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U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE dropped in the first week of November compared to the week before as expected due to the Halloween calendar shift, according to STR. Performance also weakened when compared to 2019. Occupancy was 62.4 for the week ending Nov. 5, down from 65.8 percent the week before and dropped 9.2 percent from 2019. ADR was $147.48 during the week, decreased from $152.94 the week before and up 11.4 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $91.99 during the first week of November, down from $100.59 the week before and a slight increase of 1.1 percent from 2019. None of STR's top 25 markets showed an occupancy increase over 2019 during the week after Halloween. Tampa came closest to its pre-pandemic comparable, with an increase of 1 percent to 72.4 percent.

WITH A ROCK and roll theme, Best Western Hotels & Resorts held its annual conference in Cleveland on Oct. 28 to 30. During the event, which marked the completion of the first year of the company's former general counsel Larry Cuculic as president and CEO, the company launched a new extended-stay brand, Home by BWH. Thousands of Best Western members attended the conference, with the theme "BW Rocks 2022." Cuculic, who took over for long-time president and CEO David Kong last year, gave an update on his first year. "When my journey began in this position last year, I was anxious," Cuculic said in the first general session of the recent conference. "The honor of the position and the responsibilities are absolutely huge. Consider, though, that being anxious is actually a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a reflection of my wanting to do my best for you."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE was down in the first week of 2023 compared to the week before mainly due to post-holiday seasonality and an unfavorable calendar shift, according to STR. Performance metrics for the week was down compared to same period in 2019 as it was a full business week. Occupancy was 47.2 percent for the week ending Jan. 7, down from 54.2 percent the week before and decreased 11.5 percent from 2019. ADR was $142.82 during the week, decreased from $167.21 the week before and up 11.2 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $67.40 in the first week of 2023, dipped from $90.63 the week before and down 1.5 percent from 2019. Orlando was the only STR top 25 market to report an occupancy increase, 2 percent to 71.3 percent, over 2019.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE fell in the first week of August compared to the week before following seasonal patterns, according to STR. However, ADR and RevPAR were up compared to the same period in 2019. Occupancy was 69.9 percent for the week ending August 6, down from 71.9 percent the week before and dropped 5.7 percent from 2019. ADR was $154.48 for the week, decreased from $158.32 the week before and increased 15.1 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $108.04 during the week, down from $113.90 the week before and up 8.5 percent from 2019. St. Louis reported the largest occupancy increase during the week, up 7.1. percent to 75.9 percent, over 2019, among STR's top 25 markets. Oahu Island (84.6 percent) led major markets in absolute occupancy during the first week of August, followed by Seattle (84.8 percent), and San Diego (83.8 percent).

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the first week of October due to school breaks and extended holiday weekend, but the performance was mixed when compared to 2019, according to STR. Hotel performance during weekdays declined due to Yom Kippur as expected. Post-Hurricane Ian demand in Florida also boosted the performance. Occupancy was 68.2 percent for the week ending Oct. 8, up from 66.4 percent the week before and decreased 3.5 percent from 2019. ADR was $153.79 during the week, increased from $149.71 the week before and up 16.9 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $104.83 in the first week of October, up from $99.36 the week before and increased 12.8 percent from 2019. Orlando reported the highest occupancy increase among STR's top 25 markets, up 1.9 percent to 73.6 percent, over 2019.

The last two National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year pursuits quickly turned into two-horse races between a quarterback who was drafted first overall and a running back. Last year, it was the QB, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, who outdistanced running back Josh Jacobs of the then-Oakland Raiders. In 2018, QB Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns staged a late rally in the chase for NFL OROY but couldn't run down the leader, running back Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants. Mayfield and Barkley were selected 1-2 in the 2018 NFL Draft. The NFL OROY is annually a popular prop wager with bettors at online sites like the Bovada sportsbook, because of its volatility and unpredictability. The betting odds on this wager tend to be fairly long. Once again this season, though, the battle has again rapidly taken on the look of a two-player showdown. The difference this year is that the two players are both QBs. Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, like Murray (2019) and Mayfield, a QB selected first overall in the 2020 draft, was the early leader. Recently, though he's been overtaken by another first-year passer, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers.

A STRONG PERFORMANCE by U.S. hotels during the first quarter of 2022, along with other factors, are leading CBRE Hotels Research to raise its forecast for the rest of the year. The research firm now expects a full recovery in ADR in 2022 and in demand and RevPAR in 2023. First quarter RevPAR reached $72.20, up 61 percent from year earlier, despite a surge from the COVID-19 omicron variant, according to CBRE. RevPAR growth was driven by a 39 percent increase in ADR and a 16 percent increase in occupancy. ADR was 5 percent ahead of 2019's levels, marking the third consecutive quarter in which levels exceed the same period in 2019. These rising rates demonstrate that travelers aren't price-sensitive in many peak-demand markets.

THE PERFORMANCE OF U.S. hotels ended strong in the first quarter with March profit surging across most global regions, according to HotStats. The research firm said stronger revenues, better conversion rates and less worry by travelers about a COVID upsurge drove the first quarter surge in performance. During the quarter U.S. hotels saw an increase in its operating fortunes, according to a blog post on the HotStats website. GOPPAR in March 2022 was up $70 over January 2022 and at $90 was closing in on March 2019's level. It was the highest profit month in the U.S. since February 2020, the last normalized month of performance before COVID-19 reframed the world. ADR growth in the U.S. led the way in recovery with March ADR on a nominal basis was at its highest level since October 2018.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE fell slightly in the first week of February from the week before, according to STR. Occupancy was 55.3 percent for the week ending Feb. 4, down from 56.3 percent the week before and decreased 7.3 percent from 2019. ADR was $145.35 during the week, increased from $142.66 the week before and up 13.9 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $80.45 in the first week, slightly up from $80.32 the week before and up 5.6 percent from January 2019. None of STR's top 25 markets saw an occupancy increase during the week. Las Vegas came closest to its 2019 occupancy at 78.2 percent, down 1.4 percent. It also reported the highest ADR, up 79.5 percent to $221.38 and RevPAR, up 76.9 percent to $173.20, over 2019 mainly due to Design & Construction Week 2023 and the NFL Pro Bowl Games.

IN THE FIRST week of February, U.S. weekly hotel occupancy eclipsed 50 percent for the first time in more than a month, according to STR. However, occupancy declined for the week under review when compared to the same period in 2019. Occupancy was 50.4 percent for the week ending Feb. 5, up from 49.7 percent the week before and down 15.8 percent from the comparable week in 2019. ADR was $125.06 for the week, up from $122.40 the week before and down just 1.2 percent from two years ago. RevPAR reached $63.05 during the week under review, up from $60.82 the week before and down 16.8 percent from the same period two years ago. According to the report, none of STR's top 25 markets recorded an occupancy increase over 2019. Norfolk/Virginia Beach came closest to its pre-pandemic level, down just 0.6 percent to 47.3 percent.

THE U.S. CONSTRUCTION pipeline reached a record level in the first quarter of 2024, according to Lodging Econometrics. The pipeline included 6,065 hotels with 702,990 rooms, showing a 9 percent year-over-year rise in hotels and a 7 percent increase in rooms compared to the previous year. Furthermore, each stage of the pipeline saw year-over-year growth in the first quarter. LE's Q1 2024 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed 1,144 hotels under construction, totaling 141,336 rooms-a 9 percent rise in hotels and a 1 percent increase in rooms compared to the previous year. Hotels set to begin construction in the next 12 months total 2,259, comprising 260,968 rooms, reflecting a 10 percent increase in hotels and an 8 percent rise in rooms year over year, the report said. Both hotel and room counts in the early planning stage increased by 9 percent year over year, reaching record-high figures of 2,662 hotels and 300,686 rooms, respectively.

DALLAS LEADS THE top five U.S. markets in the largest construction pipeline as of the first quarter of 2024, according to Lodging Econometrics. The Dallas market has 185 projects with 21,882 rooms, slightly below the record highs at the close of the fourth quarter of 2023. Next came Atlanta, with 153 projects comprising 17,929 rooms, then Nashville with 127 projects and 16,199 rooms, as LE's U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed. Phoenix followed with 123 projects and 16,198 rooms, and the Inland Empire in Southern California set a new record high with 121 projects and 12,324 rooms. U.S. markets with the most projects already under construction by the end of the first quarter include New York with 47 projects and 7,655 rooms, Dallas with 25 projects and 3,059 rooms, and Nashville with 22 projects and 2,828 rooms. Atlanta had 21 projects and 2,588 rooms, and the Inland Empire currently has 20 projects and 2,181 rooms under construction.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE decreased slightly in the first week of February from the previous week, while year-over-year comparisons remained mixed, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, all declined in the first week of February compared to the previous week. Occupancy dipped slightly to 55.2 percent for the week ending Feb. 3, from the previous week's 56.2 percent, reflecting a 0.1 percent decrease year-over-year. ADR decreased to $147.99 from the prior week's $149.76, marking a 1.9 percent increase compared to the previous year. RevPAR declined to $81.69 from the prior week's $84.13, reflecting a 1.7 percent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Seattle saw the largest year-over-year increases, with occupancy rising 19.3 percent to 60.1 percent and RevPAR increasing by 27.5 percent to $89.11.

SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. executed approximately 15 franchise agreements, adding more than 1,900 keys in the first quarter of 2024. These new franchise hotels span Sonesta's brands, including The James, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Essential, Americas Best Value Inn, Red Lion Hotels, Red Lion Inn & Suites, and Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, Sonesta said in a statement. "The 15 signed franchise agreements during the first quarter underscore Sonesta's momentum as we welcome new owners into our growing portfolio and expand our market presence," said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's executive vice president and the president of franchise and development. "With a fast, friendly, and flexible approach and a seamless conversion process for our franchisees, we expect continued growth throughout 2024." These agreements highlight Sonesta's appeal as a conversion option compared to larger competitors, the statement added. The company said hotel owners are attracted to the company's focus on maximizing ROI through property rebranding. It offers owners various options across upper upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay and premium economy segments.

The country's first film museum has opened in Mumbai recently, much to the delight of the film-crazy public of India. This is the result of efforts of film patrons taken for a long period of time.

Need a new US passport? A first-time passport applicant is likely to have many questions, so here is a helpful guide, which will review all that you need to know including eligibility requirements and documents that you will need to prepare. Read out step-by-step process to get your new adult passport expedited as little as in 24 hours.

If it's your first visit to Phuket then you'll need all the help you can get to plan it. The given link was proved quite useful to me when I first visited there. You can check it out too.

We love massages and have tried a few spa treatments, but never in a spa as famous as ESPA. And since we got to know that ESPA at RWS has Japanese-inspired outdoor onsen pools, we'd been waiting for an opportunity to experience them as well as the first-in-Singapore "Indulgence Hammam Ritual". How did the experience go?

Lol! These most happens to a first timer and mostly are girls! Hope they learned their lessons now! :) I am not exempted though, I tried over packing my things during my first ski vacation trip.

Better prepare things that's only needed.

Sahara Airlines was founded in 1991, and it first flew with a couple of Boeing 737s. It was re-branded as Air Sahara in 2000, though Sahara Airlines remained as the registered name of the carrier. Four years later, its operation went international with the launching of the first flight to Colombo from Chennai. Jetlite was formed when Jet Airways bought Sahara Airlines in 2007 for over INR 14 billion. It initially operated as a separate carrier but in March 2012, was incorporated into the low-cost brand of the Naresh Goyal-owned Indian civil aviation major.