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THE U.S. STATE Department has indefinitely extended a program allowing consular offices to waive in-person interviews for low-risk non-immigrant visa applicants who apply within 48 months of their most recent visa's expiration. Initially scheduled to conclude on Dec. 31, the program will now persist without a specified end date, undergoing regular reviews. This policy applies to consular offices globally. Under the updated program rules, the State Department anticipates the pool of applicants eligible for an interview waiver will at least double, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. From October 2022 to September 2023, the State Department issued a near-record 10.4 million non-immigrant visas worldwide, partly attributed to interview waiver authority. "Interview waiver authorities have significantly reduced visa appointment wait times at embassies and consulates," the State Department said. "In Fiscal Year 2022, almost half of the nearly seven million non-immigrant visas issued by the Department were processed without an in-person interview. This success in reducing global visa wait times, particularly post-pandemic closures, is ongoing, with continued efforts to swiftly minimize wait times, including for first-time tourist visa applicants."

AAHOA'S NEXT ANNUAL conference and tradeshow, set for April 11 to 14 in Los Angeles, already has set a record for the number of booths sold. It will be the largest conference in 34 years, AAHOA said. The association has sold 81,900 square feet of exhibit space for the upcoming AAHOA Convention & Trade Show, exceeding the 77,500 square feet sold for the 2019 conference, which was previously the record holder. In addition, as of Feb. 8, AAHOA has nearly doubled the registration total of lifetime members compared to AAHOACON22, and the organization is still on pace to exceed 2019 registration totals of more than 8,000 attendees "I've been in the exhibition business for a long time, and I'm so impressed to see the enthusiasm, excitement, and response from vendors who are looking to do business with AAHOA Members," said Dennis Smith, AAHOA vice president of business development. "Our team is thrilled to reach this historical milestone, with the ultimate goal of connecting as many AAHOA Members as possible with the product and service providers who can help them make money, save money, protect their investments, and better serve their guests." AAHOA's 20,000 members spend $50 billion with suppliers attending the event each year. "I always look forward to the industry's Super Bowl event, and this year, as I conclude my term as AAHOA Chairman, I'm proud of the work our association has done to prepare for the event and connect even more vendors directly with decision makers," said Nishant "Neal" Patel, AAHOA chairman. "AAHOA Members spend billions of dollars each year with suppliers, and AAHOA plays an important role in connecting hoteliers directly with those who can help them run a better, more profitable, and more efficient business - AAHOACON is where deals are made."

INDUS HOSPITALITY GROUP in Rochester, New York, has opened a new Microtel Hotel by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in Warsaw, New York. The company, led by Jett Mehta, also broke ground on another Microtel in Farmington, New York. The 67-room hotel in Warsaw opened July 21 near Letchworth State Park. It features a meeting room, a fitness center and outside firepit. Rooms are singles, doubles and suites. Mehta and Tammy Murphy, Indus vice president, broke ground on the 60-room Farmington Microtel on July 24. Nearby attractions will include New York state's Finger Lakes region. Amenities will include meeting rooms, a fitness center and business center. "We look forward to welcoming travelers to the area's newest hotel, scheduled to open in June 2021," Murphy said.

ATLANTA-BASED BANYAN Investment Group, led by Rakesh Chauhan and Andy Chopra as managing partners, is rebranding as Satori Collective, an investment management firm focusing primarily on hotel property investment. Its subsidiary Banyan Tree Management also has become Aperture Hotels. Satori and Aperture will work independently of one another. The awakening Satori focuses on investment into select-service, upper select-service extended-stay and lifestyle hotel properties, according to the company. It concentrates on investment in growth corridors located in top MSAs across the U.S. which have established hotel demand generators such as tourism, corporate group travel, state capitals, conference universities, healthcare, heavy manufacturing and military. "Satori is a Buddhist term meaning 'awakening and deep understanding,' which is how our team approaches commercial real estate investment," Chopra said. "With more than 140 years of combined investment experience in virtually all markets and segments, our team has an unparalleled understanding of both the environment and the marketplace. We realized that our true, core business is real estate investment, so we have renewed and doubled our focus on raising and deploying capital in pursuit of consistent, risk adjusted returns while allowing our former management platform to stand on its own and pursue additional third-party management business opportunities."

SATORI COLLECTIVE, A real estate investment management firm specializing in hotel properties, sold the 124-suite Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Alpharetta-Windward Parkway to Bukhari Group Hospitality. The sale resulted in an approximate 24 percent internal rate of return and a double equity multiple for the company, Satori said in a statement. Satori Collective is led by Andy Chopra as co-founder and managing partner. Bukhari Group Hospitality is led by Syed Bukhari, while his son Mehboob Bukhari is in charge of the hotel operations. "We acquired this all-suite property in 2013 and promptly executed a thorough, multi-million dollar value-add renovation, repositioning it as a Holiday Inn Express & Suites by IHG," said Samir Yajnik, CIO of Satori Collective. "Over the past decade, we stayed true to our vision and were rewarded by unlocking the hotel's financial potential. Our initial underwriting and research proved accurate, as evidenced by the realized upside from enhanced brand quality and the hotel's unparalleled location in the thriving Alpharetta market."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE declined in the fourth week of April compared to the previous week and the corresponding period last year, as expected during Passover, according to CoStar. All key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR and ADR, experienced a decrease compared to the previous week. Occupancy came in at 65.7 percent for the week ending April 27, down from the previous week's 66.8 percent, while marking a 1.2 percent year-over-year decrease. ADR decreased to $154.44 from $158.60, reflecting a 1.3 percent decline compared to last year. RevPAR stood at $101.42, down from $105.94 the prior week, indicating a 2.5 percent dip compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Seattle reported the sole double-digit increase in occupancy, rising by 15.6 percent to 74.6 percent. Detroit, host of the NFL Draft, saw the most significant surge in both ADR, rising by 21.8 percent to $147.83, and RevPAR, increasing by 25.6 percent to $94.74.

LAS VEGAS HOTEL ADR is anticipated to reach $573 during February 9-11, setting a record for any Super Bowl weekend, according to STR. The research firm also foresees an 87.9 percent occupancy rate for the market from Friday to Sunday night, translating to a RevPAR of $504. Miami set records for the highest Super Bowl ADR and RevPAR in 2020, STR said. However, a significant difference lies in size: Las Vegas, the largest U.S. market with 393 hotels and 172,707 rooms, has more than double Miami's room inventory. "The Super Bowl's unique volume of demand, driven by not only the game but the leadup festivities, as well as the attractions Las Vegas has to offer, is the perfect recipe to drive record-breaking prices," said Chris Klauda, STR's senior director of market insights. "While the F1 Vegas Grand Prix impact was the greatest on and around the Las Vegas Strip, the reach and impact of Super Bowl LVIII will spread to areas well beyond the Strip."

U.S. HOTEL REVENUES and profitability saw an increase in 2023 compared to 2022, with improvements in group business across the top 25 markets and upper-scale chains, according to STR's 2023 P&L data. Overall, 14 of the top 25 markets reported double-digit increases in GOPPAR. "Total industry revenues and profits were well beyond 2022 levels as pricing power continued to outweigh the impact of softer leisure demand," said Claudia Alvarado Cruz, senior analytics manager at STR. "A lift in corporate demand made improvements especially notable across the upper-upscale brands and major markets. New York City was the shining example with 47 percent growth in GOPPAR." In 2023, GOPPAR reached $75.83, marking an 8.2 percent increase from 2022. TRevPAR stood at $211.49, indicating a 9.6 percent rise, while EBITDA PAR amounted to $53.05, up 7.6 percent from the prior year. Labor costs notably increased, reaching $71.56, reflecting a 13.2 percent rise.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the third week of May compared to the previous week, with positive year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR, and ADR, all saw week-over-week increases. Occupancy increased to 67.4 percent for the week ending May 18, up from 66.1 percent the previous week, marking a 0.2 percent year-over-year rise. ADR rose to $163.11 from $162.14, reflecting a 2.6 percent jump compared to last year. RevPAR reached $109.93, up from $107.24 the prior week, showing a 2.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston experienced the only double-digit occupancy increase, rising 10.5 percent to 67.9 percent. Atlanta reported the highest year-over-year increases in ADR, rising by 10 percent to $137.30, while RevPAR increased by 18 percent to $98.86.

U.S. HOTEL WEEKLY performance showed mixed results in the fourth week of May compared to the previous week but posted positive year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar. Despite a slight uptick in occupancy, both ADR and RevPAR decreased week-on-week across all key metrics. Occupancy rose to 67.7 percent for the week ending May 25, up from 67.4 percent the prior week, reflecting a 1.6 percent year-over-year increase. ADR decreased to $160.67 from $163.11, yet still representing a 2.3 percent surge compared to last year. RevPAR stood at $108.73, a decline from the previous week's $109.93, but marking a 3.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston experienced the most significant year-over-year boosts in occupancy, soaring 20.9 percent to reach 74.1 percent, while RevPAR surged by 29.2 percent to $89.15. Las Vegas recorded the sole double-digit increase in ADR, climbing by 10.9 percent to $217.53.

HYATT HOTELS CORP. reported an almost 85 percent growth in its global pipeline since 2017, reaching a record of 129,000 rooms. During this period, the company doubled its luxury rooms, tripled its resort rooms, and quintupled its lifestyle rooms. Pictured is a rendering of the New Andaz Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. The company is expanding its brand portfolio both nationally and globally, selecting new and existing markets to enhance its network effect for owners and guests, Hyatt said in a statement. "Hyatt leading the industry in net rooms growth for seven years is a result of our unique approach to development," said Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt's president and chief executive officer. "We strategically expand our portfolio of brands, intentionally selecting new and existing markets to enhance our network effect for owners and guests. Our commitment to thoughtful organic growth and strategic acquisitions amplifies our asset-light business model. Our goal is not to be the largest hospitality company, but the company most valued by colleagues, guests, and owners."

India Tours - Going by the double-digit growth of the travel industry , India is expected to have around 1,747 million travelers by 2021, which would require 1, 88,500 additional hotel rooms, according to a recent study.

Booking luxury hotels rooms in Cameroon with the presence of online booking services at holaps.

Enjoy the incredible serenity of America's largest ski resort that will surely carry out ultimate skiing and snowboarding fantasy into reality. Each season Vail is just getting better, with the New Chair Ten that remarkably doubles lap time on the legendary terrain.

Faites une excursion extraordinaire à Assouan depuis Louxor, Visitez le temple d'Edfou connu sous le nom de" temple d'Horus", admirablement conservé, où vous trouverez le faucon emblématique d'Horus est partout présent, ce temple fut édifié afin de renouveler le mariage de la déesse Hathor avec Horus à Edfou, puis vous visitez le temple de kom Ombo situé proche d'Assouan dominant la rive du fleuve, c'est un temple double en sanctuaire dédié à Sobek dieu crocodile et à Horus le dieu Faucon.

Faites une excursion extraordinaire depuis Assouan. Visitez le temple d'Edfou connu sous le nom de" temple d'Horus", admirablement conservé, où vous trouverez le faucon emblématique d'Horus est partout présent, ce temple fut édifié afin de renouveler le mariage de la déesse Hathor avec Horus à Edfou, puis vous visitez le temple de kom Ombo situé proche d'Assouan dominant la rive du fleuve, c'est un temple double en sanctuaire dédié à Sobek dieu crocodile et à Horus le dieu Faucon.

Chennai guest house is a chain of professionally managed deluxe triple family rooms in Chennai. We offer peaceful locations, Safety, Comfort, Excellent Ambience, Fresh Food and Friendly Service.

A Home Stay is perfectly titled as Simtopheri, means Heaven's lay. A double Storied Bungalow with a beautiful Veranda on 1st floor facing south to observe 180 degree meadow from east to west, on a table top in Lava Hills of Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Just seat on a couch and enjoy the nature on a lone Hilltop, simply outstanding. The same can be enjoyable from the room too.

Explore the best of Nubra Valley with Caper Travel.