Hotel owners across the Middle East and Africa are taking a more selective approach to management agreements, with greater focus on brand contribution, total costs and asset-level returns. Franchise, third-party management and hybrid models are becoming more relevant as markets mature. Future agreements will require stronger performance alignment, clearer governance and greater flexibility as assets move through renewal, reinvestment and repositioning.

Branded residence has become one of the fastest-growing segments within hospitality real estate, but success in this sector depends on more than brand affiliation. The strongest projects rely on early strategic decisions that remain grounded in data-driven analyses and market intel that can support developers, investors, and lenders throughout the development life cycle.

Despite ongoing global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the Canadian hotel industry continues to deliver impressive results. RevPAR grew by 4.0% in 2025, and June year-to-date performance is up a further 6.5%. This momentum is being driven by strong domestic travel, Canada’s designation as a favoured travel destination by China, increased international demand that may previously have gone to the U.S., and the partial return of U.S. travellers attracted by the favourable exchange rate.

Our Serviced Apartment Survey invited operators and chartered surveyors to share their views on the cost challenges of Serviced Apartments compared to typical hotels in 2026 and beyond.

HVS was proud to sponsor NYU IHIF this year. Following several months of surprisingly strong RevPAR and revenue growth, the mood was much improved from ALIS. Conversations around AI, branded residential, and renovations and conversions were most prevalent. Transaction activity is lagging the market recovery, but indications are that the buyer/seller gap is narrowing.

'hopeful' is an annual publication launched at the HVS ANAROCK HOPE 2026 conference in February 2026. Featuring a range of articles and insights, the magazine offers valuable perspectives to guide through the changing hospitality landscape. Dive in to discover more.

Amidst great global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Canadians showed their true “Elbows Up” resilience. The national hotel occupancy level cracked the 66% mark with close to 70 million occupied rooms across the country. This is a remarkable achievement, especially given that it was coupled with a 3.5% increase in average daily rates nationally, resulting in a 4.2% RevPAR uptick. The luxury segment saw the greatest lift in RevPAR at 8.7%, more than twice the national average.

Named the number-one “City on the Rise” in 2025 by LinkedIn, Grand Rapids is supported by major healthcare, grocery, and manufacturing employers. Several major developments are set to reshape the city’s landscape and strengthen hotel demand in the years ahead, including a new riverfront amphitheater, a professional soccer stadium, and an airport expansion.

Through the third quarter, Canada, had strong RevPAR growth of 4.7%; however large disparities among markets are being witnessed across the country. Northern Alberta is leading with over 23% RevPAR growth year-to-date while Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan are tied in 2nd and 3rd positions at 12.5% RevPAR growth. Markets facing high US tariffs or absorbing significant new supply in their markets are not faring nearly as well.

Experience-led tourism presents an opportunity to develop conservation-driven hunting reserves in the Middle East. Success depends on balancing exclusivity with accessibility, embedding sustainability, diversifying experiences beyond hunting, and offering strong F&B and wellness programs. Transparent conservation funding and operational efficiency will be key to creating a new, credible nature-based hospitality segment.