NEW YORK — With a "clean balance sheet" and a shift in strategy, Aimbridge Hospitality Chief Global Growth Officer Eric Jacobs said his company is moving forward from a rocky period with a focus on quality.
In a video interview during the 2025 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum, Jacobs said the hotel management company has emerged from "not very good" chatter about the company's capital structure and growth strategy to reach a point where they have a better connection with their hotel owners and a more defined focus.
"I think the best compliments we're getting right now is that our owners are saying 'You're absolutely on the right track. You're focusing on the right things, rebuilding your talent, building your infrastructure and staying focused on what matters to us, which is delivering top line, middle of the statement and opportunities,'" he said. "It's a tough investment cycle right now. Not a lot for sale, but we know our owners want to be on top of everything that's going on. What's for sale? What could they buy? What could they step into? And we stay very focused on that."
Earlier this year, Aimbridge officials announced a deal to restructure more than $1.1 billion in debt, converting its first lien lenders into majority owners — a deal that CEO Craig Smith described as the getting out of "the penalty box."
Jacobs said the company is now moving forward with a strategy of quality over quantity and primarily working with groups that "focus on longer-term investments."
Aimbridge will "focus on not managing all the different chain scales," he said. "We don't need to be all things to all folks. [The company will] stay focused on fees, longer agreements, stickier agreements."
For all of the conversation with Aimbridge's Eric Jacobs, watch the video above.