Interest Rate Cuts Could Unlock Hotel Dealmaking: 9 Trends to Watch


Skift Take

Cuts to interest rates would inject much-needed momentum into hotel deals and development. It's time to dust off those "When Rates Fall, Hotels Call" t-shirts you've had in the closet.

A cycle of interest rate cuts could start as soon as September, according to comments Friday by Jay Powell, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve: “The time has come for policy to adjust,” Powell said.

After more than two years of elevated rates, the hotel industry is optimistic that cuts could spark a rush to negotiation tables, speeding up acquisitions, hotel development, and refinancings.

"A Fed rate cut cycle could help stabilize the economy, which would be a boost to both consumer and business sentiment," said Seth Borko, head of research at Skift Research.

Here are 9 likely impacts on the hotel sector.

1. A Boom in Hotel Asset Sales

An interest rate cut in September will be positive for the market in two respects, according to Kevin Davis, group Americas CEO at JLL Hotels & Hospitality, an investment advisory firm that has helped trade more than $83 billion in hotel assets in the past five years.

"First, it will