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IN MARCH, THE U.S. celebrated the achievements and history of women as part of Women's History Month. In recognition of the month, some hotel companies introduced or continued programs aimed at increasing women's role in the industry. In line with the Women's History Month theme this year "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories," Choice Hotels International kicked off its "HERtels at Choice Development Seminar" with nearly 40 franchise owners, general managers, and hotel associates in attendance. At the same time, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' "Women Own the Room" initiative has signed over 30 hotels across the U.S. and Canada in the first year of its launch. Also, California hotelier and philanthropist Sunil "Sunny" Tolani issued a special message for the month. HERtels by Choice Choice Hotels took the recently held Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta as a launch pad for its inaugural HERtels seminar. The event was held next door to the Marriott Marquis Atlanta, Hunter's venue, and is an enhancement of Choice's HERtels program that was launched in 2021. "While industry-wide parity is improving, with more female investors, directors, and leaders in hospitality than ever before, women entrepreneurs still face significant economic and societal barriers when it comes to hotel ownership and development. As an industry, we owe it to the next generation of hoteliers to change this statistic," said John Lancaster, vice president for emerging markets, franchise development and owner relationships, Choice Hotels International. "This initiative and the invaluable resources it provides is a natural extension of our industry-leading emerging markets program and our enduring commitment to helping growth-minded entrepreneurs further their unique ownership journey."

HAWKEYE HOTELS RECENTLY acquired the Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh East Liberty in Pittsburgh. It is the company's third hotel owned and operated in Pennsylvania. The 135-room Indigo is a restored boutique hotel in Pittsburgh's historic East Liberty Neighborhood, according to the Hawkeye. Nearby are the Carnegie Museum, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Phipps, Heinz Chapel, St. Paul's and East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Its interior décor reflects the neighborhood's community's theater, entertainment and charitable heritage. Hawkeye closed on the transaction 21 days after executing the contract. It has recently acquired, developed and operated dozens of hotels in over 20 states across the U.S. "We continue to be bullish on the hospitality market recovery and look forward to seeking out additional opportunities to acquire hotels across the U.S.," said Parth Patel, Hawkeye's head of investments. The company is considering acquiring an upscale extended stay hotel in Erie, Pennsylvania, where it recently opened Holiday Inn.

MAJOR U.S. HOTELS firms Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that they are ceasing operations in Russia due to its ongoing invasion in Ukraine. Also, AAHOA issued a statement condemning the war. The hotel companies also emphasized their efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their employees and guests in both Ukraine and neighboring countries who face these 'unconscionable challenges'. "We have made the decision, effective immediately, to close our corporate office in Moscow, and pause the opening of upcoming hotels and all future hotel development and investment in Russia," Marriott said in a statement. "We have been closely monitoring the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries, and remain in regular contact with our teams on the ground, as we work to comply with sanctions and applicable laws. Our hotels in Russia are owned by third parties and we continue to evaluate the ability for these hotels to remain open."

The American Hotel & Lodging Association, AAHOA, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers, and the Latino Hotel Association are marking National Hotel Employee Day on and leading up to Sept. 1, along with hoteliers nationwide. The day recognizes the nearly two million employees in the U.S. hotel industry. AHLA and the National Day Calendar established the day in 2022. "The people employed by America's hotels are the heart and soul of this industry, and their talent and drive create memorable visits for millions of guests every year," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "This National Hotel Employee Day, we thank them for their service and encourage others to explore a career in our vibrant and growing industry."

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."

PEACHTREE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT has contracted with TEKMAK Development Co., a full-service hospitality development company, to provide third-party management services for a portion of its hotel portfolio. The three hotels are all in Texas. PHM will assume operations of the SpringHill Suites Dallas Rockwall in Rockwall, Texas, on Aug. 1, and is slated to manage two under-construction hotels, a dual-branded TownePlace Suites by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott in Paris, Texas, and a TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Forney, Texas, the company said in a statement. "This is the second long-term management agreement we've entered into already in 2023, and we will continue to seek best-in-class partners like TEKMAK as we pursue our own third-party management growth goals," said Patrick Short, PHM president. "Our third-party operated portfolio continues to expand, currently accounting for nearly a third of our entire managed portfolio. We expect to continue growing our third-party portfolio moving forward, ultimately surpassing our owned hotels." A division of Peachtree Group, which is led by Jatin Desai and Mitul Patel as managing principals, PHM operates branded, limited-, select- and compact full-service hotels primarily in the upper-midscale and upscale segments. The company presently manages 92 hotels across 28 brands with 11,186 rooms in 22 states. These three TEKMAK hotels increase PHM's third-party operations to 34 hotels, the statement added.

THE STATE OF the U.S. hotel industry is strong going into 2024, according to American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2024 State of the Hotel Industry report. Average hotel occupancy is expected to reach nearly 63.6 percent in 2024, a slight increase from the 62.9 percent in 2023 but below the 65.8 percent rate recorded in 2019. Nominal RevPAR is also anticipated to rise to $101.82 in 2024, up by 4 percent from 2023 and over 17 percent from 2019. AHLA projects hotels will pay employees a record sum of over $123 billion in wages, salaries, and compensation in 2024, surpassing $118 billion in 2023 and $102 billion in 2019. Hotels are expected to add approximately 45,000 employees this year, while the industry's workforce remains nearly 225,000 below the almost 2.37 million employed in 2019, the AHLA report said. The report, projecting persistent challenges for hoteliers in the face of nationwide labor shortages as they approach 2019 occupancy levels, draws on data and analysis from Oxford Economics. It was developed in collaboration with AHLA Premier Partners: STR, Avendra, Ecolab, Encore, JLL, Oracle, and Towne Park.

GUJARAT JHM HOTELS, owned by the Rama family along with U.S.-based Auro Hotels, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Gujarat to develop the JW Marriott Surat Resort & Spa in Surat in the state of Gujarat, India. It is GJHM's third Marriott hotel in the city after the Surat Marriott Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Surat. The upcoming property will feature more than 300 guestrooms and villas, according to a joint statement by GJHM and Auro Hotels, according to a release on the Press Trust of India website. "This transformative project, backed by more than $120 million (Rs 1,000 crore) investment, aims to create jobs for 800 individuals, offer crucial infrastructure for the city's growth, and establish Surat as the commercial capital of Gujarat," said D.J. Rama, director of GJHM and president and CEO of Auro Hotels. "Aspiring to be a 'Smart City,' this strategic investment underscores Gujarat JHM's commitment to fostering inclusive development. Surat is poised to emerge as a beacon of urban advancement, seamlessly combining financial strength with technological innovation."

THE HOTEL PROPERTY types most associated with business travel, upper upscale hotels, are well represented in the U.S. hotel construction pipeline. The volume of projects in the segment points to confidence in the future of business travel, according to STR. "Upper upscale saw the slowest recovery, but a steady climb in performance and the business travel indicators have supported developer confidence in the segment," said Isaac Collazo, STR's vice president for analytics. "The more than 23,000 upper upscale rooms in construction right now represent 3.4 percent of the segment's existing supply. That is well above the long-term growth average, up 2 percent in the U.S." According to STR, a total 154,284 rooms were under construction in March, down 0.5 percent compared to the same period last year. As many as 239,995 rooms are in the final planning state, an increase of 34.6 percent over last year. STR pipeline data showed that 232,517 rooms are under planning, a decline of 21.6 percent compared to March 2022. After three consecutive month-over-month increases, the overall number of U.S. rooms in construction fell slightly in March, which aligns with patterns in previous years. Among the chain scale segments, luxury shows the highest number of rooms as a percentage of existing supply. Luxury segment reports the highest increase in hotel construction in March, up 5.2 percent containing 7,136 rooms, followed by upscale, up 4.1 percent with 36,089 rooms and upper midscale, increased 3.7 percent containing 43,470 rooms.

CITIZENM BOSTON BACK Bay is now open in Boston. The 15-story, 399-room tower is the company's largest property to date and its second hotel in the city. The Netherlands-based citizenM, led by founder and chief brand officer Robin Chadha, currently operates 15 hotels in the U.S. Asian HospitalityLocated in the mixed-use Lyrik development in Back Bay, the hotel was designed by citizenM's long-time partner, concrete Amsterdam, with local firm Elkus Manfredi also contributing to the project, citizenM said in a statement. The hotel shares a campus with the new LEGO office and is near Fenway Park and Newbury Street. "We are thrilled to open the doors to our second Boston location, and what will be the largest hotel in our global portfolio," said Chadha. "Boston is known for its creative expression and captivating stories, and, likewise citizenM will spotlight locally inspired works of art and exciting opening campaigns with Boston citizens at the forefront. The Back Bay neighborhood is a historic area, featuring delicious eateries and bustling small businesses-we are excited to become part of this community and the Lyrik development. With our curated selection of artwork, rooftop bar and this prime location, citizenM Boston Back Bay will be the go-to spot for vibrant offerings and stunning city views."

URBAN PARK HOTELS just launched a new flag brand, Urban Park Motel. It is an economy conversion brand intended specifically for small motel owners. Founded in 2020 by long-time hoteliers Jay Patel and John Parkin, Urban Park Hotels is designed to attract hoteliers away from larger franchises with simplified standards and lower fees using membership over franchising. The new brand, which joins existing brands Urban Park Hotel & Suites and Urban Park Hotel Express, follows that same philosophy. "After collaborating with our team, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, we noticed that a lot of small motel owners were either closing their properties or trying to 'wait it out' and see what happens," Parkin said. "We also had to readjust our development strategy and wait for the industry to rebound. During this period we created Urban Park Motel, a flag that will reward good motel owners with an opportunity that the large hotel franchise companies have overlooked due to size, location and total expected revenue."

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT competition She Has a Deal (SHaD) started a 10-city tour of U.S. cities to raise equity capital under the name "SHaD Prosperity Fund I." The funds will support women-led hotel projects, a statement said. The tour kicks off in Miami on Feb. 11 and will be open to small groups of qualified individual investors, family offices, small entities and trusts. Cities on the tour include Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, as well as Oakland, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and Washington, D.C. It will finish in the first week of April. According to SHaD, each event will include a preview of the women-led hotel deals being pitched by participants in the 2022 She Has a Deal pitch competition. "Launching SHaD Prosperity Fund I is the next logical step in the SHaD mission. Now that we have created a powerful platform to expose more women to hotel ownership and educate them about the process, I want to ensure that capital is available for the women to close their hotel deals," said SHaD founder Tracy Prigmore. "This investment vehicle marries two of my passions: creating investment vehicles that open the doors of hotel investing to more people and increasing the number of women owning and developing hotels. The ability to create passive income for investors while leading social change is inspiring."

U.S. HOTEL CONSTRUCTION declined for the seventh consecutive month in June, according to STR. Rooms in construction in New York City and Nashville represent a significant percentage of existing supply in those markets. Though at a slower pace, planning activity increases across the U.S. and developers are showing interest in Miami, Nashville and Phoenix, the report said. According to STR, there are 146,198 rooms under construction in the U.S. in June, down 20.1 percent when compared to same period last year. As many as 178,809 rooms are at final planning during the month, decreased 11.3 percent from last year and 281,190 rooms are at planning phase, an increase of 6.1 percent from June 2021. "The U.S. hotel pipeline continues to decelerate as we enter the second half of the year," said Carter Wilson, senior vice president of consulting, STR. "The continued increases in debt costs combined with the ongoing supply chain disruptions will likely delay projects from breaking ground this year, which will lead to a further decline in rooms in construction. On a national basis, new supply will not be a significant headwind for the future." New York leads the major markets in rooms in construction at 13,568 rooms in June, up 10.8 percent compared to last year, followed by Nashville with 3,939 rooms, up 7 percent, Phoenix with 4,388 rooms, an increase of 6.3 percent over last year, Atlanta with 5,991 rooms, up 5.5 percent and Detroit with 2,382 rooms, an increase of 5.1 percent over June 2021.

Phil Norman is executive vice-president of people resources and development for third-party hospitality management company Twenty Four Seven Hotels. Previously, he was chief human resources officer with Canyon Ranch where he operated human resources functions for 1,840 U.S. employees across hotels and cruise ships. Norman will provide oversight for talent management, including leadership development, organizational capability and change management in this newly created role, the company said. He also held similar positions as human resources director at the Homestead, America's oldest resort property dating to 1766, and the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, where he oversaw 1,250 team members, while ensuring safety and building an inclusive environment. "With 35 years of hospitality human resources experience, Phil is the ideal candidate to take over our people resources and development team as well as provide immediate support to our on-property teams," said David Wani, CEO for Twenty Four Seven Hotels. "His performance at both the hotel and corporate levels has been amazing, creating workplaces where every associate is gratified by their work and where they feel they belong. Phil's reputation of aligning systems and processes and his focus on workplace culture create the potential for exceptional stakeholder returns and in turn support the growth of the company."

Brent LeBlanc is the new executive vice president of business development at Peachtree Group. In this role, LeBlanc will focus on growing the company's vertically integrated investment platforms by fostering business development and collaborating with investment teams to capture new opportunities. LeBlanc joined Peachtree in 2012 to lead a growth strategy, expanding the company's footprint in the western U.S. and strengthening relationships with premium hotel brands like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. During that time, he participated in more than $4 billion in real estate transactions across the enterprise, the statement said. Before joining Peachtree, LeBlanc held roles as vice president of franchise development at both Starwood Hotels & Resorts and La Quinta Inn & Suites. He has launched hotel brands and completed complex transactions with major U.S. hotel operators and developers, Peachtree said in a statement. Peachtree is led by CEO and managing principal Greg Friedman, CFO and managing principal Jatin Desai, and principal Mitul Patel.

The Tru by Hilton Mooresville in Mooresville, North Carolina, is now open. It is managed by Maya Hotels led by co-founders J.D. Deva and Baldev Thakor. The 120-room hotel is in the Langtree Lake Norman mixed-use development in Mooresville. It is near to Lake Norman and Langtree Plantation. Amenities include mobile check-in and a fitness center. The hotel is pet friendly. The Tru by Hilton Mooresville marks Maya Hotels' fourth hotel investment in Mooresville in the last 25 years, with a fifth hotel set for completion in the third quarter of this year.

ATLANTA-BASED EV Hotels, a new technology-centric hotel brand founded by Ken Patel, has partnered with Spanish firm CLERHP to construct a luxury resort in the new Larimar City & Resort project in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. The 400-room hotel will be built on an area of nearly eight acres, the company said in a statement. Larimar City & Resort will be on the Promenade on the Farrallón de Verón, which has a view of Punta Cana, said Leonardo Padron Hermes, CEO of Blacklions International Group, a company associated with CLERHP in the development of real estate projects in the Dominican Republic. The area includes restaurants, clubs, shops and an 18-hole golf course. "After many years of working behind the scenes to develop a hotel brand that both innovates and revolutionized the industry, it is truly rewarding to now see EV make an impact across the globe. And believe me, we are just getting started," Patel said. "Larimar City & Resort will be one of the best tourist attractions around the globe and our team at EV is excited to be part of this Smart-City. Growth doesn't come with a single action. It is the consequence of persistence, courage, and hard work. What we are accomplishing here is to create an experience that brings hospitality back and gives it life again. Innovation is a team sport."

NETHERLANDS-BASED CITIZENM HAS inaugurated its first hotel at Meta's Menlo Park campus in California, marking its second U.S. opening this year after the launch of citizenM Miami Center. CitizenM currently operates 14 hotels in the U.S. and has plans for additional openings in 2024, including locations in Austin, Boston, and another in South Beach, Miami. The global hospitality company was founded by Rattan Chadha in 2015. The five-story hotel, spanning 79,400 square feet, features 240 modular rooms, citizenM said. The brand's modular design has not only reduced construction waste by up to 60 percent but has also shortened the development timeline by three to four months compared to traditional construction methods. The hotel at Meta's Frank Gehry-designed headquarters campus has been designed by citizenM's architectural partner, Baskervill. "We're excited to open in Menlo Park, a burgeoning tech hub," said Robin Chadha, chief brand officer at citizenM. " CitizenM, designed to seamlessly connect remote and in-person work with private nooks and versatile workspaces in our Living Rooms, along with societyM meeting rooms. This dynamic property will provide a unique experience for Meta employees and mobile citizens in the area."

DONALD TRUMP WILL return to the U.S. presidency for a second, non-consecutive term in January, making him the first to do so since Grover Cleveland. Hotel associations such as AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association were quick to offer congratulations. In September, both groups were in Washington, D.C., to advocate for legislation important to the industry. Some of the proposed legislation that AHLA is supporting include: The Closing the Workforce Gap Act would replace the arbitrary annual cap of 66,000 available H-2B temporary visas with a new, needs-based system. Extending a pass-through tax deduction, 199A, which is set to expire in 2025 and provides tax relief to franchisees and other hotel small businesses. Maintaining the like-kind exchange, section 1031, which allows hoteliers to defer capital gains taxes when they sell one property if they roll the proceeds into the purchase of a larger one. According to AHLA, the exchange helps create new jobs and contributes to economic growth. The Hotel Fees Transparency Act and the No Hidden FEES Act would establish a single and transparent standard for mandatory lodging fee display and an even competitive playing field for hotels, short term rentals, online travel agencies, and metasearch sites.

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline dropped 8 percent by projects and 10 percent by rooms in 2021 when compared to 2020, according to Lodging Econometrics. However, the number of projects in the early planning stage is rising, it added. The total construction pipeline at the fourth quarter of last year stood at 4,814 projects containing 581,953 rooms, according to LE. There were 2,021 projects containing 239,816 rooms in the early planning stage, up 18 percent by projects and 11 percent by rooms, LE data shows. According to LE, 1,821 hotel projects containing 210,890 rooms are scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months. As many as 972 projects containing 131,247 rooms under construction finished the year. "New project announcements are down in the fourth quarter. However, developers are eager to accelerate projects long-delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they face some development roadblocks, including escalating inflation and supply chain shortages, that are causing higher prices versus 'pre-pandemic' costs for labor and materials," LE said. "These factors continue to prolong hotel development timelines. We anticipate these challenges to abate throughout the year and see construction starts to moderately improve."