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1. US consumer confidence rises slightly
Despite the ongoing war in Iran that continues to raise economic concerns, The Conference Board reported that the United States consumer confidence rose slightly in April. Per the Associated Press, the consumer confidence index increased to 92.8 in April from 92.2 in March.
"Though the gauge measuring American consumers’ confidence has ticked up the past two months, the reading remains mired near its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic," reads the AP article.
2. Oil prices again jump amid 'extended' blockade in Iran
Global oil prices reached a one-month high following the news that the U.S. is intending for an "extended" blockade of Iran, the BBC reports. On Wednesday, Brent crude price per barrel rose to $115 after closing at $110 on Tuesday.
Based on data from a recent poll from market research firm YouGov and the travel rewards website The Points Guy, the New York Times reports that Americans are rethinking travel plans in light of the war in Iran.
"Among the respondents, 15 percent said they were avoiding some destinations because of safety concerns, while 20 percent said they were avoiding international travel altogether. Outbound travel from the United States fell 2.1 percent in March and continued to drop in April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data," reads the article.
3. Hotel execs see promising opportunities in Caribbean, Latin America
At the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Caribbean and Latin America conference, hotel business leaders took the stage to share the opportunities they see for the region, which include growth in all-inclusive resorts and third-party management expansion, reports CoStar News' Bryan Wroten.
According to Jolyon Bulley, CEO of the Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts, IHG recently looked into demand drivers and where travelers are coming from and discovered that the Caribbean and Latin American region has seen revenue-per-available-room growth above the U.S. for several years now.
“One of the things we uncovered is the power of the U.S. customer coming into the region, no question about that,” he said. “Having strong brand representation and distribution there and awareness there is really important.”
4. US hotel construction continues to dwindle
According to CoStar’s March 2026 data, the amount of U.S. hotel rooms under construction has decreased year over year for the 15th month in a row.
There are 136,990 rooms currently in construction in the U.S., which is down 5.4% compared to last year, and 247,728 rooms are in final planning, a 9.3% decrease from the same period in 2025. Hotel rooms in the planning stage have dipped 7.3% to 333,467 rooms.
“We are also seeing a shift in movement through the pipeline compared to last year, with more hotels advancing from earlier stages into construction. Development is still moving forward, albeit at a lower volume,” said Isaac Collazo, STR’s senior director of analytics.
5. IHG continues grows presence in Egypt with two hotels
IHG Hotels & Resorts announced two new hotels to open in Aswan, Egypt, and the global brand plans to debut another 23 Egyptian hotels currently in its pipeline. In partnership with Misr Holanda and Avenue for Development, IHG will open Holiday Inn Aswan and Holiday Inn Resort New Aswan and add a total of 400 keys to IHG’s growing Egypt portfolio.
"Aswan continues to attract both domestic and international travellers, and these signings allow us to meet the growing demand for high-quality branded accommodation with globally trusted brands," Haitham Mattar, managing director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said in a news release. "They also reflect our long-term commitment to Egypt and the strength of our partnerships with local owners as we continue to grow in this important market.”
Holiday Inn Aswan will open in 2029 and feature three dining options and meeting spaces, while Holiday Inn Resort New Aswan is slated to open in 2030. IHG currently has 10 hotels representing five brands open in Egypt.