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THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline was slightly up at the end of the first quarter of 2022, according to Lodging Econometrics. Dallas was the top U.S. market for building. The pipeline stood at 5,090 projects containing 606,302 rooms, up 2 percent by projects, but down 3 percent by rooms, during the period. There are 961 projects with 128,784 rooms currently under construction in the first quarter, down 27 percent by projects and 28 percent by rooms compared to 2021, stated the latest trend report by LE. There are 1,911 projects with 223,030 rooms are scheduled to start in the next 12 months, up 2 percent by projects and 3 percent by rooms. Projects and rooms in early planning reached a record high in the first quarter, with 2,218 projects containing 254,488 rooms, up 24 percent by projects and 12 percent by rooms, compared to a year ago.

Eight new Hihotels by Hospitality International properties recently opened in five states: three in Texas, two in Pennsylvania, and one each in New York, Vancouver, and Ohio. The company provides franchising options across its five brands including Scottish Inns, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns, and Passport Inn. In Texas, the three properties include Scottish Inns - Eastex Freeway North in Houston, owned by 59 Little York, Inc. under Sandip Sindha's leadership; Scottish Inns in Decatur owned by Sunlight Partnership LLC led by Leena Patel; and Scottish Inns & Suites in Shenandoah/Woodland owned by Anjali Hospitality LLC under Mahesh Patel's guidance, Hihotels said. In Pennsylvania, two hotels have opened: Scottish Inns in Middletown, owned by Sky Hotels LLC led by Rajan Vesuwala; and Red Carpet Inn & Suites in Philadelphia, owned by Vrisha Lodging LLC led by Kiran Patel.

HILTON WORDLWIDE HOLDINGS aims to double its 350 lifestyle hotels by 2028, planning to add 350 more within four years, including 100 this year. Also, the company appointed Kevin Osterhaus as president of global lifestyle brands to oversee the growth, design, and development of Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Graduate by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Tempo by Hilton. The growth will be supported by the addition of the Graduate and NoMad brands, Hilton said in a statement. The company added more than 50 new lifestyle hotels and approved another 100 in 2023. Additionally, this year will mark the debut of Hilton's 400th property in this category. "As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hilton's entry into the lifestyle segment, we look ahead to even more rapid growth with a powerhouse lineup of brands that will meet the needs of developers and guests alike in some of the world's most desirable locations," said Kevin Jacobs, Hilton's chief financial officer and president, global development. "The recent addition of the Graduate and NoMad brands to our lifestyle and luxury lifestyle portfolio will accelerate our growth as we look for more opportunities to deliver the exceptional experiences guests want in the world's top hotel destinations."

SIX PROPERTIES SIGNED with hihotels by Hospitality International in the second quarter of the year, all under Asian American owners. The new hotels are in Texas, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon and Pennsylvania. They join four other properties that, in the first quarter, joined hihotels' five brands; Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. The new properties are: A Red Carpet Inn in Leavenworth, Indiana, owned by Katen Patel. A Red Carpet Inn in College Park, Maryland, former Econo Lodge, owned by Naginbhai Patel. A Red Carpet Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, former Travelodge, owned by Mahendra Patel. A Red Carpet Inn in Lester, Pennsylvania, former Econo Lodge, owned by Vinod Patel/Bharat 'Raj' Naik/Arav Naik. A Scottish Inns in Ashland, Oregon, former Rodeway Inn, owned by Bharat Lad. A Scottish Inns & Suites in Spring, Texas, former Econo Lodge, owned by Ketan Rama. The new hotels join 18 properties throughout the U.S. added in 2020, most owned by Asian American hoteliers, as are the four added this year. More hoteliers are expressing interest in the brand, said Guimbellot.

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline continued its growth at the end of the second quarter of 2022 as travel returned, according to Lodging Econometrics. The upscale and upper-midscale segments continue to lead the pipeline with 68 percent of projects. The total U.S. construction pipeline stands at 5,220 projects with 621,268 rooms during the second quarter. That is up 9 percent by projects and 4 percent by rooms, over the same period last year, according to the U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report from LE. There were 965 projects with 130,914 rooms currently under construction in the second quarter, down 17 percent by projects and 18 percent by rooms, year-over-year. As many as 2,009 projects with 232,163 rooms are scheduled to start in the next 12 months, up 9 percent by projects and 9 percent by rooms, over last year. According to the report, projects and rooms in early planning reached a record high at 2,246 projects with 258,191 rooms, up 26 percent by projects and 15 percent by rooms, compared to last year. "Improved demand and increased consumer sentiment and spending has led to record-high rates of travel and much improved hotel revenue over the last few months. The outlook for the industry is positive and growth is expected to continue throughout 2022, albeit at a decelerated pace than initially expected. The industry's ability to adapt to the constantly changing economic environment provides a positive outlook for hotel performance, and its eventual full recovery," the report said.

IHG Hotels & Resorts' first-quarter 2024 RevPAR in the Americas declined by 0.3 percent year-over-year. This was driven by a 1.9 percent decrease in U.S. RevPAR, countered by an 11.3 percent increase in Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean combined. Occupancy dropped to 63.1 percent, down by 1.1 percentage points, while ADR in the Americas rose by 1.5 percent. Meanwhile, IHG's global RevPAR increased by 2.6 percent in the first quarter and the company opened 6,200 rooms (46 hotels) globally, marking an 11.1 percent year-over-year increase after adjusting for Iberostar, IHG said in a statement. "Global RevPAR in the first quarter of 2024 continued to grow, up 2.6 percent, reflecting the strength of our globally diverse footprint," said Elie Maalouf, IHG Hotels & Resorts' CEO. "There was an impressive performance in EMEAA, which was up nearly 9 percent. The Americas, having already recovered very strongly, was broadly flat due to some adverse calendar timing, and Greater China grew by 2.5 percent and will continue to benefit from returning international inbound travel this year. Global occupancy moved up to 62 percent and ADR increased by a further 2 percent as pricing remained robust, reflecting the complete return of leisure, business and group travel."

The Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Tampa Riverview is now open in Riverview, Florida. It is owned by Riverview Hotels & Resorts LLC led by manager Singh Japinder and managed by Naples Hotel Group of Naples, Florida. The 108-room hotel is near James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, Topgolf and Bass Pro Shops. Hotel amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and 512 square feet of meeting space to accommodate functions of up to 40 people. "The Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Tampa Riverview is a truly stunning example of the brand's contemporary look and feel, and we are pleased to introduce Fairfield by Marriott hotels in the Riverview area," said Janis Milham, Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Classic Select Brands at Marriott International.

Pradip Bhol is now promoted as the cluster director of engineering at Courtyard By Marriott Surat, following his tenure as chief engineer. In the new capacity, he will oversee operations at Courtyard By Marriott Surat, Surat Marriott Hotel, Auro University, and forthcoming projects at Earth Space, Courtyard Surat said in a statement. Courtyard Surat is managed by Gujarat JHM Hotels and owned by the U.S.-based Auro Hotels, founded by the Rama family. "Pradip's promotion is a testament to his remarkable contributions and underscores Courtyard By Marriott Surat's commitment to recognizing and empowering talent within its ranks," said Vikas Sharma, Courtyard Surat's area general manager. "His leadership will undoubtedly chart new heights of success and further solidify the cluster's position. " Bhol has previously worked at Hyatt Hotels Corp., Accor, Lemon Tree Hotels, and Marriott International, the statement added.

HILTON IS ONE of the largest hotel companies in the world, known usually as parent company to higher end brands, such as Hilton Garden Inn and Canopy by Hilton. Now, the company is moving into the "premium economy" segment with its new brand, Spark. Spark will include several features meant to appeal to owners, according to Hilton, primarily by providing the company's reservation network, business model and commercial engines. It also includes supply chain management, a cost-effective pricing model and automated customer offerings such as digital check-in and Digital Key. "Spark by Hilton was developed in close collaboration with our developer community, and we are thrilled by the positive feedback and excitement we have received to date," said Alissa Klees, brand leader, Spark by Hilton. "In fact, we already have more than 100 deals in various stages of development across the U.S., with the first properties anticipated to open this year." Each hotel will feature colorful exterior walls and artwork. The public space will feature multi-functional seating, such as communal tables and rocking chairs, for guests to eat breakfast, socialize or work throughout the day. Guest rooms will have practical amenities, including an open closet, in-room refrigerator, multi-purpose work surface and bathroom. To ensure a consistent, quality guest experience, each hotel will be required to complete a full renovation, encompassing all guest-facing areas of the hotel, prior to joining Spark by Hilton. The new brand will fill a certain niche, said Matt Schuyler, Hilton's chief brand officer.

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline continued to grow in the third quarter, up 7 percent year-over-year by projects and rooms, according to Lodging Econometrics. The growth was moderate, with current project count 3 percent below and rooms 14 percent below the all-time high of 5,883 projects and 785,547 rooms reached in the second quarter of 2008. There were a total of 5,704 projects and 672,676 rooms in the construction pipeline by the end of the quarter, according to LE's Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the U.S. That's up from 5,572 projects with 660,061 rooms at the end of the second quarter. There were 1,063 projects with 140,331 rooms under construction at the close of the third quarter, an increase of 8 percent by projects and 4 percent by rooms YOY. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 2,234 projects with 257,729 rooms, up 8 percent YOY by projects and 9 percent by rooms. Projects and rooms in the early planning stage each increased 7 percent to stand at 2,407 projects with 274,616 rooms, just 27 projects and 5,296 rooms shy of the all-time high.

The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Dayton North is now open in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by The Witness Group, founded by Sagar and Ohm Patel, and managed by Hotel Equities. The 100-room hotel is near The Dayton Art Institute, Rose Music Center at the Heights, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton Dragons, and the University of Dayton. It is six miles from the Dayton International Airport. Amenities include an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center. Earlier this month, TWG and HE opened the dual-brand Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Keystone in Indianapolis, Indiana, and previously opened the Home2 Suites by Hilton Carmel Indianapolis in Indianapolis.

SAI LLC, LED by president Rajesh "Raj" Bhagia, recently won the 2023 Hilton Americas Development Award for New Build - Tru by Hilton in Brooklyn, New York. The 101-room Tru by Hilton Brooklyn, which opened in March, marked the brand's debut in New York city. The Hilton Development team selected 52 winners based on criteria such as quality of hotels developed and in operation, commitment to quality of projects, impact on local community and early adoption of newer brands, Hilton said in a statement. Along with the Development Awards by Brand, categories included Lifetime Achievement Award, New Developer of the Year, Conversion Developer of the Year, Multi-Brand Developer of the Year, Multi-Brand Deal of the Year and Developer of the Year by Category. "We are thrilled to celebrate our owner and development partners who are the recipients of the 2023 Americas Development Award," said Danny Hughes, Hilton's president for the Americas. "Over the last year, we've seen travel continue to grow across the Americas, creating even more opportunities for our partners to welcome guests to their hotels in exciting destinations across every corner of the region. From our legacy properties to our new developments, we are excited to see this continued growth and add even more exceptional hotels to our portfolio."

HYATT HOTELS CORP. reported strong early 2024 performance, with RevPAR and revenue growth, fueled by pipeline expansion driving its core hotel business and global franchise network. Systemwide RevPAR surged by 5.5 percent compared to 2023, while all-inclusive resorts net package RevPAR soared by 11 percent. Meanwhile, U.S. RevPAR increased by approximately 2 percent, excluding the Easter impact, indicating normalized growth. Net rooms grew by about 5.5 percent, with net income at $522 million and adjusted net income at $75 million, Hyatt said in a statement. Adjusted EBITDA stood at $252 million, dropping by 9 percent compared to Q1 2023, mainly due to the Super Bowl in Phoenix, increased real estate taxes, higher wages, and transaction costs from ongoing asset sales.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is now open in Chattanooga/East Ridge, Tennessee. The 101-room, four-story hotel is owned by Vision Hospitality Group, led by President and CEO Mitch Patel. This is Vision Hospitality's second hotel opening this year. Construction of the hotel began in February 2023 and was completed in just over a year in collaboration with Wolftever Development, Vision Hospitality said in a statement. The hotel is located next to the company's Hampton Inn in a mixed-use area of East Ridge. "We are proud to continue our partnership with Hilton and broaden our presence in the East Ridge area by launching this Home2 Suites by Hilton," said Patel. "East Ridge continues to see significant growth with new developments, which creates a demand for quality accommodations. We are pleased to meet this need."

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.

The Tru by Hilton Mooresville in Mooresville, North Carolina, is now open. It is managed by Maya Hotels led by co-founders J.D. Deva and Baldev Thakor. The 120-room hotel is in the Langtree Lake Norman mixed-use development in Mooresville. It is near to Lake Norman and Langtree Plantation. Amenities include mobile check-in and a fitness center. The hotel is pet friendly. The Tru by Hilton Mooresville marks Maya Hotels' fourth hotel investment in Mooresville in the last 25 years, with a fifth hotel set for completion in the third quarter of this year.

3H GROUP INC., led by Hiren Desai as president and CEO, broke ground on Caption by Hyatt Chattanooga, Hyatt Hotels Corp.'s inaugural launch of the brand in Tennessee. The upscale 123-room hotel, developed under a franchise agreement, is set to open in early 2026. The company is developing a Hyatt Studios hotel in Mobile, Alabama, slated to open in early 2025. "Our decision to continue our collaboration with Hyatt stems from their unwavering commitment to understanding the needs of both owners and guests," said Desai, also the owner of the Chattanooga property. "Caption by Hyatt is an innovative brand, and that approach, coupled with its flexible design and focus on guest experience makes it an attractive addition to our portfolio. We're excited to bring the vibrant energy of the first Caption by Hyatt hotel to our hometown of Chattanooga and look forward to enriching the local hospitality landscape."

The Home2 Suites by Hilton-Richmond is open in Richmond, Indiana. It is owned by The Witness Group led by Sachin Patel, Sagar Patel and Aakash Patel as principals and executive leadership team. It is managed by Hotel Equities of Atlanta. The 100-room extended-stay hotel is near Richmond Mall, the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, and Indiana University East. Dayton International Airport. Amenities include an indoor saline pool and electric vehicle charging stations. It is pet friendly. "The hotel staff has prioritized the health and safety of patrons by implementing HE's industry leading HEalth First standards of cleanliness and safety protocol as part of the early operations training," said David Rosenberg HE's vice president of operations. "These protocols, which are above and beyond brand standards, along with the team's delivery of superior customer service will give guests complete confidence during their stay and will position the hotel as a leader in the Richmond market."

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline dropped 8 percent by projects and 10 percent by rooms in 2021 when compared to 2020, according to Lodging Econometrics. However, the number of projects in the early planning stage is rising, it added. The total construction pipeline at the fourth quarter of last year stood at 4,814 projects containing 581,953 rooms, according to LE. There were 2,021 projects containing 239,816 rooms in the early planning stage, up 18 percent by projects and 11 percent by rooms, LE data shows. According to LE, 1,821 hotel projects containing 210,890 rooms are scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months. As many as 972 projects containing 131,247 rooms under construction finished the year. "New project announcements are down in the fourth quarter. However, developers are eager to accelerate projects long-delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they face some development roadblocks, including escalating inflation and supply chain shortages, that are causing higher prices versus 'pre-pandemic' costs for labor and materials," LE said. "These factors continue to prolong hotel development timelines. We anticipate these challenges to abate throughout the year and see construction starts to moderately improve."

The AC Hotel by Marriott Greenville Downtown is open in Greenville, South Carolina. It is owned by Auro Hotels led by Dharmendra D.J. Rama as president and CEO. The 8-story, 196-room upscale hotel is in Camperdown Plaza near Falls Park, the Reedy River, the Peace Center Performing Arts center, Kroc Center Greenville, the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Sirrine Stadium. It includes seven restaurants and bars, including the tapas bar Paloma, the rooftop Juniper and The Press Room speakeasy. "The opening of the AC Hotel Greenville Downtown and Paloma marks an exciting milestone for Auro Hotels," Rama said. "This project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity due to its location, scale, level of detail and amenities, as well as a unique opportunity to celebrate our hometown of Greenville. The hotel, along with the thoughtfully-curated food and beverage concepts, will be treasured by visitors and the local community for generations." Also, the hotel features more than 100 works by 35 local artists and 29,000 square feet of meeting and event space.