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NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP has acquired the Homewood Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City | Downtown in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company, led by Mit Shah as CEO,said the city represents a fast-growing market. The 137-room hotel is in Salt Lake City's central business and entertainment district, according to Noble. The area contains more than 15 million square feet of office space and several corporate headquarters, including Zions Bancorporation, Questar Corporation, and Goldman Sachs. Also nearby are the Salt Palace Convention Center, Vivint Arena, Gallivan Center, Temple Square and the Utah State Capitol. More than 26 million passengers annually pass through the Salt Lake City International Airport, which is 4 miles west of downtown. "Salt Lake City has seen some of the highest in-migration trends leading up to and continuing through the global health crisis," Noble said in its statement. "The city boasts more than ten ski resorts within an hour's drive, as well as more than a dozen national parks and monuments. With its world-class outdoor lifestyle, Salt Lake City is one of the most dynamic leisure and corporate travel markets in the U.S."

HOSPITALITY FIRMS OYO ROOMS and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts recently joined relief efforts in Ukraine. OYO is offering free accommodation to refugees fleeing the war-torn country and Wyndham made a cash donation to a charity supporting child victims of the war. OYO appealed to more than 600 Belvilla home-owners on its platform in Poland, to open their holiday homes to refugees, it said in a statement. "These stays will be free for refugees who cannot pay for them, and the costs will be borne by us and our home-owners who volunteer to host refugees. We will support them administratively, and help cover operational expenses incurred," OYO said.

Mark Sergot is InterContinental Hotels Group's new vice president for global sales operations and enablement. Previously he was chief sales officer for Associated Luxury Hotels International. Sergot spent 16 years at FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of the Fairmont, Raffles & Swissotel brands. He became FRHI's senior vice president for its global sales organization. He will be based on the company's Americas headquarters in Atlanta and report to global sales Vice President Derek DeCross.

Sam Basu is the new general manager for JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida. Previously he worked at hotels in Puerto Rico. Basu worked in managerial positions at the Ritz-Carlton San Juan for 10 years, including holding the position of executive assistant manager of rooms and F&B. He also worked at Marriott International and St. Regis Bahia Beach, all in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Last week, Kristin Assad was named vice president and general manager at Stockyard Heritage Development Co.'s Hotel Drover in Fort Worth, Texas.

Jennifer Stilwell is the new vice president of marketing for auroHOTELS, led by D.J. Rama as president and CEO. Previously, she served as chief marketing officer for VisitGreenvilleSC, the destination marketing organization for Greenville, South Carolina, where auroHOTELS is based. Prior to VisitGreenvilleSC, Stilwell led tourism brand marketing for Leslie Advertising, handling accounts such as the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. She also worked for New York ad agency Warren/Kremer representing NYCVB, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, La Cabana in Aruba and Club Med. A native of New Jersey, Stilwell graduated from Rollins College. While at VisitGreenvilleSC, where she also served as executive vice president and chief strategic officer, she directed and launched the "yeahTHATgreenville" rebranding campaign for the city.

PEOPLE ARE SHOWING a desire to get back to travel, but within certain limits, according to a Reuters Events Travel webinar. The webinar featured information on the current state of the industry from IHG Hotels & Resorts, Visit California and digital consultancy Appnovation. Whether planning, booking or experiencing a vacation, today's travelers are more cautious than ever and are taking more time to research plans and are using digital tools for it, according to the webinar titled "Destination Experience: Driven by Data, Inspired by Travelers." As many as 41 percent of respondents to a survey from Appnovation cited a readiness to travel out of state or province, while only 19 percent were ready for international trips. Almost half of Americans, 49 percent, are likely to travel out of state and 24 percent are likely to travel internationally. "With data, brands are much better equipped to understand these shifts, and use their marketing tools more effectively. In short, you can't innovate properly until you innovate on your internal processes," said Anton Morrison, vice president of user experience and design, Appnovation.

TO USHER IN 2022, Best Western Hotels & Resorts is offering a new program to allow guests Best Western Rewards to use points to cover the cost of booking a hotel room. The company said its "Pay with Points" will benefit hoteliers as well. Under the new program, BWR members do not have to reach a free room night threshold, but can redeem points for discounted room rates at hotels in North America immediately. During a beta test of the program in which a few Best Western hotels allowed BWR with at least 5,000 points to apply points to their hotel stays, one third used a combination of BWR points and cash to book stays of two nights or more. That ultimately boosted the bottom line for the participating hotels, the company said. Also, 35 percent of Pay with Points redemptions were for hotels where members had not previously stayed. "Pay with Points is designed to help both BWR members and our hoteliers. Our hotel owners will benefit because BWR members are being introduced to new properties within our portfolio," said Dorothy Dowling, Best Western's senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "We're always looking to provide our rewards members with new promotions and benefits, and we're excited to introduce Pay with Points to Best Western-branded hotels across North America."

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."

THREE LARGE HOTEL companies took advantage of last week's 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas to announce new brand prototypes and refurbishments. They include two new extended-stay concepts and investments in existing midscale brands. Red Roof Inn introduced its new HomeTowne Studios prototype that the company said features a cost-effective development footprint, and a layout that offers improved operational efficiency. Also, G6 Hospitality, parent company for Motel 6 and Studio 6, introduced its Studio 6 Suites to meet what it sees as increased demand of extended-stay brands. Also, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced it would invest more than $40 million over the next three years in its Microtel and La Quinta by Wyndham brands. The company's Microtel Lift Incentive Program aims to encourage renovations that will bring existing properties parallel to the new build prototypes followed by the brands.

The GLō Tulsa East Route 66 is now open in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the first of Best Western Hotels & Resorts' new-build boutique brand to open in the state. It is owned by Champion Hotels Group, led by founder Champak "Champ" Patel, and Jain Hotels led by CEO Jayesh Jain. The 70-room hotel is near the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and Tulsa International Airport. Other nearby attractions include the Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma Aquarium, ONEOK Field, BOK Center, The Gathering Place, LaFortune Park, Rogers Point park and the Catoosa Activity Center. Hotel amenities include a meeting area and workspaces as well as a fitness center. "This hotel is the perfect addition to the Catoosa and Tulsa area," Patel said. "We are thrilled to introduce the GLō brand to Oklahoma," Jain said. "This property provides the ideal boutique look and feel with the modern amenities and service offerings today's travelers expect."

Aiden by Best Western @ Warm Springs Hotel and Event Center is now open in Warm Springs, Georgia. The 50-acre mountain-top resort is owned by Kathy Patel. The 52-room hotel is one hour away from south of Atlanta. Nearby are the Little White House of President Franklin Roosevelt and F.D. Roosevelt State Park, the Wild Animal Safari and Full Circle Animal Sanctuary, Great Wolf Lodge, Warm Springs Vineyard and Winery and Fitzgerald Fruit Farms. "We are very excited to bring a bold boutique hotel to Warm Springs," said Patel. "Our hotel brings a new lodging choice that is unlike anything else in the area, and we look forward to welcoming guets with our selection of modern amenities and exemplary service."

BEST WESTERN HOTELS & Resort executives say the company is riding a wave of success that brought its members to Hawaii for its 2023 Annual Convention. Best Western benefited from budgeting for a forecasted recession that now seems unlikely this year, and saw continued growth domestically and internationally with India "top of mind." Other topics addressed during the convention at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu last week include the strategy to be followed by Joelle Park, Best Western's newly hired senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Also, the company's new program to advance women in hotel ownership was getting under way. Making waves Larry Cuculic, president and CEO, opened the conference giving details on the company's performance. "The Big Wave reflects the surge that BWH Hotels has made in the travel industry and how we are making 'big waves' together all over the world," Cuculic said. "Our Big Wave has rippled through our organization, our industry, and our lives, touching our guests, our communities, and leaving a rich legacy of success."

THE AHLA FOUNDATION, is re-launching its ForWard program, created to advance women in leadership and ownership within the hotel industry, and plans to integrate the program with the recently acquired Castell Project, an organization focused on promoting women in hospitality leadership. Also, the foundation presented the 2023 Peggy Berg Castell Award to Julienne Smith, IHG Hotels & Resorts' chief development officer for the Americas. The integration of ForWard and the Castell Project will result in a unified platform offering resources, events, professional development, and community-building opportunities, the AHLA Foundation said in a statement. "There is tremendous opportunity for us to do more to celebrate, champion, and create community for women," said Anna Blue, president of AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. "AHLA Foundation is uniquely positioned to collaborate across industry and invest in the women who are advancing hospitality."

MARKING 50 YEARS in the hotel business, Red Roof held its annual brand conference at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Nov. 11 to 13. During the conference, the company announced a new partnership with software company HotelKey to install a multi-functional, cloud-based system in its more than 675 properties nationwide. Other news from the conference included details of the company's financial position, which George Limbert, Red Roof president, said is strong. Company officials also discussed Red Roof's new dual brand development prototype, other partnerships and the latest charity efforts of the company's Purpose With Heart. "Red Roof delivered record revenue which is a testament to our resilience and ability to anticipate market trends," Limbert said. "Our financial position is strong, travelers are back and our owners and operators are exceeding performance expectations."

THE U.S. HOTEL industry is "beginning to get back to getting back to it," according to a speaker at The Lodging Conference 2022, held Sept. 19-22 in Phoenix. More than 2,500 people attended the event at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, continuing the industry's return to normalcy after more than two years of pandemic. Talk of the economy during the conference was mostly positive, though concerns about the labor shortage remained high as well as some apprehension about overall economic stability. Women were strongly represented on the stage with the awarding of the annual Castell Award. AAHOA's leadership team also contributed to the conference conversation.

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."

Joel Eisemann is now the senior advisor of real estate investment managing firm Noble Investment Group, the company said in a statement. Previously he was chief development officer for the Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts. He will work with the Noble team to develop and scale the company's investment strategies as the firm continues the meaningful growth of its platform that serves institutional investors around the world, the statement added. Eisemann was with IHG for the past 11 years and retired last year. Under his leadership, IHG launched five new brands in the Americas and grew to approximately 5,000 hotels open and in the pipeline.

HURRICANE IAN PLOWED across Cuba and strengthened into a Category 4 storm Wednesday with its sites on central Florida, where it would kill more than 70 people before moving on to the Carolinas. Part of what made Ian so deadly was its unpredictability, as south Florida hotelier Jan Gautam witnessed. Gautam, president and CEO of IHRMC Hotels & Resorts in Orlando, said Ian hit with Category 1 force wind in the Kissimmee and Orlando area, damaging seven of his properties. That came as a surprise to many of his guests who had fled the Tampa area where Ian had been expected to hit. "This particular hurricane was supposed to hit Tampa Bay and we were not expecting it to come towards us in Orlando," Gautam said. "Suddenly, at the last moment the route was changed and most of the people from the Tampa area were staying in Orlando, so hotels in Orlando were completely full. These were the people who came from central Florida and we were actually beaten up badly."