Benjamin Habbel at FHS World 2026: Where Global Capital Sees Opportunity

At FHS World 2026 in Dubai, Benjamin Habbel, Founder & CEO of Limestone Capital AG, joined industry leaders to discuss where global capital is finding opportunity in today’s hospitality market. The conversation reflected several themes that are increasingly shaping investment decisions across the sector, from the rise of independent lifestyle brands to the impact of artificial intelligence and the growing attractiveness of underinvested markets.

A central topic was the opportunity emerging in the independent lifestyle segment. As many successful boutique brands have been acquired by major hotel groups, the market has become increasingly consolidated, creating space for authentic, founder-led concepts that can deliver distinctive guest experiences and strong brand loyalty. As Benjamin Habbel observed:

“We look for trends which span from health and longevity to group travel and family travel for vacation homes versus hotels or new brands, independent brands that really have an authentic position and can offer something to the consumer that is really different and unique compared to the big brands that have to operate thousands of hotels, and struggle to this day and age to tell a unique story. Those are the trends that we are looking for and we continue to back founders that have a real story to tell, and then we support them by trying to identify assets that fit into their portfolio. I would say there is no independent lifestyle company in Europe today, as most of them are part of big multinational brands. It really takes that founder-led approach to create an authentic brand that can then be scaled, and that’s a true differentiation that many multinationals can’t compete with.”

Technology was another key focus, particularly the rapid development of agentic AI and its potential to fundamentally reshape hotel operations. While hospitality remains a people-driven business, advancements in automation are expected to transform everything from back-office functions to decision-making processes, creating leaner and more scalable operating models.

“We will see hotel companies without employees very soon: a founder-led team of people that run the brand, and everything else will be done by agents. All the focus will be on customer service and creating human connection with the guest, but all the rest will be completely agentic, especially for the three to four stars premium segments, not necessarily for ultra-luxury, where human-like agentic behaviour can be standardized and automated,” Benjamin Habbel noted.

The conversation also reinforced the growing importance of operational expertise. In a market characterised by higher capital costs and increasing complexity, investors are increasingly drawn to platforms and operators with deep market knowledge, the ability to execute consistently and a clear understanding of how value is created at the property level.

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, the discussion at FHS World 2026 highlighted a clear direction of travel: the most attractive opportunities will come from combining strong operating capabilities, differentiated brands and forward-looking technology with the conviction to invest where others have yet to recognise the potential.

The full panel discussion, “Buy, build, transform: Where Global Capital Sees Opportunity”, from FHS World 2026 can be accessed here.