Hotel Analyst Pod 16th April 2026

This episode we’re focusing on three defining themes shaping hotel real estate right now: geopolitical disruption, industry sentiment, and the structural reset in real estate investment. We start with Iran and what it means for investors, then move to sentiment from Berlin at IHIF, before finishing in Cannes with what Mipim tells us about where capital is heading.

In this episode of the Hotel Analyst podcast, we examine three structural themes shaping the global hotel investment landscape as the sector moves into 2026. First, we explore the rise of what many investors now view as the “fee flywheel”. The latest reporting from major listed hotel groups highlights how earnings growth is increasingly driven not by revpar alone, but by platform economics: system expansion, loyalty monetisation, ancillary revenues and disciplined capital returns. With revpar guidance remaining modest, the discussion focuses on how brands such as Marriott, Hilton and others are positioning themselves as scalable fee-driven platforms rather than cyclical real estate businesses — and what that means for owners and investors. The episode then turns to performance divergence between the US and Europe. In the US, a clear K-shaped pattern continues to emerge, with luxury and upper-upscale segments outperforming while select-service and midscale hotels face greater volatility. However, recent commentary suggests that Europe may be following a different trajectory. While luxury still leads the recovery, midscale and economy segments across key European markets are showing more resilience than their US counterparts. We discuss the structural factors that may explain this difference, including regulation of short-term rentals, market fragmentation and variations in demand composition. Finally, we examine what could become one of the defining financial dynamics of the European hotel sector: the widening divide between landlords and operators. With cost inflation resetting higher across wages, taxes and regulation, operators carrying significant fixed obligations are under increasing pressure when revpar growth is modest. Meanwhile, many property owners benefit from revenue-linked lease structures, long contractual durations and diversified portfolios that offer greater downside protection. The recent insolvency of a large European franchisee has brought this dynamic into sharper focus. Across these three stories, the episode looks beyond short-term trading to analyse the structural forces shaping hotel profitability, investment returns and competitive dynamics in the years ahead.

In this episode, we take a look at the deal market, particularly reflecting on the EHIC conference; we discuss the UK’s budget and its impact on hotels; and we finish with a look at Trump’s latest visa rules.

This episode is mostly about the third quarter results of the listed hotel companies. But we also touch on a few things sustainable, reporting on the UK Hospitality Sustainability Seminar held last month and we also offer a view on the current state of the energy transition and how it impacts hotels.

This episode is all about real estate. We start off with a report from the Annual Hospitality Conference in Manchester, which starts with an assessment of the transactions market; then we talk takeovers and why there has been a rise in public to private; and our third item is all about what the real estate investment universe will look like in 2040.

This episode discusses one of the hottest topics in hotel marketing, the subscription model; plus we’ll be taking a look at the latest brand launch from Oyo; and weighing up what Airbnb’s hotel distribution push means for the sector.

We talk about the exclusive new club of hotel companies that make a billion dollar profit every quarter – spoiler alert, there are just two; we will also be talking about Accor and IHG, looking at why Accor continues to disappoint with regard to its share price; and we’ll finish up with a chat about how hospitality is being over taxed and why, in the UK at least, VAT is going to stay at the high level its currently at.

We talk about Airbnb’s efforts to deflect blame from overtourism onto the hotel sector; we take a look at how hotel brands are choosing marketing partnerships over big advertising campaigns; and we finish with the issue of collection brands, in particular the latest from Marriott and Hyatt.

In this episode, we talk about how hospitality can help drive regeneration, the latest action in the hostel market, and what Airbnb and short-term rentals are up to.

This episode is a wrap of Q1 results, with a focus on Intercontinental Hotels Group and how much of an impact US exposure and Revpar guidance revision has had on share prices; we take a look at the under-discussed global giant Jin Jiang; and examine the latest data on the European accommodation sector from the European Travel Commission.