Group items tagged

Delta Hotels by Marriott Indianapolis Airport is open in Indianapolis. The hotel is owned by Blue Sky Hospitality Solutions led by President and CEO Naveen Shah. The 240-room hotel is near Indianapolis International Airport and eight miles from downtown Indianapolis. Other nearby attractions include Lucas Oil Stadium, The Indianapolis Zoo, the Indianapolis Children's Museum, Eli Lilly, Rolls Royce, Indiana University and Purdue University. The hotel has 5,193 square feet of meeting space, including a 4,370-square-foot ballroom and two smaller boardrooms. "This marks our second Delta Hotel in the Indianapolis marketplace, allowing for shared economies of scale and best practices," Shah said. "Our familiarity with the market and the brand will allow the hotel to ramp up quickly as Marriott continues the global expansion of Delta."

The Residence Inn by Marriott Richmond West is open in Midlothian, Virginia. It is owned by Shamin Hotels, led by CEO Neil Amin in Chester, Virginia. The 111-suite extended=stay hotel is near Johnston-Willis Hospital and 20 minutes from downtown Richmond. Other nearby attractions are Richmond Ice Zone, Huguenot Park, Chesterfield Towne Center and River City Sportsplex. The pet-friendly hotel's amenities include a meeting room, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center. "When on the road for an extended period, our guests need space to spread out, maintain their life's pace and restore their energy to keep a healthy balance and routine while traveling. This new hotel offers a seamless blend of modern style and functionality that allows them to settle in and thrive," said Diane Mayer, vice president and global brand manager for Residence Inn at Marriott International.

MONITORING GOPPAR PERFORMANCE allows hoteliers to make smart decisions about running their business as they consider all revenue streams and cost variables, according to HotStats. The focus should be on maximizing profit rather than just increasing revenue. GOPPAR is calculated by taking total revenue, subtracting total departmental and undistributed expenses, then dividing by the total number of available rooms, according to a blog post by HotStats. GOPPAR index measurement gives guidance about why a hotel is either outperforming or underperforming its direct competitors, allowing a hotel owner to make critical changes to improve business, it said. In February, GOPPAR for U.S. hotels was down 33 percent compared to February 2019, whereas RevPAR was down 26 percent for the month. It provided evidence that costs were eating farther into the P&L in February.

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

VERAKIN CAPITAL, A real estate investment group, exceeded its $350 million investment milestone in the first quarter of this year. The company has made collective investments in three hotel properties that are currently in various stages of development; the Moxy in downtown Atlanta, Georgia; Hampton Inn/Home 2 in downtown Nashville, Tennessee; and Courtyard by Marriott in Pittsburg, California, the company said in a statement. Verakin, led by partners Rupesh and Bimal Patel and Hiten Suraj, is the lead developer of the Courtyard by Marriott, while the company is co-investing in the other two projects alongside RevPar Development and Emerge Hospitality Group, according to the statement. RevPar Development is a privately-owned hotel development and management company on the East Coast, while Emerge Hospitality Group is a family-owned and -operated hotel ownership, development and management company. "We are developing both on our own behalf and in joint ventures with like-minded investment groups," Rupesh Patel said. "We are seeing that newer hotels and brands are faring better than their older counterparts as travel rebounds in many markets and segments. To help satiate our investment growth appetite, we will continue to seek best-in-class partners, such as RevPar Development and Emerge Hospitality Group, who have proven track records as credible institutional investors, developers and operators." The Moxy hotel in downtown Atlanta, will feature 181 rooms spread across 13 floors and is scheduled to open mid-2026 before the FIFA World Cup. The centrally located hotel will cater to both business and leisure travelers and will offer three food and beverage options, including a roof top bar and lounge with views of the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

AS MANY AS 60 percent of Americans are likely to stay in hotels this year, more than last year, according to two surveys commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The survey findings apply to business and leisure travelers, with most saying they are travelling as much as or more than they did pre-pandemic. Hotels are the top lodging choice among travelers for business and leisure in the next three months, the new national Hotel Booking Index survey research commissioned by AHLA and conducted by Morning Consult has revealed. According to the surveys, conducted on Dec. 16 to 19 and Dec. 28 to Jan. 2, 52 percent of adults would choose to stay in hotels in the next three months, while 76 percent of potential business travelers would be most likely to stay in a hotel during the same period. Besides, business travelers indicate that nearly 70 percent of their employers have either returned to the pre-pandemic normal or increased amounts of business travel. The survey said that 51 percent of business travelers said that share of employees expected or encouraged to travel for work is now the same as before the pandemic, while another 20 percent said it's more than before. About 53 percent of business travelers said that the average length of business trips is now the same as before the pandemic, while another 20 percent said it's more than before.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL has completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million. The transaction includes Radisson's franchise business, operations and intellectual property. The merger, which was announced in June, will add Radisson's nine brands to Choice, bringing it to 624 hotels. "With the close of this transaction, Choice Hotels International has added approximately 67,000 rooms, expanding its presence in the higher revenue upper upscale and upscale full-service segments, and bolstering its core upper-midscale hospitality segment, particularly in the West Coast and Midwest of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. As part of the transaction, which covers properties in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the U.S., Choice will independently own and control the brands in the Americas and will work with Radisson to drive the growth, continuity and success of the brands, according to a joint press release from the companies. Choice's board of directors unanimously approved the transaction, and it was expected to close in the second half of 2022. It was funded by cash on hand and revolver borrowings and includes 10 Radisson Blu hotels, 130 Radisson hotels, 9 Radisson Individuals, 1 Park Plaza hotel, 4 Radisson RED hotels, 453 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and 17 Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as the recently launched Radisson Inn & Suites and Radisson Collection brands.

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

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline grew 9 percent by both projects and rooms year-over-year, according to the latest U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics. It stood at 5,545 projects with 658,207 rooms at the close of the first quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, the hotel construction pipeline in the top 25 markets in the U.S. also registered year-over-year growth in the first quarter. Dallas had a record 184 projects with 21,810 rooms at the close of the first quarter, followed by Atlanta with 144 projects containing 18,242 rooms, Los Angeles tally stood at 118 projects with 19,066 rooms, Phoenix with 117 projects with 16,100 rooms and Nashville had 115 projects containing 15, 354 rooms, LE report revealed. In another report, LE analysts also detailed the leading franchise companies and their brands in the construction pipeline at the close of the first quarter. Marriott International tops the charts with 1,499 projects containing 181,377 rooms, followed closely by Hilton Worldwide, with a record-high count of 1,436 projects with 161,359 rooms, and then InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 809 projects containing 80,679 rooms. Combined, these three franchise companies comprise 68 percent of the projects in the total U.S. pipeline, LE said.

MORE THAN SEVEN in 10 Americans would be deterred from booking a hotel room in Los Angeles if hotels there are forced to house homeless people next to paying guests, according to a recent poll by American Hotel & Lodging Association. The survey was released as the city of Los Angel considers a proposed ordinance that would require hotels to house homeless individuals alongside paying guests, a change opposed by AHLA and AAHOA. Los Angeles residents will vote in March 2024 on the ballot initiative proposed by Unite Here, a labor union representing L.A.-area hotel workers. The AHLA study highlighted the significant impact such a policy would have on tourism and hotel occupancy in the city. However, if Unite Here's ballot initiative passes, Los Angeles would be the first city in American history to require hotels to house homeless people alongside paying guests.

HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION has signed franchise agreements with 3H Group and Presidio Hotel Development to open Hyatt Studios in two states. Led by founder Hiren Desai, 3H Group will introduce the studios in Mobile, Alabama, while Guneet Bajwa heads the effort for Presidio Hotel Development in Marysville, California, and both are expected to open by late 2024 to 2025. Following its April launch, Hyatt has garnered letters of interest for more than 100 Hyatt Studios, marking its inaugural upper-midscale extended-stay brand in the Americas, the company said in a statement. "Hyatt's expansion into these new markets through Hyatt Studios hotels underscores our dedication to developers, guests, and World of Hyatt members," said Dan Hansen, global head of Hyatt Studios. "We've learned that when Hyatt guests stay with a competing brand, they appear to do so for one of two reasons: the absence of a Hyatt hotel within five miles or the choice to stay at a lower chain scale. By offering Hyatt options in these fresh markets, we foster brand loyalty without internal competition and present developers with untapped opportunities."

VIRDEE, THE CONTACTLESS check-in technology firm, secured $12.4 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round led by Moneta Ventures, bringing its total funding to $21 million. These funds will be used to finance research, expand product features, grow the workforce, and strengthen the company's presence in the hospitality sector, the company said. Other participants in the latest fundraising process include Silverton Partners, Koch Real Estate Investments, Alumni Ventures, DJR Advisors, Capital Factory, and strategic partners, Virdee said. This investment follows Series Seed financing led by Silverton Partners in February 2022 and a 2020 angel investment led by Rajiv Trivedi, former brand president for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.'s La Quinta Inn and chairman of TST Capital.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE increased at the beginning of December as expected, compared to the last week of November, according to CoStar. Hotel occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR improved compared to the previous week. Occupancy increased to 54.2 percent for the week ending Dec. 2, up from the prior week's 49.4 percent, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 1.6 percent. ADR rose to $144.88, compared to the previous week's $138.29, showing a 0.8percent uptick from the prior year. RevPAR also rose to $78.54, compared to the prior week's $68.32, marking a 0.8 percent decrease from the corresponding period in 2022. Among the top 25 markets, New York City saw the largest year-over-year increases in occupancy, rising by 6.8 percent to 83.5 percent, and RevPAR surged by 17.2 percent to $319.18. Las Vegas recorded the highest ADR increase, rising by 11.2 percent to $232.94.

U.S. HOTELS REACHED record-breaking ADR level during the last week of December, particularly by luxury resorts, according to STR. STR's top 25 markets also led the expansion. Occupancy was 54.3 percent for the week ending Jan. 1, up from 44.3 percent the week before and increased 10.7 percent when compared to 2019. ADR was $157.91 for the week, up from $129.67 during the fourth week and up by 15.1 percent compared to two years ago. RevPAR was $85.74 during the week under review, up from $57.46 the week before and increased 27.4 percent compared to 2019. STR's top 25 markets all together reached almost $200 in ADR, led by Miami with $455.31 and Oahu with $411.47. Norfolk/Virginia Beach recorded the largest occupancy increase during the week, up 25.3 percent to 49.4 percent. Phoenix registered the largest ADR increase, increased 36.9 percent to $155.71.

The Aloft Mooresville is open in Mooresville, North Carolina. The boutique hotel is owned by Maya Hotels led by co-founders J.D. Deva and Baldev Thakor. The 128-room hotel is Maya Hotels' fifth property in Mooresville in the last 25 years, including its Tru by Hilton Mooresville opened in August. It is part of the Langtree Lake Norman mixed-use development near Charlotte, North Carolina, with nearby attractions including Lake Norman and Langtree Plantation. Amenities include an indoor pool and a fitness center. "We are incredibly excited to bring the upbeat Aloft brand to the Mooresville / Lake Norman market," Deva said. "We are pleased to grow our relationship with Marriott and to continue our investment into the Mooresville area."

THE U.S. TOPS the global hotel construction pipeline in terms of project count, according to Lodging Econometrics. Overall, the pipeline increased 5 percent by projects and 4 percent by rooms over the same time last year with several stages of the pipeline hitting peaks by project and rooms counts. LE's most recent Global Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report released Thursday found the pipeline contains 14,779 projects with 2,412,736 rooms. There were 1,230,572 rooms in 6,896 projects under construction, all-time high. Another peak is in projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months with 4,599 projects and 651,133 rooms at the end the second quarter. There are an additional 3,283 projects and 531,031 rooms in the early planning stage of the pipeline. U.S. projects made up 38 percent of the pipeline with 5,582 projects and 687,801 rooms. China was second with 3,574 projects and 647,704 rooms, or 24 percent of the pipeline, meaning both countries make up 62 percent of the total pipeline.

A STRONGER THAN expected performance by U.S. hotels in the fourth quarter of 2021 led CBRE Hotels Research to upgrade its forecast for the rest of 2022. CBRE now forecasts RevPAR will reach 2019 nominal levels by the third quarter of this year, one year earlier than the previous forecast. Occupancy is expected to rise 6.7 percent to 61.3 percent this year, then rise 5.2 percent to 64.4 percent in 2023. ADR is forecast to rise 10.1 percent to $133.94 in 2022 and go up 6 percent more to $141.99 in 2023. CBRE expects RevPAR to rise 17.5 percent in 2022 overall to $82.04 and then rise 11.5 percent to $91.46 in 2023. Positive trends, such as high employment and the return to the office for many workers who had been working from home contributed to the revised forecast, CBRE said. Other factors contributing to the improvement include below-average supply growth, strong domestic leisure trends, the resumption of inbound international travel and a predicted return to office later this year. However, ongoing inflation and geopolitical tensions connected to the war in Ukraine still threaten progress.

Nowadays, cyber-security risks are increasing vigorously which is caused by global connectivity, through widespread usage of cloud services and the poor configuration of cloud services is paired with the increased rates of cybercriminals activities, thus there is a great chance of increased cyber-attacks. There are various reasons for increased cyber threats nowadays as the theft of information is the fastest and expensive segment of the cybercrime. The cybercriminals are becoming more and more sophisticated and attack the security measures of organizations very badly. The wide use of networks was hijacked by the cybercriminals and the data breaches include data leakage, cloud services leakage of information, data spill, etc. Therefore, it is very important to adopt the various security measures of cyber protection for safety and security. Mostly the videos are getting viral and the cybercriminals are blackmailing the girls or women by making their sexy videos secretly. Thus it is important to install free Asian webcam for monitoring these criminal activities as well as it is essential for complete safety and security. The free Asian webcams are specially used for making adult videos and are unique as it has been equipped with latest and advanced features, thus giving the best video quality with amazing pictures. There are many free best and highly popular movies and porn videos available on tube sites with the best matches.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the franchise business, operations and intellectual property of Radisson Hotel Group Americas for approximately $675 million. The addition of Radisson's nine brands to Choice will bring with it 624 hotels with more than 68,000 rooms. As part of the transaction, which covers properties in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the U.S., Choice will independently own and control the brands in the Americas and will work with Radisson to drive the growth, continuity and success of the brands, according to a joint press release from the companies. It will be funded by cash on hand and revolver borrowings and includes 10 Radisson Blu hotels, 130 Radisson hotels, 9 Radisson Individuals, 1 Park Plaza hotel, 4 Radisson RED hotels, 453 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and 17 Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as the recently launched Radisson Inn & Suites and Radisson Collection brands. Choice's board of directors unanimously approved the transaction and is expected to close in the second half of 2022, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing requirements. The transaction is not anticipated to change Choice's current capital allocation strategy related to dividend payment policy and planned share repurchases.

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.