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EAST INDIA HOTELS-OWNED Oberoi Hotels & Resorts will debut in the United Kingdom with a luxury property in London's Mayfair. The London-based property group Grosvenor received planning permission in 2022 to restore the 33,000-square-foot listed building as part of its South Molton development and began renovations in November 2023. The luxury boutique hotel is scheduled for completion in 2027, the companies said in a joint statement. EIH recently established a U.K. company with an authorized share capital of $37.5 million, around £30 million. Besides India, the luxury hotel chain has a presence in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Mauritius. "Our partnership with Grosvenor marks an important milestone in our international growth," said Arjun Oberoi, The Oberoi Group's executive chairman. "London has always been a key market for our guests. We are excited to bring our distinctive hospitality experience to the heart of London. The Oberoi, Mayfair, will not only celebrate our brand at a prime location but also showcase our service excellence."

The SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Odessa in Odessa, Texas, is now open. It is owned by Shivbkrishna LLC led by Manish Bhakta. The 110-room hotel is near the Odessa Meteor Crater, the second largest meteor crater in the U.S., the Parker House Ranching Museum and Monahans Sandhills State Park. Amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool and two different spaces for meetings and events. "Our fully-renovated hotel offers the most value and best service for both business and leisure travelers staying in Odessa," Bhakta said. "The SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Odessa provides guests with the excellent comfort, value and service they are looking for in a hotel stay," said Rob Mentnech, managing director of SureStay Hotel Group.

MHG Hotels LLC recently acquired the Hampton Inn Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida. The hotel, near Florida Atlantic University and adjacent to Lifetime Athletic Club, features an outdoor pool among other amenities. MHG Hotels is led by President and CEO Sanjay Patel. "This acquisition is a testament to our commitment to growth and excellence in the hospitality industry," said Patel. "As part of our strategic expansion, we are thrilled to increase our presence in South Florida. This vibrant region offers tremendous opportunities, and we are dedicated to leveraging them to achieve our growth objectives. We are excited about the opportunities this property presents and are confident in our ability to enhance the guest experience." MHG Hotels, headquartered in Indianapolis and Boca Raton, specializes in development, construction and management services. Their diversified portfolio includes franchise affiliations with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Choice Hotels International.

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS marked the 15th anniversary of the IHG Army Hotels military lodging program, part of the U.S. Army's Privatization of Army Lodging initiative. The program offers military guests, veterans and their families on-post accommodations under the Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites brands. Army Hotels provided more than 40 million room nights across 40 on-post installations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico since its founding in 2009, reinvesting $43 of every $100 to improve facilities and services, IHG said in a statement. "It's incredible to see the evolution of our first-of-its-kind military lodging program and our team's dedication to its success," said Chuck Sourbeer, IHG Army Hotels' vice president of hotel operations. "The program is a testament to our commitment to serving those who serve, with quality accommodations that reflect the high standards our guests expect from IHG brands. We're proud of the impact we've made on our guests and communities and the relationship we've built with the Army, and we look forward to the future of our hospitality journey."

TownePlace Suites Eugene is now open in Eugene, Oregon. The hotel is owned by BHG Hospitality, based in Georgia, and led by Buggsi Patel, with operation by InterMountain Management from Louisiana. "As an Oregon business owner, we are proud to expand our portfolio in Eugene, home to the University of Oregon and the Oregon Ducks, the birthplace of Nike and a perfect base to explore the great outdoors," said Patel. "We are excited to join the Eugene business community by providing a high-quality hotel with excellent customer service for visitors to the area." The hotel offers studio and one-bedroom suites with kitchens, a fitness center, and is near locations like the University of Oregon and Autzen Stadium. BHG focuses on the Pacific Northwest, while InterMountain has managed more than 200 properties across the U.S. with about 30 more in development.

Signature Inn San Jose and Simply Suites Houston are now open in San Jose, California, and Houston, respectively. The 47-room San Jose hotel is owned by Anil Patel and the 85-room Houston property is owned by Sachin Patel. "We are proud to announce the opening of Signature Inn San Jose," said Anil Patel. "This recently renovated hotel offers a unique, retro-modern choice for travelers seeking an exceptional experience. We are eager to provide travelers in the San Jose area with excellent service and a comfortable space to serve as a home base throughout their stay, similar to what we do for guests at Signature Inn San Francisco." With Signature Inn San Jose's opening, Sonesta now operates 13 upper-economy Signature Inn locations across the U.S., including San Francisco, San Diego and Houston, Sonesta said in a statement.

INDEPENDENT HOTEL OPERATORS must refine their strategies to stay competitive in 2025 amid labor shortages, price-sensitive travelers and the growing dominance of branded hotels, which now account for 72 percent of U.S. properties, according to Cloudbeds. Furthermore, independent hoteliers are focusing on 2025 as the "year of optimizing performance." Cloudbeds' 2025 State of Independent Lodging Report provides a data-driven analysis of the global independent lodging segment, highlighting key trends across often-overlooked property types. "Hospitality is fundamentally human-and independent properties represent its heart and soul," said Adam Harris, Cloudbeds' cofounder and CEO. "Cloudbeds is helping these businesses transform challenges into opportunities, proving that being independent doesn't mean being alone. Together, we're building a future where independent hospitality businesses don't just survive-with access to technology like Cloudbeds Intelligence, they lead the way forward."

The SureStay by Best Western Livingston Merced County, owned by Tushar Patel, is now open in Livingston, California. The recently renovated hotel features 76 guest rooms, Best Western said in a statement. "The SureStay by Best Western Livingston Merced County provides guests with the excellent comfort, outstanding value and warm service they are looking for in a hotel stay," said Dave Panas, SureStay Hotels' managing director of operations. "After spending more than half a million dollars on our renovation, we are thrilled to introduce visitors to Livingston to this new and superior hotel experience." The property is near the University of California, Merced, Castle Air Museum, and several government offices, the statement said. It also serves as a stopover for travelers heading to Yosemite National Park or Pinnacles National Park, both less than a two-hour drive from Merced.

PEACHTREE GROUP BAGGED multiple Marriott Select Brands Awards at this year's Marriott Select Brands Owner & Franchisee CONNECT Conference in Orlando, Florida. The awards recognize hotels for service, innovation and commitment to guest satisfaction. Peachtree is led by Greg Friedman as managing principal and CEO, Jatin Desai as managing principal and CFO and Mitul Patel as principal. "These awards are a testament to the exceptional work our hotel associates deliver every day," said Steve Mackenzie, Peachtree's senior vice president of operations, hospitality management. "These hotels have consistently excelled in guest and F&B satisfaction, setting a benchmark for unparalleled service, and we are proud to have them as part of the Peachtree family. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to our partners who entrust us with managing their properties. Their collaboration has been instrumental in achieving these accolades, showcasing our shared commitment to superior quality."

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE can help hotels better deal their reduced workforce, according to a white paper from Unifocus. The paper examines the persistent labor shortage in the hotel industry, while outlining strategies for operators to adapt for sustained efficiency and profitability. The white paper, titled 'The hotelier's definitive guide to success amid staffing shortages,' offers strategies for cost control, optimizing staffing, and reducing turnover to create a sustainable and predictable operational framework, Unifocus said in a statement. It gives insights into lessons drawn from the gig economy, strategies for upholding service excellence with fewer available workers, and means to assess the sustained advantages of these approaches. Roughly 92 percent of hotels experiencing staffing shortages despite job growth in the second quarter of 2023, Unifocus said.

VIRDEE AND HOTELKEY recently launched an improved guest relations platform with streamlined check-in and more support. Salt Lake City-based LivAway Suites is the first hotel chain to adopt the Virdee-HotelKey solution. Virdee, a self-service technology and check-in automation company, is led by cofounders Nadav Cornberg and Branigan Mulcahy, while HotelKey, a cloud-based hotel property management system, is led by cofounder and president Aditya Thyagarajan. "The ability for our property management system to integrate with Virdee's self-service check-in solution ensures that guests receive excellent service whether interacting with staff or using our automated systems," said Thyagarajan.

Bo Patel is the new chief operating officer of Coury Hospitality, a Dallas-based hospitality management firm that recently added nine hotel management agreements in California. He will oversee the firm's West Coast growth, operations, and brand partnerships, focusing on the Concert Hospitality division, which manages branded full- and select-service hotels. Previously, Patel led a team managing a family office real estate portfolio worth more than $1 billion, Coury Holdings, the parent company of Coury Hospitality, said in a statement. "Bo's deep expertise and strong West Coast relationships make him the ideal leader for our California expansion," said Paul Coury, Coury Holdings' founder and CEO. "His leadership will be crucial in positioning us as a dominant force in the branded hotel sector, delivering exceptional value to our ownership partners and creating elevated experiences for our guests."

KNOWLAND, A HOSPITALITY data-as-a-service provider, recently integrated a sub-market filter into its search and dashboard functions, adding to its market snapshot and new-to-market capabilities. This new feature enables precise filtering down to the sub-market level within larger markets, identifying localized opportunities, Knowland said in a statement. "To stay agile in this competitive industry, hotel sellers must be savvy about community activity," said Jeff Bzdawka, Knowland's CEO. "With this localized market view, they see opportunities in their immediate area rather than sifting through broad datasets. We continue to innovate our platform with new features and functionalities to help sales teams excel in account-based selling and automate the sales process for better outcomes." Hotel sales teams rely on detailed data analytics for sourcing new business, Knowland said. The sub-market filter provides accessible metrics on top neighborhoods, aiding teams in adopting an account-based selling approach.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS will continue expanding its economy and midscale brands while adding new upscale and lifestyle offerings in 2025. The company also aims to add technology and digital capabilities to improve experiences for its owners and guests. The company will continue leveraging its scale to provide franchisees with tools, solutions, and technology to drive business, Wyndham said in a statement. "We navigated an unforgettable year in 2024, remaining steadfast in our ability to deliver for guests, owners, and shareholders," said Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham's president and CEO. "From welcoming our 25th brand and expanding into new markets to broadening our portfolio of aspirational hotels and generating new owner revenue streams through the industry's best tech platform - 2024's successes have both Wyndham and our franchisees well-positioned for the years ahead."

BRITISH INDIAN HOTELIER Joginder Sanger, 82, passed away in London on Friday night after being hospitalized following a stroke, Eastern Eye newsweekly reported. Jalandhar-born Sanger started in the UK with a travel agency and an exclusive Air India contract before establishing London hotels, including the Washington Mayfair, Courthouse Hotels in Soho and Shoreditch, as well as the Bentley in Kensington. His hotels have hosted Indian celebrities, politicians, former prime ministers and Bollywood stars, Eastern Eye reported. "He was a dear friend of mine since the 1950s; I will miss him terribly," NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, 94, was quoted as saying in the report. "Like me, Joginder was also born in Jalandhar, and we shared so many experiences together. He will be missed by the Indian community in Britain, to which he made immense contributions."

APPROXIMATELY 48 PERCENT of businesses in the accommodation industry consider "staffing issues" the biggest risk to their operations over the next 12 months, according to a new report by Expert Market. Rising labor costs were identified as the second-largest risk by 34 percent, followed by "rising maintenance costs" at 27 percent. The Expert Market Accommodation Industry Report surveyed more than 400 U.S. accommodation businesses on upcoming challenges and strategies to address them amid the industry's highest quit rates since 2022. "The accommodation industry has faced a number of challenges since the pandemic, but none greater than those around staffing," said Chris Maillard, Expert Market's editor. "At a time when quitting rates remain higher than other industries, the report recommends that accommodation businesses prioritize their staff, from recruitment through to promotion."

WITH DISNEYWORLD AND Universal Studios as a backdrop, the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show 2024 got under way in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday. The show had just begun but attendees were already feeling excited about the week. "I think that is great, the venue is great, and the turnout," said Raj Patel, CEO of Apsilon Hotels in Atlanta. "This is going to be an excellent show. Looking forward to it." More than 6,000 people registered to attend the trade show with more than 1,000 booths and 520 exhibitors. Keynote speakers included: Kevin O'Leary, businessman, SPAC investor, director of Stream Global Services, chairman of O'Shares ETF Investments and Beanstox. Rashmi Airan, professional speaker and coach, speaking at the HerOwnership Women Hoteliers Luncheon and Session. Rahul Kapoor, mindset coach, motivational speaker and author. "It's going to be a fantastic show. It's going to be some great conversations, good educational seminars too," said Raj Trivedi, former La Quinta Hotels head and now managing principal at TST Capital in Dallas. "Most importantly, it's a lot of fun. I think people are going to have a great time."

Lee Palaschak is the new executive vice president of operations at Stonebridge Cos. He will oversee the company's operations from a new office in Dallas and report to CEO Rob Smith. Denver-based Stonebridge is led by Founder and Chairman Navin Dimond. "Lee shares our vision of operational excellence and delivering value to ownership and brings strong relationships with our brand partners," said Smith. "We are confident he will build on the infrastructure we have in place and continue to elevate Stonebridge as the market leader for third-party management contracts." Palaschak has 35 years of operational experience. Before joining Stonebridge, he was senior vice president at Remington Hospitality, managing operations for a\ portfolio of full-service and select-service brands, luxury and lifestyle properties. He also held senior roles at Aimbridge Hospitality, Winegardner & Hammons, and Commonwealth Hotels.