In this episode of the CoStar News Hotels Podcast, CoStar Analyst Didio Pequeno shares the latest hotel performance climate and downgraded forecast while five hoteliers weigh in on what they are grateful for in a year marked by uncertainty.

Paul Eckert, executive vice president of operations and business intelligence at Davidson Hospitality, which manages 11 properties in its portfolio that are nearly or over a century old, joins the show to share what goes into maintaining a historic hotel portfolio.

Anna Abelson, adjunct instructor at the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, joins the podcast to talk about the 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey, which sees strong intent to travel and spend but some worrying underlying numbers for hoteliers.

In this episode, employee benefits and tax attorney Lorie Maring from Fisher Phillips explains why the new "no tax on tips and overtime" law is a little more complicated than it sounds.

In this episode, STR's Jesper Palmqvist shares his observations from the recent HICAP conference in Singapore about how hotel investors are looking at deal opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ahead of Outbound Hotels expanding to Yosemite and Sedona next year, it has named CoralTree Hospitality as its exclusive operating partner. Matthew Mering, co-founder of Outbound Hotels and executive vice president of hospitality at Waterton, Outbound's parent company, joins the show to discuss the company's mission and growth trajectory.

DeShaun Wise Porter, vice president of strategic pathways and recognition at Hilton, says education and mentorship are key tools for new hotel owners. She joins the podcast this week to talk about Hilton's Unlocking Doors program and the value of expanding the pool of hotel owners.

CoStar News' Stephanie Ricca and Trevor Simpson share the main takeaways from this year's Lodging Conference in Phoenix. Topics include why persistent uncertainty is a real factor and how brave buyers are getting hotel deals jump-started again.

Hilton's newly released 2026 Trends Report describes 2026 as the year of the "Whycation", projecting travelers will focus more on the reasons behind their desire to hit the road. Hilton's Senior Vice President of Strategy, Insights and Full Service Brands Jess Petitt joins the podcast to talk about that and the many other trends that will define the upcoming year.

Hotels reliant on seasonal workers have to regularly content with federal caps on H-2B visas, a problem that is a keen focus for Ashley McNeil, vice president of federal government affairs at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition. While she's hopeful for a long-term solution, she notes there are pressing issues across the federal government that could get in the way in the near future.