Hospitality — Hotel Franchise Model Under Strain as Owners Face Margin Pressure; Hospitality Tech Investment Tops $1B; Booking.com Data Breach Raises Operational Risk

Hospitality · 2026-04-14

TODAY'S SIGNAL — The hospitality industry is being reshaped simultaneously from the top and the bottom. At the brand level, franchise economics are fracturing: major hotel companies report record profits while their owner-operators absorb rising costs, tighter margins, and escalating brand mandates — a structural tension that could reshape franchise negotiations and capital allocation across the…