A 99-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Jacksonville, Florida changed hands for $18.5 million on November 3, 2026, in a transaction brokered by Tampa-based DSH Hotel Advisors. The firm represented both the seller, Fox Jacksonville, LLC, and the buyer — an out-of-state hospitality investor — in the deal, which priced the asset at approximately $186,000 per key.

Buyer Demand

The listing generated more than 265 signed confidentiality agreements from qualified buyers nationwide and attracted 15 formal offers, a signal that well-positioned, cash-flowing select-service hotels continue to draw competitive investor interest even in a softer transaction environment. Randy B. Taylor, Senior Vice President Investments at DSH Hotel Advisors, noted that the firm is actively working with multiple investors seeking similar hotel assets throughout Florida.

The Asset

Built in 2019, the five-story, interior-corridor hotel sits just off Interstate 295 in Jacksonville's Town Center corridor — a high-traffic commercial and retail zone anchored by St. Johns Town Center, Topgolf Jacksonville, iFLY Indoor Skydiving, and the University of North Florida. The property also benefits from proximity to Mayo Clinic and Jacksonville's beaches, supporting a broad demand mix spanning corporate, leisure, healthcare, and university-related travel.

The hotel has earned IHG's Torchbearer Award — the brand's recognition for guest satisfaction, service quality, and operational excellence — for three consecutive years, from 2023 through 2025. That track record of performance, combined with the location's high barrier to entry, contributed to the $18.5 million sale price, according to Dennis S. Hopper, CCIM, Managing Principal and Founder of DSH Hotel Advisors.

What's Next

Following the acquisition, Genuine Hospitality will assume management of the property. The transition underscores a broader pattern in hospitality investment and operations where buyers pursue stabilized, branded assets and immediately engage specialized third-party operators to protect performance from day one.

For the select-service and upper-midscale hotel segment, the Jacksonville deal reflects continued appetite from private and institutional capital for IHG-flagged properties with proven operational metrics. Brokers and hotel investment professionals watching Florida's lodging market will note that competitive bidding processes — even in a challenging rate environment — remain achievable for assets that combine strong brand affiliation, demand-diverse locations, and documented guest satisfaction scores.

Sam Subodh Patel, Vice President Investments at DSH Hotel Advisors, described the outcome as evidence of the firm's ability to navigate complex market conditions, translating a wide buyer pool into a qualified, fundable transaction that met the seller's pricing expectations.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.