Mergers & Acquisitions

🏠 Kaya Hotels & Resorts acquired the 5-star, 164-room ME Barcelona in Spain for €100 million. First Sponsor and partners bought Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht in the Netherlands for €93.5 million. LFPI acquired three hotels in Strasbourg, totaling 125 rooms. Fattal Hotel Group obtained The Dilly in London for £66.5 million. Leonardo Hotels purchased Hilton Evian-les-Bains in France. Grupo Inversor Hesperia acquired La Zambra Resort in Malaga. Meridia Capital acquired Ibis Madrid Alcorcon Tresaguas. Capital Hospitality Europe acquired Hotel Antin Saint Georges in Paris. University College Birmingham acquired The Cube hotel.

🏨 Trinity Investments will sell the Grande Lakes Orlando Resort to Ryman Hospitality Properties for $1.38 billion, marking the largest non-gaming U.S. resort transaction. Located on 409 acres, the resort includes a 582-key Ritz-Carlton and a 1,010-key JW Marriott. Trinity acquired it in December 2018 for $870 million. The resort features 320,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a 40,000 sq. ft. spa, and hosts the PGA Tour’s PNC Championship. The deal closes in Q3 2026.

🏨 Huff, Niehaus & Associates announced the sale of Quality Inn & Suites in Horse Cave, Kentucky, via a court-ordered public auction. This hotel, located along the I-65 corridor between Louisville and Nashville, is near Mammoth Cave National Park. The sale indicates robust hotel investment activity in the area. Huff, Niehaus, celebrating 51 years in hospitality real estate, has completed over $1 billion in transactions since 1975.

🏨 The Hartnoll Hotel in Bolham, Mid Devon is listed for sale at £3.25 million as owner Claire Carter retires after 20 years. Christie and Co markets the 26-room boutique hotel, which includes a restaurant, event facilities, gardens, and Spa Maroc, set on a two-acre plot near Tiverton. Stephen Champion from Christie and Co highlights its character, reputation, and prime location. Carter, wishing to retire, has enjoyed her tenure and plans to spend more time with her family and six grandchildren.

💰 In 2023, Arsenale Group secured financing linked to the 3-month Euribor plus a 7% margin, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. It fuels Arsenale's 2026-2030 plan, including a buyback from Oaktree Capital. Key projects include luxury hotels in Italy and luxury trains like La Dolce Vita in Italy, Dream of the Desert in Saudi Arabia, and Samarkand Express in Uzbekistan. Last year, Arsenale acquired Golden Eagle Luxury Trains Ltd.

📷 Remington Hospitality's in-house social media division achieved significant results, generating over $3 million in revenue with a 37:1 return on ad spend. With 63.7 million impressions and 4.2 million video views, follower growth reached 31,511, and engagements increased by 110.2%. At La Concha Key West, their strategy boosted Instagram followers by 1,137.9%, while Renaissance Palm Springs saw a 226.4% increase. Le Méridien Fort Worth's social presence improved with a 711.9% rise in impressions and a 2,025.7% increase in engagements.

🏨 The historic Shaven Crown hotel in Shipton-under-Wychwood is up for sale at £950,000. Situated in Oxfordshire, this Grade II listed inn has been licensed since 1384. The property offers eight guest rooms, a Great Hall, and a three-bedroom owner’s suite. Previously sold in 2019 for £1.1 million, the current price is 13.6% lower. Managed by Colliers, Peter Brunt highlights its heritage and commercial potential.

🌎 Global Travel & Tourism investment surpassed $1 trillion in 2025, growing 8.5% year-on-year, contributing $11.6 trillion to global GDP. The US, China, India, and Saudi Arabia invested nearly $500 billion, fueling growth in infrastructure and tourism. Spain’s tourism sector contributed 15.3% to its GDP, backed by €3.4 billion in EU funds. WTTC predicts Travel & Tourism will contribute $17.1 trillion to the global economy by 2036, supporting 89 million jobs.

📈 Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles platform is valued at $30 billion, and Marriott Bonvoy at $25 billion. Airbnb is developing a loyalty program to capitalize on the financial potential seen in these platforms. In the "Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast," experts Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane discuss Airbnb's strategy. They highlight that Short-Term Rental (STR) hosts stand to gain the most, unlike hotels listed on Airbnb, which may see limited benefits.

🏨 Driftwood Capital's new white paper highlights real estate credit's unique traits compared to corporate direct lending, noting a 0.18 correlation. Federal Reserve data shows commercial real estate charge-off rates are about one-fifth of corporate loans. Despite a 47.5% RevPAR drop in 2020, 76% of lodging CMBS loans were repaid on time. Lodging delinquency is at 6.5% versus office at 11.7%. Driftwood manages 83 hotels, totaling 16,400 keys, and $3.5 billion in assets as of March 30, 2026.