Hotel brokerage and development company The Kabani Hotel Group recently hosted its Eighth Annual Hotel Investment Forum at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami.
With the theme of “The Time is Now,” the sold-out event focused on the upcoming opportunities in 2025 in the hospitality market, with an emphasis on Florida.
Keynote speaker Greg Friedman, managing principal/CEO of Peachtree Group, highlighted that there are distinct opportunities in the current macroeconomic environment for hotel investors, specifically with regards to hotel value-add opportunities for CapEx-starved hotels or those needing improved operations, which present significant upside potential. Additionally, he discussed the opportunities in hotel development, with limited new supply and underserved markets presenting a great opportunity, as travel trend growth is expected to exceed the rate of inflation over the next decade.
Zack Gharib, president of Red Roof, discussed opportunities to collaborate with hotel developers nationwide for its portfolio of Red Roof brands, including Red Roof Inn, Hometowne Studios, Red Roof Plus, and Red Roof Collection. He also showcased Red Roof’s new prototype hotel available for franchising.
Rohit Mathur, CEO of Bridge Marketplace, a technology-powered commercial lending platform, highlighted that in 2025, private debt will continue to get more competitive as a solution for hospitality lending, and hotel brands will take a more active role in capital solutions for developers.
The forum also included a presentation from Miraj Patel, chairman, AAHOA, who highlighted how the association is developing solutions to address the top four hospitality industry challenges including the rising operational costs for hotel owners, regulations that can hamper hotel growth and profitability, market disruptors related to new technologies and ensuring alignment with hotel brand partners. He discussed how AAHOA is advocating for its hotel owner members at both the federal and state levels to ensure they are protected and included in the discussions with federal government officials and legislators when it comes to relevant policies and regulations.
John Lancet, senior managing director, HVS, highlighted the opportunities for investment in limited-service hotels in the Southeast. He outlined the top four markets for hotel acquisitions in order beginning with Atlanta, Miami, Nashville and Tampa. Additionally, he noted that the top five markets for hotel construction in Florida were Orlando, the Panhandle, Jacksonville, Fort Myers and Miami, in that order.
