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THE PROPOSED FRANCHISE reform legislation in New Jersey that has driven a rift between AAHOA and several large hotel companies has stalled in the state's legislature. AAHOA said it was misinformation that delayed the bill's passage, while the American Hotel & Lodging Association said the bill "would have destroyed the hotel industry's franchise model." It will return Assembly Bill 1958 would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act that could benefit the hospitality industry, AAHOA said previously. Specifically, the changes include restricting non-competes for longer than six months; prohibiting requiring a relocation or capital investment greater than $25,000 more than once every five years unless hotel franchisers can establish a return on the investment; requiring a franchiser that receives "any rebate, commission, kickback, services, other consideration or anything of value" to fully disclose them to the franchisee and turn them over to the franchisee; putting restrictions on mandatory sourcing of goods or resources; and prohibiting suspending, restricting or preventing access to franchise services.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL appears to be moving on from its failed attempt to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, according to statements from its executive team during the company's first quarter earnings call May 8. The quarter saw overall positive performance for the company, including record growth in its pipeline and $63.7 million adjusted net income, a 9 percent rise over the same period of last year. The main portion of the call was dedicated to reporting the highlights of the quarter. For example, Choice's EBITDA during the quarter grew to $124.3 million, a first quarter record and a 17 percent increase compared to the same period of 2023. Its global pipeline as of March 31 increased 10 percent to a company record of more than 115,000 rooms, including a 36 percent increase in the global pipeline for conversion rooms. Its domestic rooms pipeline increased by 11 percent since Dec. 31, highlighted by a 59 percent increase for conversion rooms.

ONE VERSION OF a proposed New Jersey bill that would reshape hotel franchising in the state has passed out of committee in the Assembly but efforts reportedly are under way to amend it to address opponents' concerns. The Senate version of the bill remains in committee. The American Hotel & Lodging Association, a long-time critic of the proposed legislation, called the Assembly Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture's passage of the bill a "dangerous step forward." Supporters of the bill, including AAHOA as well as sponsors of the bill, did not respond to requests for comment in time for this article. What's at stake The bills, A3495 in the Assembly and S2336 in the Senate, were introduced at the beginning of the year to replace the original legislation that stalled in the state's legislature last year. It is essentially the same as its prior incarnation. Specifically, the provisions include restricting non-competes that are longer than six months; prohibiting requiring a relocation or capital investment greater than $25,000 more than once every five years unless hotel franchisers can establish a return on the investment; requiring a franchiser that receives "any rebate, commission, kickback, services, other consideration or anything of value" to fully disclose them to the franchisee and turn them over to the franchisee; putting restrictions on mandatory sourcing of goods or resources; and prohibiting suspending, restricting or preventing access to franchise services.

MAYA HOTELS RECENTLY celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first ground-up hotel, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Belmont in Belmont, North Carolina. The event marked the hotel's evolution from a 65-room establishment in 1999 to a modern 92-key hotel, while showcasing original site plans, franchise approval letters, snapshots from the 1999 grand opening and earned awards over the years. IHG Hotels & Resorts representative Jason Miller, local government officials, along with associates, community members, vendors and investors attended the event. "We came to the United States with nothing, but we knew one thing - this is the land of opportunity," said Baldev Thakor, Maya Hotels' cofounder. "We knew we wanted to build a Holiday Inn Express in this community and we knew there were many guests not being served," J.D. Deva, Maya Hotels cofounder, said. "Here we are, 25 years later, and it has been a remarkable journey."

WYNDHAM REWARDS RECENTLY announced the three finalists for the mural project at Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro, North Carolina. The selected artists are Vincent Ballentine from Brooklyn, New York; Raman Bhardwaj from Greensboro, North Carolina; and Abel Jackson from Charlotte, North Carolina. A committee of key community figures and organizations chose these finalists from over 50 nationwide applicants, Wyndham said in a statement. The project aims to honor the Greensboro Six, a group of Black men who, in 1955, played golf at the whites-only Gillespie course, the statement said. Their act of defiance against segregation occurred just a week after Rosa Parks' arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. The Greensboro Six were arrested, convicted of trespassing, and spent 15 days in jail. Their actions and subsequent court cases eventually led to the desegregation of Gillespie Golf Course. In 1961, the Greater Greensboro Open (now the Wyndham Championship) became the first PGA Tour event in the South to welcome a Black player, Charlie Sifford.

ROB SMITH WILL become president and CEO of Stonebridge Cos. in July. He succeeds Navin Dimond, who founded the Denver-based hotel management company in 1991 and will now serve as chairman. In his new role, Smith will lead the development and execution of the organization's long-term strategies and report to the board of directors, Stonebridge said in a statement. "I am proud of the success our team has achieved as we've built the distinct Stonebridge brand over more than 30 years-and am confident that the best is yet to come," said Dimond. "Rob epitomizes our culture of leveraging innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit to enhance value for our owners, investors and other stakeholders. His extensive, successful track record makes him the ideal person to advance our growth strategy. I look forward to working closely with Rob to take Stonebridge to the next level of growth."

THE U.S. HOTEL industry showed improved performance in May compared to the same month last year, according to CoStar. All three performance metrics-occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR-increased year-over-year. The top 25 markets reported higher occupancy and ADR than all other markets. Occupancy increased to 65.7 percent in May, up from 65.2 percent in April, and increased by 1.5 percent compared to May 2023. ADR climbed to $160.40 from $157.31 the previous month, a 2.4 percent rise from 2023. RevPAR reached $105.46, up from $102.51 the preceding month, reflecting a 4 percent increase from May of the previous year. Among the top 25 markets, New York City led in all three key performance metrics: occupancy rose 5.8 percent to 88.9 percent, ADR increased 6.3 percent to $339.25, and RevPAR climbed 12.5 percent to $301.57. Markets with the lowest occupancy for the month included Detroit at 46.1 percent and Chicago at 49.4 percent.

APPROXIMATELY 75 PERCENT of Americans plan to take road trips this summer, with about 33 percent intending to travel more than 250 miles from home, according to a recent study by WalletHub. However, choosing an affordable travel destination is challenging due to higher gas prices, currently averaging over $3.45 per gallon nationwide, and increased accommodation costs. The WalletHub study, which assessed all 50 U.S. states across 32 metrics to identify the most budget-friendly road-trip destinations, ranked Texas, Minnesota and New York as the top three states to visit this summer. "Taking a summer road trip can be a very exciting way to experience a new place, but with the prices of gas, food and accommodations heavily impacted by inflation, you'll want to be in a state that makes this type of vacation affordable," said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub's analyst. "Safe roads are also key, and so is having plenty of worthwhile attractions to stop at along the road. The best states for summer road trips therefore are those that keep costs low while providing the best driving experience and most fun activities."

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS showed positive growth in April after a difficult first quarter, according to The Highland Group. Monthly room revenue growth was the highest in nearly a year, demand saw its strongest increase in 16 months, and ADR and RevPAR turned positive after two and four months of decline, respectively. "The performance of extended-stay hotels in April re-established the segment's long-term trend of increasing its market share of total hotel supply, demand and room revenues," said Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group. The extended-stay room supply grew 2.8 percent in April, slightly above the average monthly increase over the last two years, the report said. However, April marked 31 consecutive months of 4 percent or less supply growth, with annual supply change under 2 percent for two years-both metrics well below the long-term average.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi declared victory as his coalition secured more than half of the parliamentary seats, setting him on course for a third consecutive term - the first in over 60 years. This follows a six-week-long election in which nearly 1 billion people were eligible to vote. "The National Democratic Alliance is going to form the government for the third time," Modi said in a speech at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi. "We are grateful to the people. This is a victory for the world's largest democracy." However, BJP's celebrations seem relatively muted. Modi's alliance had set a bullish target of winning 400 out of 543 parliamentary seats. While the BJP secured 240 seats, the NDA alliance's total is approximately 292, according to India's election commission. The I.N.D.I.A coalition of opposition parties picked up 234 seats, defying exit polls that predicted a much lower tally.

CHEF AND HUMANITARIAN José Andrés will deliver the opening keynote at The Hospitality Show on Oct. 28. The three-day event, organized by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, will take place from Oct. 28 to 30 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Additional speakers and program updates will be announced in the coming months, AHLA said in a statement. In the discussion titled "Changing the World Through the Power of Food," Andrés, a food and hunger advocate, will express his belief that "food is a basic human right," AHLA said. The World Central Kitchen, the non-profit he founded in 2010 to provide food relief after disasters, has delivered over 350 million meals worldwide. Andrés also founded José Andrés Group, which owns restaurants such as the two-Michelin-starred minibar in Washington D.C., Mercado Little Spain in New York City and multiple locations of the Bazaar by José Andrés, the statement said. Andrés popularized Spanish tapas in the U.S. and introduced avant-garde cuisine.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS room supply increased by 3.2 percent in May, slightly above the average monthly rise over the past two years, according to The Highland Group. May marked the 32nd consecutive month with supply growth at 4 percent or less, and the annual supply increase has been under 2 percent for two years. However, both metrics remain well below the long-term average. The 12.8 percent increase in economy extended-stay supply, along with smaller gains in mid-price and upscale segments, is primarily due to conversions, the report said. New construction in the economy segment accounts for only about 3 percent of rooms opened compared to a year ago.

THE U.S. SUPREME Court overturned a lower court ruling that found Grants Pass, Oregon's ban on outdoor sleeping on public lands violated the constitution's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. AAHOA expressed concerns over the ruling in the case that could push the homeless population into hotels. Previously, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court held that enforcing city ordinances banning outdoor sleeping did violate the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause "whenever the number of homeless individuals in a jurisdiction exceeds the number of 'practically available' shelter beds," according to the Supreme Court ruling. This led to several lawsuits against cities filed by homeless advocates, including one against Grants Pass that led a district court to file an injunction prohibiting the city from enforcing the ordinance. The Supreme Court overturned the district court's holding, saying the city's punishments for violations, including fines in first offenses and imprisonment for multiple violations, did not meet the Eighth Amendment's definitions of cruel and unusual. That ruling has an immediate impact on cities and counties in Oregon and other Western states, according to Oregon media.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is now open in Chattanooga/East Ridge, Tennessee. The 101-room, four-story hotel is owned by Vision Hospitality Group, led by President and CEO Mitch Patel. This is Vision Hospitality's second hotel opening this year. Construction of the hotel began in February 2023 and was completed in just over a year in collaboration with Wolftever Development, Vision Hospitality said in a statement. The hotel is located next to the company's Hampton Inn in a mixed-use area of East Ridge. "We are proud to continue our partnership with Hilton and broaden our presence in the East Ridge area by launching this Home2 Suites by Hilton," said Patel. "East Ridge continues to see significant growth with new developments, which creates a demand for quality accommodations. We are pleased to meet this need."

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