Is It the Right Time to Invest in Hospitality? Watch Who’s Still Renovating.
- Leah Murphy
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
Hotel Renovations as the Real-Time Read on Investor Confidence
Renovation activity has quietly become one of the clearest indicators of investor sentiment in hospitality. It’s a signal that doesn’t show up in headlines but tells the real story.
Every quarter, I host a real estate mastermind through the Female Founders in Hospitality (FFiH) community — a tight-knit group of women building, financing, and leading hospitality ventures across the country. It’s become a trusted space to share what’s really happening behind the scenes.
This month, we invited Renee Bagshaw, COO of Continental Contractors, to share her perspective from the construction side. What stood out most was the rhythm she described: bids are active, but awards are slow. General contractors are booked into Q2 2026, yet projects are being re-scoped, rebid, or paused as budgets shift and costs climb.
What she described wasn’t just a construction pattern — it’s the same rhythm we’re seeing across deals. Projects move, then pause. Interest builds, then recalibrates. Owners are planning for the long term, capital remains cautious, and the pace is being set by clarity and structure rather than speed. Confidence hasn’t disappeared; it’s simply become more selective.
How Hospitality Founders Are Adapting in Today’s Cycle
Across our network, founders are reading the moment clearly and adjusting with purpose. The ones assembling their teams now will be best positioned when projects unlock. They’re using this window to strengthen relationships, refine capital structures, and stay close to their partners.
Timelines are stretching, but not from hesitation — from intention. The best decisions happen through collaboration, not pressure, and structure matters more than ever. Simplicity, transparency, and flexibility are what make deals work in a market that rewards clarity.
Considerate coordination is the new speed. Success depends on moving in rhythm with your partners, not racing the clock.
Where Momentum Still Lives in Hospitality Investing
For every project that’s paused, another is quietly advancing — adjusting scope, realigning teams, and keeping the wheels turning until the timing is right.
Renovation work is steady in secondary markets with pricing power, adaptive reuse is picking up in underutilized metro corridors, and we’re seeing thoughtful refreshes of independent hotels with loyal followings.
These aren’t speculative plays. They’re strategic moves by owners who believe in the long game and know that real momentum doesn’t always shout. Smart capital is still moving; it’s just moving differently.
Looking Ahead: Investing with Intention
Renovation trends can reveal more than hotel sales transactions — they show where belief still lives. Every owner who keeps planning, every investor who stays in the conversation, is voting for hospitality’s long-term value.
At Jane Hospitality, we believe the true levers of value are care, timing, and structure. Whether we’re developing boutique hotels or reimagining senior hospitality assets, our focus is the same: building with discipline today to create enduring value tomorrow.
Because in the end, the real story isn’t in the headlines — it’s in who’s still building.
Bonus Resource
If you’re evaluating hospitality opportunities right now, here’s a quick filter we use to separate disciplined opportunities from distractions.
A quick, three-step guide to assess market strength, math, and management — the same filter we use to separate disciplined opportunities from distractions.
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