American Financial Group (NYSE: AFG), the Cincinnati-based insurance holding company, announced on 31 August 2026 the completion of the sale of the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, a hotel and marina complex located in Mount Pleasant, near Charleston, South Carolina. The deal is expected to generate pretax core operating earnings of approximately $125 million, or close to €108 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. It follows an earlier sale agreement that fell through in June 2025, in a US resort market where several hotel REITs have recently sold waterfront assets at strong valuations.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) has appointed Dominic Dragisich President and Chief Executive Officer and elected him to its Board of Directors, effective August 31, 2026. He had served as Interim Chief Executive Officer since May 20, 2026, following nearly a decade in senior financial and operational leadership roles at the company. The appointment confirms strategic continuity at one of the world's largest hotel franchisors.

EHL Group has announced a leadership transition: Dr Achim Schmitt, currently Dean of EHL Hospitality Business School, will take up the role of CEO from 1 January 2027. He succeeds Dr Markus Venzin, who will have led the Lausanne-based institution since 2022 through a period of strategic transformation.

With nearly twelve years of experience in international luxury hospitality spanning French Polynesia, the Seychelles and the Caribbean, Alexandre Benoit takes the helm as General Manager of Boscolo Nice. His appointment marks a new chapter for the property as it looks to strengthen its position on Nice's hotel scene.

Six Senses Zil Pasyon, on Félicité Island in the Seychelles, has appointed Benjamin Kreuz as its General Manager. The German hospitality professional, trained at Hotelschool The Hague, brings more than twenty years of experience in international luxury hotels, including four years with the Six Senses group. His appointment follows a similar role at Six Senses Southern Dunes in Saudi Arabia.

🔎 Today's trend: hospitality caught between labour tensions and reinvention. From Scotland to the Côte d'Azur, restructurings and workplace disputes are multiplying, while Lyon, Saint Lucia and the Algarve show a sector that continues to innovate and reposition itself.

The global luxury travel advisor network reports a 20.8% rise in sales in 2026, driven by experiential luxury, wellness and a fast-growing ultra-high-net-worth clientele.

London luxury operator Maybourne, owner of Claridge's, The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory, is redirecting its commercial efforts toward the US, UK and Europe following a sharp downturn in Gulf clientele since February 2026. The rebalancing allows the Qatari-owned group to forecast rising revenue in the first half of 2026, in an increasingly competitive London five-star market.

Hotelier Daniel Shamoon, co-shareholder of Luxury Hotel Partners and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is partnering with Dutch entrepreneur Albert Hartog to develop a luxury resort within Pearns Point, a residential community on Antigua's west coast. The deal, announced on 27 August 2026, introduces a hospitality component to a development that has until now been exclusively residential, adding resort accommodation and villas for sale. It reflects the growing strength of the Caribbean's luxury residential segment, driven by sustained international demand.

Wynn Al Marjan Island has announced the Townhomes, a new accommodation category within Enclave, the boutique hotel at the heart of the future integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah. These two-level private residences, ranging from 630 to 1,110 sqm, draw inspiration from Parisian hôtels particuliers and complete the ultra-high-end offering alongside the existing Marina, Ocean Estates and Apartments.

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled NY Loves Canada, a discount programme for Canadian travellers, after visits to New York State fell more than 26% in 2025. Led by I LOVE NY, the initiative offers savings on accommodation and attractions for late summer and autumn, with some deals running through December. It aims to stem a decline that is hitting hotels and tourism hardest in the state's border regions.

Swedish hotel property company Pandox has signed a new long-term, revenue-indexed lease with Norwegian operator Strawberry for its hotel in Bodø, northern Norway. The agreement takes effect on 1 January 2027, when the current contract with Radisson Hotel Group expires, and will be accompanied by a joint renovation of the entrance and lobby along with a rebrand to Clarion Hotel Bodø.