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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.

BEST WESTERN HOTELS & Resort executives say the company is riding a wave of success that brought its members to Hawaii for its 2023 Annual Convention. Best Western benefited from budgeting for a forecasted recession that now seems unlikely this year, and saw continued growth domestically and internationally with India "top of mind." Other topics addressed during the convention at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu last week include the strategy to be followed by Joelle Park, Best Western's newly hired senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Also, the company's new program to advance women in hotel ownership was getting under way. Making waves Larry Cuculic, president and CEO, opened the conference giving details on the company's performance. "The Big Wave reflects the surge that BWH Hotels has made in the travel industry and how we are making 'big waves' together all over the world," Cuculic said. "Our Big Wave has rippled through our organization, our industry, and our lives, touching our guests, our communities, and leaving a rich legacy of success."

Shree kshetra Shirdi is very famous for Shri Shirdi Sai BABA and his divine miracle and this famous pilgrim destination posses very rich and important place in devotes life. Shree kshetra is located 296 kms from Mumbai and around 200kms away from Pune located in Ahmednagar district. Shree kshetra Shirdi is almost developed and there are many new facilities upgraded like accommodation to security and from cuisine to fun services, many new Hotels and Resorts are opened in Shirdi in terms of better service for visitors. Road are made wider upgraded security system are been installed, local bodies are likely involved in many services to make Shirdi flourish. More like, 3 to 4 hours from Pune is the journey time. The suitable timing to start journey for Shirdi is early morning so you can reach to your destination as early as possible. The climate in Shirdi is quite humid. Preferred vehicle for the tour are Big compartment vehicles and should be air conditioned like Swift Dzire, Ciaz, Innova, Etios, Ertiga and so on. At Optimum Travel & Leisure Private Limited many Ac and Non Ac car's are available on rental basis with best compared rate to the market rate and there are pre defined packages exist as bifurcated on no of passengers and the variant of vehicle which can be feasible to the travelers. Few Tips While Visiting The Shree Kshetra Shirdi:- -Try to be in cotton clothes in day time or where anything which is breathable, avoid black colors. -For night use warm clothes. -Try to choose a decent hotel for accommodation with family; a single man can settle anywhere. -Try to get knowing about all hidden cost and checkout the timing before getting checked inn. -Shirdi Mahaprasad is very famous among the devotees. We suggest you at least try yourself once. -Try to avoid brokers for Hotel booking and other services. -Best of luck- There are many famous places in and near by Shree Kshetra Shirdi like: Shree Kshetra Shani Shinganapur Sai Baba Chavadi Dwarkamai Masjid Maruti Mand

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So you've always wanted to play Freddy Kreuger from 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' series. Or perhaps a horror movie scream queen is your thing. But there's a problem - before your big break to make your presence felt this Halloween, you must pass this thing called the auditions.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton Whitestown Indianapolis NW is now open in Whitestown, Indiana. It is owned by the Jetha Group with Sumeet Jetha as president of operations and managed by Hotel Equities. The 107-room hotel is near Grand Park Sports Campus, Indiana Motor Speedway, Amerisource Bergen, Indy Car Exchange and Indianapolis International Airport. Amenities include a combined laundry and fitness area, indoor pool and Digital Key check-in. During its opening weekend, Home2 Suites Whitestown Indianapolis donated all of its proceeds to So Big, an organization that provides assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies. "We are excited to open our doors to travelers visiting metro Indianapolis and serving our community," said Keith Adkins, the hotel's general manager. "Whitestown and the surrounding area is a great place to visit and stay for a while with an abundance of amenities at your door step, including nearby shopping and dining."

WHEN IT COMES to growing hotel revenue, size does not matter. Economy hotels and micro-inventory properties are experiencing one of the biggest booms in recent years, thanks partly to a massive resurgence in small group travel, changing economic trends, and the staying power of global "return to travel". CBRE noted economy and midscale hotels recovered to 2019 performance levels by 2021, and properties with fewer rooms may benefit from lower operating costs when compared to their big-box brethren-though they also tend to have fewer resources with which to hire revenue professionals. Revenue managers are driving the charge for better operating returns. Many are taking the lessons they learned from their success at larger hotels and applying these truths to the industry's smaller properties. These revenue managers leverage new technology and strategies, options that small hotels with smaller, cross-functional staff haven't fully embraced. However, competition among economy hotels and properties tends to be fierce, requiring new action, especially with recent economic pressures and a downward 2023 RevPAR forecast of 0.2 percent in recent data shared by Tourism Economics . Modern revenue management practices and technology can provide these hotels with many benefits and significant competitive advantages. Small hotels need to avoid the erratic rate shifts of the past and capitalize on new trends as they emerge. By embracing strong revenue management systems and discipline in these properties, operators can realize greater control over a typically inconsistent space. Room Enough for Revenue The most common misconception about revenue management's place in hospitality is that it is the domain of large or full-service hotels. This is simply not the case today. No two hotels are the same, in practice, with key differences always existing between the layout of a property, its location, third-party partnerships, and so on. Every hotel has different revenue pot

The Best Western Shackleford is open in Little Rock, Arkansas, following a $1 million renovation. The 60-key hotel on Shackleford Road is owned by Rahul Patel. "We are excited to welcome guests at our newly renovated property while they discover Arkansas' capital city," Patel said. "The updates ensure our guests find a comfortable place to relax after days exploring our lively downtown, known for its thriving arts and music scene and a range of attractions suitable for all ages." Several rooms in the hotel are designed in a suite-style with king-sized beds and hot tubs. Amenities include a renovated 24-hour fitness center, indoor swimming pool and a 700 square-foot meeting space. The vicinity offers a range of attractions including Little Rock Zoo, Wildwood Park for the Arts, Arkansas State Capitol, Big Dam Bridge, Museum of Discovery, Heifer Village and Urban Farm, Pinnacle Mountain State Park and various dining options, shopping centers, educational facilities, recreational centers and transportation hubs.

THE BAIRD/STR HOTEL Stock Index jumped in July, ending a downward trend for two consecutive months. The index decreased 10.4 percent year-to-date for the first seven months of 2022. Baird/STR Index recorded a sharp increase of 14.3 percent in July, according to STR. The index fell 19.3 percent in June and 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 Baird/STR Index surpassed both the S&P 500, up 9.1 percent from June, and the MSCI US REIT Index, increased 8.7 percent, respectively during July. The hotel brand sub-index rose 14.2 percent from June, while the Hotel REIT sub-index increased 14.6 percent during the month. "Hotel stocks rebounded sharply and outperformed their respective benchmarks in July; relative outperformance has continued in August," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "Despite the big gains in July, hotel stocks did not fully recapture June's losses. Positively, second quarter earnings exceeded analysts' and investors' expectations, and broader recession fears have begun to subside, which has boosted sentiment and stock prices. All eyes are on the post-Labor Day outlook that should reflect a more normalized travel environment."

AAHOA MADE CHANGES to two leadership positions Monday with a promotion and a new hire. Heather Carnes to executive vice president for communications and chief strategy officer and hired Phelps Hope as its new executive vice president for operations and chief development officer. Carnes has been with AAHOA for three years, most recently as the association's vice president of marketing and communications, and has worked nearly her entire career in the association space, according to AAHOA. In her new role, she will focus on organizational strategy, marketing and communications, organizational culture and HR, education/program development and strategic partnerships. "It's an incredibly important time for AAHOA and our industry," Carnes said. "I'm thrilled to be moving into this new role where I can have an even greater impact on the organization, our overall strategic initiatives, and working alongside Laura Lee, Phelps, and the rest of the AAHOA team to make big things happen on behalf of our nearly 20,000 hotelier members."

From the courtroom to the halls of Congress, Laura Lee Blake has been representing AAHOA in some capacity for more than a decade now. For the past year she has served as the organization's president and CEO, and recently she sat for Asian Hospitality's Leadership Series to discuss the issues facing the association today. Those issues include the promotion of franchise reform, programs to advance women in the hotel industry and her future plans in her role at AAHOA. Blake's work for the association began well before her current appointment. Making the decision Blake, who is an attorney, worked with AAHOA from 2005 to 2014, then left to return to her law firm in Newport Beach, California. She had just started a trial on a big case when AAHOA offered her the president position.

THE BAIRD/STR Hotel Stock Index rose 12.7 percent in December over the previous month. It was up 25.6 percent for 2021 as a whole. The index outperformed both the S&P 500, up 4.4 percent, and the MSCI US REIT Index, which rose 8.2 percent in December. The hotel brand sub-index increased 13.2 percent from November while the Hotel REIT sub-index rose 10.9 percent. Investment was bolstered by some, if not good, then less bad than expected news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "Hotel stocks ended a volatile year with strong gains in December as the worst-case scenarios related to the Omicron variant appeared unlikely to unfold as initially feared," Bellisario said. "With the big rebound into year-end, the hotel brands ended up slightly outperforming the S&P 500 in 2021, while the hotel REITs - despite gaining 12 percent on the year - significantly lagged the RMZ's best-ever annual performance. Turning the calendar to 2022, leisure travel strength is expected to persist, but the wildcard for the overall industry's continued recovery remains a more substantialreturn of the business traveler."

THE REVPAR OF hotels in Phoenix is forecasted to reach $419 for Super Bowl weekend of February 10-12, the second-highest level for the event, according to STR. As the city also hosts Phoenix Open this week, the Friday through Sunday night occupancy may touch 94 percent and ADR to hit $445. According to STR, a unique volume of demand would push occupancy slightly higher than Phoenix's last host year in 2015 (93.7 percent) even though supply increased by 11.7 percent this year. The ADR level would rank third among host markets behind Miami in 2020 and San Francisco in 2016. "Phoenix's jump in RevPAR during its last Super Bowl host year was staggering, and this time around will be no different with big-time growth contribution from both occupancy and ADR," said Isaac Collazo, STR's vice president of analytics. "Demand speaks for itself, especially with consumer behavior around the event free of pandemic concerns-unlike the last two Super Bowls. Phoenix's ADR situation has different influences than recent host markets given inflation and having less upper-tier supply than a Los Angeles or Miami." The overall Phoenix market comprises 544 hotels with 70,488 rooms.

THE U.S. HOTEL industry will be well on the way to recovery in 2022, according to consulting firm HVS Americas. However, a full recovery in real terms, after adjusting for inflation, remains a few years away, it added. With more assets, both distressed and well performing, expected to come to market this year, 2022 will be an exciting year for the industry, said Rod Clough, president of HVS, in an article titled 'ALIS 2022 Takeaways - Our Industry Braces for a Big Year Ahead'. A near full recovery in RevPAR at $85 for U.S. hotels is likely to happen by the end of 2022 when compared to $86 in 2018-19. "The higher inflationary environment will continue to bode well for hotels, resulting in ADR pricing power leading to a lift in revenue on top of still lean operational models. Group travel is still lagging the recovery, but near-term, smaller-group bookings (at newly raised room rates) should help bridge the gap while the industry waits for larger meetings to return," Clough wrote in the article. "Rising development costs due to supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, and overall inflation are leading to a general contraction in new hotel openings. Moreover, development challenges are intensifying for major CBDs, attributed to slow office re-openings, a lag in larger convention bookings, higher operating/labor costs, and even higher construction costs than your average project."

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.

NEARLY HALF OF travelers, or 49 percent, have already taken an international trip, according to a survey by travel risk and crisis response provider Global Rescue. That indicates an 88 percent jump in travel abroad since summer of 2021. The Winter 2022 Global Rescue Travel Safety and Sentiment survey has also revealed that domestically, 85 percent of respondents have already traveled, signaling an 18 percent increase during the period. The survey of more than 1,400 respondents between Jan. 25 to 29 found that nine out of 10 travelers are "much less or less" concerned about travel since the pandemic, showing a 22 percent increase in travel confidence. "All signals are pointing to the beginning of the end of international travel restrictions due to the pandemic. Countries like New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and others are opening their borders as severe COVID-19 illnesses and hospitalizations decline, vaccinations increase and testing is more convenient. Domestic travel continues to increase but the big news is that travel abroad is surging," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. "When people feel safe, they travel and we are seeing tremendous, positive change in the traveler confidence about their well-being."

ADR is projected to rise by 0.1 percentage points in 2024, with occupancy and RevPAR remaining unchanged from the previous forecast, according to STR and Tourism Economics' initial U.S. hotel forecast for 2024 at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit. Yet, 2025 projections for key performance metrics were revised downward due to stabilized long-term average trends: occupancy down 0.1 percentage points, ADR down 0.3 points and RevPAR down 0.5 ppts. "U.S. ADR and RevPAR reached record highs in 2023 with solid travel fundamentals and a big year for group business underpinning performance," said Amanda Hite, STR president. "We expect to see continued growth as fundamentals remain more favorable for the travel economy. The indicator that is especially important is the low unemployment rate among college-educated individuals, those most likely to travel for business and leisure." The STR and Tourism Economics forecast a rise in GOPPAR growth due to increased TRevPAR levels and stable labor costs. Among chain scales, luxury and upper upscale hotels are expected to see substantial cost increases, driven by growing group demand.