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WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS launched the "Accelerator Circle", a community platform for diverse hoteliers, offering BOLD and Women Own the Room franchisees access to Wyndham's network through quarterly virtual meetups. These sessions focus on accelerating hotel openings, maximizing performance and reinforcing the company's commitment to diversity, Wyndham said in a statement. "Navigating hotel ownership isn't easy, with many owners facing the same challenges over and over," said Galen Barrett, Wyndham's vice president of strategic franchise initiatives. "Wyndham's Accelerator Circle connects a dynamic community for Black and women entrepreneurs who haven't always had the support of our industry. It's a space for owners to exchange knowledge, learn from seasoned pros, and the expected result? A more diverse industry with a new wave of empowered, savvy owners." Wyndham's BOLD and Women Own the Room focus on building a supportive community to enhance diversity in hospitality, while Accelerator Circle connects owners to foster shared learning and growth within an engaged network, the statement said. The initiatives have resulted in more than 90 hotel deals with Black and women hoteliers, with more than 20 hotels currently operating across the U.S.

Are cycling sprinters born or made? Could Mark Cavendish or Sir Chris Hoy have achieved so much renowned world championship success if they were not born with specific physiological benefits? The answer is yes - with specific training programs and focus, sprinters can be made. But no - to get to the levels that Cav and Sir Chris attain, then you do need to be blessed with the physical features that mean you can find that extra sprinting kick, when it really matters.

REPLETE WITH CAR racing motifs reflecting its theme "Accelerate," BWH Hotels held its annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nearly 3,000 BWH Hotels members, operators and partners from around the world attended the event that featured a welcome reception in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum. BWH Hotels President and CEO Larry Cuculic followed the racing theme in his opening address to the crowd. "Winning every day, leveling up every day's wins, create that year's championship," Cuculic said. "That's how it happens in racing. Wins create championships, and then championships create legacies, lasting legacies for you, your teams and your family." During the convention, Cuculic and other executives addressed the company's growth domestically and internationally, its performance in the extended-stay and luxury sectors as well as new technologies. Attendees also heard about BWH Hotels' marketing efforts and reports from board members including Raj Patel, also CEO of Apsilon Hotels in Atlanta.

The economy of Allahabad has several reasons for accelerating itself such as industries, tourism, hotel industry etc taking place here. The Allahabad economy is developing at a large pace.

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."

WITH THE HOSPITALITY industry facing numerous issues even as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, two major associations have formed a new partnership to address that need. AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association have created the American Hospitality Alliance advocate for hotels on state and national levels. AAHOA and AHLA announced the formation of AHA during the summer meeting of the International Society of Hotel Associations in Boston on Tuesday. The purpose of the alliance is to pool resources and streamline efforts, the associations said, and it also will work with state hotel associations. "The majority of hotels are small businesses. That is why the owners and operators are particularly well-suited to inform lawmakers about policies and regulations that will accelerate the industry's resurgence. This coalition could not have come at a more important time as the hotel industry prepares to welcome back guests," said Ken Greene, AAHOA's interim president and CEO. Greene was appointed to the interim position in early June following the resignation of Cecil Staton, former AAHOA president and CEO. Rachel Humphrey, the association's executive vice president and COO, also will be resigning on Aug. 7, the day after AAHOA's 2021 Convention and Trade show in Dallas finishes.

PEACHSTATE HOSPITALITY RECENTLY selected TPG Hotels & Resorts to manage 10 properties. The contract includes eight Marriott select service hotels and two IHG Hotels & Resorts select service hotels in Georgia. Both the firms have entered into an exclusive strategic agreement for the management of additional hotels in the current and future pipeline to be developed by PeachState Hospitality which is headed by Danny Patel as president and CEO, the statement added. "PeachState Hospitality is a leading owner and developer in our industry, and we are pleased to welcome them as a new partner and these exceptional properties into our portfolio," said Tim Muir, chief development officer, TPG Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to growing our partnership as they accelerate their development platform over the next few years."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Americas have formed a partnership that will more closely align the two associations to benefit their respective members and advance the hospitality industry, AHLA said in a statement. Also, AHLA and its technology committee, HTNG, announced the inaugural AHLA Technology Acceleration Award, a new program to recognize companies that are advancing innovation in hospitality technology. According to the statement, the partnership will create linkages to the industry's sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals for AHLA, while expanding HSMAI's organizational reach by aligning it with America's largest hotel association. Under the new agreement, effective April 25, AHLA will provide HSMAI with opportunities to participate in AHLA's On the Road events, and HSMAI will promote the events to its members and local chapters. AHLA and HSMAI will also promote each other's events, campaigns, and education and certification programs, and have reciprocal participation in distribution-focused committees. As per the agreement, AHLA and HSMAI will further explore opportunities to align the work of both organizations' foundations to address industry-wide initiatives on workforce and promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. AHLA and HSMAI leadership will meet regularly to discuss and coordinate key strategic industry issues and shared objectives, the agreement noted. AHLA said the AHLA-HSMAI partnership expands upon a relationship the two organizations started early last year, when HSMAI became a content partner for AHLA's On The Road state hotel conference series, offering innovative and exclusive revenue generation insights at On The Road events.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS now has a mobile tipping solution for its U.S. and Canadian franchisees, the company said in a statement. Developed by Béné, the platform enables guests to tip hotel team members digitally via their preferred mobile device. According to consulting firm McKinsey, 82 percent of Americans are now using digital payments, Wyndham said in its statement. The trend was accelerated by the pandemic, said Scott Strickland, Wyndham's chief information officer, and he expects it will only continue in the coming years. "Having previously empowered our franchisees to accept digital, contactless payment for stays at their hotels, the next logical step was to find a solution that allows guests to recognize housekeepers, wait staff and other frontline team members in a similar fashion," Strickland said. "This platform does exactly that and at virtually no cost to franchisees."

THE U.S. IS expected to lift its requirement for pre-departure COVID testing by international travelers bound for the country. Travel industry organizations that have been lobbying for ending the test requirement welcomed the decision announced on Friday. Beginning Sunday, fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to test negative before entering the U.S., according to media reports. After learning of the plan to lift the testing requirement, the U.S. Travel Association, which last month met with White House officials, along with Airlines for America, to make their case against the pre-departure testing said in a statement that the decision was expected to add 5.4 million visitors to U.S. and $9 billion in travel spending through remainder of 2022. "Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the U.S. The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry," said Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO. "International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector. More than half of international travelers in a recent survey pointed to the pre-departure testing requirement as a major deterrent for inbound travel to the U.S."

THE CHARITY WING of American Hotel & Lodging Association, the AHLA Foundation, announced merger with the Castell Project to strengthen and accelerate the industry's commitment to elevate women in hospitality. Castell Project is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women to the highest levels within the hospitality industry. As part of the merger, both the entities will focus on facilitating leadership development for current and prospective women in the industry, according to AHLA. They also will strengthen the college talent pipeline through mentorships and exposure to career paths and engagement with the future workforce. The two merged organizations hope to help more women become speakers and leaders through AHLA's ForWard: Advancing Women in Hospitality and other industry events and expanding a speakers' bureau of hospitality leaders who are women, besides conducting ongoing research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including women in hospitality leadership and diversity benchmarking.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association recently announced three promotions among its leadership team. Kiersten Pearce was promoted to senior vice president for executive and strategic initiatives; Adrienne Weil was promoted to senior vice president for member engagement and services; and Kara Filer was promoted to senior vice president for strategic partnerships and business development. Pearce joined AHLA in 2018 and previously served as its vice president of member engagement and services, according to AHLA. In her new role she will develop industry initiatives that align with AHLA's strategic plan and organizational priorities. She'll also oversee the coordination of the AHLA board of directors, executive committee and associated committees, as well as operational functions, including legal. Weil previously served as AHLA's vice president of strategic partnerships and business development and led efforts to accelerate "non-dues" revenue growth from industry service providers and suppliers. In her new role, she will lead AHLA's membership team and spearhead efforts to optimize AHLA's committees and networks and ensure AHLA's differentiated value proposition remains relevant as member needs evolve.

APPROXIMATELY 82 PERCENT of American travelers see sustainable travel as important, with nearly half, 48 percent, viewing it as secondary to trip planning, according to a recent survey by Booking.com. However, roughly 32 percent expressed fatigue towards discussions on climate change. The survey conducted among 31,000 people across 34 countries and territories highlighted the need for collective action to maintain momentum toward a more sustainable travel industry, Booking.com said. "While many travelers have retained a sense of optimism and a desire to have a more positive impact, there is a critical opportunity for the industry to accelerate efforts to make those choices easier for everyone," said Danielle D'Silva, Booking.com's head of sustainability. "It's important that we continue ensuring that more sustainable options are not only readily available, but also easy to trust and understand. That's where we believe further education, clear and consistent standards and credible third-party certification of legitimate sustainable practices across the travel experience can really help. While the signals of consumer frustration should be a concern, it's also a reminder to maintain our focus on the impactful work we know can make a difference not only for travelers, but for communities and destinations everywhere."

HOTELS IN THE Americas performed above 2019 levels, although RevPAR is stabilizing amidst decreasing consumer travel spending, according to real estate firm JLL. This has affected resort markets heavily dependent on leisure travel. In contrast, urban travel demand is on the rise, driven by group, corporate, and inbound international travel. According to JLL's Global Real Estate Perspective for February 2024, global hotel RevPAR surpassed 2019 levels by 11.7 percent in the first 11 months of 2023. The global urban market strengthened with increased international travel and the return of business and group demand. London, New York, and Tokyo are expected to lead global RevPAR performance in 2024 as urban travel rebounds. Stabilization has weighed heaviest in resort markets, particularly in the Americas and EMEA, while Asia-Pacific continues to accelerate as intraregional travel grows following border reopenings, the report added. Foreign capital, absent since the onset of COVID, is expected to become more active over the next 12 months. Middle Eastern and Asian investors are likely to lead, with urban markets in Europe and select U.S. cities as primary recipients of capital.

CORPORATE TRAVEL SPEND by U.S. companies is expected to grow 8 to 12 percent, reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, according to a recent Deloitte study. Around 73 percent of travel managers expect their companies' travel spend to increase in 2024, while 58 percent expect further increases in 2025, with projected gains averaging 14-15 percent each year. Deloitte's 2024 corporate travel report, "Upward Climb with Uphill Struggles," found that live events are a top growth driver, with 6 in 10 business travelers expecting to attend a conference, trade show or exhibition this year. "Business travel has been slower to come back following pandemic slowdowns, but this could be the year that it accelerates to new heights," said Eileen Crowley, Deloitte's vice chair and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services attest leader. "More employees are traveling for business-and enjoying it-underscoring that in-person connection often remains a critical component. As companies see a renewed benefit in the opportunities business travel provides, business leaders can capitalize on the enthusiasm and prioritize travel experiences that are valuable to both the organization and employee."

HILTON WORDLWIDE HOLDINGS aims to double its 350 lifestyle hotels by 2028, planning to add 350 more within four years, including 100 this year. Also, the company appointed Kevin Osterhaus as president of global lifestyle brands to oversee the growth, design, and development of Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Graduate by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Tempo by Hilton. The growth will be supported by the addition of the Graduate and NoMad brands, Hilton said in a statement. The company added more than 50 new lifestyle hotels and approved another 100 in 2023. Additionally, this year will mark the debut of Hilton's 400th property in this category. "As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hilton's entry into the lifestyle segment, we look ahead to even more rapid growth with a powerhouse lineup of brands that will meet the needs of developers and guests alike in some of the world's most desirable locations," said Kevin Jacobs, Hilton's chief financial officer and president, global development. "The recent addition of the Graduate and NoMad brands to our lifestyle and luxury lifestyle portfolio will accelerate our growth as we look for more opportunities to deliver the exceptional experiences guests want in the world's top hotel destinations."

EXTENDED-STAY ROOM revenue rose 3.4 percent in the first half of 2024 and 5.1 percent in the second quarter, while occupancy decreased 0.2 percent in the first half but increased 1 percent during the second quarter, according to The Highland Group. The second quarter also saw the highest quarterly RevPAR increase in a year, an 11-point occupancy premium over all hotels and the most rooms under construction in four years. The 2024 mid-year U.S. extended-stay Lodging Market report found that all three extended-stay hotel segments reported record-high room revenues in the first half and for the second quarter. Revenue growth in extended-stay hotels is accelerating in 2024, with the second quarter's increase more than three times that of the first quarter, the report said. The 5.1 percent revenue increase in the second quarter significantly outpaces the 3 percent gain reported for the overall hotel industry by STR/CoStar. "Despite headline grabbing large increases in extended-stay rooms under construction, the annualized increase in room nights available over the next year should be well below the long-term average and the near-term risk of over supply nationally is very low," said Mark Skinner, The Highland Group's partner.

AGILYSYS, A HOSPITALITY software company, recently acquired Book4Time Inc., a spa management SaaS provider, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $150 million. The Alpharetta-based Agilysys is led by CEO Ramesh Srinivasan, while the Ontario-based Book4Time is led by founder and CEO Roger Sholanki. Acquiring Book4Time expands Agilysys' opportunity to increase its global solutions-per-customer penetration, the companies said in a statement. "In addition to sharing our commitment to equipping hospitality staff with world-class technology that helps them better serve their guests, the exceptionally talented and dedicated Book4Time team shares our skills in working with some of the most renowned and discerning properties in the world," said Srinivasan. "We look forward to accelerating hospitality technology innovation together as we combine our product strengths, fully tap our mutual passion for serving customers and make our value proposition to the hospitality industry even more compelling."

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP reported a 3 percent increase in global RevPAR in the first half of 2024, with 3.2 percent growth in the second quarter, driven by a recovery in U.S. markets. ADR rose 2 percent, and occupancy increased by 0.6 percentage points in the first half, leading to a 6 percent rise in total gross revenue, reaching $16.1 billion. The company's U.S. RevPAR was positive starting in April, increasing by 2.5 percent in the second quarter, IHG said in a statement. In May, IHG reported a 0.3 percent year-over-year decline in RevPAR for the Americas in the first quarter, due to a 1.9 percent drop in U.S. RevPAR. "We are making great progress on the delivery of our strategic priorities and the clear framework to drive future value creation that we set out in February," said Elie Maalouf, IHG's CEO. "RevPAR growth accelerated in the latest quarter, reflecting a strong U.S rebound in the second quarter and the breadth of our global footprint, and development activity continues to increase. Together with system growth, notable margin expansion and the benefit of returning surplus capital through buybacks, adjusted EPS growth was up 12 percent."

THE WOMEN IN Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a group of 32 organizations advancing women in hospitality, recently launched an interactive speaker directory with more than 700 senior-level women experts. The directory allows conference organizers to filter speakers by career background, title, company type, location, and other criteria, creating a shortlist for various topics and stages, WHLA said in a statement. "Representation matters, and visibility is a key component of career advancement," said Rachel Vandenberg, chair of the alliance podium committee and founder of Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel (an alliance member). "Despite many women having significant expertise in the hospitality industry, there are still fewer women on stage." Also, the Penn State School of Hospitality Management's 2023 Women in Hospitality research report, funded by the AHLA Foundation, found that women held only 24 percent of podium spots at hotel investment conferences and 37 percent of main stage speaking spots, despite comprising 58 percent of the hospitality workforce.