Category: Real Estate, Development, and Design

Understanding the Momentum and Motivations of Foreign Investors in U.S. Hospitality

By Ken Wilson and Liya Ma The hospitality industry has blurred national borders and transcended cultural barriers ever since transportation methods became available and affordable to consumers. In recent years, as global wealth accumulates, regulations loosen and portfolio diversification becomes more sophisticated, investors from around the world are also increasingly interested in U.S. hospitality as an asset class. […]

The Evolution of Dual-Branded Hotels: How the Marriott/Starwood Acquisition Enhances Opportunities for Developers

By Daniel Lesser,Jonathan Jaeger, & Jeremy Gilston of LW Hospitality Advisors® Should the deal ultimately close, the recently announced acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (HOT) by Marriott International (MI) will be a lodging industry game changer. MI is a trailblazer of the dual-branded hotel trend and will be well poised to accelerate this […]

The Making of Airbnb

By Morgan Brown Shortly before Thanksgiving of 2015, it was announced that Airbnb had raised $100 million at a valuation of $25.5 billion. That $100 million was a drop in the bucket compared to the war chest of $1.5 billion the company raised earlier in the summer, raised on the back of increasingly strong growth. […]

The Bleacher Bar at Fenway Park: Transforming a Former Indoor Batting Cage Into a Unique Eatery and Bar

By Graham Ruggie As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston is steeped in rich history. Many of the city’s most successful restaurants and hotels embrace the architectural heritage, while still providing modern conveniences including The Liberty Hotel, The Kendall Hotel, and Chart House restaurant. In fact, Boston’s Fenway Park offers one […]

U.S. Lodging Industry Update – Q2 2015

Written by Daniel Lesser and Jonathan Jaeger of LW Hospitality Advisors® The U.S Lodging Industry is currently experiencing peak levels as evidenced by year-over-year growth in many of the major performance indices. After the economic downturn in 2008/2009 when the industry experienced substantial decreases in overall performance and valuation, U.S Hotels have rebounded with many […]

Hotel Crowdfunding Grows Up

By Joshua Bowman In July 2014, Zack “Danger” Brown famously launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter website. To his surprise, he raised ten times the desired amount in the first day. Within a few months, Mr. Brown raised over $55,000 from 6,911 different complete strangers. Mr. Brown’s idea? Potato salad. Mr. Brown’s crowdfunding campaign […]

The Pricing Effects of Heritage at an Iconic Hotel

By: Bradford Hudson Historic hotels are a recognized product type in the lodging industry and may be found in significant numbers throughout the globe. Much of the academic and popular literature about these hotels focuses on their architectural, social, or business history. Less has been written about how such history might represent a value proposition […]

Airports Hotels: Laying the Foundation for a Synergistic Relationship

By Allison Fogarty Hotels have always been located near transportation hubs. Centuries ago, travelers sought accommodation and refreshment in inns strategically located along the road network to provide a place for man and beast to recharge and refresh. As carriages and stagecoaches gave way to railroads, and sail yielded to steam, hostelries sprang up around […]

Re-imagining The Hotel Guestroom for The Millennial Business Traveler

  By Alexis Oliver By now we’ve all heard the forecast: the Millennial Generation is set to take the country’s business travel industry by storm. By 2020, Millennials will make up 50% of U.S. business travelers, and will carry $1.3 trillion to $1.7 trillion in total spending power, according to Jeff Fromm, a marketing specialist […]

The Current State of the New England Lodging Market: New England Falls Short of the Nation in RevPAR Growth in 2013

By Rachel Roginsky and Matthew Arrants Revenue per available room (RevPAR) for the New England region grew 5.2 percent compared to growth of 5.4 percent for the country as a whole. However, there is still plenty of good news: The region was only slightly behind in terms of RevPAR, exceeding the national growth rate for […]