Cameron Sperance

U.S. hotel companies like Hyatt may not get the best financial deals when they look to expand in Asia, but the growth opportunities are too great to ignore — especially when properties are only more and more expensive to build in the U.S. What's behind Hyatt's decision to go another way?

Blackstone and Starwood Capital's approved takeover of Extended Stay America is a major win for investors who have been salivating over any kinda of mega-hotel deal coming out of the pandemic. But the turbulent road to the finish line shows shareholders are still not going to accept lowball offers.

China's drop in hotel performance due to an outbreak in the southern part of the country may only be temporary. But it is a reminder that travel's recovery momentum is erratic — even in a country with tough control measures and strong vaccine distribution.

Summer travel demand is a much-needed boost to struggling hotels, but we want to hear recovery strategies beyond the next three months. Leisure travel demand doesn’t benefit everyone, so how does the entire industry advance? Find out at next week’s Skift Hospitality & Marketing Summit.

Big, global hotel companies weren’t exactly pandemic success stories. However, they still want to market the notion there is more value in a global network than going it alone as an independent operator. Getting left out of the expected summer travel boom is what it will take for smaller operators to accept that logic.

Blackstone and Starwood Capital's extra $180 million sweetens the pot for the planned Extended Stay America takeover, but this is no done deal. There is still a very loud opposing group of shareholders that could sway the vote this week.

Hotel owners have to boost wages above pre-pandemic trend lines if they want to claw former workers back from outside industries. Until that happens, expect a lot of overworked and overwhelmed staffers doing well above the requirements of a typical hotel job.

The surprising rise in consumer spending during the pandemic spurred a competition for goods and shipping containers among all industries. That's a long-term problem for hotels, especially with an expected increase in renovations around the corner that will require even more deliveries from overseas.

Even if Sandals Resorts isn't worried about major hotel brands like Marriott entering the all-inclusive space, more hospitality giants are likely to swoop in and start scouring the market for franchise deals. There is too much unbranded supply to ignore.

Wyndham's arrival to the luxury sector adds a missing piece to its brand portfolio, but don't expect a high-end glut of new hotels anytime soon. This is a very competitive hotel sector, and Wyndham plans to stick to the standard luxury playbook of exclusivity. Less is more when it comes to finer hotels.