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IHG HOTELS & RESORTS donated $500,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund to combat human trafficking. It is the most recent donation by a large hotel company to the fund. The Survivor Fund works to end human trafficking and support the economic stability of human trafficking survivors with the contribution, a statement added. It supports survivors' immediate needs and long-term stability that will empower and equip survivors and their families to help prevent revictimization, including but not limited to emergency housing and career development support by funding community-based organizations. Since its inception, the fund has raised $2.5 million with contributions from Extended Stay America, G6 Hospitality, Hilton Global Foundation, Hyatt Hotels Foundation and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "IHG Hotels & Resorts is committed to eradicating human trafficking, and this support of the NRFT Survivor Fund underscores our long-standing effort to condemn this exploitation and help survivors," said Elie Maalouf, IHG's CEO for the Americas. "The fund will play a crucial role in providing survivors with the support they need for future stability and success. Recognizing that our industry has a unique opportunity to fight human trafficking collectively, we proudly join our peers and AHLA Foundation in continuing to make impactful change."

THE 2020 COVID-influenced lodging industry recession resulted in some noticeable changes to the way hotels provide F&B service. Social distancing regulations forced operators to be creative in the way they served food and beverages to guests. Rising wage rates and sharp increases in the cost of food and beverage products compelled hotel managers to find ways to control costs. The inability of hotels to attract employees to fill the positions eliminated during the recession required creative solutions to improve productivity and offer more with less. These factors resulted in the following hotel food and beverage trends during the subsequent recovery period: The increased offering of kiosks and grab-and-go venues The closing of traditional three-meal-a-day restaurants A reduction in the menus, number of seats, and hours of remaining F&B venues Reductions in in-room dining and mini-bar service The conversion of food and beverage space to other revenue generating purposes To learn how these recent changes in hotel food and beverage operations have impacted revenues and expenses, we have analyzed the operating statements of 2,500 U.S. full-service, resort, and convention hotels that participated in CBRE's annual Trends in the Hotel Industry in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, these 2,500 properties averaged 285 rooms in size, and achieved an occupancy of 64.7 percent, along with an ADR of $225.60. To provide more current information, we also relied on the monthly operating statements of 1,200 properties during the period January through June of 2023.

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 WILL generate $46.71 billion in state and local tax revenue, more than ever before, according to a survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Oxford Economics. Occupancy is expected to continue its recovery, the report said, but challenges remain. Average U.S. hotel occupancy is projected to reach 63.8 percent in 2023, just under 2019's level of 65.9 percent, according to AHLA. However, the labor shortage is expected to continue this year as hotels seek to fill jobs lost in the pandemic. As of December, national average hotel wages were at historic highs of more than $23 an hour and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever. Nearly 100,000 hotel jobs are currently open across the nation, according to job search site Indeed. "Hotels are making significant strides toward recovery, supporting millions of good-paying jobs and generating billions in state and local tax revenue in communities across the nation," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "To continue growing, we need to hire more people. Fortunately, there's never been a better time to be a hotel employee, with wages, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility better than ever before."

TRAVELERS AS WELL as hoteliers are ready for business travel to get back to normal, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Nearly two-thirds of business travelers feel that the increased reliance on virtual work during COVID-19 is negatively impacting both productivity and workplace culture. As many as 77 percent of business travelers and 64 percent of American workers think that it is more important than ever to bring back business travel, according to a survey commissioned by the AHLA. The poll, conducted by Morning Consult among a national sample of 2,210 adults from March 8 to 9, also revealed that nearly seven in ten Americans approve the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent move to relax mask requirements. According to the survey, 43 percent of U.S. workers are more likely to travel for business compared to 2020-21.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Association announced a 10-year agreement to jointly produce the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, a statement said. The USALI is the global "standard" for hospitality accounting and HFTP purchased rights to its contents in 2018. AHLA and HFTP have reengaged the joint Global Finance Committee that is responsible for creating content for USALI's 12th edition to be released next year, according to AHLA. For many years, AHLA's Financial Management Committee was responsible for creating content for the USALI. HFTP purchased USALI's intellectual property, publishing and distribution rights from the Hotel Association of New York City. "After our decision to publish on our own, many in the industry contacted both HFTP and AHLA to see if we could find a way to work together," said Frank Wolfe, HFTP's CEO. "Both organizations had the willingness to work together, but like any business deal the decision was in the details. Associations are a bit different animal than corporate enterprises. Today we may work together on one project and tomorrow will be dead on competitors so there were lots of details to refine. The good news is that both organizations worked exceptionally hard to put those competitive differences aside and advance the industry."

HOTEL OWNERS NAVIGATING industry changes wrought by the pandemic face no dearth of challenges: the decline in business travel, competition from home rental apps and ongoing labor shortages are just a few. Too often, the people owning the hotels - many of them small business owners - are figuring out how to adapt to the new hospitality landscape with added complications from the hotel brands that should be their partners. While many hotel owners have struggled to maintain their livelihoods since the pandemic began three years ago, some big hotel chain franchisers sold hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of loyalty point value to credit card companies under a system that often fails to adequately reimburse the franchisees. That is the thanks these hardworking franchisees got as they worked hard to keep hotel doors open. It does not have to be this way. Generations of franchise owners have successfully embraced entrepreneurship through the franchising model. Franchising allows budding entrepreneurs to adopt a known brand name and comprehensive business strategies in exchange for a portion of the revenue. This partnership has nurtured our industry: Hotels owned by our members employ 1.1 million Americans and contribute $368 billion to the economy. But the franchising relationship needs to be a two-way street to be truly successful. That is why we must ensure that the franchise industry engages in sustainable practices that recognize and safeguard the contributions of small business owners.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL ended its bid to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts after its exchange offer expired Friday. Both companies released statements saying they will now focus on their standalone strategies. Choice also announced that it would withdraw its nominees for Wyndham's board of directors. Last week it made a last effort to encourage Wyndham shareholders to tender shares for the acquisition but still failed to gather sufficient support for the deal. "Since beginning this process in April 2023, Choice has attempted to engage in good-faith negotiations with Wyndham through numerous different avenues, including increasing the proposed offer multiple times and expressing an openness to further enhancing the offer with due diligence, offering a one-way NDA to share its confidential information with Wyndham, and offering above-market regulatory protections," the company said. "Given Wyndham's refusal to constructively and substantively engage on terms, Choice took the extraordinary step of launching the exchange offer to initiate the regulatory review process and engage with Wyndham stockholders. While the support from Wyndham stockholders tendering into the exchange offer was significant considering the number of investors structurally prevented from participating at this stage, it was not sufficient for Choice to conclude - particularly when taking into account the Wyndham board's obvious continuing disinterest in a combination - that a path towards a transaction is available at this time."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the second week of June compared to the previous week, showing mixed year-over-year results, according to CoStar. All key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR and ADR, increased compared to the prior week. Occupancy rose to 70.3 percent for the week ending June 15, up from 69.1 percent the previous week, despite a slight 0.6 percent year-over-year decrease. ADR increased to $161.70 from $160.90, a 0.9 percent rise compared to last year. RevPAR increased to $113.62 from $111.26 the previous week, marking a 0.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, San Francisco recorded the highest year-over-year increases: occupancy rose 14.8 percent to 71.1 percent, ADR increased 11.3 percent to $226.70, and RevPAR grew 30.3 percent to $179.97. The market's performance was boosted by the Data + AI Summit.

UNITY WAS THE theme at Sonesta International Hotels' inaugural conference in Las Vegas. Sonesta essentially completed its integration with Red Lion Hotels Corp. with the announcement of a unified loyalty program, Sonesta Travel Pass, and combined website. Approximately 1,300 attendees, including franchisees, general managers of Sonesta's corporate owned properties and employees, came to the conference and trade show at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Along with keynote speakers and entertainment, the conference provided updates on the company's status. "My team and I have been looking forward to this moment for months to finally be with you, to talk with you, to listen to you and your guests and to show off a little to you," said John Murray, executive vice president for The RMR Group that owns Sonesta. "Because we really do have a lot to show off. We also have a lot to celebrate. Today we're here to celebrate the transformation of Sonesta and Red Lion's histories into our future as one Sonesta."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the first week of June compared to the previous week, with mixed year-over-year results, according to CoStar. All key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR, and ADR, rose compared to the prior week. Occupancy rose to 69.1 percent for the week ending June 8, up from 62 percent the previous week, with a slight 0.1 percent year-over-year decrease. ADR increased to $160.90 from $150.87, showing a 1.8 percent rise compared to last year. RevPAR increased to $111.26 from the previous week's $93.50, marking a 1.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston saw the highest year-over-year increases in occupancy, rising 14.8 percent to 71.1 percent, and in RevPAR, increasing 19.3 percent to $85.20. New York City recorded the largest increase in ADR, rising 9.1 percent to $358.25.

U.S. HOTELS ADDED 700 jobs to their payrolls in June, according to the latest government data, but the nationwide workforce shortage continues to make it difficult for hotels to fill open positions, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Total hotel employment stands at about 1.92 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is more than 196,000 fewer workers than in February 2020, reflecting a scarcity of available employees. Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised down the total number of hotel jobs in the country, which eliminated job gains for the industry that were reported in prior months, AHLA said in a statement. "Halfway through 2024, the hotel industry is behind where it needs to be when it comes to hiring staff, despite near-record high wages and expanding workplace benefits and flexibility," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "The reason is the nationwide workforce shortage, which is preventing hoteliers from meeting their full potential as demand for travel remains strong. Both Congress and the administration can provide relief to our members, many of whom are small business owners, and AHLA will continue to call for action to expand the pool of available workers."

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL revenue of U.S. hotels is expected to drop $20 billion this year, down 23 percent when compared to 2019, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs. It is already reported that hotels lost an estimated $108 billion in business travel revenue during 2020 and 2021 combined. The report said that business travel revenue, the largest source of revenue in hotel industry, will take significantly longer to recover. However, leisure travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, the report added. "While dwindling COVID-19 case counts and relaxed CDC guidelines are providing a sense of optimism for reigniting travel, this report underscores how tough it will be for many hotels and hotel employees to recover from years of lost revenue," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. "The good news is that after two years of virtual work arrangements, Americans recognize the unmatched value of face-to-face meetings and say they are ready to start getting back on the road for business travel."

ALL FORMS OF travel are experiencing a post-pandemic resurgence, including cruises, according to a survey from risk and crisis response provider Global Rescue. Some have concerns about their destination, but most are ready to hit the seven seas. According to the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, 30 percent of respondents were experiencing some hesitancy about where to go, or when to get back to travel after two years of pandemic-related travel restrictions. Meanwhile, 70 percent of respondents are not experiencing any re-entry to travel anxiety in general or on cruise ships, according to the survey. "Nineteen percent of survey takers say they feel safer or much safer about taking a cruise compared to last year," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Restoring Brand USA Act took another step toward passage, clearing the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill would renew the program aimed at promoting international travel to the U.S. Brand USA has generated $56 billion to the U.S. economy since 2013 and supported more than 45,000 jobs each year, according to Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, a sponsor of the bill. The program is funded by international visitors and private contributions, and the decline in international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a loss of that funding, Bilirakis said. The bill would direct the Treasury Department to allow this program to access critical resources, funded by foreign traveler visa fees, for the next few years. "The travel and tourism industry was one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic. As we seek to restore our way of life and fully recover, we cannot overlook the work that must be done to renew this powerful engine of economic growth for communities across the nation," Bilirakis said. "Brand USA has proven itself as a successful catalyst for spurring tourism to the U.S. We need that catalyst now more than ever to help rebuild the industry and spur job growth. Common sense solutions like this will help boost the economy and help get us moving in the right direction."

HOTEL OWNERS MUST treat young associates better as labor is the hot-button issue in the hospitality industry, according to a blog post by HotStats. Increasing wages for entry-level work and promoting career advancement are also vital toward attracting young talent, it added. The blog post said that total payroll on a per-available-room basis is still around two times less in 2021 compared to 2019, according to HotStats data. Year-to-date October 2021, total payroll PAR in the U.S. is $43.46 compared to $85.86 two years ago. "Not only should a hotel care about customers, its number one target market is internal associates," said Leora Halpern Lanz, assistant dean, academic affairs and associate professor of the practice at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration, in the blog. "If they're treated well, word gets out that it's a good place to work. The industry needs to evaluate why people are working 14-hour days because they're being worn down. There has to be an element of work/life balance." Kyle Allison, host of the Hospitality MD podcast, said that the hotel industry needs to tweak its legacy messaging.

REVPAR FOR U.S. hotels recovered to 83.2 percent of 2019 levels in 2021, according to STR. Also, in December 2021, ADR and RevPAR hit all-time highs. U.S. hotel occupancy in 2021 was 57.6 percent, down 12.6 percent when compared to 2019. ADR for the year was $124.67, down just 4.8 percent from 2019. RevPAR at $71.87, down 16.8 percent when compared to two years ago. "In addition to 2020, U.S. hotel occupancy failed to reach 60 percent for just the second time since 2011," STR said. "On a nominal basis, 2021 ADR was the fourth highest on record. The country's RevPAR level was its second lowest in eight years behind only 2020." According to the report, none of the top 25 markets experienced an occupancy increase last year over 2019. Tampa reported the highest occupancy at 68.4 percent, down 5.2 percent from 2019. The largest ADR increase in 2021 was in Miami, up 14.7 percent to $223.49, compared to 2019. Norfolk/Virginia Beach registered the highest growth in RevPAR, up 7.7 percent to $72.31.

ABOUT 78 PERCENT of global travelers place high quality service above all else when booking a hotel, according to a global survey by IHG Hotels & Resorts' voco hotels. Cleanliness and other basic needs also rank highly, but the way hotel staff approach guests during their stay is very important, and travelers want to feel comfortable, both physically and in themselves. "Just like travel has changed, consumers expectations have too," said Will Yell, VP luxury and upscale conversion and affiliate brands at IHG. "With nearly half of travelers stating they want to be valued as an individual, a one-size-fits-all approach to hotel service no longer resonates with travelers." Travelers also are ready to reconnect post-pandemic, with six out of 10 craving connection, interaction and/or conversation more during their travels, compared to pre-pandemic, the survey said. That leads them to want more connection with hotel staff. "As many as 65 percent of travelers think hotel staff should act in a friendly manner towards guests and half said they want to be able to talk to staff and vice versa in a friendly, conversational manner, rather than overly formal or personal. Nearly half (48 percent) of travelers agree that a friendly, approachable, and personalized experience is more important than ever following the pandemic," the survey said.

IT'S TIME FOR AAHOA'S 2022 Convention and Trade Show in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 5,200 members are expected attend the show Tuesday to Friday at the Baltimore Conference Center This year's AAHOACON22 marks a return to the conference's regular April schedule after last year's conference was held in August. More than 450 companies will be exhibiting at the show, which will feature 10 education sessions and three networking events. "AAHOA's staff and convention committee have been working around the clock to make this year the best one yet. Whether for education, inspiration, deal-making, networking, or simply having fun, we have an incredible lineup for this year's event," said Vinay Patel, AAHOA's current chairman. "To everyone who has already registered to attend and are headed to Baltimore, it means so much to us that you've made the necessary sacrifices to be here. We hope you find AAHOACON22 to be immeasurably enriching and rewarding, and a valuable experience. We can't wait to see our old friends, make new ones, and celebrate the hard work we've all put in over the past few months."

HILTON HAS LAUNCHED a new extended-stay brand, Project H3, designed to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding $300 billion workforce travel market, looking for apartment-style accommodations for 20 nights or more. Launching in the U.S. as Hilton navigates the final stages of the trademark process, this lower midscale, extended-stay brand is the newest addition to Hilton's portfolio, the company said in a statement. Hilton is engaged in more than 100 active development conversations with many owners expressing interest in multiple locations. According to the statement, the product provides a foundation for the long stay, allowing guests to make the most out of every day, and delivers an exciting investment option for developers looking to diversify their portfolio under the Hilton name. "Project H3 is perfectly positioned to serve the unique needs of the long-stay traveler, thanks to its innovative design, strong value proposition for our owners and of course, the hospitality our team members offer every day," said Chris Nassetta, Hilton president and CEO. "We aim to serve any guest, anywhere in the world, for any travel need they may have, and this new brand represents a greater opportunity for us to grow our portfolio while providing the reliable and friendly service our customers expect from Hilton." Hilton's in-house research shows long-stay travelers, including traveling nurses, military personnel, and those experiencing workforce relocations, place quality time and comfort above all else. In addition, those looking for a long stay will book an average of 20 or more nights and desire a reliable home base that allows them to maintain their routines while delivering simplicity, consistency and convenience.