With Q1 in the books, the sanguine CEO of Hilton feels better about the future. Of course, he does.
With Q1 in the books, the sanguine CEO of Hilton feels better about the future. Of course, he does.
https://hotelsmag.com/news/with-q1-in-the-books-the-sanguine-ceo-of-hilton-feels-better-about-the-future-of-course-he-does/
by David Eisen
Conflict in the Middle East, higher gas prices in the U.S., full ramifications of AI still unknown—it’s enough to make cynics out of the most hopeful. Not Chris Nassetta, the president & CEO of Hilton, who seems afflicted by congenital optimism. Just don’t mistake him for a Pollyanna; rather, recognize him for being a critical believer.
Despite global commotion, Hilton delivered first-quarter numbers that reached the high end of its guidance, with global RevPAR increasing 3.6% compared to the same time a year ago. Net income hit $383 million. Full-year 2026, system-wide RevPAR is projected to increase between 2% and 3%.
A rosy, voluble Nassetta lorded over a call with analysts and shared his enthusiasm for the days ahead.
“I want be thoughtful and don’t want to overcook it, but I love it when we’re sitting around, talking about performance, and every time we talk, it’s getting better, right?” Nassetta said during Hilton’s Q1 call with analysts. “That’s what’s been happening for a while. For weeks, it’s [been] getting better. As we look further out, with the visibility we have, it feels better and better.”
Better is a degree: The trajectory is still pockmarked with uncertainty over a conflict in the Middle East that is now going into its third month. Nassetta opened his remarks by alluding to its impact on team members in the region. “We remain hopeful for a swift resolution,” he said, noting that anticipated Middle East headwinds could sour overall 2026 performance, but only slightly: The region accounts for around 3% of Hilton’s total business. “I suspect there will be an off ramp in the not-too-distant future,” Nassetta said. “Things have already settled down a bit.” He said that certain Middle East markets are already starting to stabilize and move up.
The Waldorf Astoria Rabat Salé opened in April 2026.
K to C
At the same time, he is seeing a shift in demand trends benefitting lower chain scales, in what Nassetta refers to as the C-shaped economy, or convergence economy, something he pointed out earlier this month at a conference in Washington, D.C. “We expect improving performance in the lower and mid-chain scales, with RevPAR strength continuing to move downstream from luxury and upper-upscale toward a more balanced convergence demand shape,” he said. The trend, he said, should be most evident in the U.S., based on supportive tax and regulatory policy and expected-to-come lower interest rates.
Though Nassetta foresees a C-shaped economy at least buffering against the up-to-now K-shaped economy, one where different parts of the economy diverge sharply, with wealthier households trending upward and lower-income households trending downward, a large portion of Hilton’s openings are in the luxury and lifestyle segments, accounting for 20% of total openings in the first quarter. This included the opening of Waldorf Astoria Rabat Salé in Morocco. Further openings this year include Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch in London and Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Within lifestyle, Hilton’s Curio Collection surpassed 200 hotels, with notable openings in the quarter including the new-build Monarch San Antonio.
The 200-room The Monarch San Antonio, Curio Collection by Hilton opened in March.
A Developing Situation
During the first quarter, Hilton opened 131 hotels totaling more than 16,000 rooms, its second-strongest first quarter for hotel openings in its history. In Dublin, Ireland, this week, Hilton is opening its first Home2 Suites property in Europe. The brand has more than 800 hotels open and over 750 in development.
Hilton said it expects net-unit growth of between 6% to 7% for the full year. Nassetta noted that while ground-up construction is an increasing vehicle for development, conversions, he said, continue to be a large driver of unit growth, and will continue to be: They represented 36% of openings for the quarter across multiple brands. “I don’t think you’re going to see a big drop off in conversions as a percentage of net-unit growth,” he said. “It [will] moderate over time, but that’s because you’ve been in a world where construction starts haven’t gotten back to pre-Covid levels. That will happen, and is happening. But now we’ve got a dozen brands or more that are really good candidates for conversions. You’re probably sort of permanently in the 30% to 40% range.
Expectations are for new global construction starts to be up over 20% for the year, with the strongest growth in the U.S. and EMEA.
Home2 Suites by Hilton Dublin City Centre is the first of the extended-stay brand to open in Europe.
Tech Time
Hilton said it’s tackling current geopolitical uncertainty via innovation and deployment of new technology, leveraging AI to, as Nassetta put it, “embrace the new ways customers are discovering and engaging with our brands.” Hilton said it is working with Google, ChatGPT, and Anthropic and remaining focused on strengthening direct business. Earlier this year, Hilton deployed an Anthropic-powered platform for customers to “dream and shop” called the Hilton AI planner, now in beta testing on Hilton.com. The LLM-powered tool combines property content with information about local venues and activities to allow customers to search for and tailor an experience that is unique to their interests, Hilton said.
“AI allows us to be more efficient and more effective,” Nassetta said. “That is code for continuing to build more direct lines to our customers.” It is also code for new players in the mix that could further democratize hotel distribution and further enervate travel intermediaries. (Eighty percent of Hilton’s business is direct.) “It is a more competitive environment where there isn’t just one winner in search when it’s all said and done,” he said. “That puts us in an advantage relative to what we’ve had to continue to build more direct business.”
Hilton also unveiled a new brand platform in Q1 called Select by Hilton, essentially a franchise home for small, but unique hotel brands with loyal followings. The first addition was Yotel, with more to come, promised Nassetta, but only if they meet the criteria. “The first step is quality: Is it a brand our customers want?” Nassetta said, adding that dozens of opportunities have been turned down. “We’re super stringent on what we would do.”
After rough 2025, Las Vegas on a hot streak
On the strength of sports and entertainment destinations, Las Vegas is poised for a rebound in 2026.
https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Regions/North-America/After-rough-2025-Las-Vegas-on-a-hot-streak?
By Dennis Nessler
LAS VEGAS — Driven by an uptick in group business and the city’s continued evolution into a major sports and entertainment hub, the Las Vegas hotel market is poised to rebound from a tough 2025 with robust gains expected in 2026.
The Las Vegas Strip, which accounts for 70% of the metro area's room inventory, has experienced lofty gains in occupancy and profitability through the first three months of the year, driven by a stellar March.
Year-to-date, the Strip has seen RevPAR increase 8.6% through March, driven in large part by a 6.2% gain in ADR, according to CoStar data. Occupancy, meanwhile, has increased 2.2% year-to-date to 83.1%.
In March, specifically, the market experienced double-digit gains in RevPAR and ADR, increasing 24% and 19%, respectively. In addition, occupancy in March exceeded 87%, a 4.2% spike from the same period in 2025.
Michelle Steffens, COO of Newton, Mass.-based Sonesta International Hotels, which includes the Sonesta Simply Suites Las Vegas Convention Center and Sonesta Select Las Vegas Summerlin, touted the performance of the market this year.
“From our perspective at Sonesta, we have seen steady year-over-year demand growth in Q1 in Las Vegas,” she said, later adding, “we expect Las Vegas to continue delivering solid performance through the remainder of the year.”
Michael Stathokostopoulos, research analyst, CoStar, parent company of STR, further amplified the point.
“They are doing much better than we expected. Year-to-date, we were projecting performance would be flat or slightly negative, and actually, they're up by [more than] 8%, which is a big number. That was a surprise,” he noted.
Demand generators
Hotel executives point to the Sphere, a new world-class entertainment venue, as well as the addition of professional sports franchises such as the NHL’s Golden Knights and NFL’s Raiders in the past few years, and the expected arrival of MLB’s Athletics in 2028. Furthermore, event-related demand in 2026 is being further driven by a handful of large events, such as the Las Vegas Grand Prix, WrestleMania 42, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup (though the city isn’t hosting any games, it still thinks the World Cup will draw in fans for the North American-hosted event).
“Demand in Las Vegas remains well-diversified and resilient. Group and convention business continue to be primary drivers, complemented by strong leisure demand tied to entertainment, sports, and large-scale events,” said Steffens.
Stathokostopoulos maintained that such demand generators have been game changers for the market, effectively altering perceptions of Las Vegas and the types of visitors it’s attracting.
“The drivers of demand are changing. The city is doing all the right things in order to transition to that new type of customer, which is more driven by large-scale entertainment and events that are happening, as well as sports,” he said.
With demand on the increase, Stathokostopoulos further emphasized that the market has been able to drive rates, particularly within the upscale and luxury hotels. As an example, he noted that rates in Las Vegas are 142% of 2019 levels, representing the biggest gains in the U.S. New York is the third-highest market, with rates at 125% of 2019 levels.
“This reflects the fact that Las Vegas has been shifting a little bit more upscale and everything has become a little bit more expensive,” he said.
Stathokostopoulos noted that one of the few negatives for the market has been a reduction in international tourism, particularly from Canada, which has seen a 25% drop during the first three months of the year.
Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment Inc. recently extended a period of exclusive talks regarding a potential $18 billion takeover by Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Golden Nugget casino chain. Fertitta has been in talks to purchase Caesars for roughly $32 a share. Icahn Enterprises, the firm of investor Carl Icahn, has also reportedly been involved in discussions to acquire the publicly traded company.
Hotel development, meanwhile, continues to move forward in the market. Major projects include a conversion of Mirage into a 600-key Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; the 531-key Dream Las Vegas; and Tropicana redevelopment, which is expected to be home to the New Athletics ballpark and a Bally’s Resort.
“Developments that are moving forward tend to be large-scale, experience-driven, and backed by well-capitalized sponsors. There is a clear emphasis on differentiation and integrated offerings that can drive both rate and ancillary revenue streams,” noted Steffens.
Beyond the Strip, My Place Hotels has two locations in the greater Las Vegas metro area. The midscale hotel brand’s location in North Las Vegas opened in 2018, while the location in Henderson opened in February 2025.
Ryan Rivett, president and CEO of Aberdeen, South Dakota-based My Place Hotels, pointed out that demand growth in the market has primarily come from “corporate, trade, logistics and medical segments.”
While the greater metro area hasn’t experienced quite the same uptick as The Strip, Rivett noted he is largely optimistic for results in 2026.
“The fourth quarter peak season is too far away — and the macro-travel environment is shifting too rapidly for a confident prediction — but I would not be surprised to report the full year 2026 as a RevPAR growth year,” he said.
He later added, “Overall, the submarkets of Las Vegas we find ourselves in have given us confidence regardless of the condition or trend in the greater metro area.”
Steffens, meanwhile, noted that the franchise company remains quite bullish on the market’s prospects.
“Overall, we see continued steady growth with Las Vegas maintaining its position as one of the most resilient and dynamic lodging markets in the U.S.,” she concluded.
Luxury hits record high in Q1 US pipeline
Strong conversion activity and new construction continue to drive growth for the U.S. hotel construction pipeline in the first quarter.
https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Regions/North-America/Luxury-hits-record-high-in-Q1-US-pipeline?
NATIONAL REPORT — The luxury segment saw a record high project count in the first quarter of 2026, according to Lodging Econometrics’ hotel construction pipeline update.
According to LE, the luxury segment had 102 projects with 25,527 rooms through Q1, up 16% by projects and 23% by rooms year-over-year (YOY). Three other chain scales (upscale, upper midscale, and midscale) account for 75% of the projects in the total U.S. construction pipeline – and each is expected to post its highest new hotel opening totals since 2022.
Through the first quarter, LE’s total hotel construction pipeline stood at 6,020 projects with 705,825 rooms in the pipeline. Of those, 1,071 projects comprising 132,016 rooms are under construction. Another 2,164 projects with 249,465 rooms are scheduled to start construction within the next 12 months, while projects in the early planning stage total 2,785 and 324,344 rooms.
Meanwhile, Q1 construction starts totaled 140 projects with 15,546 rooms, and new project announcements totaled 166 projects and 20,864 rooms.
Beyond the construction pipeline, LE's latest data points to broad-based activity across other key industry metrics. Hotel conversions remain strong, standing at 1,461 projects and 141,971 rooms — up 3% by projects and 4% by rooms year-over-year — while combined conversion and renovation activity reaches 2,041 projects and 258,665 rooms.
In the first quarter of 2026, 126 new hotels opened in the U.S., accounting for 14,614 rooms. For the remaining three quarters of 2026, LE forecasts another 556 projects with 62,709 rooms to open, bringing the total to 682 new hotels with 77,323 rooms by year-end, representing a 1.4% increase in new hotel supply. Looking ahead to 2027, LE analysts anticipate 750 new hotels with 81,199 rooms to open in the U.S., for a 1.4% supply increase.
8 Ways to Claim Your Space in the Virtual Workplace
https://ivyexec.com/career-advice/2020/claim-your-space-virtual-workplace/?
Nancy Ancowitz
Do you have a hard time getting heard during virtual meetings? Do you feel invisible—as if there isn’t space for your voice? If attending one online meeting after the next, day after day, leaves you drained and overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
While some companies are returning to work, others, including Shopify, Square, Facebook, and Coinbase, are staying fully remote indefinitely. Even if you don’t do all your work virtually right now, you may in your future roles. So let’s look at how one of the most common ways of communicating—the meeting, and now, the virtual meeting—can be easier and more productive for you.
The logistics of virtual meetings can be a strain because of technical issues and groups of people all trying to speak at once, making it difficult to get a word in edgewise, especially if you’re an introvert or tend to be shy. Also, it’s not intuitive how to conduct yourself at virtual meetings: sitting straight-backed, trying to fit correctly into a small visual square, and self-consciously staring at images of yourself and the other participants.
If finding the right words at the right time during virtual meetings is taking a toll on you, these eight tips can help you gain control and claim your space and authority. Many of these tips are inspired by my work as a career coach who specializes in helping introverts, but anyone can benefit from them.
1. Determine if your meetings are necessary
To maintain personal connections, many organizations placed endless video meetings on their employees’ calendars at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. But now, the quantity of virtual meetings has become overkill. Sure, sometimes you need to have a dialogue in real-time. But ask yourself which meetings you could replace with e-mail. Review your schedule and connect with the meeting leaders or other participants to see whether there’s a more efficient way to address the topics at hand.
2. Log in early
Logging in early gives you the space to breathe and prepare. This can be particularly helpful for introverts, who need to gather their thoughts before sharing them. You can use the extra moments before virtual meetings to make sure your background is tidy and professional. Also, do a quick check to make sure your teeth are clear of leftovers from your lunch. Pro tip: If your organization records its meetings, do your checks in the preview video before you sign into the meeting itself. Test your sound as well.
3. Be mindful of what your body and voice project
When you start your video, make sure your torso is square in the frame, and your posture is good. Throughout the meeting, keep your voice clear and strong. Do a visual check every so often and adjust your body if you find yourself flagging as the meeting drags on. Projecting confident body language and ensuring that you can be heard will help you maintain your visibility and appearance of confidence (regardless of how you feel!). To become an online meeting pro, record yourself while practicing typical virtual meeting interactions, preferably with a trusted colleague or mentor. Review your delivery, and practice, practice, practice.
4. Obtain or propose an agenda
Echoing an earlier point, all meetings should have a purpose—or not occur. Ask the virtual meeting leader for an agenda in advance. This will allow you to enter the meeting prepared and more confident about participating. If the meeting doesn’t have a designated leader or facilitator, step up and take that responsibility yourself. Not only will this improve the quality of the meeting, but it will also enhance your visibility.
5. Establish ground rules
If you are the leader, get consensus on ground rules early on, and make time for a wrap-up at the end. If you’re not the leader, reach out to them beforehand to ask them to do this. Whether you go with the formality of Robert’s Rules of Order or just pick a few key guidelines, ground rules contribute to productive exchanges. Possible rules include: sticking to an agenda; setting time limits for each person to speak about a given topic; “Vegas rules” (i.e., nothing gets repeated without permission outside the meeting); offering praise publicly, but constructive feedback privately; allowing participants to say “pass” when called upon (this is introvert-friendly!); and starting as well as ending on time. You might also have a ground rule about whether participants should turn on their video.
6. Practice interjecting
If you struggle with getting heard, practice interjecting by putting up your actual or virtual hand, saying the facilitator’s name, and jumping in. For example, you could say, “Great point, Lee. I’d like to add that….” Don’t forget, on camera, there is no head of the table. Particularly if you’re petite, it can be empowering to remember that everyone’s “meeting square” is the same size, and your space is equal to everyone else’s. You may find interjecting stressful, so consider practicing it on your own time with people you trust.
7. Use alternative meeting structures
Just because you’re having an online discussion doesn’t mean it needs to be limited to “traditional” video meeting structures. Use additional technological tools to enhance the quality and output of your meeting, as well as to help everyone get heard. My favorite collaboration tool is Google Docs because it allows you to share and edit in real-time. You could also use messaging services like Slack or Google Hangouts so colleagues can contribute ideas or questions, or try Trello’s Post-it board feature to make sure everyone has a chance to participate. Do a little research on what is available and what fits your organization’s culture. Implementing these tools is also a way to be creative and innovative, enhance your team’s success in virtual collaboration, and even help you advance your career trajectory.
8. Follow up in writing
The meeting is over, but that doesn’t mean communication should end. You can still stay in touch with your team and the meeting leader via messaging app or e-mail to share ideas you’ve afterward. This is perfectly acceptable and even improves your visibility to your organization’s leadership. Follow-up notes, which should be concise, can enable you to keep the conversation going on your own terms. If you’re an introvert, they also give you an opportunity to collect your thoughts (as well as afterthoughts!) and send a well-edited summary of next steps.
A sudden shift toward remote work has irrevocably changed how we communicate professionally. Even organizations that return to their offices are likely to feel the cultural effects of this change reverberating. If you’ve been finding remote work and virtual meetings to be challenging, I hope these tips will help you to take back some agency, strengthen your communication with your colleagues, and even catch your breath.
DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory
We transform hospitality and tourism businesses through strategic solutions, operational efficiency, and comprehensive renovation. With over 40 years of experience working with brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, and Sonesta, we enhance asset value and profitability through:
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✅ Successful projects across 6 Latin American countries
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