Group items tagged

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.

VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP, led by Mitch Patel as president and CEO, recently broke ground on a dual-branded Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton in Cleveland, Tennessee. The upcoming development, slated for completion in mid to late 2025, will comprise a combined total of 140 keys across five stories. The project will include 768 square feet of flexible meeting space and an outdoor pool, Vision Hospitality said in a statement. "We are thrilled to continue to strengthen our partnership with Hilton by expanding our portfolio with the addition of these two thriving brands and grow in a city that means so much to us," said Patel. "This development reflects our commitment to hospitality excellence and our dedication to providing our guests with exceptional service and experiences." Founded a quarter century ago, Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Vision Hospitality Group manages more than 4,500 rooms across 40+ hotels in nine states.

VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP will celebrate its 25th anniversary in April. The company, led by Mitch Patel as president and CEO, is now making plans for the next quarter century. Founded in 1997, Vision Hospitality began with a Homewood Suites by Hilton, Chattanooga/Hamilton Place Patel developed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the company is still headquartered. Then, as the U.S. economy struggled to overcome the 9/11 attacks of 2001, Patel went on to develop 10 more hotels. "Here, VHG learned agility and how to pivot, gaining a deeper understanding of how to successfully adapt to the ebb and flow of the hospitality and financial industries," the company said in a statement. "These lessons, along with a solid foundation of core values - dedication, integrity, respect, excellence, community, teamwork, and spirit - were the guiding principles that led to continued growth through the Great Recession and the unprecedented challenges of the last few years."

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."

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY is March 8, and hotel owners and large hospitality companies are taking time to make sure the women in the industry are reaching their full potential. Recent data shows women are improving their position in the industry, but more remains to be done. For California hotelier Sunil "Sunny" Tolani, that means giving female employees at his company, The Prince Organization, special training and time off for health care. For Tina Burnett, recently promoted chief development officer at G6 Hospitality, home company of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, it means making sure women are included in the same way as their male colleagues. "At our company, we believe women to be just as smart and capable as men-if not more so and there are intelligent and highly competent," Tolani said. "The traits generally associated for good hospitality as good social skills, warmth, compassion, expressiveness, generosity and altruistic impulses. We are focusing on the next generation of women hoteliers and convey to them that really extraordinary careers can be made in our widely diverse Hospitality industry."

IN RECOGNITION OF National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January, G6 Hospitality, the parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6, has intensified efforts to combat and raise awareness about human trafficking. This month, the company is introducing an updated mandatory training program, "The Room Next Door," to identify signs and response protocols for human trafficking within the lodging industry, G6 Hospitality said in a statement. "G6 Hospitality remains committed to combating human trafficking across the country and maintains a zero-tolerance policy against it," said Julie Arrowsmith, CEO of G6 Hospitality. "Our expanded anti-human trafficking program will ensure that our team members, franchisees, and hotel teams are educated advocates who can help the industry move toward eradicating human trafficking." The training is mandatory at every Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations, the statement said. The company is also renewing ongoing partnerships in 2024 with law enforcement agencies and survivor advocate organizations, including:

Nakul Anand, former executive director of ITC Hotels, has been named chairman of the advisory board for Tricone Luxury Hotels, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Tricone Engineers. Anand brings four decades of hospitality experience. He will oversee the company's continued growth in India, Tricone said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome Nakul Anand to our team," Alok Aggarwal, Tricon Luxury Hotels' CEO, said in an article on ANI. "His unparalleled expertise in the hospitality industry will be instrumental in shaping our company's vision and integrating sophisticated hospitality services and sustainability initiatives into our hotels and real estate projects." Tricone Luxury Hotels recently executed memorandums of understanding with Indian hotel brands and acquired land for a real estate project in Alibaug near Mumbai, which will be marketed soon. The company is set to launch luxury hotels and hospitality-oriented real estate projects in Alibaug.

THE LEISURE AND hospitality sector saw some job growth in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' December employment report. Not enough, however, according to the U.S. Travel Association, meaning more federal aid is needed. The sector added 53,000 jobs during the month, according to the BLS data. The overall economy added 199,000 jobs. "Leisure and hospitality has added 2.6 million jobs in 2021, but employment in the industry is down by 1.2 million, or 7.2 percent, since February 2020," the report said. "Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 43,000 in December but is down by 653,000 since February 2020." However, the report indicates that the recovery is uneven, said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA's executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. December's performance was the second-worst since January 2021, she said. "The small gains made are not enough to propel the sector toward a larger recovery, as more than 7 percent of all L&H jobs remain lost compared to just 2 percent for the rest of the U.S. economy," Barnes said. "As the spread of the omicron variant continues to impact travel, there remains a pressing need for Congress to provide additional federal relief and stabilizing policies that will enable the return of business travel, professional meetings and events, and international inbound travel."

AAHOA'S NEWEST PROJECT aimed at promoting women in hospitality is the "ElevateHER Women's Initiative to Highlight and Support Women Hoteliers and Leaders in the Industry." The initiative, launched Tuesday, will offer networking and educational opportunities for women hoteliers and hospitality industry professionals. As part of ElevateHER, AAHOA is hosting the Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference on Oct. 26 to 27 in Cincinnati. The conference will focus on bringing together AAHOA's community of women hoteliers for education, inspiration, and empowerment. "AAHOA has been proud to celebrate the important work women are doing at every level of hospitality, and this initiative further underscores our commitment to the women of AAHOA and elevating their contributions to the industry," said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA's first full-time female president and CEO appointed in May. "While there's still much work to be done, AAHOA recognizes the significant strides women have made to be seen at industry events, heard in the boardroom, and valued in the workplace. ElevateHER celebrates these accomplishments and will further drive our association's work around elevating and supporting women in the industry."

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.

THREE MAJOR U.S. hospitality firms have donated $1 million to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation to support human trafficking prevention and survivors, a statement said. The Hyatt Hotels Foundation donated $500,000 to the fund and the G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America gave a combined $500,000 to the initiative, AHLA said in a statement. The fund supports economic stability for survivors of human trafficking. It also provides advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry. A representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council. "We recognize the potential of human trafficking to intersect with the hospitality industry and believe that one of the best ways the industry can combat the egregious violation of fundamental human rights is through efforts like the AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund," said Malaika Myers, the Hyatt foundation's chief human resource officer. "The fight against human trafficking has no finish-line, and as an industry we will continue to provide cutting-edge resources and support to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent and respond to human trafficking," said Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA Foundation.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES of 2020, hihotels by Hospitality International added 18 properties throughout the U.S. Most are conversions owned by Asian American hoteliers. The five hihotels brands include Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. Hospitality International said the brands' franchising model includes customized support, advanced technology and overall value. "Last June, we announced a new branding identity for the company that expanded franchisee services and development opportunities and refocused our goal of becoming the best choice for economy hotel franchising. The response has been tremendous and we look forward to building on this great momentum in 2021," said Chris Guimbellot, hihotels president and CEO.

THE U.S. TRAVEL Association is urging Congress to implement short-term priorities to stimulate leisure and hospitality sector as 61 percent or nearly two-thirds, of all jobs still lost due to the pandemic are in this segment. The revised job data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the past several months confirmed that 10 percent of leisure and hospitality jobs now remain lost. "While the overall jobs report may be good news for some, the revised BLS data now confirms an even bigger revelation," said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. "The uneven recovery of the travel sector is due in large part to the lack of inbound international travelers, and the deep reduction in business travel and professional meetings and events. There could not be a more pressing time to support this vital contributor to the U.S. economy and rebuild American jobs."

HIHOTELS BY HOSPITALITY International announced the winners of its 2021 awards. These awards recognized six properties and a vendor in meeting and exceeding the company's standards of operations last year, the company said. "Last year was very challenging again for the hospitality industry, so it was truly inspiring to see so many of our franchisees show such tremendous resilience and determination to succeed. I'd like to commend every one of our award winners and nominees for going above and beyond and showing great pride in what they do," said Chris Guimbellot, president and CEO at hihotels.

For Teague Hunter, president and CEO of Hunter Hotel Advisors, buying and selling hotels is a family tradition. He shared that lifetime of experience with Asian Hospitality in the second installment of our Leadership Series interviews with top voices in the industry. Hunter leads the Atlanta-based hotel brokerage founded in 1978 by his father Bob Hunter with his brother Lee Hunter as chief operating officer. Last year, Hunter had its most successful year to date after closing nearly $2.5 billion in sales. In March it will host its 35th Hunter Hotel Conference, which has rebounded to full attendance three years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Teague Hunter also is the host of Teague Talks, a twice weekly series of podcasts offering advice and interviews with other industry heads. In his interview with Asian Hospitality, Hunter discussed his early days in the industry, current trends in the hotel market and the future of his company and its namesake conference. The video of the full interview is now available on our website, and the following includes excerpts from the interview with additional information. Rise up early in the morning Hunter said his first hotel job was as a bellhop in the morning shift at the old Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Powers Ferry in Marietta, Georgia. It was quiet, but instructive. "I ran around and helped everybody with everything and learned the business," he said. His experience in hospitality, however, began at a much earlier age. He was 5 years old when Bob Hunter started his business. Teague Hunter recalled stories of childhood trips to the beach, during which he would tour hotels with his father along the way. After graduating college, Hunter worked as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and held a position with IBM before he realized that was not what he wanted to do with his life.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and Questex recently updated the lineup of speakers and events for The Hospitality Show, scheduled for Oct. 28 to 30 in San Antonio, Texas. The Show will offer networking opportunities and showcase new products from more than 400 technology and operations vendors, AHLA and Questex said in a joint statement. Confirmed speakers include Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Liam Brown, group president for the U.S. and Canada at Marriott International; Kevin Jacobs, CFO and president of Global Development at Hilton Hotels & Resorts; Brian Kirkland, chief information officer of Choice Hotels International; Kristie Goshow, chief commercial officer of KSL Resorts; Kevin Korab, president of Guest Worldwide; Scott Strickland, chief commercial officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; and Greg Land, global segment leader for travel and hospitality at Amazon Web Services.

ASIAN HOSPITALITY IS A B2B NEWS MAGAZINE AND WEBSITE THAT COVERS THE U.S. HOTEL INDUSTRY. OUR NICHE READERSHIP AND TARGET MARKET ARE INDIAN AMERICAN HOTELIERS, WHO OWN MORE THAN HALF OF THE HOTELS IN AMERICA. THE COMMUNITY OF HOTELIERS IS AMONG THE MOST AFFLUENT GROUP BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE U.S., WITH AN ESTIMATED $35 BILLION IN BUYING POWER. ASIAN HOSPITALITY uniquely provides editorial in Gujarati, the language spoken by most Asian American hoteliers who have roots in Gujarat, India. Its sister publication, PRIYA, is the business magazine for entrepreneurial women. In Indian American hotel businesses, women make most of the buying decisions. They also have carved their own paths to business success, leading family enterprises and starting their own ventures. The next generation of the Asian American hotelier community is made up of highly educated and experienced women and men who are eager to take hotel development and operations to the next level. ASIAN HOSPITALITY is with them every step of the way.

EV HOTELS, A new technology-centric hotel brand founded by Ken Patel, is entering the "metaverse" by way of a partnership with "metavestor" club BAPESWORLD. Patel said his will be the first hotel company to play in the still fluidly defined metaverse, essentially a combination of online gaming, virtual reality, cyber meeting spaces and ecommerce. When completed, EV Hotels will include a "crypto trade floor" in partnership with EV Hotel has partnered with cryptocurrency and NFT exchange Chicago Digital Exchange where the crypto trading community can meet in person to share information and expertise. Individual traders and companies will be able to buy membership trading rights through CDX that will include discounted exchange fees and other exchange amenities at the EV Hotel trading floors. Under the new agreement, BAPES will be featured in the "non-fungible tokens" lobby where it will have NFTs for sale for in-person and in the metaverse. "Ventures like this are new to the hospitality and digital world, and that is why I am excited to announce the partnership between EV Hotel and BAPE," Patel said. "This sort of partnership usually does not come to market, and to have metaverse in the same sentence with hospitality is unheard of. The world's first hotel brand to hit the metaverse. What we are doing is to create an experience that brings hospitality back and gives it life again. Innovation is a team sport, and this venture merges the capabilities of our respective teams."

HOTEL OWNERS MUST treat young associates better as labor is the hot-button issue in the hospitality industry, according to a blog post by HotStats. Increasing wages for entry-level work and promoting career advancement are also vital toward attracting young talent, it added. The blog post said that total payroll on a per-available-room basis is still around two times less in 2021 compared to 2019, according to HotStats data. Year-to-date October 2021, total payroll PAR in the U.S. is $43.46 compared to $85.86 two years ago. "Not only should a hotel care about customers, its number one target market is internal associates," said Leora Halpern Lanz, assistant dean, academic affairs and associate professor of the practice at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration, in the blog. "If they're treated well, word gets out that it's a good place to work. The industry needs to evaluate why people are working 14-hour days because they're being worn down. There has to be an element of work/life balance." Kyle Allison, host of the Hospitality MD podcast, said that the hotel industry needs to tweak its legacy messaging.

VERAKIN CAPITAL, A real estate investment group, exceeded its $350 million investment milestone in the first quarter of this year. The company has made collective investments in three hotel properties that are currently in various stages of development; the Moxy in downtown Atlanta, Georgia; Hampton Inn/Home 2 in downtown Nashville, Tennessee; and Courtyard by Marriott in Pittsburg, California, the company said in a statement. Verakin, led by partners Rupesh and Bimal Patel and Hiten Suraj, is the lead developer of the Courtyard by Marriott, while the company is co-investing in the other two projects alongside RevPar Development and Emerge Hospitality Group, according to the statement. RevPar Development is a privately-owned hotel development and management company on the East Coast, while Emerge Hospitality Group is a family-owned and -operated hotel ownership, development and management company. "We are developing both on our own behalf and in joint ventures with like-minded investment groups," Rupesh Patel said. "We are seeing that newer hotels and brands are faring better than their older counterparts as travel rebounds in many markets and segments. To help satiate our investment growth appetite, we will continue to seek best-in-class partners, such as RevPar Development and Emerge Hospitality Group, who have proven track records as credible institutional investors, developers and operators." The Moxy hotel in downtown Atlanta, will feature 181 rooms spread across 13 floors and is scheduled to open mid-2026 before the FIFA World Cup. The centrally located hotel will cater to both business and leisure travelers and will offer three food and beverage options, including a roof top bar and lounge with views of the Mercedes Benz Stadium.