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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.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS showed positive growth in April after a difficult first quarter, according to The Highland Group. Monthly room revenue growth was the highest in nearly a year, demand saw its strongest increase in 16 months, and ADR and RevPAR turned positive after two and four months of decline, respectively. "The performance of extended-stay hotels in April re-established the segment's long-term trend of increasing its market share of total hotel supply, demand and room revenues," said Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group. The extended-stay room supply grew 2.8 percent in April, slightly above the average monthly increase over the last two years, the report said. However, April marked 31 consecutive months of 4 percent or less supply growth, with annual supply change under 2 percent for two years-both metrics well below the long-term average.

It's the weekend and you're out at the same old place with your friends. Maybe it's pub-crawling with your best mates, or maybe it's having a quick round of office gossip with your colleagues at a café. But one thing's for sure - Hollywood After Hours at Universal Studios Singapore is giving you a new place and new reasons to celebrate.

While we don't know what will happen next, the past several months has shown us that the need to get out and travel is stronger than ever. However, as the labor and staffing crisis continues, some hoteliers struggle to accommodate the uptick in travel. Corporate travel and industry events and the need to meet face-to-face will continue to grow, so now is the time to focus on getting staff ready to welcome back corporate travelers who haven't traveled in 18 months. Taking notes from the entertainment industry One interesting tactic that the hospitality industry should take note of is the way the entertainment industry has handled the return of movies in theaters. If you went to the movies over the summer, you may have seen how the industry pulled together to thank movie-goers for coming back to the theater. Galaxy Theaters CEO came onto the big screen to thank the audience and welcome them back. Regal did something similar. Even more compelling were the messages from directors such as John Krasinski ahead of Quiet Place II and Lin-Manuel Miranda ahead of In the Heights. These two films led the charge in releasing their content to the big screen. In doing so, they took the time to record a message to thank the audience for coming back and for supporting the industry. This strategy works because the theater has a captive audience. After all, unless you are late to the film, or getting popcorn, you are sitting there in anticipation of seeing a movie on the big screen after nearly 18 months of Netflix and microwaved popcorn.

From now till September, get ready to party at Universal Studios Singapore's Hollywood After Party every Saturday night! Check out the highlights here!

TWO HOTELS HAVE converted to the AmeriVu brand founded in 2015 by Wisconsin hotelier Nick Rai. Rai said the company's continued expansion despite the current economic downturn is because of its affordable business model. The hotels are both in Wisconsin. They are a 50-room former Super 8 in Shawano, about 40 miles northwest of Green Bay, and a 47-room former independent in Saint Croix, about 55 miles northeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul. "In today's financial environment, owners are drawn to our unlimited free online reservations and our modest $20 per room per month royalty / marketing charge," said Rai, who now is CEO of Vishav Hotels. "Also popular is our yearly exit opportunity and that we have few mandated amenities." Amerivu is now part of Atlanta-based Hospitality Lodging Systems after Rai signed a long-term exclusive licensing agreement with HLS in 2016. HLS also licenses the Budgetel and Haven Hotel brands. "After a year of economic pain in 2020, hotel owners are ready for the return to more stable, more profitable results that our three brands deliver," said Doug Collins, HLS chairman and CEO.

THE UPWARD MOVEMENT of ADR for U.S. hotels lifted the forecast for the market by STR and Tourism Economics. The travel research firms released the new forecast during the opening sessions of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles on Monday. The recovery timeline laid out in the new forecast remains mostly the same as the previous forecast released in November, with ADR will near full recovery this year. RevPAR is anticipated to exceed 2019 levels in 2023, but when adjusted for inflation ADR and RevPAR are not projected to reach full recovery until after 2025. Occupancy is projected to surpass 2019 levels in 2023. "The industry recaptured 83 percent of pre-pandemic RevPAR levels in 2021, and momentum is expected to pick up after a slow start to this year," said Carter Wilson, STR's senior vice president of consulting. "With so much of that RevPAR recovery being led by leisure-driven ADR, however, it is important to keep an eye on the real versus the nominal. Terms of recovery are not playing out evenly across the board, and many hoteliers have had to raise rates to minimize the bottom-line hit from labor and supply shortages. We are anticipating inflation to remain higher throughout the first half of the year with a gradual leveling off during the third and fourth quarters. If that happens, and we avoid major setbacks with the pandemic, this year will certainly be one to watch with demand and occupancy also shaping up to hit significant levels during the second half."

PROFITS ROSE IN October for U.S. hotels on a month-to-month basis, according to STR. However, the numbers are still down versus 2019, indicating a bump in the road to recovery. GOPPAR for the month was $62.75, according to STR's monthly P&L data release, up from $46.29 in September. TRevPAR for the month was $165.03, compared to $140.94 the month before, and EBITDA PAR was $44.14, up from $30.47 in September. At the same time, labor costs also rose from $47.50 the previous month to $52.17 inOctober. Estimated industrywide gross operating profit was 89 percent of October 2019 levels, after coming in at 97 percent in September. Labor costs reached 91 percent of pre-pandemic comparables in October after reaching a high of 96 percent in September. "October data was important to analyze from multiple angles," said Raquel Ortiz, STR's assistant director of financial performance. "The metrics were up quite a bit from September if you measure by available rooms, but that's to be expected as October is usually a stronger revenue month due to conferences and group travel. When you extrapolate and bring in the comparison to pre-pandemic times, performance was lower. Fortunately, even with less corporate business this year, profit margins (38 percent) still came relatively close to what we saw in 2019 (40.9 percent)."

MORE THAN A week after Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida, AAHOA is on the ground providing aid and training for members. Hoteliers in affected areas are now in the process of working with insurance companies to repair damages while also taking care of their communities' basic needs. On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian brought massive flooding from its storm surge in Florida, where at least 119 people died as of Oct. 18, according to NPR. According to AAHOA, 65 percent of hotels in Florida are owned by its members. Rahul Patel, AAHOA's Florida director, owns five properties in the Fort Myers-Sarasota area. He was at his America's Best Value Inn in Fort Myers, Florida, during the hurricane.

THE BAIRD/STR HOTEL Stock Index dropped in June for the second consecutive month. The index dropped for the first time, after rising continuously for five months, in May. Baird/STR recorded a sharp fall of 19.3 percent in June, according to STR. The index dropped 5.8 percent in May. It went up 0.7 percent during April. It increased 2.2 percent in March after rising 4.1 percent in February. The index decreased 21.6 percent during the first six months of 2022. The Baird/STR Index fell behind both the S&P 500, dropped 8.4 percent from May and the MSCI US REIT Index, down 7.9 percent respectively during June. The hotel brand sub-index fell 19.3 percent from May, while the Hotel REIT sub-index dipped 19.5 percent during the month. "Hotel stocks continued on their downward trajectory in June and were significant relative under-performers as investors began to factor in an increasing likelihood of an impending recession," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "While the upcoming summer travel months are expected to be strong, investors are looking beyond the near-term fundamental strength to a period when demand and ADR growth are likely to moderate, which is supported by the many macroeconomic indicators that are flashing signs of broader slowing."

THE BAIRD/STR HOTEL Stock Index dropped in May, after rising continuously for five months. Investors grew concerned about macroeconomic slowing and inflationary pressures which led to the broader stock market volatility. Baird/STR dropped 5.8 percent during the month, according to STR. Baird/STR went up 0.7 percent during April. The index decreased 2.8 percent over the first five months of 2022. It increased 2.2 percent in March after rising 4.1 percent in February. Baird/STR index fell behind the S&P 500, which was flat from April, but surpassed the MSCI US REIT Index, which was down 6.3 percent. The hotel brand sub-index fell 6 percent from April, while the Hotel REIT sub-index dipped 4.9 percent during the month.

THE GRADY HOTEL is now open in Louisville, Kentucky, after an extensive renovation by owner Vision Hospitality Group of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It will be operated by Humanist Hospitality, a division of Vision. The 51-room luxury lifestyle Grady is Vision Hospitality's most recent upscale property, such as the recently opened Kinley Chattanooga Southside in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Work began on the restoration in March 2020. "The Grady is a special project for Vision, and we are excited to see how this restored, historic building tells its story to all who step inside," said Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality Group President & CEO. "The Grady represents Louisville's one-of-a-kind spirit and welcomes both locals and guests to experience its refined comfort and cordial service." The Grady is near the Muhammed Ali Center, Frazier History Museum and the Louisville Slugger Museum. The building originally housed a medicinal bourbon apothecary built in the late 1800s by pharmacist J.B Wilder.

AN ALABAMA HOTELIER, Pravin Raojibhai Patel, was shot and killed last week after a confrontation with a man asking for a room, according to the Sheffield, Alabama, Police Department. William Jeremy Moore, 34, was arrested in connection with the incident, which comes three years after a series of similar killings of Indian American Hotel owners. Patel, 76, was the owner of the Hillcrest Motel in Sheffield. On Feb. 8, Moore came to the motel and tried to get a room when an altercation started between the two men. "That is when Mr. Moore pulled a handgun and shot Mr. Patel," Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry said in the report. "Mr. Moore was quickly apprehended by Sheffield Police on 13th Avenue when he was trying to break into an abandoned house. When searching Mr. Moore, the murder weapon was found in his possession." Jemeriz Owens, who works as a barber across the street from Patel's motel, told a local news station that he heard three gunshots go off back-to-back. He ran to the motel and found police attending to Patel, who was dead outside his office.

A BENGALURU YOUTUBER visiting the U.S. sparked debate on social media after sharing his experience of being charged $14.99 for a bottle of water at a five-star Las Vegas hotel after asking for a complimentary glass, comparing it to Indian hospitality. Ishan Sharma called it his biggest "culture shock." "American hotels. They just don't get hospitality. Funny how they ask for tips but won't even give complimentary water," wrote Ishan Sharma, a second-year electrical engineering student at BITS Pilani, Goa, on X. "Basic services like helping with luggage and being accommodating were missing. I checked in at 2 a.m., exhausted from the flight, and asked for a glass of water. They said, 'It's $14.99 for a 200ml bottle; you can buy it.' And this is at a $200 (₹16,800) per night hotel! Complete lack of empathy. Unbelievable!" Sharma, who stayed at Caesar's Palace, noted that his experiences at three, four, and five-star hotels in the U.S. had been similar.

THOUSANDS OF WORKERS at Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corp. hotels in San Francisco returned to work after ratifying new contracts, according to UNITE HERE. The workers settled for affordable healthcare, significant raises and workload protections. About 1,500 Marriott employees returned on Saturday, while 1,000 Grand Hyatt workers unanimously ratified a tentative agreement, UNITE HERE said in a statement. Hilton workers ended their 93-day strike on Dec. 24, voting 99.4 percent for the new contract. San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie engaged with hotel owners and striking employees after his election, helping to secure union approval for the Marriott contracts.

APPROXIMATELY 71 PERCENT of travelers seek a separate vacation to unwind after family time, according to a recent survey by IHG Hotels & Resorts. The survey found that many respondents prefer to avoid staying with family during their trips as well. Among respondents avoiding stays with friends and relatives, 55 percent expressed a preference for hotels. These travelers gravitate towards simple relaxation activities, with 60 percent opting for a nap, 46 percent preferring a jacuzzi and 42 percent considering a spa day. "The holidays often go hand-in-hand with traveling to see loved ones, but as much as we enjoy visiting friends and family, it can leave us feeling drained," said Connor Smith, IHG's vice president of masterbrand strategy. "When that happens, people want to relax and be taken care of, enjoy a free breakfast from Holiday Inn Express, or have a glass of wine at Kimpton's social hour without worrying about cleaning their room in the morning."

Bob Gilbert, president and CEO of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, retired after 30 years in executive leadership roles. Juli Jones, HSMAI senior vice president, will serve as interim managing director while the association, aided by SearchWide Global and HSMAI's management company MCI, searches for the next president and CEO, HSMAI said in a statement. Gilbert accelerated his retirement due to a serious health issue. Kristin Miodonski, MCI associate vice president and HSMAI content director, will serve as interim managing director for the HSMAI Foundation, the statement said. "It is with the utmost respect that we announce the retirement of Bob Gilbert from his role of president and CEO of HSMAI," said Andrew Rubinacci, HSMAI Americas chair and chief advisory officer at FLYR Hospitality. "Bob has been a mentor and friend to so many of us in the industry and has taken the association to new heights over the course of his incredible 30-year tenure, expanding HSMAI across the globe. The association will benefit from his leadership for many years to come."

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS is quietly bouncing back after Choice Hotels International's failed takeover bid. The company reported a net income of $86 million for the second quarter ending June 30, a 22.8 percent increase from $70 million the previous year. Wyndham's global pipeline grew 7 percent year-over-year, with a 5 percent increase in the U.S. alone. Its net income increase was driven by higher adjusted EBITDA, a benefit from the reversal of a spin-off matter and a lower effective tax rate, Wyndham said in a statement. "The resilience and highly cash generative nature of our business model was once again on full display this quarter," said Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham's president and chief executive officer. "Amid a normalizing domestic RevPAR environment, we delivered strong adjusted EBITDA driven by net room and ancillary fee growth. We awarded 33 percent more hotel contracts domestically which grew our development pipeline to a record 245,000 rooms, and drove significant increases in our U.S, international and global royalty rates. Year-to-date, we've returned over $250 million to shareholders, representing 4 percent of our beginning market capitalization this year."

Red Roof Inn Del Rio in Del Rio, Texas, is now open after a $2 million renovation. The 100-room property is owned by Del Hospitality, led by Timirkumar Patel. The hotel is near downtown Del Rio, Laughlin Air Force Base, Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Amistad National Recreation Area, Plaza Del Sol Mall, Whitehead Memorial Museum, Val Verde Winery, Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, San Felipe Natural Spring Park and San Felipe Springs Golf Course. Del Rio International Airport also is nearby. The pet-friendly hotel has a year-round outdoor pool and participates in RediRewards and Red Roof's RediClean program for guest and staff safety.

The Royal Ascot race is known to be amongst the most amazing events in the entire UK and quite a sought after one in the well known British calendar.