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1. Interest in all-inclusive resorts surges
Consumers seem to be favoring all-inclusive resorts this summer in part because of the ease of planning but also for the comfort of knowing cost expectations upfront provides during a time of increased economic anxiety, Bloomberg reports.
"Searches made on Hotels.com Jan. 1 to June 1 for all-inclusive stays this year are up 70% from last year," Bloomberg reports. "Hyatt said its all-inclusive resorts in the Americas were 84% occupied the first three months of the year, near full capacity and up from a year ago. Bookings at the most popular all-inclusive resorts with luxury travel agency Fora have more than doubled since last year."
A few of the vacationers Bloomberg interviewed pointed specifically to the relief they felt knowing exactly what they would be paying before the trip even began.
2. US private-sector hiring continues strength
According to human resources firm ADP's monthly report, hiring in the United States at privately held companies continued to improve with a net 122,000 jobs added in May, the Wall Street Journal reports. That's compared to the 105,000 jobs added in April and the 110,000 jobs expected from economists polled by WSJ.
The education and health fields added 57,000 new jobs, continuing those sectors' trends of leading job growth this year. Meanwhile, the trade, transportation and utilities sector grew by 36,000 jobs, while the construction industry added 8,000 positions and the financial sector added 7,000.
“Hiring was more broad-based in May than we’ve seen in the last few years,” ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson said. “The labor market continues to show sustained momentum going into the summer hiring season.”
3. Experts quantify rebound from disappointing 2025 hotel performance
At a panel at the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum, hotel data experts looked into some of the factors contributing to 2026's performance growth so far this year, CoStar News' Trevor Simpson reports.
Michael Grove, CEO of Hotstats, pointed to growth in ancillary revenue generators — like food and beverage, experiences, events, etc. Meanwhile, Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, said consumer sentiment has dipped but consumer spending continues to grow.
"Why? Well, I think fundamentally it's because the labor market is hanging in there pretty impressively," Sacks said. "You have this resilient labor force that's underpinning people continuing to spend even though they're pretty unhappy about the situation."
4. Los Angeles voters oppose hotel bed tax hike for 2028 Olympics
In Tuesday's election, residents of Los Angeles voted to strike down a measure that would raise a citywide hotel bed tax leading up to the 2028 Olympics, according to the Los Angeles Times. At the same time, voters opted to extend a tax on short-term rentals.
If passed, Measure TT would have increased the hotel room tax rate from 14% to 16% until the end of 2028, and then become 15% moving forward. City officials anticipated the increased tax would generate $44 million annually through 2028.
According to the preliminary results from Tuesday's primary, the measure was not on track to reach the majority it needed to pass.
5. PE firm acquires its first Puerto Rican hotel
International private equity real estate firm Henderson Park acquired the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Río Grande, Puerto Rico, according to a news release, its first property on the island. The company selected Pyramid Global Hospitality as the third-party manager for the resort. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The hotel sits between the coastline and El Yunque National Forest and has 579 guestrooms, suites and villas. The property has four pools, 37,000 square feet of meeting and event space, fourteen dining and drink venues, a full-service spa and access to a 27‑hole championship golf course.
“Puerto Rico represents a highly attractive institutional market, and we have long sought the right opportunity to establish our presence here. We have found that in the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve," CEO and Founder of Henderson Park Nick Weber said in the release. "This investment is supported by compelling fundamentals, including robust demand from the U.S., expanding airlift, favorable tax incentives and strong market dynamics. ... We look forward to continuing to grow our presence in Puerto Rico over the long-term.