By David A. Sudeck —
Blank Rome was proud to serve as a sponsor of the 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, one of the premier gatherings for professionals focused on the boutique and lifestyle hotel sector. The firm featured three speakers at this year’s event, underscoring our deep commitment to thought leadership and client engagement in the hospitality space. As my colleague Mark Adams details in his companion post on this blog, the conference brought together owners, developers, operators, and capital providers for candid discussions on the forces driving boutique hotel investment—from evolving guest expectations to creative capital solutions.
I had the privilege of moderating a panel titled “Debt and Equity Investment for Boutique Hotels,” alongside an outstanding group of capital markets professionals: Joe LeVine (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Mercer Street Partners), Spenser Apramian (VP Investments, Bridgeton), and Laura Rapaport (Founder & CEO, North Bridge). Drawing on decades of collective experience, we explored how boutique hotel sponsors are navigating today’s lending environment and assembling creative capital stacks. Having spent 30 years in hotel-focused practice—and having watched the capital markets landscape shift dramatically—this is a conversation I find endlessly fascinating. Below are the key takeaways from our discussion.