2026 will be about the "why" of travel, and other trends (with Hilton's Jess Petitt)

In this interview, PM Hotel Group Chief Growth and Development Officer Paul Sacco said hotel owners are looking for transparency and leadership accessibility in a third-party operator, among other important factors.

Strong demand and cheap debt are a potent combination for both domestic and international investors looking to grow their presence in Japan's hotel industry. This month's check in on the Asia Pacific region is a conversation with STR's Jesper Palmqvist and CBRE's Steve Carroll focusing on that topic, along with the rebound in Hong Kong and Australia's recent cricket success against England.

In this episode of the CoStar News Hotels Podcast, CoStar Analyst Didio Pequeno shares the latest hotel performance climate and downgraded forecast while five hoteliers weigh in on what they are grateful for in a year marked by uncertainty.

Paul Eckert, executive vice president of operations and business intelligence at Davidson Hospitality, which manages 11 properties in its portfolio that are nearly or over a century old, joins the show to share what goes into maintaining a historic hotel portfolio.

Anna Abelson, adjunct instructor at the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, joins the podcast to talk about the 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey, which sees strong intent to travel and spend but some worrying underlying numbers for hoteliers.

In this episode, employee benefits and tax attorney Lorie Maring from Fisher Phillips explains why the new "no tax on tips and overtime" law is a little more complicated than it sounds.

In this episode, STR's Jesper Palmqvist shares his observations from the recent HICAP conference in Singapore about how hotel investors are looking at deal opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ahead of Outbound Hotels expanding to Yosemite and Sedona next year, it has named CoralTree Hospitality as its exclusive operating partner. Matthew Mering, co-founder of Outbound Hotels and executive vice president of hospitality at Waterton, Outbound's parent company, joins the show to discuss the company's mission and growth trajectory.

DeShaun Wise Porter, vice president of strategic pathways and recognition at Hilton, says education and mentorship are key tools for new hotel owners. She joins the podcast this week to talk about Hilton's Unlocking Doors program and the value of expanding the pool of hotel owners.

CoStar News' Stephanie Ricca and Trevor Simpson share the main takeaways from this year's Lodging Conference in Phoenix. Topics include why persistent uncertainty is a real factor and how brave buyers are getting hotel deals jump-started again.