Mergers & Acquisitions

🏨 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.

🏨 StudioStays acquired the 77-bedroom Langham Hotel in Eastbourne, Sussex, for a guide price of £3.7 million. The 113-year-old hotel, located on Royal Parade Promenade, features a 120-guest restaurant, a bar, boardroom suites, and two terraces with 55 and 60 covers respectively. Former owners Neil and Wendy Kirby, retiring after 21 years, expressed gratitude to their staff and loyal patrons. The sale was completed for an undisclosed sum.

🌎 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.

📈 Hilton reported a Q2 net income of $482m (£363m), with RevPAR up 3.9%. Adjusted EBITDA reached $1.05bn (£790m), and diluted EPS rose to $2.29 (£1.70). Over 200 hotels were opened, adding 24,100 rooms. The company approved 42,900 rooms, bringing the pipeline to 541,300 rooms, up 6% YOY. Hilton launched the Graduate brand targeting universities. Capital returns hit $966m (£717.3m) for Q2, with 2026 projections of $3.5bn (£2.6bn) in returns.

📈 Marriott International reported a 3.4% increase in global RevPAR in Q2. Franchise and management fees rose 4% to $1.37bn, with adjusted EBITDA up 13% to $1.59bn. Net income climbed to $844m. The company expanded with 1,790 net rooms, totaling 10,000 properties and 1.8 million rooms globally. Marriott Bonvoy membership surpassed 295 million. Despite mixed international results, the pipeline grew to 629,000 rooms, with signings and openings fueled by conversions.

📈 Marriott International raised its full-year RevPAR growth expectation to 3%-3.5% after Q2's performance. The company reported $7.07 billion in revenue and $766 million in net income. Global RevPAR rose 3.4%, with a 5% increase in the U.S. and Canada but a 43% decline in the Middle East. Marriott added 17,900 net rooms, reaching over 10,000 properties. It returned $2.6 billion to shareholders by July 29, aiming to exceed $4.5 billion for the year.

🏨 Fattal Hotels acquired The Dilly leasehold in central London for £66.5m. The hotel, operated since 2022, features 283 rooms, including 28 suites. It’s undergoing a refurbishment until 2028, remaining operational throughout. Fattal's portfolio includes 320 hotels in 120 locations, with 60 acquisitions in four years. Recent additions include Hotel Saint in London, 12 hotels in the Netherlands, and Cora Resort in Greece. The acquisition supports Fattal’s expansion in Europe, backed by a recent €0.5bn funding round.