The Lodging Lowdown is a series from Hotel Dive highlighting major headlines that hospitality professionals may have missed from the week.
This week in hotel news, SBE expanded its “smart lifestyle” HQ Hotels & Residences portfolio with a boutique hotel in Palm Springs, and a new report showed travelers are finding “creative ways” to stretch their budgets for summer trips.
Also this week, Hotel Dive Senior Reporter Jenna Graber published a deep dive on how data centers are reshaping extended stay hotel demand with commentary from executives at Choice Hotels International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and My Place Hotels.
Additionally, earnings season is underway for the second quarter of 2026. So far, Wyndham “exceeded expectations” in Q2 with year-over-year domestic RevPAR gains, per CEO Geoff Ballotti. Check back to Hotel Dive for more earnings coverage, including results and analysis for Hilton, Hyatt and MGM Resorts International, next week.
Here are other headlines from the week that hoteliers should have on their radar:
Work begins on $325M convention center Marriott in Cincinnati
Work is underway on a new convention center hotel in downtown Cincinnati, construction firm Skanska announced in a Wednesday news release. The forthcoming $325 million, 700-room Cincinnati Downtown Marriott Hotel will feature a 17,000-square-foot rooftop space and 62,000 square feet of meeting space, per the release.
The hotel development, slated for completion in late 2028, is part of a wider downtown Cincinnati revitalization plan that aims to make the area more competitive in attracting major conventions and events, per Skanska. Atlanta-based Portman Holdings, in partnership with 3CDC, is developing the hotel, while national architecture firm Cooper Carry, along with local partner Moody Nolan, is designing it.
Chris Hopper, executive vice president and general manager for Skanska Cincinnati, said the project “represents an important investment in the future of Cincinnati.”
First Investors acquires Cambria Hotel Milwaukee Downtown
First Investors, the investment arm of First Hospitality, has acquired the 132-room Cambria Hotel Milwaukee Downtown in Wisconsin for an undisclosed amount, according to a Monday news release. The firm plans to renovate and reposition the property over the next year to align “with the evolving needs of the submarket,” David Duncan, president and CEO of First Investors, said in a statement.
The purchase expands First Investors’ growing portfolio of “strategically located hospitality assets” in the U.S. that have long-term growth potential, per the release. The hotel opened in 2019 as Milwaukee’s first Cambria, which is an upscale brand from Choice Hotels. It features more than 1,800 square feet in flexible event space with divisible meeting rooms and “business-friendly guestrooms.”
“We're actively pursuing additional acquisitions where operational expertise, thoughtful capital investment, and favorable market dynamics can generate meaningful value for our investors,” Sam Schwartz, executive chairman of First Investors, said in a statement.
Peachtree refinances 4-hotel portfolio near Disney World
Atlanta-based investment firm Peachtree Group originated a $150 million bridge loan to refinance a four-hotel portfolio near Walt Disney World Resort in Winter Garden, Florida, according to a Monday news release. The financing, arranged by JLL, represents the largest senior bridge loan in the firm’s history and replaces the existing debt on the portfolio, currently owned by Alabama-based Doradus Partners.
Located within a mixed-use district, the 997-key portfolio consists of a 223-key Residence Inn by Marriott; a 273-key Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites; a 272-key Home2 Suites by Hilton; and a 229-key Homewood Suites by Hilton, per the release. Altogether, they maintain a weighted average occupancy of nearly 89%.
“This transaction reflects exactly where we believe the market is today,” Jared Schlosser, head of credit originations and CPACE at Peachtree, said in a statement. “High-quality assets with experienced sponsorship continue to attract significant lender interest, but execution remains the differentiator.
