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ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING points are becoming a standard amenity at hotels, akin to the rise of Wi-Fi in the early 2000s. Benefits for the hotel owners and franchisers can include additional revenue, carbon credits as well as attracting guests from the growing number of electric vehicle drivers. A 2022 Green Lodging survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association revealed a surge in the deployment of EV chargers within the hospitality sector, with 26.6 percent of all U.S. hotels equipped with charging stations. The EV charging facilities are more commonly found at luxury hotels (nearly 90 percent offer them), while only about one in five limited-service hotels provides charging, representing significant growth opportunities. Hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, BWH Hotel Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotel Corp. and G6 Hospitality have prioritized deploying EV charging based on customer preferences. Their franchisees have begun incorporating EV charging infrastructures into their properties. "We've heard from our owners that offering EV charging solutions is increasingly influential for guests when choosing hotels," said Brian McGuiness, IHG's senior vice president of global guest experience. "This is backed by our observation of guests using EVC filters on the IHG One Rewards mobile app and website. Our integrated EV-charger search filter within the IHG One Rewards mobile app allows travelers to easily find properties with EV charging capabilities, empowering them to plan their journeys conveniently and confidently."

In an era where sustainability and convenience are paramount considerations for travelers, hotels are embracing innovative solutions to stay ahead in the competitive hospitality industry. One such forward-thinking amenity that is transforming the guest experience and boosting revenue is the integration of electric vehicle charging stations. Beyond environmental consciousness, these charging stations offer a plethora of benefits that can significantly impact a hotel's bottom line. 1. ATTRACTING A GROWING MARKET SEGMENT The shift towards electric vehicles is undeniable, with more consumers opting for eco-friendly transportation. In the years to come more EVs will be hitting the roads. By installing EV charging stations, hotels tap into a burgeoning market segment, attracting EV travelers that plan their trips around EV chargers. This strategic move puts the hotel at the top of the list and positions the hotel as a progressive and forward-looking establishment. 2. ENHANCING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE Providing EV charging stations enhances the overall guest experience. Travelers with electric vehicles often face the challenge of finding suitable charging points during their journeys. By offering on-site charging, hotels alleviate this concern, fostering a sense of convenience and loyalty among guests. The seamless integration of charging stations into the guest experience contributes to positive reviews and encourages repeat bookings.

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.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING stations are a growing fixture at hotels around the U.S. Now, EV charging hardware and software producer EVPassport has released a new cloud-based system that connects its users to the hotel's guest services platform. The EVPassport Hotel Cloud, a variation of the company's cloud platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry, offers several options beside a simple charge. Guests can use the platform to locate the hotel on all EV charging location maps and apps. It allows owners to set charging prices, manage access and get details on energy usage, earnings history and carbon offset. EVPassport Hotel Cloud's "scan and charge" QR code technology allows users to pay without needing fobs, apps or cards. Hotels get an extra revenue stream from the stations, which can be wrapped in the hotel's name, logo and colors.

OWNERS OF ECONOMY brand hotels may not always think about improving the appeal of their properties, and up until now their options for interior design have been limited. Alpa Patel discovered those limitations and four years ago it inspired her to do something about it. She has created a company, Spaceez, that offers affordable design work to those owners to give them the option of upgrading their hotels into boutiques, allowing them to charge higher rates accordingly. Her inspiration comes from her efforts to help improve her parents' Super 8 hotel where she grew up in Arlington, Texas. "My dad was going to refresh the property because he hadn't touched it in a decade. I said Dad, do something nice with the lobby. He was just going to do the rooms," Patel said. "The lobbies, it's a public space and people come if it looks nice photographs, nice. You could charge higher rates."

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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.

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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.

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 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."

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

NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP has announced leadership promotions across its investment, capital markets, finance, and asset management teams - reflecting the firm's continued commitment to the professional development and advancement of its talented and long-tenured team. According to a company statement, Dan Konzelmann is promoted to vice president and will be responsible for executing strategies across Noble's investment platforms. Emily Feeney has been promoted to senior director and will look after financing new asset acquisitions, managing capital market relationships and asset sales. Jeff Pennington is elevated as senior director and will be in charge for internal and external reporting, fund modeling, and valuations. Bo Zhang has been promoted to senior associate, and will be responsible for information, data, and analytics for our asset management team and investment management strategies, the statement added. "We are extremely proud of these Noble leaders and their well-deserved promotions," said Mit Shah, Noble CEO. "We look forward to their continued growth and contributions to the success of our organization as we expand and execute the depth and breadth of our investment strategies."

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL is implementing "Choice Direct Pay," a system that allows corporate customers to make reservations for their employees and guests at multiple Choice hotels. The new system then bills the companies directly through a single, centralized invoice. Choice Direct Pay also would provide weekly consolidated invoicing so corporate travelers can pay for all stays at one time. Users can download and manage their invoice data through an individualized online portal, and centralized customer support can help with the enrollment process, check the status of payments and invoices and resolve issues with charges. The program also allows users to add project costs and department codes to bills to further simplify the reconciliation process. They also can access to existing negotiated and chainwide rates and search for participating hotels, as well as adjust their stay dates.

IT'S BEEN A tough year for women in the hospitality industry, but progress has been made as more female executives took leadership roles, according to an annual report from the Castell Project, a nonprofit focused on promoting women in the industry. The next challenge, according to the project, is getting more women in hospitality education programs. Castell Project founder and chairwoman Peggy Berg released the 2022 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles earlier this week. During the conference, Berg received the ISHC Pioneer Award for her work in the industry, and she told a story during her acceptance speech that encapsulates where women are coming from in the industry. When she was in college, Berg said, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act lifted the restrictions on women working. So, she walked into a large firm looking for a job. "The partner in charge of the office, Jerry, he took one look at me and said 'Well, this will never work.' And then because of the EEOA, he said, 'I will give you a job if you promise not to get pregnant for two years,'" Berg said. "Jerry thought this was impossible. I thought Jerry didn't understand the law. Mostly I thought, if that's the barrier to success, the best vertical I have to cross, I can run this company. And a few years later, 140 men found themselves with a female partner."

GOPPAR FOR U.S. hotels in February exceeded the levels of the pre-pandemic comparable time period and was the highest since October 2022, according to STR's February 2023 Profit & Loss data. EBITDA was the only key bottom-line metric on a per-available-room basis to come in lower than February 2019, STR said in a statement. GOPPAR reached $77.37 for the month, up 1.6 percent over the same month in 2019, TRevPAR stood at $217.20, up 3.7 percent, and EBITDA PAR was $51.63, down 0.6 percent against February 2019. Labor costs were $73.70, a 2.9 percent increase. "The profit-and-loss metrics followed typical industry trends, improving from the prior month," said Raquel Ortiz, STR's director of financial performance. "Both GOPPAR and GOP margins were the highest since last fall, while profit margins came in just one percentage point below 2019. Profit margins for limited-service hotels are further behind in recovery than full service, likely due to increasing labor costs that bear heavier weight on the bottom line." "An increase in top-line group demand is beginning to show in the bottom line, as catering and banquet revenues are inching closer to 2019 levels and meeting space rentals and services charges surpassed that threshold. On a per-operating-room basis, nearly all F&B revenues outpaced the pre-pandemic comparables," Ortiz added. Of the major markets, 10 realized both GOPPAR and TRevPAR levels higher than the 2019 comparables, the statement said. "February was a slower month for markets that are more dependent on groups and conventions, such as Atlanta, San Francisco and Minneapolis," Ortiz further said. "Warmer markets have remained at the top, with Phoenix showing the highest TRevPAR recovery and second highest GOPPAR recovery for the month, helped by peak season and Super Bowl LVII."

SATORI COLLECTIVE, A real estate investment management firm specializing in hotel properties, sold the 124-suite Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Alpharetta-Windward Parkway to Bukhari Group Hospitality. The sale resulted in an approximate 24 percent internal rate of return and a double equity multiple for the company, Satori said in a statement. Satori Collective is led by Andy Chopra as co-founder and managing partner. Bukhari Group Hospitality is led by Syed Bukhari, while his son Mehboob Bukhari is in charge of the hotel operations. "We acquired this all-suite property in 2013 and promptly executed a thorough, multi-million dollar value-add renovation, repositioning it as a Holiday Inn Express & Suites by IHG," said Samir Yajnik, CIO of Satori Collective. "Over the past decade, we stayed true to our vision and were rewarded by unlocking the hotel's financial potential. Our initial underwriting and research proved accurate, as evidenced by the realized upside from enhanced brand quality and the hotel's unparalleled location in the thriving Alpharetta market."

APERTURE HOTELS AND Satori Collective recently reopened the 120-room Hilton Garden Inn in Columbus, Georgia, following a multimillion-dollar renovation. The updates included public spaces, guestrooms, meeting space and fitness center, as well as parking improvements with EV charging stations. The full-service hotel also features an indoor pool with a hot tub and 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. Satori Collective is led by Andy Chopra as co-founder and managing partner. "With the completion of this full makeover, the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus now enjoys 'like-new' status, effectively making it the newest Hilton-branded hotel in Central Western Georgia," said Charles Oswald, Aperture Hotels' president and CEO. "We look forward to hosting a proper grand re-opening ceremony on Aug. 25 to fully embrace our position as a member of the community and to share our new offerings with guests and neighbors."

A U.S. SENATE committee recently passed a bipartisan bill aimed at achieving pricing transparency for hotels, short-term rentals, and online travel platforms. However, the Senate failed to advance the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, drawing criticism from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation's approval of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act 2023 comes amid criticism of several hotel chains for lacking transparency in displaying room charges. AHLA called it an important step toward a more transparent booking process and a level playing field across the lodging industry. The bill, introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, on July 31, now awaits a full Senate vote.