Cameron Sperance

It’s a little early to call this a rebound, but Accor finally has some wind in its sails as far as recovery numbers go. Now it just needs to hold onto some level of the momentum heading into the fall.

Construction cranes for hotels haven’t been called off to the level as some hotel industry analysts would have you believe. It can take years to build a new hotel, and those breaking ground now will open just in time for the pandemic to be in the rearview mirror.

The competition is brutal when it comes to making new brand deals in a downturn. Smaller companies have to be nimble and appeal in franchise negotiations with lower-cost terms to win out against the global giants.

Major hotel companies are massive enough. Mergers and acquisitions departments need to think more about smaller, strategic deals rather than mega-takeovers that take tens of billions of dollars and years to integrate companies.

Profitability is possible, but there won’t be massive financial windfalls to report this week. Investors will still expect at least some sign the leisure-led recovery is benefitting these global hotel companies — especially amid the rise of new variants.

Lotte may not be a household name in North American hospitality, but it could quickly become one thanks to hotel owners coming out of the pandemic looking for lower branding costs than what the likes of Marriott or Hilton demand.

Blackstone wants to capitalize on the upside of a travel recovery and invest in leisure and hospitality assets, but who doesn’t? There’s a ton of capital waiting on the sidelines competing for potential deals, which may not be that much of an opportunity after prices go up in bidding wars.

Destination marketing organizations faced the ultimate agility test during the pandemic, with funding sources tied to hotel taxes stripped. It is a wake-up call to diversify finances and strategy to have some level of resilience for the next crisis.

All-inclusive resorts are always going to be dominated by leisure travel, but it's a smart move by Hilton to position these properties for some level of corporate meetings and events. Leisure traveler tastes aren't the only ones that changed over the span of the pandemic.

The timeshare sector is underway with overdue change. Chasing changing traveler tastes, millennials, and eventually Gen Z buyers means pushing into cities and offering more flexibility.