Mergers & Acquisitions

🏨 Gencom acquired The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, a 253-key hotel, expanding its NYC presence. This marks Gencom's third luxury acquisition in NYC within 16 months, following the Thompson Central Park in 2024 and InterContinental New York Times Square in December 2025. Financed by Banco Inbursa, this is Gencom's 11th Ritz-Carlton project. Situated at Central Park South and Sixth Avenue, the hotel offers luxurious amenities, including Contour lounge, the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, and La Prairie Spa.

🎵 Mad Swans, a Longshot venture founded by Joel Cadbury and Oliver Vigors, secured a £10m loan from OakNorth to develop leisure sites in Mendips and South Downs. These sites will feature repurposed 12-hole golf courses, padel and pickleball courts, driving ranges, eco-cabins, and dining facilities. This marks their third deal with OakNorth, following previous collaborations on Beaverbrook and Bel and the Dragon. The project transforms underperforming golf clubs into wellness venues, enhancing the UK’s leisure landscape.

🏨 Kabani Hotel Group sold Delta Hotels by Marriott West Palm Beach, a 199-room property, in Miami, Florida. The transaction was completed off-market by Suraj Dalal and Ahmed Kabani in 2026. The buyer, Palm Holdings, a Canadian group, purchased it all-cash. Initially a Holiday Inn, the hotel was renovated and rebranded to Delta Hotels by Marriott without closing, remaining operational. Florida remains a top U.S. destination, driving international demand for its hotels.

💸 GARDINER, Montana—Marcus & Millichap announced the sale of Super 8 by Wyndham Gardiner/Yellowstone Park Area, a 66-room hotel. Buyer Raj Patel, procured by Jay Arora, secured $9,120,000 financing with a 10-year, 5.9% interest loan. The property, built in 1987, includes eight staff apartments and a leased retail space. The sale strengthens the buyer's regional presence, capitalizing on the resilience of Gardiner's market due to strong visitor growth at Yellowstone National Park.

🏨 The Elm Tree, a four-star boutique hotel in Llandudno, is for sale at approximately £850,000. This Grade II listed property boasts 13 en suite bedrooms and offers stunning views of Llandudno Bay. With nine sea-facing rooms, it accommodates 26 diners and has a 5/5 TripAdvisor rating. Purchased in 2017, it ranked as Llandudno’s top hotel in 2025. The property includes private owners’ accommodation and unused basement space for potential use.

📍 Columbia Hospitality takes over Hotel 1000 in Seattle starting February 1, 2026. The hotel, located downtown near key attractions, offers 120 guestrooms including 36 suites and features modern amenities. Notably, it includes The Nineteenth, a Topgolf Swing Suite. Dining highlights are All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar and Rosebay cocktail bar. The hotel will join Hyatt's Unbound Collection, enhancing its luxury status in the Pacific Northwest. Columbia Hospitality, founded in 1995, manages diverse properties across the U.S.

🏨 The Cube Hotel in Birmingham is on the market for £7.2 million. It features 52 en-suite bedrooms and a Marco Pierre White restaurant. The hotel occupies four floors of a 25-storey canalside development. It's near the Mailbox retail hub and Birmingham’s theatre district. Knight Frank is managing the sale for Quantuma Advisory Ltd. The hotel has potential for rebranding, appealing to future investors in Birmingham’s thriving city centre.

📍 Choice Hotels plans to expand by establishing 100 hotels in sub-Saharan and southern Africa by 2035. Starting in Kenya, three hotels in Nairobi and Maasai Mara will rebrand under Choice’s Clarion and Ascend Collection. The company reported 17% unit growth in EMEA in 2025, totaling over 470 properties and 69,000 rooms. Franchisee Aniket Shroff leads the Kenyan expansion, emphasizing cultural authenticity and sustainability. All properties join the Choice Privileges loyalty program, part of a global network of 7,000 hotels.

🏨 Hotel investments in 2026 face a shift in priorities. Investors now focus on leadership judgment, cultural relevance, and decision agility. High-spend travelers value coherent experiences, prompting hotels to move from point-based loyalty to experience-led models. AI in hospitality requires integrated systems and grounded leadership for effective decision-making. Investment trends include sports tourism (e.g., 2026 FIFA World Cup), IP-driven travel, and wellness tourism. Seasonality blurs as remote work enables flexible travel. Smaller, differentiated assets gain liquidity by anticipating behavioral shifts.

🏠 Arcano Partners acquired three four-star hotels in Tenerife from Hyatt, totaling 1,050 rooms. Extendam and Experimental bought Quinta Da Comporta in Portugal for €70 million, planning expansion by 2026. Atland-Voisin acquired five B&B Hotels in France for €32.7 million. Besant Capital purchased Hotel NH Collection Madrid Suecia, part of a €500 million investment plan. IHCP acquired a 150-room hotel at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Edmond de Rothschild bought Travelodge Marlow in the UK for £5.6 million.