HVS | Christian Cross

Christian Cross

Director, Buffalo

My Articles

State of the District: A Look at the Washington, D.C., Lodging Market

Decisions at the federal level, such as import tariffs, are affecting global markets, and cuts initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are having impacts across the nation. These policies are also significantly affecting hotels in Washington, D.C., the market located at the heart of the federal government.

June 6, 2025 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Development & Construction , Travel & Tourism , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , Washington D.C. , District of Columbia , United States , North America

Looking Ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh and Its Impact on the Hotel Market

With Pittsburgh recently announced as the host city for the 2026 NFL Draft, we take a look at the impact of previous drafts on both the host cities and area hotels.

July 22, 2024 By Christian Cross

Travel & Tourism , Convention, Sports, Entertainment , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States , North America

Unique Factors Shaping the Buffalo Lodging Market

The Buffalo lodging market is affected by several unique factors given its location along the Canadian border. In this article, we explore the correlation between Buffalo occupancy and border crossings to the market from Canada, as well as the impact of the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar.

June 12, 2024 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Travel & Tourism , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , Buffalo , New York , United States , North America

Significant Changes and Transformative Projects Coming to Syracuse

While the Syracuse market has been fairly stable over the past several decades, major transformational projects, including Micron Technology’s $100-billion computer chip plant, should reshape the market and have a notable impact on area hotels.

July 10, 2023 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Development & Construction , Travel & Tourism , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , Syracuse , New York , United States , North America

Beyond the PGA Championship: Exciting Happenings in Rochester

The 2023 PGA Championship and the 2024 solar eclipse are just the start of the exciting events and projects in the Rochester area. With the world’s eyes on the city in May 2023 as it hosted golf’s second major championship of the year, this article looks at the PGA Championship’s effects on the Rochester market and what’s to come.

June 13, 2023 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Development & Construction , Travel & Tourism , Convention, Sports, Entertainment , Economic Trends and Cycles , Rochester , New York , United States , North America

Strong Rate Growth and New Travelers Discovering New York State’s Resort Markets: The Impact of COVID-19 and the Recovery of the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, and the Catskills/Hudson Valley Markets

While New York City has been the focus of discussion around the state’s pandemic recovery, the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, and the Catskills/Hudson Valley markets have offered some of the biggest surprises. This article looks at how these three resort markets have fared throughout the pandemic, as well as the factors affecting their recent performance.

September 26, 2022 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Development & Construction , Economic Trends and Cycles , Resorts , COVID-19 , New York , United States , North America , Catskill , Adirondack , Canandaigua

Autism and the Hospitality Industry: An Interview with Autism Double-Checked

As we observe World Autism Awareness Day, we want to highlight what our industry can do to help support individuals with autism. To better understand the diversity challenges, growing diversity programs, and opportunities to be more inclusive within the hospitality industry, we interviewed the founders of Autism Double-Checked, an organization that provides autism-specific training to hotel staff to create more autism-friendly travel experiences.

April 1, 2021 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Sales & Marketing , Travel & Tourism , Hotel Companies , Hotel Management , United States , North America

The Hotel Industry's Pandemic Bright Spot: The Extended-Stay Segment

Extended-stay hotels have long been the industry's answer to those seeking accommodations similar to an apartment, but without the need to sign a long-term lease. Stays can be as short as one overnight or as long as years, in rare cases, but generally trend from two weeks to a couple of months.

February 23, 2021 By Rod Clough, MAI , Christian Cross

HVS Market Pulse: Buffalo, New York

The Downtown Buffalo lodging market is almost unrecognizable from where it was just a decade ago. This article reviews how the market has changed, discusses the impact of the pandemic and related economic recession, and looks to what is next for the Nickel City.

February 2, 2021 By Christian Cross

Hotel Operations , Development & Construction , Travel & Tourism , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , Buffalo , New York , United States , North America

Hotel Cleanliness Policies in the Time of COVID-19

This article explores operational changes, specifically looking at cleanliness, as the hotel industry adapts to the challenges of COVID-19, outlining the initial response taken by hoteliers and examining where we are as an industry today and what to expect in the future, now that brands have established procedures and protocols for addressing the pandemic.

September 16, 2020 By Christian Cross

Hotel Investments & Ownership , Hotel Operations , Travel & Tourism , Economic Trends and Cycles , COVID-19 , United States , North America