Blank Rome LLP was proud to serve as a sponsor of the 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, where the firm’s multidisciplinary Hospitality team was represented by three speakers across the event’s program. As my colleague David Sudeck, Esq. details in his companion post on this blog, the conference brought together a dynamic cross-section of owners, operators, investors, and developers focused on the boutique and lifestyle hospitality sectors.
I had the privilege of participating in a panel titled The Management Agreement Decoded, alongside Irina Zavina, Founder of Haskil Partners. Our session was designed for hotel owners and focused on how to negotiate hotel management agreements (“HMAs”) from the ownership perspective—maximizing leverage, protecting economic interests, and structuring deals that position owners for long-term success. Below are the key takeaways from our discussion.
1. Negotiate the Shortest Workable Term and Watch Renewal Deadlines
Hotel management agreements can run anywhere from 5 to 50 years—and I’ve seen one agreement for as long as 90 years. In the boutique and lifestyle space, however, owners often hold more leverage than they realize. In the lux boutique space, your property probably represents a meaningful share of a brand’s portfolio—say 15 percent of their total properties—so you have real negotiating power. Use it to secure the shortest initial term possible, with renewals conditioned on earned, demonstrated performance rather than granted automatically. Pay close attention to renewal mechanics: some agreements include automatic renewal clauses where missing a 30-day opt-out window can lock you back in for another full cycle.
To read the full post, please visit our Hospitality Industry Insights blog.