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1. US jobs numbers disappoint
The latest jobs numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor came in worse than expected this morning, with employers cutting 92,000 jobs and the unemployment rate increasing to 4.4%, The New York Times reports.
There is some concern, too, that this will complicate future interest rate decisions by the Federal Reserve.
“Today’s numbers may have put the Fed between a rock and a hard place,” Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, told the news outlet. “Significant weakening in the labor market would support a rate cut, but given the risk that higher-for-longer oil prices could trigger another inflation surge, the Fed may feel compelled remain on the sidelines.”
2. JPMorgan's attempt to buy New York's Roosevelt rebuked
JPMorgan Chase reportedly tried to buy the historic Roosevelt Hotel in New York, but the company's overtures were rejected by the Pakistani government, which owns the property, The Financial Times reports.
The Pakistani government recently agreed to work with the U.S. General Services Administration to renovate the property.
"The century-old hotel has fallen into disrepair and needs major renovations or rebuilding after it was leased by New York City for use as a migrant processing center," the news outlet reports. "The Pakistani government, which has held the Roosevelt since the 1970s, has publicly expressed a desire to pursue a joint venture with a developer."
3. Disruptions were felt unevenly in 2025
2025 was a year of significant headwinds, but they were not felt evenly across the hotel industry, CoStar News' Bryan Wroten reports.
During the recent earnings season, hotel executives highlighted how disruptions were felt more heavily in different segments of the industry.
“The so-called K-shaped economy developed during the year with the upper half of the socioeconomic spectrum seeing their financials improve and therefore, spend more and the bottom half pulled back and focused more on necessities instead of discretionary purchases like travel," said Jon Bortz, chairman and CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. "This created a clear bifurcation of performance in the hotel industry, with the upper half performing significantly better than the bottom half. Our portfolio, which almost entirely consists of upper-upscale and luxury properties, performed better as a result."
4. F1 to cut Bahrain, Saudi races
Formula One officials plan to cancel two races amid conflict in the Middle East, Reuters reports. The grand prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are likely to be canceled and not replaced, cutting down the racing season to 22 races.
Both races are scheduled for April as of right now.
"Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain's capital Manama have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, with a hotel hit in the latter city, after U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran," the news outlet reports. "Major airports in the region, significant hubs for international travelers, remain closed."
5. Oil prices could stay elevated and increase airfares
Another impact from sustained conflict in the Middle East will be disruptions in oil exports, with Qatar's energy minister saying they could be halted within weeks, Reuters reports.
"Everybody's energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply," Saad al-Kaabi said.
This is likely to lead to increases in airfares, said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.