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BWH HOTELS HAS partnered with Tesla to introduce electric vehicle charging stations at its North American properties, with plans for international expansion. The installation of Tesla's Universal Wall Connectors at selected hotels will begin in 2024. The charging stations are designed to charge a variety of North American EV models, BWH Hotels said in a statement. "This collaboration with Tesla underscores BWH Hotels' unwavering commitment to sustainability and dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences," said Michael Morton, vice president for brand management and member services, BWH Hotels. "As the hospitality industry evolves, we will continue to blend eco-conscious initiatives with the service, value and comfort that guests expect from BWH Hotels." EV charging stations are an attractive amenity for travelers with electric vehicles, the statement said. In line with its Earth, People, and Community initiative, BWH Hotels collaborates with hoteliers to broaden sustainability efforts by installing EV charging stations across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

ANOTHER ASIAN AMERICAN developer has signed on to build two properties under Choice Hotels International's upscale Cambria brand. VRL Hotels, led by Victor Patel as president, has signed on to build a Cambria in Gatlinburg and another in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The 140-room Cambria Hotel Gatlinburg hotel is expected to open in 2022. It will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the tourist town in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Local attractions include Ober Gatlinburg ski resort, the Gatlinburg SkyLift, which carries passengers 1,800 feet up to the top of Crockett Mountain, and the Gatlinburg Space Needle. Also nearby are Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Haunted Adventure, the Rocky Top Sports complex, several bourbon distilleries, breweries and wineries and the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The 140-room Cambria Hotel Pigeon Forge is expected to open in 2024. Nearby attractions include Dollywood amusement park, the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and Museum, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, Titanic Museum Attraction, NASCAR SpeedPark Smoky Mountains and seasonal outdoor events throughout the year, such as Winterfest. Both hotels will have multi-function meeting and event spaces and fitness centers among other amenities.

HOTEL OWNERS NAVIGATING industry changes wrought by the pandemic face no dearth of challenges: the decline in business travel, competition from home rental apps and ongoing labor shortages are just a few. Too often, the people owning the hotels - many of them small business owners - are figuring out how to adapt to the new hospitality landscape with added complications from the hotel brands that should be their partners. While many hotel owners have struggled to maintain their livelihoods since the pandemic began three years ago, some big hotel chain franchisers sold hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of loyalty point value to credit card companies under a system that often fails to adequately reimburse the franchisees. That is the thanks these hardworking franchisees got as they worked hard to keep hotel doors open. It does not have to be this way. Generations of franchise owners have successfully embraced entrepreneurship through the franchising model. Franchising allows budding entrepreneurs to adopt a known brand name and comprehensive business strategies in exchange for a portion of the revenue. This partnership has nurtured our industry: Hotels owned by our members employ 1.1 million Americans and contribute $368 billion to the economy. But the franchising relationship needs to be a two-way street to be truly successful. That is why we must ensure that the franchise industry engages in sustainable practices that recognize and safeguard the contributions of small business owners.

BOSTON IS THE most expensive city for hotel accommodations in the U.S., according to a recent survey by Cheaphotels.org. Portland was the cheapest city, the survey has found. The survey compared hotel rates across 50 U.S. destinations in October, which is typically the month with the highest hotel prices in most American cities. It specifically focused on hotels with a 3-star rating or higher, located in central areas, Cheaphotels said in a statement. Boston took the lead as the priciest city, with an average rate of $303 for the most affordable double room, the survey said. Following closely were New York City and Austin, with rates of $288 and $257, respectively. Cleveland claimed the fourth spot, with an average rate of $234 for the least expensive room. Notably, hotel rates in Ohio's second-largest city have surged by 25 percent compared to 2022.

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.

THE U.S. SUPREME Court has "vacated as moot" a case that experts in the hospitality industry said could have set a precedent making it harder to file a "tester lawsuit" against hotels for alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. However, in its decision the court said it may still in the future address the core issue of the case, whether a person can file an ADA lawsuit against a hotel even if they have no intention of staying at that hotel. The case, Acheson Hotels, LLC v. Laufer, was originally filed by Deborah Laufer against Acheson Hotels in Maine. Laufer had sued saying the hotels in the case had failed to state on their websites whether they had accessible rooms for the disabled. "After a lower court sanctioned her lawyer, Laufer voluntarily dismissed her pending suits, including her case against Acheson Hotels, LLC, and filed a suggestion of mootness in this court," the court said. "Though Laufer's case is moot, the circuit split on the issue briefed and argued in this court is very much alive."

The Le Méridien St. Louis Downtown in St. Louis is open. It was developed by Hawkeye Hotels, led by Ravi Patel as president, and Paris-based Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts. The 96-room hotel was converted from the Hotel Majestic, located in a building built in 1913, one of the city's oldest landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is near the Dome at America's Center, America's Center Convention Complex, Busch Stadium, Gateway Arch National Park, Citygarden Sculpture Park, City Museum and Stifel Theater. Other nearby landmarks include the Gateway Arch, the Civil Courts Building and St. Louis City Hall. Hotel amenities include a fitness center, 1,210 square feet of meeting and event space, American blended with French Creole and Cajun cuisine restaurant Prime 55 Restaurant & Lounge and gelato stand Le Scoop by Le Méridien. Hawkeye will operate the hotel.

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.

APPROXIMATELY THREE OUT of four travelers agree that Americans are prioritizing travel more in 2024 and prefer a digital, self-service experience for their hotel stays, according to a recent survey by Mews, a hospitality cloud provider. Nearly 80 percent of U.S. travelers favor hotels with fully automated front desks or self-service kiosks, and more than 40 percent prefer checking in via a hotel's website, app, or digital kiosk. "Trends in hospitality are ever-changing but we're seeing indicators that people are prioritizing travel again," said Richard Valtr, Mews's founder. "While we're seeing some softness in mid-market and select service hotels, the luxury sector seems resilient. Guests visiting luxury properties are spending more on bucket list trips and staying for longer." The poll of 2,000 people, evenly split between travelers and hotel workers, revealed that hotel workers anticipate an increase in guest use of technology during travel. A quarter of them expect guests to check in more frequently via hotel websites, apps, or digital kiosks compared to previous years.

STONEBRIDGE COS. HAS acquired the Le Méridien New Orleans hotel for $84 million from Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. It is the second acquisition in the city in 12 months for the Denver-based company, started by CEO Navin Dimond. The 410-room, full-service upscale hotel on Poydras Street is near the city's French Quarter, Bourbon Street and Warehouse Arts District. Also nearby are the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Smoothie King Center and the Port of New Orleans Cruise Ship Terminal. Amenities include a rooftop pool, onsite restaurants and more than 13,000 square feet of event space. With the new purchase, Stonebridge's portfolio stands at 63 hotels and more than 10,000 guest rooms, including select-service, extended-stay, mid-scale and full-service hotels in several states. It is the first Le Méridien hotel for the company, Dimond said. "Last year we purchased the Embassy Suites by Hilton New Orleans," Dimond said. "New Orleans is truly a great American city, and the Le Méridien is ideally located for both leisure and business travelers alike visiting downtown New Orleans."

HOTELS STRUGGLED WITH rising costs outpacing revenue growth in 2024, hindering economic growth and job creation, according to American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2025 State of the Industry report. Despite these challenges, opportunities remain, driven by guest spending trends, shifting traveler behaviors, and major upcoming events. The report, published with Accenture, found property costs outpacing revenue, with operations, maintenance, sales, marketing, and IT expenses rising nearly 5 percent in 2024, adding to hotel industry challenges. "America's small business hotel owners have been struggling as rising costs, compounded by high inflation and interest rates, make it difficult to stay open and serve guests," said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA's president and CEO. "That's why we will be focused on promoting policies that help our members overcome these challenges so they can focus on what they do best-creating pathways for their employees to find lasting careers and creating unforgettable experiences for their guests."

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.

THE FEDERAL TRADE Commission finalized a rule on Tuesday requiring industries, including hotels, to disclose all fees upfront in advertised prices. The rule bans hotels from excluding resort fees, often labeled "junk fees," from advertised rates for short-term lodging. It takes effect 120 days after publication in the Federal Register. The rule mandates businesses to prominently display the total price to prevent "bait-and-switch tactics, such as drip pricing and misleading fees," the FTC said in a statement. Outgoing President Joe Biden said he has always prioritized families and hardworking Americans and urged his administration to focus on lowering costs. "Today, the Federal Trade Commission is doing just that by banning hidden junk fees when you book a hotel or purchase event tickets," Biden said. "We all know the experience of encountering a hidden fee at the very last stage of checkout-these junk fees sneak onto your bill, and companies end up making you pay more because they can. Those fees add up, taking real money out of the pockets of Americans."

RED ROOF HAS settled a lawsuit that alleged employees at Red Roof properties near Atlanta knew about and participated in human trafficking in those hotels. The lawsuit included a hotel owned by Asian American led Varahi Hotels LLC. Four female plaintiffs, identified only as Jane Does 1 to 4, filed the lawsuit in 2019 in connection to the alleged trafficking of which they were victims. The hotel properties were in the Buckhead area of Atlanta and the community of Smyrna. The lawsuit alleged that Red Roof and Varahi violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and failed to keep the hotels safe and secure. Red Roof's defense that it was not responsible for the actions of the traffickers was not sufficient, the suit said.

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.

NEWCRESTIMAGE IS EXPANDING its portfolio of luxury full-service properties with the addition of The Beeman Hotel in Dallas, which has 296 guestrooms and suites across nine floors. Coury Hospitality will manage the property, NewcrestImage said in a statement. NewcrestImage is led by Mehul Patel, managing partner and CEO. The Beeman Hotel, fully renovated in 2021, features a heated indoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, 12,000 square feet of flexible conference space, a lounge with video games, and the Seely Mill restaurant, the statement said. The property is adjacent to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the George W. Bush Presidential Library, and is less than six miles from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center, Love Field and NorthPark Center. "The Beeman is a very high-quality property that offers tremendous upside potential to help drive our ambitious growth goals," said Patel. "To further and fully optimize this hotel's value and profits, we intend to rebrand in the high-end upscale category."

STR AND TOURISM Economics made significant downward adjustments to the 2024-25 U.S. hotel forecast, reflecting lower-than-expected performance and reduced growth projections for the remainder of the year. Projected gains in ADR and RevPAR were downgraded by 1 and 2.1 percentage points, respectively. Occupancy is also expected to decline, contrasting with the previous forecast's projection of year-over-year growth in this metric. While an occupancy growth projection was maintained for 2025, ADR and RevPAR were adjusted downward by 0.8 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, STR and TE said in a joint statement. "We have seen a bifurcation in hotel performance over the first four months of the year, which we don't believe will abate soon," said Amanda Hite, STR's president. "The increased cost of living is affecting lower-to-middle income households and their ability to travel, thus lessening demand for hotels in the lower price tier. The upscale through luxury tier is seeing healthy demand, but pricing power has waned given changes in mix and travel patterns and to a lesser extent, economic conditions. Travel remains a priority for most Americans, but the volume has lessened as prices on goods and services continue to rise."

In our exclusive Leadership Series interview, Pat Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International, reflects on his organization's relationship with AAHOA, his opposition to the proposed New Jersey State legislation on fair franchising and why Asian hoteliers are still important to the company. In the end, he said, it's about keeping state governments out of a dialogue that should be held between franchisers and their franchisees regarding subjects such as selling loyalty points and revenue from preferred vender programs. Pacious also discussed other key topics in the conflict between AAHOA and several large hotel companies, including Choice as well as Marriott International. Also in the interview, held at Choice's recent 67th Owner & Franchisee Convention in Las Vegas, Pacious discusses topics addressed at the convention, such as Choice's recent acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas. He also comments on the company's offering to current and future franchisees and the importance of Asian American owners. 'This is not about fair franchising' In February, Choice announced it would "pause its partnership" with AAHOA, according to an alert to AAHOA members. AAHOA said Choice's decision came in response to AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising and its public support for New Jersey Assembly Bill A1958, which would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act. Prior to Choice's action, Marriott had announced it was withdrawing its support for AAHOA for the same reason, and both companies chose not to attend the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles in early April. Other companies, including Hilton and IHG Hotels & Resorts, also did not attend.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE is expected to rebound in the fourth quarter and continue into 2025 despite subdued summer demand and a sluggish third quarter, according to CBRE. RevPAR growth for 2024 is now projected at 0.5 percent, down from 1.2 percent in August, due to a 40 bps drop in expected occupancy. Occupancy is forecast to decline 30 bps year-over-year while ADR is projected to rise 0.7 percent, 40 bps below earlier forecasts, the report said. RevPAR growth is expected to rebound in the four quarter of 2024, driven by rate cuts, easing inflation and stock market gains. "U.S. hotels performance was softer-than-expected during the summer months, partly due to Americans traveling overseas in record numbers," said Rachael Rothman, CBRE's head of hotel research and data analytics. "At the same time, the slow recovery in inbound international travel has created an imbalance in U.S. leisure demand. Despite this, continued improvements in group and business travel served as relative bright spots in the third quarter."

THE AMERICAN FRANCHISE business model is in trouble, according to a recent survey commissioned by AAHOA. The survey was inspired by a webinar AAHOA co-sponsored to gather public comment on the state of franchising for the Federal Trade Commission. The survey found that only 5 percent of the franchisee respondents are satisfied that their current franchise agreements provide fair terms representing a balanced relationship between themselves and their franchiser. Also, 72.6 percent of respondents would "possibly" or "probably" terminate their current franchised business within the next year if they could do so without penalty. "Franchising is in dire straits unless changes are made," said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO. "Franchising is still a powerful tool for economic mobility for America's small-business owners, including AAHOA Members. But franchising only works when both franchisors and franchisees are committed to its success, which requires transparency, fairness, and sustainable business practices. As this survey shows, there is much room for improvement when it comes to relationships that allow our small-business owners to thrive." Blake recently wrote an editorial supporting AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising and its promotion of a proposed New Jersey law that would reform that state's franchising regulations in ways similar to the 12 points. Several large hotel companies, including Choice Hotels International and Marriott International, protested AAHOA's recent annual convention in protest to its position on franchise reform The survey was conducted among owners of hotels, restaurants, retail stores and other small businesses that had participated in the FTC webinar. It was co-sponsored by the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers, and the Coalition of Franchisee Associations, conducted the survey after a recent webinar with FTC Chair Lina Khan. The FTC is soliciting comments through June 8 about issues that affect franc