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1. Billionaire Tilman Fertitta in $7 billion Caesars acquisition talks
The race to acquire Caesars Entertainment has increased speed with news that billionaire Tilman Fertitta has bid approximately $7 billion for the gaming giant, topping the offer made by fellow billionaire Carl Icahn and entering exclusive negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported Fertitta Entertainment has put forward a deal to pay $34/share, a move that saw Caesars stock close up nearly 12% on March 11. Icahn Enterprises offered $1 less per share, the WSJ added.
Caesars manages more than 50 resorts under brand names Caesars, Circus Circus, Eldorado and Harrah’s, but the newspaper suggested that Vici Properties, the “real-estate investment trust that was spun off in Caesars’ bankruptcy proceedings in 2017 and counts Caesars as a major tenant,” could be a potential road block. Companies under Fertitta’s control include casino-hotel chain Golden Nugget and the Houston Rockets basketball team.
2. UK economy grows by only 0.2%
In its latest statistics published March 13 on the United Kingdom economy, the government’s official statistician, the Office for National Statistics, has stated that for the three months to January the country’s economy grew by only 0.2%.
Observers noted this number does not factor in the war in Iran, and many fear any hopes the government had of an economic turnaround now are on shaky ground. The ONS said “real GDP grew by 0.2%, following a growth of 0.1% in the three months to December and no growth in the three months to November 2025.”
November data initially showed a decrease of 0.1% from the month before, but that figure has subsequently been revised. The latest numbers do show more of an improvement in the hotels and hospitality sectors. “Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities” in the period improved in year-on-year terms by 2.7%, and travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities improved by 3.3%.
3. US removes Russian oil sanctions amid escalating Iran war, economic crisis
The U.S. government has removed sanctions on the export of Russian oil that is currently “at sea,” citing the war in Iran and the Middle East that requires a bold solution. The New York Times reports government officials said the move is “temporary” and would involve approximately 125 million barrels.
Sanctions have been in place since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The newspaper added sanctions will be “in place until April 11,” quoting treasury secretary Scott Bessent as saying, “freeing Russian oil could add hundreds of millions of barrels of crude to global markets, curbing prices that have been hovering near $100 per barrel as a result of the Iran conflict.”
Acknowledging the situation in Ukraine, Bessent added, it was “unfortunate that Russia stood to gain financially from the conflict in Iran but that [I hope] it would benefit for only a micro period.”
4. C-suite executives buoyant on 2026 hotel transaction volumes
A trawl through the many publicly listed earnings results presentations in the pages of CoStar News Hotels has shown that C-suite executives are hopeful of improvements in global hotel transaction volumes, although these comments were made before the war in Iran began, according to news editor Sean McCracken.
There does remain a touch of caution. Thomas Fisher, co-president and chief investment officer of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, said “brokers are certainly more optimistic. Buyer debt seems to be improving. There's a lot of equity capital out there looking for opportunities. But as we’ve talked about for the last 18 months, they're looking for conviction. And what does that mean? That basically means growth.”
Marcel Verbaas, chair and CEO, Xenia Hotels & Resorts, said, “I think there's some more product out there than what we’ve seen over the last few years. Certainly, the broker community seems to be a little bit more optimistic going into this year. Now, brokers are usually optimistic.”
5. Minor’s new hotel brand Wolseley to debut in New York City
Thai hotel firm Minor Hotels will debut its latest brand, Wolseley Hotels, in New York City in early 2027. The hotel will be a conversion of the current 76-room The Chatwal, opened in 2010 and part of Hyatt Hotel Corporation's Unbound Collection.
The New York hotel opening represents the debut of the hotel brand, named for the iconic Wolseley cafe in London's Piccadilly neighborhood.
"Inspired by the enduring success of The Wolseley in London, our vision is to create hotels anchored in culinary excellence, architectural character, and a genuine sense of occasion. The Wolseley Hotel New York establishes our first flagship and sets the standard for the brand’s global expansion," Minor International CEO Dillip Rajakarier said.