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1. RIU Hotels lift travel restrictions in Mexico
RIU Hotels & Resorts, which operates 23 hotels in Mexico, lifted travel restrictions for guests in the country, Newsweek reports. On Sunday, cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," was killed by the Mexican military in Jalisco State, spurring violence and unrest throughout the region.
Through late Monday, the U.S. government had "shelter in place" warnings in effect for American citizens in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Ciudad Guzman, the New York Times reports. Most of the unrest has dispersed, however, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum saying Monday that "the country is at peace."
2. US tariffs come in at 10%
The United States has imposed a new 10% tariff on all goods not covered by exemptions, lower than the 15% rate President Donald Trump said he would impose this past Friday, Reuters reports.
This comes in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the tariffs imposed by the U.S. last year were "illegally justified on grounds of an emergency," the news outlet reports.
"Remember that Trump is delivering the State of the Union address tonight, so it's possible we might get a better sense of the next steps on tariffs," Deutsche Bank said in a note.
3. Pebblebrook CEO on transaction environment
The hotel transaction market is primed to become more active, but it needs better hotel performance to really set it off, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Chairman and CEO Jon Bortz said in an interview with CoStar News Hotels at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles.
“But I think the key to the transaction market, and sort of narrowing any gap that there might be between buyer and seller, is you need increasingly better performance at the bottom line in the industry,” Bortz said.
4. European hotel investment hits seven-year best
European hotel transaction volumes reached more than €27 billion ($31.8 billion) in 2025, the highest mark since 2019 when it amounted to €30.6 billion, CoStar News' Paul Norman reports. Last year's pace represents a 23% increase compared to 2024 and volumes were 28% above the 10-year average.
"The U.K., Spain and France remained the most active investment markets, representing €13.4 billion, up 6% year-on-year, and accounting for 49% of all European activity," Norman reports.
5. Trump Organization plans for tallest building in Australia
The Trump Organization is planning to build the tallest building in Australia, according to its Executive Vice President Eric Trump, the BBC reports.
The Trump International Hotel & Tower, Gold Coast will be built on Queensland's Gold Coast and stand at 1,100 feet. It will have 285 hotel rooms and 272 luxury residential apartments. Construction of the tower will begin in August, and it's expected to cost more than $1 billion.
Its run as the tallest building in Australia could be short-lived, though, as there is a proposal for another project that would be 50 meters taller, the news outlet reports.