Group items tagged

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."

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.

PEACHTREE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT has contracted with TEKMAK Development Co., a full-service hospitality development company, to provide third-party management services for a portion of its hotel portfolio. The three hotels are all in Texas. PHM will assume operations of the SpringHill Suites Dallas Rockwall in Rockwall, Texas, on Aug. 1, and is slated to manage two under-construction hotels, a dual-branded TownePlace Suites by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott in Paris, Texas, and a TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Forney, Texas, the company said in a statement. "This is the second long-term management agreement we've entered into already in 2023, and we will continue to seek best-in-class partners like TEKMAK as we pursue our own third-party management growth goals," said Patrick Short, PHM president. "Our third-party operated portfolio continues to expand, currently accounting for nearly a third of our entire managed portfolio. We expect to continue growing our third-party portfolio moving forward, ultimately surpassing our owned hotels." A division of Peachtree Group, which is led by Jatin Desai and Mitul Patel as managing principals, PHM operates branded, limited-, select- and compact full-service hotels primarily in the upper-midscale and upscale segments. The company presently manages 92 hotels across 28 brands with 11,186 rooms in 22 states. These three TEKMAK hotels increase PHM's third-party operations to 34 hotels, the statement added.

Rebecca Trumbo and William Gullion recently joined Greenville-based Auro Hotels as procurement director and vice president of design and construction, respectively. Trumbo previously held procurement roles at Best Western Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels. Gullion's past positions include president of architecture, design and construction at Virage Creative and vice president of global shared technical services at Hilton Worldwide, Auro said in a statement. "We are excited to welcome Rebecca and William to the Auro Hotels family," said DJ Rama, Auro Hotels' president and CEO. "Their extensive experience and proven track records in the hospitality industry will be invaluable as we continue to drive growth and innovation. We look forward to the significant contributions they will make to our team and the positive impact they will have on our operations and guest experiences."

Nakul Anand, former executive director of ITC Hotels, has been named chairman of the advisory board for Tricone Luxury Hotels, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Tricone Engineers. Anand brings four decades of hospitality experience. He will oversee the company's continued growth in India, Tricone said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome Nakul Anand to our team," Alok Aggarwal, Tricon Luxury Hotels' CEO, said in an article on ANI. "His unparalleled expertise in the hospitality industry will be instrumental in shaping our company's vision and integrating sophisticated hospitality services and sustainability initiatives into our hotels and real estate projects." Tricone Luxury Hotels recently executed memorandums of understanding with Indian hotel brands and acquired land for a real estate project in Alibaug near Mumbai, which will be marketed soon. The company is set to launch luxury hotels and hospitality-oriented real estate projects in Alibaug.

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.

KNOWLAND RECENTLY LAUNCHED Knowland Select, a tool designed for hotels with limited meeting space. Knowland Select subscribers will receive a curated list of target accounts for upcoming need periods directly to the seller's inbox. The general market release of the product is scheduled for later this summer, Knowland said in a statement. "Knowland Select empowers limited service hotels, hardest hit by the recent travel slowdown, with automated prospecting," said Jeff Bzdawka, Knowland's CEO. "It streamlines prospecting for the segment's diverse hotel teams by directly delivering qualified accounts and contacts to the seller's inbox, boosting productivity and group business growth. Importantly, Knowland Select expands our suite of platform offerings to provide valuable sales intelligence solutions for all hotel sizes and chain scales in a portfolio. And with its accessible price point, it lowers the barrier to entry for automated prospecting at scale and helps hotels unlock a clear return on investment."

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."

STR AND TOURISM Economics made significant downward adjustments to the 2024-25 U.S. hotel forecast, reflecting lower-than-expected performance and reduced growth projections for the remainder of the year. Projected gains in ADR and RevPAR were downgraded by 1 and 2.1 percentage points, respectively. Occupancy is also expected to decline, contrasting with the previous forecast's projection of year-over-year growth in this metric. While an occupancy growth projection was maintained for 2025, ADR and RevPAR were adjusted downward by 0.8 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, STR and TE said in a joint statement. "We have seen a bifurcation in hotel performance over the first four months of the year, which we don't believe will abate soon," said Amanda Hite, STR's president. "The increased cost of living is affecting lower-to-middle income households and their ability to travel, thus lessening demand for hotels in the lower price tier. The upscale through luxury tier is seeing healthy demand, but pricing power has waned given changes in mix and travel patterns and to a lesser extent, economic conditions. Travel remains a priority for most Americans, but the volume has lessened as prices on goods and services continue to rise."

STAYNTOUCH, A CLOUD-BASED hotel property management software developer, recently launched UpsellPRO, an attribute-based selling platform that allows hotels to unbundle room reservations and market individual room features to guests during the booking process. The launch followed a report stating that half of respondents with a booking window over one month would pay more for ABS, Stayntouch said in a statement. "Attribute-based selling is giving travelers a degree of control over their hotel stay that they never thought possible, and hoteliers can deliver this experience without overwhelming themselves with unmanageable processes," said Nicole Dehler, Stayntouch's vice president of product. "The best part about today's ABS deployments is they can be delivered directly through the hotel PMS, automating inventory and room management without relying on a convoluted network of connected systems." Dehler said any hotel can leverage upselling to enhance service delivery and boost revenue growth organically, in a way that guests love.

SELECT-SERVICE AND extended-stay hotels remain attractive investments due to their "durable returns in a volatile market," according to a recent JLL study. The sector's RevPAR hit a record $78 in 2024, 14 percent above 2019 levels, with demand up 232,000 room nights year-over-year, nearing full recovery. JLL's U.S. Select-Service and Extended-Stay Hotel Outlook 2025 highlights the sector's lean operations and higher profit margins compared to full-service hotels, making it a strong investment for stable returns despite economic challenges.

THIRD-PARTY HOSPITALITY management company Twenty Four Seven Hotels has added four California hotels to its West Coast portfolio, a statement said. A member of the Newport Beach, California-based company's executive team said it's part of a controlled growth strategy. The new properties are the 128-room Hyatt House Sacramento/Midtown, the 112-room Hyatt Place Newark/Silicon Valley, the 90-room Hampton Inn & Suites Marina and the 119-room Holiday Inn Express Chino Hills. Currently, the firm is providing pre-opening services and these properties are expected to be fully operational in December, the statement added. "We continue to expand our management footprint throughout California, with these four additions bringing our total Golden State portfolio to twenty. By focusing exclusively on the West Coast, our area operational expertise is unparalleled. This also allows for the ability to more readily share best practices and enact economies of scale," said David Wani, CEO, Twenty Four Seven Hotels. "Twenty Four Seven Hotels provides a full-suite of services, starting at the earliest phases of the pre-construction process to create advantages over companies acquiring or assuming operations at a later stage."

VISUAL MATRIX, A hospitality technology provider, reported a 440 percent growth in the use of its mobile housekeeping operating platform, MOP, since it acquired the platform in 2021. MOP is now used in more than 1,000 hotels, representing more than 33 brands, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and IHG Hotels & Resorts, Visual Matrix said in a statement. "MOP was designed to help hoteliers overcome the many operating challenges they face today, in addition to the crunch of reduced labor," said Georgine Muntz, Visual Matrix CEO. "Hoteliers deserve access to tools that work as hard as they do. That's why we have spent so much time listening to hoteliers, understanding their pain points and finding ways to reduce friction when delivering service." MOP facilitates routine processes with mobile housekeeping and maintenance controls, the statement said. The program connects hotel team members using checklists, prompts and alerts. MOP's mobile format allows workers to share information and stay updated on room availability and maintenance requests without calls or trips to the front desk.

ATLANTA-BASED BANYAN Investment Group, led by Rakesh Chauhan and Andy Chopra as managing partners, is rebranding as Satori Collective, an investment management firm focusing primarily on hotel property investment. Its subsidiary Banyan Tree Management also has become Aperture Hotels. Satori and Aperture will work independently of one another. The awakening Satori focuses on investment into select-service, upper select-service extended-stay and lifestyle hotel properties, according to the company. It concentrates on investment in growth corridors located in top MSAs across the U.S. which have established hotel demand generators such as tourism, corporate group travel, state capitals, conference universities, healthcare, heavy manufacturing and military. "Satori is a Buddhist term meaning 'awakening and deep understanding,' which is how our team approaches commercial real estate investment," Chopra said. "With more than 140 years of combined investment experience in virtually all markets and segments, our team has an unparalleled understanding of both the environment and the marketplace. We realized that our true, core business is real estate investment, so we have renewed and doubled our focus on raising and deploying capital in pursuit of consistent, risk adjusted returns while allowing our former management platform to stand on its own and pursue additional third-party management business opportunities."

NEWCRESTIMAGE IS EXPANDING its portfolio of luxury full-service properties with the addition of The Beeman Hotel in Dallas, which has 296 guestrooms and suites across nine floors. Coury Hospitality will manage the property, NewcrestImage said in a statement. NewcrestImage is led by Mehul Patel, managing partner and CEO. The Beeman Hotel, fully renovated in 2021, features a heated indoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, 12,000 square feet of flexible conference space, a lounge with video games, and the Seely Mill restaurant, the statement said. The property is adjacent to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the George W. Bush Presidential Library, and is less than six miles from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center, Love Field and NorthPark Center. "The Beeman is a very high-quality property that offers tremendous upside potential to help drive our ambitious growth goals," said Patel. "To further and fully optimize this hotel's value and profits, we intend to rebrand in the high-end upscale category."

NEWCRESTIMAGE RECENTLY ACQUIRED the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. The 15-floor property features 194 suites with some of the largest square footage in the Columbus market, NewcrestImage said in a statement. "This acquisition underscores our continued appetite for transactions that offer strong growth potential in both market share and asset value," said Mehul Patel, NewcrestImage's managing partner and CEO. The hotel is near the Ohio State Capitol complex and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, two miles from Ohio State University, and seven miles from Columbus International Airport, the statement said. It includes concierge services, a business center, a fitness center, a lounge, a restaurant and 7,000 square feet of conference space. The deal was brokered by Hunter Hotel Advisors, with senior vice presidents Tim Osborne and Spencer Davidson representing the seller.

HYATT HOTELS CORP. expanded its upper-midscale segment with Hyatt Select, a new select-service brand targeting transient guests and designed for easy conversions. The company also opened its first Hyatt Studios location, Hyatt Studios Mobile/Tillmans Corner in Mobile, Alabama, developed by 3H Group and led by CEO Hiren Desai. Hyatt Select is the sixth brand in Hyatt's Essentials portfolio, initially focused on the Americas before expanding globally, Hyatt said in a statement. "For Hyatt, launching a new brand is never just about adding to our portfolio-it's about strengthening our network in a way that benefits both owners and guests," said Jim Chu, Hyatt's chief growth officer. "Hyatt Select hotels will meet a specific need in the market by offering a cost-effective, conversion-friendly option for owners, while delivering an experience for guests who want reliability, comfort, and thoughtful design in the upper-midscale segment."

Caption by Hyatt Downtown Nashville - The Gulch is now open in the Gulch neighborhood of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The hotel, developed in partnership with HRI Hospitality and C.B. Ragland Co., is the brand's second U.S. location. It is co-owned by Peachtree Group. The hotel will be managed by HRI Lodging LLC, the companies said in a joint statement. "HRI is thrilled to open the second Caption by Hyatt hotel in the U.S. and play a pivotal role in the growth of this select-service upscale brand," said Michael Coolidge, HRI Hospitality's chief investment and development officer. "The Caption by Hyatt brand brings a fresh design perspective and unique food and beverage offerings to the heart of Nashville's Gulch district. We look forward to collaborating with Hyatt to continue growing this exciting brand together."

Beth Barris is the new executive vice president of sales and marketing for ELEVAT3, a revenue management consultancy led by Nilesh Patel as founder and partner. The company recently launched a new sales and marketing division to offer tailored branding solutions for hoteliers. Before joining ELEVAT3, Barris was chief sales officer at Barris Hospitality Consultancy, where she worked with hotel sales and marketing teams, owners and management companies to increase sales revenues and market share. She previously held various roles at Marshall Hotels & Resorts, including executive vice president of sales and marketing. The company combined its revenue management and sales and marketing divisions to provide a collaborative approach, ELEVAT3 said in a statement. The sales and marketing team provides services from full sales to market-plan development and prospecting, enhancing revenue management capabilities, the statement said. While clients can choose either service, both teams are designed to work together for branded and independent hotels.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT management firm Noble Investment Group partnered with Host Hotels & Resorts to tap and expand travel, leisure and hospitality opportunities, a statement said. As part of the initiative, Host will invest $150 million as a limited partner in an existing Noble investment vehicle and provide Noble with first-look at select-service and extended-stay hotel opportunities sourced through Host's channels. Host also will become a minority investment partner in Noble's fee-based asset management business, according to Noble's press release. "As we continue to expand our institutional investment management platform, this strategic partnership further augments Noble's ability to develop, source, and execute innovative growth strategies in travel, leisure, and hospitality," said Mit Shah, Noble's CEO. According to the statement, the partnership will combine Noble's operational expertise and development acumen with Host's scale, market insights, data analytics, and breadth of resources. They aim to source differentiated investment strategies including property technology solutions, development, and alternative lodging.