Mergers & Acquisitions

📈 IHG Hotels & Resorts has introduced Noted Collection, its 21st brand, targeting upscale conversions starting in EMEA. By 2035, IHG aims for over 150 Noted hotels globally. In 2025, IHG achieved a 13% rise in operating profit to $1.265 billion, with a 16% surge in adjusted earnings per share. RevPAR grew 1.5%, notably 4.6% in EMEAA. IHG opened 443 hotels, adding 65,078 rooms, and signed 102,054 rooms, with 52% as conversions.

🏠 Deka Immobilien acquired the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, Austria, for €92 million, with 303 rooms. From April 2026, it rebrands to Hyatt Regency Vienna. Set Hotels purchased the 374-room Occidental Menorca, Spain, rebranding as Seth Punta Prima. Compagnie du Mont-Blanc and Beyond Places bought RockyPop Chamonix, France, with 148 rooms. Kingstone Real Estate took over Premier Inn Rosenheim, Germany, 145 rooms. BlackRock acquired Hotel Excelsior, Munich, Germany, 114 rooms. KKR, Baupost sold Delta Hotels Birmingham, UK, 106 rooms. RoundShield acquired Corinthia Lake Como, Italy, 58 rooms, opening in 2028.

📍 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.

📍 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.

💵 SC Capital Partners secures SGD51.7 billion from CPPIB for Japan hospitality, focusing on hotels. TAP lists on SGX Catalist on 23 January 2026, reaching SGD88 million market cap. Million Group leases Hong Kong hotel to LINKo Living for HKD900,000/month. J. Front City buys Kobe property for JPY26.26 billion. Koramco acquires Seoul’s U5 Hotel Euljiro for KRW140-170 billion, planning rebrand. HVS, established in 1980, handles 4,500+ assignments yearly.

Creating the World’s Largest Specialist Digital Nomad Accommodation Network in Latin America Adding over 1,000 new verified properties across 16 cities in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, setting the stage for…

💸 U.S. economy ends 2025 strong with 4.3% GDP growth in Q3, despite rising 4.6% unemployment in November. The hospitality sector saw 392 hotel sales over $10 million, totaling nearly $15 billion, a 10% increase in transactions from 2024. Average sale price per room fell 13% to $211,000. Major deals in Q4 2025 include $489.8 million for four Manhattan hotels. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is anticipated to boost U.S. host cities temporarily.