By now we've all seen the news of Hyatt going public and speculation that family politics (and payouts) are the reason.
But today we get this: Blackstone may be considering similar options with Hilton. Originally reported by the UK's Independent, the story indicates the private equity firm is considering breaking up the hotel group through, potentially, public listings, debt-for-equity swaps or sales of portfolios to rival companies.
Certainly the story makes sense when you recall the June news that Blackstone wrote down its investment in Hilton by nearly 50 percent. The $26-billion purchase in 2007 came right before the bubble burst.
Could a cash-infused Hyatt be interested in purchasing pieces of Hilton? Would Blackstone consider moving something like a Hampton, or even an Embassy Suites? Both could fit nicely into Hyatt's offerings.
We'll have to wait and see, but it could be an interesting end to an already wild year of lodging.