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U.S. HOTEL DEVELOPERS have a new choice of brands now. InterContinental Hotels Group is now signing franchise agreements stateside for its Vignette Collection, previously focused on development in Asia with its first properties in Australia and Thailand. The Vignette Collection is part of IHG's luxury and lifestyle portfolio that includes more than 400 hotels and 100,000 rooms. Hotel owners and operators in the U.S. are invited to attend an online symposium on franchising with the brand on Dec. 7. "Vignette Collection gives owners and guests an inspiring new choice and, while each hotel in the collection will maintain its unique story and guest experience, guests will also enjoy the assurance of a consistent and high-quality experience backed by IHG," said Julienne Smith, IHG's senior vice president of development for the Americas. "There is outstanding potential in the Americas region for this brand, specifically in urban and resort locations, with Vignette Collection offering high value and flexibility for hotel owners."

The Best Western Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport is now open in Humble, Texas, following a comprehensive renovation. Previously it was a Baymont by Wyndham. The 52-room hotel is owned by Houston-based Wayside Investment Group, led by Miraj Patel as president. It is near the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport as well as several restaurants, the Deerbrook Mall, Jess H. Jones Parks and the Old MacDonald's Farm. Amenities include a fitness center, meeting room, guest laundry and business center. It is pet friendly. "We are thrilled to open this newly renovated hotel and join the community by offering visitors traveling the Houston-area, a new and memorable travel experience." said Patel. "The transformational enhancements to this acquisition continues to demonstrates our commitment to value creation and best-in-class guest satisfaction."

Mark Sergot is InterContinental Hotels Group's new vice president for global sales operations and enablement. Previously he was chief sales officer for Associated Luxury Hotels International. Sergot spent 16 years at FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of the Fairmont, Raffles & Swissotel brands. He became FRHI's senior vice president for its global sales organization. He will be based on the company's Americas headquarters in Atlanta and report to global sales Vice President Derek DeCross.

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline grew 9 percent by both projects and rooms year-over-year, according to the latest U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics. It stood at 5,545 projects with 658,207 rooms at the close of the first quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, the hotel construction pipeline in the top 25 markets in the U.S. also registered year-over-year growth in the first quarter. Dallas had a record 184 projects with 21,810 rooms at the close of the first quarter, followed by Atlanta with 144 projects containing 18,242 rooms, Los Angeles tally stood at 118 projects with 19,066 rooms, Phoenix with 117 projects with 16,100 rooms and Nashville had 115 projects containing 15, 354 rooms, LE report revealed. In another report, LE analysts also detailed the leading franchise companies and their brands in the construction pipeline at the close of the first quarter. Marriott International tops the charts with 1,499 projects containing 181,377 rooms, followed closely by Hilton Worldwide, with a record-high count of 1,436 projects with 161,359 rooms, and then InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 809 projects containing 80,679 rooms. Combined, these three franchise companies comprise 68 percent of the projects in the total U.S. pipeline, LE said.

Heather Balsley is InterContinental Hotels Group's senior vice president for global loyalty and partnerships. Jennifer Gribble succeeds Balsley to senior vice president for global marketing of mainstream brands. Balsley has been with IHG for 13 years, most recently as senior vice president for global marketing of mainstream brands. Gribble is succeeding her to that position. In her new role, Balsley oversees the company's IHG Rewards Club program. Gribble has been with the company for 16 years, most recently as vice president for Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels and Atwell Suites brands. She now oversees brand performance, design and F&B as well as the launching of new brands. She also served in Crowne Plaza brand management and portfolio-wide marketing services roles in the Americas. "Heather and Jennifer's appointments are critical to IHG's growth as we enhance our award-winning loyalty proposition and our powerhouse mainstream-brand portfolio," Claire Bennett, IHG's global chief marketing officer said in a statement. "Heather brings a strong strategic focus and passion to her new role in loyalty and partnerships, and Jennifer has incredible knowledge of guest insights and owner economics to drive growth and return for our stakeholders."

A CYBER-ATTACK "significantly disrupted" booking channels and other applications for InterContinental Hotels Group last week, according to a statement from the company. Now, AAHOA is demanding an explanation for the breach and assurances that its members' data is protected. IHG has implemented a response plan, including notifying the relevant regulatory authorities, working with its technology suppliers and engaging external specialists to investigate the incident, according to the company. 'IHG is working to fully restore all systems as soon as possible and to assess the nature, extent and impact of the incident," the company said. "We will be supporting hotel owners and operators as part of our response to the ongoing service disruption. IHG's hotels are still able to operate and to take reservations directly."

Isaac Collazo is the new vice president of analytics for STR. Previously, he was vice president of capacity at InterContinental Hotels Group. Previously, Collazo conducted performance analysis, predictive analytics, modeling and macroeconomic interpretation for Marriott International, Promus Hotel Corporation and La Quinta Inns & Suites. He also is a content committee member for STR's Hotel Data Conference. "Isaac will be an immediate voice in conversations around STR methodology as well as our ongoing product development in the CoStar platform," said Amanda Hite, STR president. "Long-term, he'll contribute to the evolution of the holistic solution we will deliver to the industry." Commercial real estate research company CoStar acquired STR in 2019. Collazo called the new position a "dream come true."

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS is set to launch a new brand targeted at midscale conversions, the company said during its first-half earnings call. Although the company has kept the brand's name under wraps, more than 100 hotels and their owners have displayed strong interest in the new brand. IHG, has previously established brands such as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in the upper-midscale category. It expects that the forthcoming brand will advance the company's growth within a $14 billion segment exclusive to the U.S. market. "As we expand our brand portfolio, we're pleased to announce an upcoming launch of a new brand aimed at midscale conversion opportunities," said Elie Maalouf, IHG's CEO. "Conversions offer substantial growth potential, constituting approximately 40 percent of global first-half openings and signings, reflecting owners' increasing eagerness to swiftly benefit from IHG's reach and enterprise. We're thrilled that over 100 hotels have already expressed definite interest in this new brand."

Rodney Williams is retiring from his position as principal and chief investment officer at Noble Investment Group at the end of the year. He will continue to serve on the firm's investment committee as a senior advisor. Williams joined Noble in 2004 as the company's first CIO overseeing the company's sourcing and investment underwriting as well as executing project developments. Prior to joining Noble, he was a managing principal with Hardin Capital, a joint venture between DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners and Hardin Construction, and held senior executive roles with Coopers & Lybrand, InterContinental Hotels, and Laventhol & Horwath. "Rodney's impact on our Noble organization has been profound," said Mit Shah, Noble CEO. "His vision, integrity, and devotion have made us a better team. His benevolence and grace have made me a better person. Perhaps Rodney's most important legacy will be his most valued endeavor - helping to develop and inspire our next generation of Noble stewards to lead lives that matter."

AAHOA RELEASED ITS updated resource guide for member franchisees. The updates reflect the current business landscape and the long-term, mutually beneficial relationship between industry franchisors and franchisees. AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising is officially titled "An Educational Primer: A Best-Practice Approach to Designing, Developing, and Implementing Best-in-class, Mutually Beneficial Franchise Systems." The importance of franchise relations was highlighted last year when several hotel owners filed lawsuits against InterContinental Hotels Group regarding what they call the company's retaliatory actions against franchisees who complain. "Because of the changing business environment post-COVID-19 and the ever-evolving need to educate our members, it was time for AAHOA to revisit the 12 Points and review them carefully to ensure that they're relevant and reflective of industry changes and evolution," said Vinay Patel, AAHOA chairman. "AAHOA created the 12 Points of Fair Franchising Ad Hoc Committee, which was tasked with recommending revisions to the 12 Points of Fair Franchising. With the help, support, and input of the 12 Points of Fair Franchising Ad Hoc Committee and the AAHOA Board of Directors, we're releasing the updated 12 Points of Fair Franchising," he added.

A GROUP OF InterContinental Hotels Group franchisees have filed a lawsuit against the company in connection with a cyber-attack that "significantly disrupted" its booking channels and other applications in mid-September. The lawsuit claims that IHG should have taken more steps to prevent the breach in light of warnings it received after a previous breach. IHG implemented a response plan, including notifying the relevant regulatory authorities, working with its technology suppliers and engaging external specialists to investigate the incident, according to the company. The breach affected IHG's reservations and customer care call centers, as well as internal systems, such as Merlin and the IHG Help Desk, according to a statement from AAHOA on the breach. The association said franchisees, including some of its members, saw a complete shutdown in guestroom bookings during this outage. On Sept. 15, several IHG franchisees filed a lawsuit against IHG in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division alleging the company should have done more to prevent the breach. The lawsuit references a similar breach the company experienced in 2017 as an example that IHG should have taken further steps to secure its system.

Bradley Nelson is the new senior director of facilities at Noble Investment Group, overseeing strategic product quality and directing the capital expense program across the firm's portfolio. He transitions from Spire Hospitality, where he served as corporate director, facilities, overseeing the development and maintenance of facilities and ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability, Noble said in a statement. Nelson previously held positions at Sage Hospitality, InterContinental Hotels Group, Concord Hospitality, and Twin Tier Hospitality, the statement said. "Brad is an outstanding addition to our asset management team, bringing a wealth of experience that will help support the continued growth of our institutional investment management platform," said Steven Nicholas, Noble's managing principal, head of asset management.

Stuckey also worked for ShawContract where he directed that company's partnership with AAHOA. He also worked for InterContinental Hotels Group. "[Stuckey] brings substantial experience to his position and a sound strategic vision for the association's important business development work. He has an exceptional understanding of our members and the hospitality industry," said Cecil Staton, AAHOA president and CEO. Now is an important moment in the hospitality industry, Stuckey said. "AAHOA, its members, and industry partners have always been an important part of my hospitality career, including working and consulting directly with members," he said. "Feedback, partnership, growth, and innovation will be my mantra as we look to grow our value and connection with AAHOA members and industry partners, carrying out AAHOA's 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, and continuing down the road to recovery for the entire AAHOA community."