Mimi Oliver

MCR Hotels just scooped up Soho House, and everyone in the lifestyle and real estate world is buzzing. This isn’t just about chic hotel lounges and pretty rooftops; it’s a classic opco-propco play with a lifestyle twist. Paul Stanton noted that LVMH might be eyeing this deal for a future buyout. It’s luxury chess: LVMH has been collecting high-end hospitality assets like rare art, and Soho House fits perfectly into that gallery. This deal isn’t just about cool properties; it’s about real assets in prime locations where the global luxury crowd already loves to hang out. If LVMH steps in down the road, it’s like adding a designer label to a property portfolio—suddenly your real estate has a couture edge. Lifestyle-driven acquisitions are reshaping the luxury real estate landscape. Blending opco-propco models with lifestyle branding isn’t just on trend—it’s becoming the new language of luxury real estate.

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Growth is often framed around openings, milestones or headlines. In reality, the harder challenge is building the infrastructure that allows scale without breaking the model. With the launch of our new parent brand last week, and long-term backing from Blackstone (covered in today’s Times), the focus now isn’t simply expansion; it’s ensuring the systems, teams and operational foundations are in place to support sustainable growth. Over the next 18 months, we plan to open several new clubs. This represents a significant step-change, but success will depend less on visible milestones and more on the invisible work behind them, from strengthening the operating model to investing in core systems like our new membership management platform, member app and website. Building a new category means there isn’t always a playbook to follow. Growth alone isn’t the objective; building something repeatable, resilient and valuable for the families and communities we serve is.

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Hospitality continues to prove its worth not just as an operating business, but as a real estate asset class with unique strengths: real-time income, operational flexibility, and the ability to adapt to macro shocks faster than office or retail. The underlying fundamentals remain strong. Financing is still accessible, RevPAR is climbing, and travel demand remains steady. Those of us who have spent decades in this space understand this: lodging doesn’t just weather volatility, it often capitalizes on it. #Hotels #Resorts #LuxuryRealEstate #AlternativeInvestments #WealthManagement #FinancialAdvisors #Hospitality #Sustainability #Leadership

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This week, I sit down with Adam Crocini to explore what it really takes to build restaurants that define hotels and cities alike. Adam’s career—from his first shifts in Connecticut to leading global F&B for Hilton—reveals how culture, design, and leadership turn hospitality into a calling. His perspective on talent, detail, and brand creation reframes how we think about restaurants not as amenities, but as the heartbeat of a hotel. We discuss: - The foundational values that sustain a life in hospitality - Common pitfalls that derail promising restaurant ventures - How intentional design transforms guest perception - The balance between creativity and business discipline - The future of hotel dining and emerging culinary talent An insightful listen for entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals redefining experience in every detail. Here's the first 15 minutes of the episode, to watch the rest check it out here: Youtube: https://bit.ly/472YHIl Spotify: https://bit.ly/4oadCqL Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4nKgqeH

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Hilton’s agreement with YOTEL is an exciting step and a strong addition to Hilton’s growth story. Today’s announcement reflects the way we are continuing to expand our portfolio with intention, adding more relevant stay options for guests while staying disciplined in how we grow. Originally launching in London, YOTEL has built a distinctive brand with a clear point of view - design-led, tech-enabled and well suited to the needs of today’s traveller, particularly in dynamic urban locations. Bringing YOTEL into Hilton’s system through Select by Hilton allows us to expand choice for guests while preserving the qualities that make the brand unique. For our guests and Hilton Honors members, this means access to a compelling new stay experience in destinations including London, Amsterdam and Glasgow, with the added benefits of Hilton’s commercial platform and loyalty network. And for Hilton, it is another example of disciplined, capital-light growth that strengthens our presence in an important segment of the market. Looking forward to seeing the first YOTEL properties available through Hilton channels later this year. More details on our announcement at the link below: https://lnkd.in/ec6Taka9 #HiltonForTheStay

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Insightful perspectives from some of the leading voices in our industry on where real growth opportunities still exist in hospitality. Despite ongoing challenges, from slower demand growth to shifting travel patterns, there are pockets of resilience that smart investors and operators can leverage. Hearing directly from leaders across development, capital markets, and operations underscores one key theme: collaboration and innovation will drive the next phase of expansion.

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Charvi Gupta, NYIC Board Director and Senior Director at Getzler Henrich & Associates, recently published the article, "Unlocking Opportunities Amid PIP Delays – The Role of Key Money in Hotel Rebranding." The article examines how hotel owners and investors can leverage “key money” or upfront payments from hotel brands to offset costs and unlock opportunities during Property Improvement Plan (PIP) delays. With many hotels facing renovation postponements due to economic pressures, key money can serve as a strategic tool to facilitate rebranding, fund upgrades, and enhance asset value. The piece highlights how thoughtful negotiation and timing of key money agreements can help stakeholders navigate uncertainty and maximize long-term returns. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g5zfEHzi The article first appeared in HOTELS magazine. #NYIC

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In 1994, Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Capital, in partnership with Goldman Sachs, acquired Westin Hotels & Resorts in a $561 million transaction. This acquisition marked a significant step in the growth of what would later become Starwood Hotels and Resorts, a portfolio of brands including Sheraton, W Hotels, Le Meridien, and St. Regis. Ultimately, Starwood Hotels was sold to Marriott International for $13 billion in 2016 (all generated by 🤖 AI)

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Noble Investment Group has acquired a portfolio of 35 Sonesta Simply Suites hotels, adding over 4,000 rooms and enhancing its long-term accommodation platform. This strategic acquisition expands Noble's footprint in high-growth markets, focusing on a segment with robust demand driven by workforce mobility and current housing challenges. By aligning with the established Sonesta brand, Noble aims to leverage operational expertise and enhance guest satisfaction. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dJnWZWVt #NobleInvestmentGroup #SonestaSimplySuites #ExtendedStayHotels #Hospitality #RealEstateInvesting #PortfolioManagement

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