The hospitality sector – hotels, resorts, mixed-use leisure, F&B, gaming and events – sits at the intersection of real-estate investment, guest experience and operational execution. Owners, investors and operators need specialist advisors who blend hospitality know-how with finance, design, operations and data science. This list profiles 20 leading hospitality consulting firms you should know: global specialists, real-estate advisors with hospitality verticals, and strategy firms that bring transformation capabilities at scale. For each vendor I’ve included founder/formation details, headquarters, core product categories, a concise match capabilities to project needs. Use this as a shortlist for vendor selection, RFP scoping or competitive benchmarking.
1. HVS (HVS Global Hospitality Services)
Founders: Steve Rushmore
Founded year: 1980
Headquarters: New York, USA (global offices)
Product categories: Valuation & appraisal, feasibility studies, market & investment research, asset & portfolio advisory, brokerage, operational consulting, executive search, interior design advisory.
Description:
HVS is a hospitality-only advisory firm that built its reputation on hotel valuation and feasibility work. Over four decades it expanded into a global network offering granular market studies, transactional advisory, asset management and operational improvement programs tailored to hotels, resorts, shared-ownership and mixed-use leisure assets. HVS is prized by lenders, institutional owners and developers for independent appraisals, benchmarking and revenue/expense analytics – the firm combines a hospitality-native methodology with local market intelligence to de-risk investment decisions across development, repositioning and portfolio management.
Key features
- Deep hotel valuation and appraisal methodology.
- Detailed market & feasibility modelling for new builds and conversions.
- Global local-office footprint for on-the-ground intelligence.
- Transaction advisory and brokerage support.
- Operational diagnostics (revenue management, F&B, staffing).
- Asset & portfolio optimization playbooks.
- Executive recruitment for hotel leadership roles.
2. Horwath HTL
Founders: Part of the Crowe Horwath lineage; hospitality practice led by senior partners (modern brand evolved via Horwath network)
Founded year: Origins trace to early 20th century; Horwath HTL formed as a dedicated hotel/tourism brand (global recognized history).
Headquarters: Global network (original roots in New York / London; offices worldwide)
Product categories: Hotel & tourism strategy, feasibility, valuations, operator selection, tourism planning, asset management.
Description:
Horwath HTL is one of the longest-running specialist consultancies devoted exclusively to hotels, tourism and leisure. Its value proposition is impartial, sector-focused advice that spans feasibility, operator selection, brand strategy and destination planning. The firm’s model pairs regional partners with centralized technical standards and benchmarking libraries – useful for governments planning tourism infrastructure as well as private developers launching branded hotels and resorts. Horwath HTL’s deliverables are practical: underwriting models, performance forecasts and development frameworks that translate tourism demand into bankable projects.
Key features
- Specialist tourism & destination planning capability.
- Independent feasibility and operator selection expertise.
- Strong benchmarking and USALI-aligned accounting understanding.
- Global partner network for local market coverage.
- Practical financial models for lenders and investors.
- Brand & product positioning for differentiated guest experiences.
3. PKF Hotelexperts / PKF International
Founders: Historical firm roots trace to W. H. Pannell, W. J. Forster and others (PKF name from partner initials)
Founded year: PKF group origins back to late 19th / early 20th century in professional services; PKF hospitality brand modernized across decades
Headquarters: Global network (regional offices)
Product categories: Hotel valuation, feasibility, accounting & benchmarking (USALI), transaction advisory, tax & audit for hospitality, asset management.
Description:
PKF Hotelexperts is a specialist hospitality practice with deep historical roots in hotel accounting and benchmarking. It helped develop universally used industry standards (notably early stewardship of systems that evolved into USALI practices) and today provides feasibility studies, valuation, and transaction advisory alongside finance, tax and audit services adapted for hotel assets. The combination of technical accounting muscle and hotel industry experience makes PKF a preferred partner for investors who need rigorous operating projections and benchmarking to support financing and acquisition decisions.
Key features
- Historical leadership in hospitality accounting standards (USALI expertise).
- Rigid financial modelling and benchmarking services.
- Audit, tax and advisory services tailored for hospitality assets.
- M&A and transaction diligence support.
- Cross-border advisory via member firm network.
- Practical tools for owner/operators to enhance financial controls.
4. CBRE Hotels (CBRE Hotels Advisory & Valuation)
Founders: Part of CBRE Group (corporate lineage: Coldwell Banker, CB Richard Ellis etc.)
Founded year: CBRE history dates to early 1900s; CBRE Hotels is the firm’s dedicated hospitality vertical (formalized within CBRE’s service lines over time)
Headquarters: Global (CBRE corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas; hospitality group global presence)
Product categories: Brokerage & capital markets, valuation & advisory, asset management, bespoke hotel research & forecasting, hotel investment sales.
Description:
CBRE Hotels combines a full-service commercial real-estate platform with specialist hospitality research and capital-markets execution. The group offers large-scale transactional muscle – portfolio sales, debt placement and global investor outreach – plus valuation, benchmarking and hotel asset management services. Where pure-play hotel consultants bring sector technicalities, CBRE adds deep capital markets distribution and data platforms that support pricing, portfolio optimization and strategic dispositions. This makes CBRE Hotels attractive for owners seeking market access and scale in addition to operational advice.
Key features
- Global capital-markets and brokerage scale.
- Industry leading hotel research & forecasting platforms.
- Integrated asset & portfolio management services.
- Valuation and due-diligence for loans and acquisitions.
- Strong relationships with institutional investors.
- Bespoke transaction structuring and sale execution.
5. JLL – Hotels & Hospitality Group
Founders: Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) formed via merger of Jones Lang Wootton and LaSalle Partners; hotels group part of JLL’s service verticals.
Founded year: JLL in corporate form (1997/1999); hotels practice has long heritage within real-estate advisory.
Headquarters: Chicago, USA (global offices)
Product categories: Investment sales, valuations, hospitality asset & portfolio advisory, operator selection, global research & investment outlooks.
Description:
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group leverages a full-service real-estate and investment platform combined with dedicated hospitality experts. The practice supports hotel investment transactions, valuations, operator selection and strategic repositioning. JLL markets itself on transaction volume and cross-border capital placement, and couples that with hotel-specific research and advisory to help owners maximize asset value. For institutional portfolios, JLL offers integrated services (from asset management to disposition) that streamline execution across markets.
Key features
- High transaction throughput and global investor reach.
- Tailored asset-level valuation and portfolio optimization.
- Operator selection and brand negotiation expertise.
- Market outlooks and capital-markets intelligence.
- Integrated project management for repositionings.
- Cross-service coordination (leasing, facilities, FM where needed).
6. STR (Smith Travel Research)
Founders: Originally founded by Randy Smith and Brian King (Smith Travel Research origins)
Founded year: 1985 (as STR, evolved from earlier data services)
Headquarters: Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA (global data centers)
Product categories: Hotel performance benchmarking, data & analytics, performance dashboards (RevPAR, ADR, occupancy), custom research.
Description:
STR is the global leader in hotel performance data and benchmarking. Its datasets (occupancy, ADR, RevPAR) and proprietary panels power competitive set analysis, market performance reports and investor diligence. While not a traditional strategy consultancy, STR is a core vendor for any hospitality project that needs real-time market intelligence and historical performance analytics. Developers and asset managers rely on STR to calibrate underwriting assumptions, track market recovery and feed revenue-management/algo systems.
Key features
- Comprehensive hotel performance database and benchmarking.
- Market reports, pipeline tracking and forecasting.
- API and data feeds for revenue-management integrations.
- Custom research and competitive-set analysis.
- Trusted source for investor due diligence and lender underwriting.
7. Deloitte – Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism Consulting
Founders: Founded as part of Deloitte & Touche (William Welch Deloitte, 1845 origin)
Founded year: Deloitte’s roots 1845; hospitality practice developed within global firm.
Headquarters: London and New York (global)
Product categories: Strategy & transformation, finance & tax, digital transformation, risk & compliance, operational improvement, customer-experience design.
Description:
Deloitte brings global management-consulting scale to hospitality, applying strategy, digital and risk capabilities to hotel and leisure clients. Typical engagements include portfolio strategy, cost transformation, digital distribution and loyalty redesign, tax and IFRS advisory, and large-scale technology integrations. Deloitte is often selected for complex cross-functional programs – chain integration, post-merger systems harmonization and multisite rollouts – where technical, regulatory and change-management muscle matters.
Key features
- End-to-end transformation programs (IT, finance, ops).
- Data & analytics, CRM and personalization strategy.
- Tax, audit and regulatory advisory for hospitality portfolios.
- M&A transaction support and integration playbooks.
- Large-scale program delivery and change management.
8. PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) – Hospitality & Leisure Advisory
Founders: PwC formed via merger (Price Waterhouse & Coopers & Lybrand; historical founders in 19th century)
Founded year: PwC brand formed 1998 (legacy firms much older)
Headquarters: London (global network)
Product categories: Valuation & transaction advisory, risk & tax, operational benchmarking, strategic growth and organizational design.
Description:
PwC’s hospitality practice blends audit, tax and consulting services with industry insight – frequently advising on tax structuring for development, financial due diligence in acquisitions and operations benchmarking. PwC is chosen by hotel groups and owners when regulatory clarity, tax optimization and governance are priorities during transactions or portfolio reorganizations. Their global footprint helps with cross-jurisdictional structuring and compliance work that often accompanies international hospitality investments.
Key features
- Financial and tax due diligence for deals.
- Regulatory, governance and compliance advisory.
- Operational benchmarking and cost transformation.
- Strategic growth and portfolio planning.
- Audit and assurance services tailored to hospitality.
9. EY (Ernst & Young) – Travel, Hospitality & Leisure
Founders: Ernst & Young merged in 1989 (roots earlier)
Founded year: EY brand from 1989 (legacy firms older)
Headquarters: London (global)
Product categories: Strategic advisory, M&A, operational improvement, risk & compliance, digital/tech enablement.
Description:
EY’s hospitality group focuses on strategic growth, M&A advisory and risk transformation for hotel companies and tourism operators. Assignments often include carve-outs, integration of acquisitions, tax optimization, and technology-driven customer experience upgrades. EY is commonly engaged for complex cross-border transactions and for clients seeking to scale digital distribution, loyalty programs and finance transformation across multiple brands or markets.
Key features
- M&A strategy, carve-outs and integration.
- Finance transformation and ERP implementations.
- Risk, compliance and tax advisory for multi-jurisdictional portfolios.
- Digital & loyalty program advisory.
- Sectoral insights and scenario planning.
10. KPMG – Hospitality Advisory
Founders: Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG formed in 1987 by mergers)
Founded year: KPMG (1987 as KPMG LLP; legacy firms older)
Headquarters: Amstelveen, Netherlands / global network
Product categories: Transaction advisory, tax & structuring, valuation, risk & regulatory, operational improvement.
Description:
KPMG’s hospitality advisory provides transaction due diligence, tax structuring and compliance services to investors and hotel owners. The firm is used when projects require heavy regulatory or tax navigation – cross-border financing, JV structures and investor reporting. KPMG also helps large operators with cost control programs, procurement optimization and IT controls to support scale. Their sector teams combine accounting rigor with pragmatic execution plans for operational uplift.
Key features
- Transaction due diligence and valuation.
- Complex tax and structuring solutions.
- Procurement and cost-to-serve optimization.
- Regulatory/compliance advisory for international operations.
- Technology controls and audit readiness.
11. McKinsey & Company – Travel, Logistics & Hospitality Practice
Founders: James O. McKinsey (founder of McKinsey & Company)
Founded year: 1926
Headquarters: New York (global)
Product categories: Corporate strategy, revenue & distribution transformation, customer journey design, organizational redesign, advanced analytics.
Description:
McKinsey applies top-tier strategy consulting to hospitality’s most pressing structural questions: portfolio strategy, pricing & distribution transformation, loyalty economics and digitally enabled guest journeys. Their strength lies in rigorous analytics, advanced consumer segmentation and capability building for ROI-driven transformation. McKinsey is typically engaged on high-impact, C-suite issues such as international expansion strategy, major cost transformations or setting up analytics and revenue-management centers of excellence.
Key features
- Strategy and consumer segmentation at scale.
- Advanced analytics and pricing optimization.
- Large transformation program leadership.
- Revenue & distribution channel redesign.
- Capability building and change programs.
12. BCG (Boston Consulting Group) – Hospitality & Consumer Travel
Founders: Bruce D. Henderson (founder of BCG)
Founded year: 1963
Headquarters: Boston, USA (global)
Product categories: Strategy, commercial excellence, digital innovation, revenue and loyalty strategy.
Description:
BCG combines strategic thinking with digital and commercial capabilities for hospitality brands looking to modernize guest propositions and unlock revenue. The firm helps clients optimize distribution economics, launch asset-light expansion models, redesign loyalty and deploy personalization engines. BCG’s work is prized when a hotel group needs to rewire its commercial machine or test new growth models (franchise, managed, branded residences) backed by customer economics and a data-driven go-to-market plan.
Key features
- Commercial and revenue transformation.
- Loyalty design and customer economics modelling.
- Digital product & personalization strategy.
- Asset-light growth and portfolio strategy.
- Rapid pilot & scale frameworks.
13. Bain & Company – Hospitality & Leisure Practice
Founders: Bill Bain and colleagues (Bain & Company founders)
Founded year: 1973
Headquarters: Boston, USA (global)
Product categories: Strategy and performance improvement, pricing & commercial excellence, private-equity diligence, go-to-market.
Description:
Bain supports operators and investors on growth strategy, revenue management, and value creation for hospitality portfolios. The firm is well-known for private-equity diligence and hands-on commercial programs that rapidly lift top-line results. Bain’s approach is outcome-driven – defining value creation roadmaps, implementing commercial playbooks and aligning leadership incentives to measurable KPIs. Hospitality clients engage Bain for short, high-leverage interventions that move margins and RevPAR quickly.
Key features
- PE diligence and value-creation planning.
- Commercial excellence and pricing capability building.
- Rapid pilot → scale playbooks.
- Customer lifetime value and segmentation analysis.
- Implementation with measurable KPIs.
14. AECOM (Hospitality & Resorts Advisory / Design)
Founders: AECOM grew from several engineering and architecture firms; modern AECOM formed in late 1990s/early 2000s through consolidation.
Founded year: AECOM brand established 1990s/2000s (roots earlier)
Headquarters: Los Angeles, USA (global)
Product categories: Master planning, architecture & design, engineering, project & program management, destination planning.
Description:
AECOM is an integrated design, engineering and program-management firm used on large scale hospitality and resort projects. Unlike strategy houses, AECOM brings delivery capability: master planning, architecture, infrastructure design and construction oversight for integrated resorts, mixed-use developments and destination projects. Developers who need a single partner to take a complex resort from concept through infrastructure delivery often choose AECOM for its multidisciplinary teams and global delivery experience.
Key features
- Master planning and site infrastructure design.
- Hospitality architecture and resort engineering.
- Project & construction management at scale.
- Integrated destination planning with transportation & utilities.
- Environmental and sustainability compliance services.
15. Colliers – Hospitality Advisory & Brokerage
Founders: Colliers International formed via mergers; history across decades in commercial real estate.
Founded year: Colliers roots date to mid-20th century; global brand formed later.
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada (global network)
Product categories: Brokerage, valuations, investment sales, asset & portfolio advisory, research.
Description:
Colliers offers real-estate-centric hospitality services: sales and acquisitions, valuations and asset advisory. The firm is positioned for owners seeking transactional representation and commercial asset management for hotel portfolios. Colliers’ value comes from strong regional market teams, research insights and local execution capabilities – especially valuable for private investors and regional operators looking for deal origination and exit strategies.
Key features
- Local market brokerage and transaction execution.
- Valuation and due diligence for lenders/owners.
- Portfolio advisory and disposition planning.
- Regional market intelligence and investor outreach.
- Asset management support for operational uplift.
16. Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) – Hospitality Restructuring & Performance Improvement
Founders: Tony Alvarez II and Bryan Marsal
Founded year: 1983
Headquarters: New York, USA (global)
Product categories: Turnaround & restructuring, operational performance improvement, interim management, transaction advisory.
Description:
A&M is a specialist in restructuring and performance transformation – engaged where hotels or resort assets face operational stress, distressed ownership or require turnaround plans. The firm provides interim management, cost restructuring, cash flow stabilization and hands-on operational redesign. Private equity owners or lenders bring A&M in to fix underperforming assets quickly and prepare them for stabilization or sale. Their focus is fast, measurable operational gains and financial clarity for stakeholders.
Key features
- Interim executive placement and onsite turnaround teams.
- Cash conservation and cost restructuring programs.
- Rapid operational diagnostics and quick-win implementation.
- Creditor and lender negotiation support.
- Preparation for sale or refinancing.
17. RSM (Hospitality & Leisure Advisory)
Founders: RSM network formed from regional firms (global accounting & consulting network)
Founded year: Modern RSM network established 2004 (legacy firms older)
Headquarters: Chicago / global member firms
Product categories: Audit & tax, transaction advisory, valuation, operational advisory.
Description:
RSM serves mid-market hotel owners, operators and franchisors with a combination of audit, tax and advisory services. The firm is often chosen by smaller portfolios and regional operators that need pragmatic accounting, tax planning and M&A advisory rather than big-firm scale. RSM’s hospitality teams provide deal support, tax optimization and process improvements tailored for scaled-down corporate functions and franchisor frameworks.
Key features
- Audit and hospitality tax expertise for mid-market owners.
- Transaction support and valuations for smaller deals.
- Operational and process improvement advisory.
- Franchise & management agreement advisory.
- Practical, owner-focused implementation support.
18. McConnell (Boutique hospitality consultancies & design firms) – example: HVS, PKF already listed; this slot is for strong boutique specialists such as HOK, TRO, and specialised operators
Founders: Varies by boutique firm
Founded year: Varies
Headquarters: Varies
Product categories: Concept design, food & beverage consultancy, interiors, niche operational advisory.
Description:
Boutique hospitality consultancies and design houses (examples include hospitality-centric architecture and interiors studios, food & beverage specialists and operations boutique consultancies) are essential when a project demands bespoke guest experiences and branded environments. These firms excel at concepting, brand expression, F&B programming and service design – creating the experiential layer that drives premium ADR. They typically partner with larger advisory firms for feasibility and financial underwriting, adding creativity and execution focus to technical deliverables.
Key features
- Bespoke concepting and experience design.
- F&B programming and menu/service design.
- Brand expression and guest journey mapping.
- Close collaboration with architects and operators.
- Prototypes and pilot operation design.
19. Oliver Wyman – Hospitality Strategy & Risk
Founders: Founded as independent firm (names vary)
Founded year: 1984 (Oliver Wyman founding date)
Headquarters: New York / London (global)
Product categories: Strategy, risk, revenue optimization, digital transformation.
Description:
Oliver Wyman works with hospitality clients on strategy, revenue management and organizational transformation with a strong quantitative bent. The firm’s strengths include pricing and revenue modelling, risk assessment and applying advanced analytics to yield management and distribution strategy. Oliver Wyman is particularly useful for clients seeking analytic rigor to support pricing architecture and portfolio risk-return optimization.
Key features
- Advanced pricing and revenue analytics.
- Commercial strategy linked to shareholder value.
- Risk modelling for portfolios and projects.
- Data science and forecasting capabilities.
- Implementation support for revenue teams.
20. Specialized Regional / Boutique Experts (selection to consider) – examples: OTA & distribution specialists, revenue-management boutiques, local market advisors
Founders: Varies by company
Founded year: Varies
Headquarters: Varies
Product categories: Distribution & channel management, revenue management systems (RMS), guest experience platforms, local market advisory.
Description:
The final category covers specialist and regional firms that own niche capabilities: channel-management and distribution optimization, RMS implementation, revenue-management outsourcing, local market planning, and boutique design or F&B consultancies. These vendors are high-impact when a project needs technical depth (e.g., RMS integration), localized market penetration or creative product development that global heavyweights may not offer. Selecting one of these specialists – in tandem with a strategy or valuation firm – often delivers superior operational results and product differentiation.
Key features
- Deep domain expertise in a single capability (RMS, distribution, F&B).
- Rapid implementation and integration focus.
- Local market networks and operator relationships.
- Cost-effective, targeted interventions.
- Good fit for boutique hotels, lifestyle brands and niche resort concepts.
How to use this shortlist (quick vendor-selection checklist)
- If you need valuation, underwriting or lender-grade feasibility → start with HVS, PKF, Horwath HTL.
- If you need scale, capital markets reach or portfolio disposition → consider CBRE or JLL.
- If you need strategy, digital or large transformation → pick McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte or Accenture.
- If you need design, master planning or resort delivery → AECOM or specialist architecture/design houses.
- If you need performance data and benchmarking → STR is the go-to.
