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Tru by Hilton in Mobile, Alabama, is now open. It is owned by the newly formed Wealth Hospitality Group in Ridgeland, Mississippi, led by co-founder Chico Patel, and managed by Integral Hospitality Solutions of Birmingham, Alabama. The 90-room hotel is near Hank Aaron Stadium, with other nearby attractions being Dauphin Street, the Gulf Quest National Maritime Museum and the USS Alabama battleship. It has access to Interstates 65 and 10.

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."

PEACHTREE GROUP RECENTLY introduced new branding, logo and tagline, "Guided by Intuition, Grounded by Expertise." The branding update aims to project the company's integrated investment strategies and service platforms. This change consolidates the company's varied brand portfolio, renaming Stonehill as Peachtree Group Credit and Peachtree Hospitality Management as Peachtree Group Hospitality Management, the company said in a statement. "The new branding has given us a competitive edge in attracting top-tier talent, ensuring a consistent influx of the best minds and skills to navigate an ever-changing business landscape," said Greg Friedman, CEO and managing principal of Peachtree Group. "Moreover, our strategic branding approach, aimed at consolidating our diverse range of businesses, is poised to unleash even greater untapped potential within our investment platform. This platform, already proven in its value in the hospitality sector, has played a pivotal role in our expansion and diversification into other real estate sectors and ventures."

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT of Homeland Security will make available more than 64,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year 2023. The extra visas will help the hotel and travel industries meet continuing labor shortages, according to the U.S. Travel Association. DHS also will issue its normal allotment of 66,000 H-2B visas as well as the 64,716 extra visas. The visas, which permit employers to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform certain labor in the U.S., became available at the beginning of October. Also, the agency created the new Worker Protection Taskforce to make sure the H-2B visa workers are not exploited. "The Department of Homeland Security is moving with unprecedented speed to meet the needs of American businesses," said Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Homeland Security. "At a time of record job growth, this full year allocation at the very outset of the fiscal year will ensure that businesses can plan for their peak season labor needs. We also will bolster worker protections to safeguard the integrity of the program from unscrupulous employers who would seek to exploit the workers by paying substandard wages and maintaining unsafe work conditions."

RISHI SUNAK MADE his first speech as Britain's prime minister on Tuesday (25), acknowledging the mistakes of his predecessor Liz Truss while vowing to fix the economy, lead with integrity and fulfil the promises of the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto. Below are the highlights from Sunak's speech: ON THE ECONOMY "Our country is facing a profound economic crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers. Putin's war in Ukraine has destabilised energy markets and supply chains the world over." "I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come." MISTAKES WERE MADE "I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Liz Truss. She was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country. It is a noble aim. And I admired her restlessness to create change. "But some mistakes were made - not born of ill will, or bad intentions. Quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes, nonetheless. And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister, in part to fix them."

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THE MANAGING PRINCIPALS of Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group are forming a new company, Peachtree Group, to oversee its investment portfolio. Peachtree's hospitality division includes Peachtree Hotel Group, Peachtree Hospitality Management and Peachtree Hospitality Development. The new company will manage and control investments and direct investment strategies across different divisions, including hospitality, commercial lending, residential development and capital markets, the company said in a statement. The company is expanding in those areas, said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal. "The expanded breadth of investment types we are undertaking warranted the formation of Peachtree Group without hotel in the moniker," Friedman said. "This transformative structure provides a significant opportunity to unlock the full potential of our integrated real estate investment platform that has served us well in the hospitality sector to expand into other real estate sectors and businesses.

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE continues to permeate society on every level, there is a place for it in the hotel industry, AAHOA said. AI technology can improve operational efficiency and cut costs, the association said, but it must be developed and used ethically. AAHOA referenced two recent research studies, one conducted by the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston, and another by Morgan Stanley, to endorse the integration of artificial intelligence into hotels for enhanced guests' experience. The University of Houston's study explored AI's transformative impact on the industry and its acceptance among hotel guests. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's research report released on August 18, titled "AI for Hotels: Will the Hotel of the Future Fit in the Palm of Your Hand?" documented the benefits of hoteliers, online travel agencies and hotel brands adopting AI technology early.

URBAN PARK HOTEL Collection, an independent budget-conscious hotel group, has partnered with technology firm LodgeTender to integrate its latest hotel technology platform. The new technology offers hotel owners an extra revenue stream, while eliminating the need to pay for a hotel PMS, booking engine, and channel manager, Urban Park Hotel said in a statement. "The partnership with LodgeTender offers our hotel portfolio an opportunity to earn rather than pay for a technology package," said Jay Patel, managing partner of Urban Park Hotel Collection. "We're delighted to introduce products and services that not only save our owners money, but also generate additional revenue for our member hotels." "Hotel owners now have the chance to upgrade their technology while staying ahead with productive features for added revenue and seamless guest service connections," added Kent Comfort, president of LodgeTender.

DAVID KONG, THE recently retired CEO of Best Western Hotel Group, has launched DEI Advisors, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women and other minority groups to achieve their career aspirations. Specifically, it plans to close the diversity gap that still exists on the upper, leadership levels of the hospitality industry. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, DEI Advisors will conduct a series of interviews with industry leaders with the intent of sharing inspiration and guidance to help individuals navigate their careers. The interviews will teach how to overcome conscious and unconscious bias, seek advancement, face structural barriers successfully, establish networks, advocates and mentors and better integrate their work life and personal life. "I formed DEI Advisors as a non-profit organization to collect and share insights and learnings from industry leaders," said Kong, who is DEI Advisors principal and founder. "While many companies are doing wonderful work in the areas of DEI, individuals must also be responsible, and feel empowered, for their own personal growth and career aspirations. Essentially, we're aiming to prepare future leaders in the industry for the driver seat of their own journey, where they get to truly help create and advocate for their own destiny."

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."

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS has entered into a new agreement with Groups360 to bring instant online multi-room bookings to Wyndham hotels in 2023. Using Groups360's GroupSync Marketplace direct booking solution, Wyndham hotel owners will have the opportunity to integrate the platform with their hotel reservation systems, providing travel planners, including groups and events organizers along with those managing infrastructure, logistics and corporate accounts, with rates and availability as well as booking of rooms online, the company said in a statement. "Over the last three years, Wyndham has invested over $100 million in major technology initiatives, giving our franchisees access to best-in-class offerings that unlock new efficiencies while helping to grow their bottom line," said Lisa Checchio, Wyndham's chief marketing officer. "Bringing franchisees access to GroupSync is just the latest example and one we believe offers incredible opportunity for franchisees, particularly those in the economy segment, where such technology is an industry first." Hotels that publish live inventory and rates within the GroupSync Marketplace save travel planners' valuable time by allowing them to search, shop and book blocks of rooms. Possible users include short one- to-two-night group events such as youth sports, weddings and family reunions, as well as multi-week infrastructure or logistics projects such as commercial construction, bridge repair or highway expansion, Wyndham's statement said.

A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL, social and governance report released by Choice Hotels International highlights steps that would allow the company to reduce utility costs, save time for franchisees, and increase Choice's ESG commitments. Those steps include new energy- and water-saving technology, diversity goals for hotel ownership and more. The report entitled "Building a Better Tomorrow, Today" lays out the company's plan to being a good corporate citizen, according to a release. "Choice Hotels shares a uniting belief that tomorrow will be even better than today, and we are committed to building that better tomorrow," said Patrick Pacious, Choice's CEO, in the report. "As one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, we are building on more than 80 years of success in developing a portfolio of diversified brands and creating a lasting, sustainable legacy for the future - one hotel, one family, one community at a time." Key findings The report further details measures being undertaken by Choice to integrate ESG standards and principles into its long-term decision-making and operations, including: Reporting Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions for the first time and aligning ESG disclosures with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Appointing an executive with knowledge of the business as vice president, sustainability and creating two new ESG governance forums to strengthen Choice's ESG strategy and execution. Joining the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a global network that champions responsible hospitality, and becoming one of its largest members. Relaunching HERtels by Choice, driving a 53 percent year-over-year increase in the company's hotel franchise deals with woman owners. Committing $25 million in incentives for contracts with underrepresented minority and woman owners by 2025. Setting a goal to increase the representation of women in senior leadership roles to 50

Peachtree Group has named Jarred Bussert as vice president of information technology. In this newly created role, Bussert will be responsible for the company's IT infrastructure, including all business applications, information security and data integrity, the company said in a statement. "Jarred's experience and achievements demonstrate his commitment to supporting business strategies with technology infrastructure," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's managing principal and CEO. "As Peachtree continues to grow, I am pleased to attract talented leaders to our best-in-class team. His leadership will be instrumental in building a successful and high-performing organization." Bussert has extensive enterprise-wide technical and IT leadership experience. Before joining Peachtree, he was vice president, information technology for Majors Management, an Atlanta-based retail operator. Bussert started his career with RaceTrac Petroleum holding numerous leadership positions, leaving as director, information systems. He has an MBA and Master of Technology from Georgia Tech and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and lifestyle hospitality developer sbe launched a new soft brand during the American Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles last week. Temporarily dubbed "Project HQ Hotels & Residences," the new brand aims to attract younger travelers looking for an experience. Project HQ is meant to represent sbe's "smart lifestyle" hotel category that is designed to draw in Millennial and Gen Z guests by providing memorable experiences at more affordable rates, according to Wyndham. The name is based on the idea that Project HQ hotels, which will be affiliated with Wyndham's Registry Collection Hotels, will serve the guests' headquarters in the heart of cities where they are located. Project HQ hotels will include pre-approved FF&E packages, supply chain, technology integrations, OS&E packages and programming to monetize otherwise underutilized spaces of the property. Led by Sam Nazarian as chairperson, sbe provides F&B packages that include Casa Dani from Chef Dani García; MXO, a Mexican Steakhouse by Chef Wes Avila; and Katsuya by Chef Katsuya Uechi.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING points are becoming a standard amenity at hotels, akin to the rise of Wi-Fi in the early 2000s. Benefits for the hotel owners and franchisers can include additional revenue, carbon credits as well as attracting guests from the growing number of electric vehicle drivers. A 2022 Green Lodging survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association revealed a surge in the deployment of EV chargers within the hospitality sector, with 26.6 percent of all U.S. hotels equipped with charging stations. The EV charging facilities are more commonly found at luxury hotels (nearly 90 percent offer them), while only about one in five limited-service hotels provides charging, representing significant growth opportunities. Hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, BWH Hotel Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotel Corp. and G6 Hospitality have prioritized deploying EV charging based on customer preferences. Their franchisees have begun incorporating EV charging infrastructures into their properties. "We've heard from our owners that offering EV charging solutions is increasingly influential for guests when choosing hotels," said Brian McGuiness, IHG's senior vice president of global guest experience. "This is backed by our observation of guests using EVC filters on the IHG One Rewards mobile app and website. Our integrated EV-charger search filter within the IHG One Rewards mobile app allows travelers to easily find properties with EV charging capabilities, empowering them to plan their journeys conveniently and confidently."

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY picked the Agilysys point-of-sale platform, InfoGenesis, as an option for its hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Marriott's luxury, premium and select tiers hotels in both countries can now use the platform for guest-facing and staff-facing operations in F&B, retail and activity centers at each property. Agilysys is led by CEO Ramesh Srinivasan. InfoGenesis consolidates guest and staff purchasing transactions onto a single comprehensive cloud platform tailored for the hospitality industry, Agilysis said in a statement. InfoGenesis POS integrates with Marriott property management systems, furnishing front desk operators with detailed POS transactional information aimed at enhancing operational efficiency. "Marriott International is a globally admired organization and we look forward to offering properties across the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to leverage our enterprise-grade InfoGenesis omnichannel point-of-sale technology platform," said Srinivasan.

KNOWLAND, A HOSPITALITY data-as-a-service provider, recently integrated a sub-market filter into its search and dashboard functions, adding to its market snapshot and new-to-market capabilities. This new feature enables precise filtering down to the sub-market level within larger markets, identifying localized opportunities, Knowland said in a statement. "To stay agile in this competitive industry, hotel sellers must be savvy about community activity," said Jeff Bzdawka, Knowland's CEO. "With this localized market view, they see opportunities in their immediate area rather than sifting through broad datasets. We continue to innovate our platform with new features and functionalities to help sales teams excel in account-based selling and automate the sales process for better outcomes." Hotel sales teams rely on detailed data analytics for sourcing new business, Knowland said. The sub-market filter provides accessible metrics on top neighborhoods, aiding teams in adopting an account-based selling approach.

HOSPITALITY FINANCIAL AND Technology Professionals, the global representative for hospitality technology and producers of HITEC, recently initiated a project to develop a digital responsibility code for the hospitality industry. HFTP is forming a task force of experts and academics to develop the code. HFTP commissioned the University of Houston to write a white paper on digital responsibility, featured in the inaugural issue of HFTP's Tech+Fin Hospitality Magazine at HITEC 2024, HFTP said in a statement. The paper and industry discussions highlighted the need for guidelines on digital responsibility. Task force members include: ProfitSence Favicon Ads by ProfitSence Co-chair Scot Campbell, principal, Integrated Resort Advisors, HFTP Global past president and inductee to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame Co-chair Agnes DeFranco, Conrad N. Hilton Distinguished Chair at University of Houston and HFTP Global past president Mike Blake, vice president, IT, Kemper Sports Steven Bronken, head of global hospitality, Ruckus Networks Sanovnik Destang, executive director, Bay Gardens Resorts Florian Gallini, CEO, INTEREL Thomas Hempel, vice president, sales and partnerships, VENZA Barry Thomas, vice president, technology, Orient Express and Fairmont Hotels Sherry Marek, founder, Aiken Street Consulting and inductee to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame Shannon McCallum, vice president, hotel operations, Resorts World Las Vegas, Neal Patel, managing partner, Blue Chip Hotels, AAHOA past chairman Andrew Rubinacci, chief advisory officer, FLYR for Hospitality Thomas Atzenhofer, deputy CEO, HFTP "There are many good practices for digital responsibility throughout the industry, but these have never been aggregated, vetted and published as a compilation of the best practices in a uniform guide," said Atzenhofer. "HFTP's task force of global industry technology and business experts, has agreed to tackle the task and make the ind

SOFTWARE PLATFORM SITEMINDER, led by CEO Sankar Narayan, has partnered with PMS software developer Cloudbeds to provide more service to its 60,000 hotelier clients. The collaboration allows Cloudbeds clients direct access to SiteMinder's revenue platform, while SiteMinder users can leverage Cloudbeds' PMS platform. "In late 2023, we announced our mission of making sophisticated revenue management accessible to every hotel in the world," said Narayan. "We are excited to partner with an industry leader like Cloudbeds to propel this mission, by removing the friction that comes with having critical data hidden away in isolated systems. This partnership is a testament to the $50 billion hotel revenue that is processed by SiteMinder's platform each year as well as the unique position that we hold to completely transform revenue management for the global hotel industry. It continues SiteMinder's long history of breaking down silos in a highly-fragmented industry."