Preliminary Agenda Topics

As extended stay hotels increasingly mirror aspects of residential, co-living, and multifamily developments, there is a growing convergence of different real estate asset classes where traditional distinctions between "hotel" and "residential" are less clear. What are the legal, regulatory, and operational implications of combining these asset types, including zoning issues, financing challenges, and the future of classification standards for mixed-use properties? What is the potential for new asset classes—such as multi-use properties blending extended stays with short-term rentals or office space—to emerge as a result of these blurred lines?

In the extended stay segment, differentiation is critical as the sector experiences increasing competition and diverse demand drivers. How are brands developing sophisticated differentiation strategies in an increasingly crowded market by targeting niche segments – including medical travelers, military families, digital nomads, and senior living alternatives – and creating tailored value propositions for each segment? How can extended stay brands differentiate when the basic product offerings overlap? What role do localized experiences and community integration play in positioning an extended stay brand in specific regions or demographics? How can extended stay brands leverage technology like smart rooms and app-based services to enhance the guest experience and create a competitive advantage? What strategies are extended stay brands implementing to foster customer loyalty and repeat business?

The need for long-term, but still temporary, housing for relocating workers has helped push forward the growing demand for extended stay hotels. How are you targeting such workers, whether they are relocating corporate professionals, traveling medical professionals, or skilled tradesmen working on long-term infrastructure projects? How are you refining offerings to target relocating and/or remote business professionals? Will return-to-office mandates and its impact on remote work impact extended stay demand? How can extended stay hotels meet the needs of people displaced from their homes in the wake of natural disasters such as the recent fires in Los Angeles or the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene?

What is the current lending environment for new extended stay hotel development? What types of loans are developers and owners using to finance extended stay projects? How have tightening credit conditions and elevated borrowing costs influenced project feasibility, financing strategies, and lender requirements? Has the slow lowering of interest rates over the last few months moved the needle at all? How has the shift toward more conservative lending by traditional banks and the growing role of alternative lenders, private equity, and opportunity funds made an impact in financing these types of projects? What are some different opportunities for structuring deals, such as the use of pre-leased space or hybrid models combining residential and hotel components, to mitigate risks and secure financing in the current market? Are there concerns over new tariffs having a downstream impact on new construction through increased material costs?

How can you ensure alignment with the risk profiles and financial return expectations of investors? What are the key financial metrics that investors prioritize, such as EBITDA margins, occupancy rates, and potential for value-added improvements? How are you exploring exit strategies, including the timing of the sale, capital gains considerations, and creating attractive deal structures that maximize ROI for investors?

How are you managing your capital stack to balance debt, equity, and alternative financing options such as mezzanine debt, joint ventures, and tax-exempt bonds? How have higher interest rates impacted the financial viability of long-term hold strategies in the extended stay segment compared to traditional hotels? What are the most effective ways to structure a capital stack for an extended stay property to ensure both flexibility and long-term profitability? How can you utilize joint ventures to mitigate risk while securing financing for new properties or renovations? Given the extended timeline of cash flow for extended stay properties, how should investors reassess their ROI models for long-term hold strategies in a volatile market?

Family offices and institutional investors seek stable cash flow and low-risk investments/favorable risk-adjusted returns, so how can you demonstrate the resilience of the extended stay model in various market conditions (such as during economic downturns) and showcase strong historical performance metrics? What tactics can you use to position extended stay hotel projects as appealing investments? What focus are you placing on building long-term relationships and offering tailored investment opportunities? For family offices, how can you align investment proposals with the family’s values and legacy goals, whether that’s sustainability, community impact, or generational wealth preservation? For institutional investors, what are the key advantages to extended stay investments that are worth highlighting, and how can you align the investment thesis with institutional priorities?

From the project’s earliest inception, what actions and steps should developers be taking with the exit in mind, from market selection to construction methods? What are some advanced asset management strategies that can enhance the value of extended stay hotels before selling to institutional investors or private equity firms? How might strategies such as property repositioning efforts, optimizing operational efficiencies, improving guest satisfaction scores, upgrading amenities, and enhancing digital marketing to attract higher-quality tenants play a role? How can you prepare the property for sale by refining financials and improving metrics such as NOI to drive higher valuations?

How do you determine the ideal markets for new extended stay developments, and what key demand drivers are most critical in site selection? What strategies are you using to keep development costs in check? How do modular construction and other alternative building methods factor into extended stay hotel development, and are they proving to be cost-effective at scale? What are the biggest zoning and entitlement challenges you face when developing extended stay hotels, and how do you navigate municipal concerns about long-term stays? How do you approach value engineering in extended stay projects to maximize efficiency without compromising guest experience or long-term durability? What specific construction materials and finishes have proven most resilient in extended stay properties given the longer average length of stay and increased wear-and-tear on units? What roles do adaptive reuse and hotel conversions play in extended stay development, and what are the biggest structural and mechanical challenges when repurposing existing buildings for this segment?

Extended stay hotels require a strategic approach to asset upgrades, balancing long-term value preservation with the need for operational continuity. What are some best practices for executing renovations, managing PIPs, and prioritizing capital expenditures in a way that aligns with brand standards and market demand? How should extended stay owners balance long-term asset preservation with short-term operational disruptions during major renovations? What strategies can mitigate cost overruns and schedule delays in PIPs while still maintaining brand compliance? How do extended stay CapEx needs differ from traditional hotels, and what investment strategies optimize performance? What role does value engineering play in renovation planning, and how can it be leveraged without sacrificing quality? How should owners and operators align renovation schedules with market conditions and demand fluctuations to maximize ROI? What emerging materials and construction technologies offer the best durability and cost efficiency for extended stay renovations?

How can extended stay hotels effectively segment guests by length-of-stay and booking behavior to create optimized dynamic pricing strategies and maximize RevPAR? What are the challenges in balancing short-term market fluctuations with the long-term revenue potential inherent in extended stays? How do dynamic LOS pricing models account for different types of extended stay guests, such as corporate travelers versus families or contractors? How can operators leverage advanced machine learning algorithms to forecast demand for extended stay properties, and how can you ensure accuracy in their pricing models? How can extended stay hotels implement dynamic pricing while maintaining brand value and guest satisfaction, especially with long-term stays where price sensitivity may differ?

How can AI-powered staffing tools be leveraged to predict labor demand for extended stay hotels? What are the key challenges in deploying AI-driven workforce management systems for extended stay properties, especially considering the varying lengths of guest stays? How can smart staffing solutions help mitigate the impact of labor shortages in the extended stay segment without compromising guest service quality? What metrics should be prioritized when measuring the effectiveness of AI-driven labor optimization in extended stay hotels, and how can those metrics inform future staffing decisions? How can AI tools adapt to seasonal fluctuations in demand for extended stay hotels, ensuring that staffing is both cost-efficient and responsive to changing market conditions?

How can extended stay hotels use OTA data to identify rate parity violations and adjust pricing
strategies to maintain competitive advantage while protecting profitability? What strategies can extended stay properties implement to optimize direct bookings without sacrificing visibility or partnerships with OTAs? How can the unique booking patterns of long-term guests be leveraged through OTAs to create more tailored pricing strategies for extended stay properties? In managing relationships with OTAs, what tactics can extended stay hotels use to avoid commission erosion while maximizing visibility on the platforms? How can extended stay operators balance dynamic pricing with the need for consistency across various channels to ensure customer trust and avoid confusion?

How might potential changes to 1031 exchanges impact investor interest in extended stay hotels? What role do Opportunity Zones play in the development of extended stay hotels, and how can investors maximize these incentives? How do shifts in land use policies and deregulation affect the feasibility of extended stay hotel projects? In what ways could immigration policy changes impact labor availability in the extended stay hotel industry? How do tariffs on construction materials and other trade policies influence development costs and investment decisions in the sector? What legislative changes could further support or hinder the growth of extended stay hotels in the coming years? How can the extended stay hotel sector strategically adapt to these evolving legislative dynamics?