantic coast by -7.4%, with only the Channel coast rising (+3.4%). For the May 8th bank holiday, a calendar shift caused a national booking decline of -8.1%, with Paris as the exception at +4.1%.

🍍 Gusto Snacks, valued at £1.2m and available in major UK outlets like Selfridges and WHSmith, now sells in Germany via Amazon. The company, founded in 2018 and launched in 2020 by Guiseppe Baidoo and Claudio Owusu, turns imperfect fruit into vegan, gluten-free, high-fiber, low-calorie snacks with no added sugar. Their 20g bags contain less than 80 calories. With 5 flavors, they plan new products by 2025. Guerrilla marketing and a Selfridges collaboration in 2021 enhanced their visibility.

🏨 Prabhash Bhatnagar authored a blog post on August 27, 2016, discussing the varied opinions of hotel administrators on the ideal index for measuring performance in revenue management, emphasizing the lack of consensus on occupancy and other metrics.

🏨 The Intercity Hotel at Wilhelmshöhe station in Kassel, open since 1995, closed in April 2025 for renovations and will reopen as a B&B Hotel by spring 2026. With 148 beds, this renovation reflects B&B Hotels’ expansion strategy, following their acquisition of an Ibis hotel in Kassel in December 2023. B&B Hotels opened 170 new hotels in 2022. The Wilhelmshöhe station hotel, formerly managed by HR Group, will continue to offer convenient access to city attractions.

🍳 FB Society plans to open Shaver Hall, a 35,000-square-foot food hall in New York City's former Lord & Taylor building at 424 Fifth Ave, expected to open later this year. The hall will feature 11 food stalls, including an omakase concept, wine and cheese bar, steakhouse, and modern bodega. The Food Hall Co. and FB Society operate multiple venues including Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas, and Assembly Food Hall in Nashville, Tenn. Shaver Hall is named after Dorothy Shaver, Lord & Taylor’s president from 1945 to 1959. ZGF Architects designed the hall, paying homage to the building's rich heritage.