Group items tagged

VIRAL "VICTOR" PATEL and Mahmood "Mike" Merchant are new members of Best Western Hotels & Resorts board of directors. Patel will represent several Midwest states and Ontario, Canada, and Merchant will represent California, Nevada and Hawaii. Patel has been a member of Best Western for more than 20 years, according to the company. He has served as a governor and as the chair of the Best Western Kentucky marketing co-op, liaising between the brand and hoteliers. He is currently the owner and operator of the Best Western Corbin Inn in Corbin, Kentucky, and will represent that state as well as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. "I've witnessed tremendous growth within our brand over the years and am excited to join my fellow Board members as we move forward under Larry's leadership," said Patel. "Service is extremely important to me, and I feel grateful to have served my colleagues and community in a variety of roles over the years. I look forward to this new set of responsibilities and am fully committed to serving our hoteliers across the Midwest and parts of Canada and our hoteliers at large."

NISHANT "NEAL" PATEL assumed the chairmanship of AAHOA Friday as the culmination of the association's 2022 Convention & Trade Show in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 5,000 people attended the show, during which new officers also were elected, certain members were recognized for their service and face-to-face networking came back into style. This year's show came with less time after last year's, which was held in August due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic. That time difference for planning was not as bad as it may seem, said Vinay Patel, outgoing AAHOA chairman, in a press conference before the show. "We start planning this convention way in advance. So yeah, our gap may be eight months from convention to convention, but this convention probably started literally in June, July or January of last year, so that time frame is still there," Vinay said. "There are always things, you pivot all the time. Especially in today's world of the pandemic. But, I think at the end of the day, the team has done a phenomenal job in putting everything together."

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS set new performance records for demand, ADR and RevPAR in the third quarter of 2022, according to a report from The Highland Group. However, rate resistance is growing at lower price points as recession fears loom. The "U.S. Extended-stay Hotels: Third quarter 2022" report by the Highland Group said that the economy extended-stay segment reported six consecutive months of demand drop and two successive quarterly falls in occupancy in the quarter ending September. "Mid-price extended-stay hotels reported first quarterly decline in occupancy since fourth quarter of 2020. Excluding the last 15 months, extended-stay hotel ADR is still increasing at the fastest rate for 20 years but, like the overall hotel industry, ADR growth continues to decelerate," the report said. "The slowdown in ADR growth is greatest at higher price points although mid-price and upscale extended-stay ADR is still increasing faster than the economy segment."

HOTELS ARE THE top lodging choice for holiday travelers who are certain to take trips in the next three months, according to a survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. AHLA also announced a new system for indexing bookings. The new national Hotel Booking Index Survey, conducted by Morning Consult for AHLA, revealed that 31 percent of Thanksgiving travelers plan to stay in a hotel during their trip, compared to 22 percent who planned to do so last year. The survey of 4,000 adults, conducted between Oct. 14 to 16, said that 28 percent of Christmas travelers plan to stay in a hotel during their trip, compared to 23 percent in 2021. As many as 54 percent of those who are certain to travel for leisure in the next three months plan to stay in a hotel.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT of Homeland Security will make available more than 64,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year 2023. The extra visas will help the hotel and travel industries meet continuing labor shortages, according to the U.S. Travel Association. DHS also will issue its normal allotment of 66,000 H-2B visas as well as the 64,716 extra visas. The visas, which permit employers to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform certain labor in the U.S., became available at the beginning of October. Also, the agency created the new Worker Protection Taskforce to make sure the H-2B visa workers are not exploited. "The Department of Homeland Security is moving with unprecedented speed to meet the needs of American businesses," said Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Homeland Security. "At a time of record job growth, this full year allocation at the very outset of the fiscal year will ensure that businesses can plan for their peak season labor needs. We also will bolster worker protections to safeguard the integrity of the program from unscrupulous employers who would seek to exploit the workers by paying substandard wages and maintaining unsafe work conditions."

WITH A ROCK and roll theme, Best Western Hotels & Resorts held its annual conference in Cleveland on Oct. 28 to 30. During the event, which marked the completion of the first year of the company's former general counsel Larry Cuculic as president and CEO, the company launched a new extended-stay brand, Home by BWH. Thousands of Best Western members attended the conference, with the theme "BW Rocks 2022." Cuculic, who took over for long-time president and CEO David Kong last year, gave an update on his first year. "When my journey began in this position last year, I was anxious," Cuculic said in the first general session of the recent conference. "The honor of the position and the responsibilities are absolutely huge. Consider, though, that being anxious is actually a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a reflection of my wanting to do my best for you."

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL IS withdrawing its support for AAHOA in opposition to the association's 12 Points of Fair Franchising, according to an alert to AAHOA members. Indications of the split began in July, when a letter to this effect was circulated but not confirmed, and AAHOA said its efforts to make the situation right in the meantime have failed. The AAHOA member alert also said Marriott had expressed opposition to AAHOA's support for legislation proposed last year in the New Jersey legislature that would strengthen protections for franchise businesses in the state, including hotels. In its alert, attributed to Neal Patel, chairman of AAHOA, said most hotel franchisers did not take issue with the association's support for the New Jersey legislation nor the 12 Points. "Many of our other hotel brand partners have taken an open-minded and collaborative approach to fair franchising. We appreciate their willingness to work together to ensure better outcomes for AAHOA members, the industry, and hotel customers," Patel said. "However, we wanted to inform you that Marriott International - one of our longtime brand partners - has decided to take a different position."

DALLAS LEADS THE U.S. hotel construction pipeline for the fourth consecutive quarter, according to Lodging Econometrics. Among brands, Marriott International led the pipeline. Dallas had a record 173 projects with 20,707 rooms in the second quarter of this year, followed by Atlanta with 140 projects containing 18,131 rooms, Los Angeles with 124 projects with 20,365 rooms, New York, with 113 projects with 19,238 rooms and Phoenix with 108 projects containing 14,964 rooms, Marriott had 1,355 projects with 167,034 rooms, up 4 percent by projects year-over-year, tops the pipeline during the period. The Q2 2022 U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report said that major markets and popular tourist destinations in the U.S. reported highest occupancy rates since the pandemic began in early 2020 in the second quarter mainly due to robust leisure travel, group, and international travel. New York City with 78 projects with 13,063 rooms, Atlanta with 25 projects containing 3,905 rooms, Dallas with 25 projects with 3,725 rooms, Phoenix with 23 projects with 4,955 rooms and Los Angeles with 22 projects with 3,606 rooms are the top five markets with the most projects under construction during the end of June. They account for 22 percent of rooms under construction in the U.S.

AS THE FIRST half of 2022 ended, U.S. hotels overall were catching up with extended-stay hotels in terms of recovery, according to a report from The Highland Group. RevPAR recovery, for example, was almost the same for hotels overall and extended-stay. Also, the report found that new construction fell to an 8-year low over the first two quarters of the year, according to the report. For the first time in 18 months, the overall hotel industry's second quarter RevPAR recovery index surpassed 100 percent, matching the extended-stay hotel's 109 percent index. Economy and mid-price extended-stay hotels are still ahead of the overall recovery as well as upscale extended-stay hotels. The gap between the segments is expected to narrow over the near term.

THE U.S. GENERAL Services Administration recently announced the per diem rate for lodging for government employees in the continental U.S., and it was good news for hotels. The GSA increased the standard CONUS per diem rate for fiscal year 2023 and set all non-standard area rates at or above the fiscal year 2022 rates. The standard CONUS lodging rate rose from $96 to $98, according to the GSA's statement. The meals and incidental expenses per diem tiers for the fiscal year are unchanged at $59 to $79, with the standard M&IE rate unchanged at $59. There are no new NSA locations this year, and three locations that were NSAs or part of an established NSA in fiscal year 2022 will move into the standard CONUS rate category. They are Cromwell and Old Saybrook, Connecticut, in Middlesex County; El Paso, Texas, in El Paso County; and Rock Springs, Wyoming, in Sweetwater County.

A NEW SURVEY finds that nearly three in five U.S. travelers plan to "trip-stack" this holiday season by adding another destination or trip directly following or leading up to their existing travel plans. The survey by G6 Hospitality's economy lodging brand Motel 6, also found that most travelers will be looking to try something new. The fifth annual holiday survey also found that, along with plans to trip-stack, 67 percent of respondents said that holidays are the only time when friends and family are available to travel. More than half, 52 percent, of those surveyed plan to cross an average of three state lines while on their winter trips and 46 percent plan to stay at a hotel or motel for their trips, the survey, which received response from 2,000 Americans, pointed out.

HIHOTELS BY HOSPITALITY International has entered into a partnership with the travel app Hopper. With this new partnership, Hopper will have a direct connection with hihotels' five brands namely Scottish Inns, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. These brands will gain access to Hopper's proprietary suite of fintech products that assist with conversion, repeat purchases and profitability, hihotels' said in a statement. According to the statement, Hopper will help hihotels expand its growing online presence, while retaining its customer base. "This strategic alliance with Hopper is yet another way of providing more revenue opportunities and increased exposure for our franchisees," said Gary Gobin, director of operations at hihotels'. "Hopper, previously known for its flights business, has rapidly expanded into hotels, homes and rental cars in recent years - with hotels currently comprising more than half of the company's travel bookings. We like how they are strongly focused on social media marketing, which will improve exposure of our hotels to younger generations who prefer to spend money on experience, rather than higher-priced accommodations." "At Hopper, we strive to provide the best accommodation offerings in the same place that users are booking the rest of their travel," said Lexi Caron, head of Hotel Marketplace at Hopper. "This partnership brings new direct inventory to the Hopper app, which has been downloaded over 100 million times to date and helps us deliver on our promise to offer customers the best price, selection and inventory available."

HOTEL BRAND HIHOTELS by Hospitality International has launched changes to its INNcentive Instant Rewards program, a statement said. The program offers members access to thousands of discounts and special offers from nationally recognized companies, the company said in a statement. The benefits under the rewards program include a 15 percent discount during each stay (based on availability), early check-in and late checkout, discounts and special offers for dining, shopping, entertainment and travel and weekly emails with special offers for traveling and everyday activities. "A major initiative has been to enhance the structure and offers of the INNcentive program to benefit our franchisees," said Chris Guimbellot, hihotels president and CEO. "These added perks and discounts will help our hotel owners retain current guests and attract new ones, increase repeat visits and brand loyalty, drive direct bookings to our hotels and allow us to compete more effectively with other brands and OTAs - all without any additional fees to franchisees."

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS hopes to draw more young college graduates to the hospitality field, particularly among historically underrepresented groups, through a new partnership with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College in Atlanta. As part of the tie-up, IHG will provide resources to support students' professional development in the hospitality sector and create employment opportunities. The initiative is part of IHG's early-career recruitment program, according to IHG, which also is based in Atlanta. "Our partnerships with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College underscore IHG's commitment to supporting the success of future leaders and increasing ethnically and racially diverse talent within our company," said Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Americas. "Our goal is to create meaningful engagements that open more doors of opportunity for underrepresented groups. I recently had the pleasure of meeting a few of our summer interns from both schools and it was inspiring to be among a new generation of up-and-coming talent that we hope will soon come back to IHG."

ATLANTA-BASED EV Hotels, a new technology-centric hotel brand founded by Ken Patel, has partnered with Spanish firm CLERHP to construct a luxury resort in the new Larimar City & Resort project in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. The 400-room hotel will be built on an area of nearly eight acres, the company said in a statement. Larimar City & Resort will be on the Promenade on the Farrallón de Verón, which has a view of Punta Cana, said Leonardo Padron Hermes, CEO of Blacklions International Group, a company associated with CLERHP in the development of real estate projects in the Dominican Republic. The area includes restaurants, clubs, shops and an 18-hole golf course. "After many years of working behind the scenes to develop a hotel brand that both innovates and revolutionized the industry, it is truly rewarding to now see EV make an impact across the globe. And believe me, we are just getting started," Patel said. "Larimar City & Resort will be one of the best tourist attractions around the globe and our team at EV is excited to be part of this Smart-City. Growth doesn't come with a single action. It is the consequence of persistence, courage, and hard work. What we are accomplishing here is to create an experience that brings hospitality back and gives it life again. Innovation is a team sport."

As a young man, Amir Ahmed was more interested in sports than in the career in medicine his family wanted for him. However, he parlayed that competitive spirit and focus on personal relationships into the skills he needed to succeed in business and achieve his current position as executive vice president for DISH TV, part of DISH Network Corp., and he shared his story in Asian Hospitality's Leadership Series. One of the responsibilities in his current role is to oversee DISH's hospitality business. His leadership is paving the way for new technology offered in hotels to attract guests and improve efficiency not only for the hotel but also for the guest during their hotel stay. The company's new OnStream platform, provides personalized service to guests while reducing hotels' labor needs. Through it all, he has remembered his heritage and drawn inspiration from it.

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS continue to outperform other types of hotels on a regular basis, even during the pandemic. Now, large hotel companies are expanding their interests in the segment. Choice Hotels International is seeing strong performance and growth in its extended-stay brands, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts recently announced plans to launch a new extended-stay brand this year, its first in the economy segment. Coming off a good year Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR all exceeded pre-pandemic levels for Choice's established extended-stay brands, the economy brands WoodSpring Suites and Suburban Extended Stay as well as midscale brand MainStay Suites, according to the company. The company's new midscale Everhome Suites, launched in early 2020, also saw strong interest by franchisees. The overall performance is similar to what the brands saw in 2020.

THE FIRST QUARTER of 2022 brought better than the national average performance for Twenty Four Seven Hotels. The Newport Beach, California-based third-party hospitality management company also acquired two new hotels in Southern California. Steady growth in year's beginning Occupancy for Twenty Four Seven properties rose steadily during the first three months of the year, hitting 62.9 percent in January, 67.8 percent in February and 76 percent in March. ADR also rose during the same three months, from $142.66 to $160.99 to $174.02. RevPAR followed the same trend, rising from $89.73 to $109.10 to $132.25. Each metric also rose compared to the first quarter of 2021. "We continue to ride the massive wave of momentum that began for Twenty Four Seven Hotels in 2021, when our portfolio grew by 25 percent with the addition of seven new hotels now totaling 25 hotels with more than 3,100 rooms," said David Wani, CEO of Twenty Four Seven. "We will continue to seek third-party management opportunities with well-respected partners and brands in the western U.S., expanding our concentration in these unique markets where we have firsthand experience improving bottom lines and guest satisfaction scores."

The DoubleTree by Hilton Front Royal Blue Ridge Shadows & Golf Course is now open in Front Royal, Virginia. The hotel, recently converted from the Holiday Inn Front Royal, is owned by Navika Group of Companies and managed by Blue Sky Hospitality Solutions Management Co. Real estate company Navika Group and Blue Sky management company both are led by Naveen Shah as president and CEO. Also, Haridas Kotahwala is chairman at Navika Group. The 124-room DoubleTree recently completed phase one of the multi-million conversion and features a new lobby, front desk and lobby level and guest room corridors. Additionally, all guest rooms were outfitted with digital key locks and received new mattresses and SMART TVs.

MAYA HOTELS HELD grand opening for its Tru by Hilton Mooresville in Mooresville, North Carolina. Maya Hotels is led by co-founders J.D. Deva and Baldev Thakor. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 19, though it opened in July. Attendees included Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins and Leah Mitcham, executive director of the Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Today's event was the culmination of many months of hard work and the collaboration with city officials, our construction team, and our Maya Hotels team members to bring this fresh, new Tru by Hilton property to the Mooresville / Lake Norman area," said Parimal Thakor, vice president of Maya Hotels. 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.