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The UK's Heathrow Airport recorded revenues of £1.97m, representing an 8.2% increase in the first nine months of 2014, while the US tightened restrictions on passengers travelling from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, who can now only enter the country through one of the five airports screening for the disease.

Make your days more authenticate and exciting at Cairns by simply booking best and low cost holiday accommodation. The activities and local lifestyle of Cairns adds more fun to your trip, just enjoy and make your travel trip unforgettable. The details are mentioned in our site.

At the start of this year, Australia's border authorities announced an ambitious plan to roll out biometric identification across all their international airports by 2020. In a "world first", international travellers entering the country will be processed via a completely unmanned system that uses fingerprints, iris and facial recognition.

Off the bat, for those of you wondering what Dashain is, it is one of the biggest festivals in Nepal, followed closely by Tihar. Dashain is celebrated widely across Nepal. It is a time of celebration in most Nepali households where no stones are left unturned for feasts, dances, and family gatherings. Many Nepalis return home during Dashain to spend time with loved ones which makes for amazing travel across Nepal as families come together and are in heightened spirits, making your time in Nepal a pleasant one. This is why Dashain is the most popular time for treks and hikes in Nepal.

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."

The Chatwal New York, a luxury hotel in Manhattan owned by the Dream Hotel Group, has reopened after temporarily closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening comes in the wake of Broadway's return to production and the reopening of the U.S. border to vaccinated international travelers. Dream Hotel Group is led by chairman and founder Sant Singh Chatwal and Jay Stein as CEO. The 76-room hotel includes 29 suites, 14 of which have private, landscaped terraces. It also has specialty suites, such as the theater inspired Chatwal Suite with its 500-square-foot terrace. Also, the terrace of the Garden Suite includes fountains, sculptures and heat lamps and the Library Suite includes a curated book collection. "The Chatwal, New York's reopening marks the return of luxury boutique hospitality in the heart of Midtown Manhattan," said Ashish Verma, senior vice president for Dream Hotel Group's luxury division and general manager of The Chatwal New York. "Our team is committed to our guests' safety and satisfaction with superior services in a renewed world."

The Hyatt House Denver/Aurora is now open in Aurora, Colorado. It is owned by with Chattanooga based Vision Hospitality Group, led by Mitch Patel president and CEO, and BMC Investments Co., LLC. The 140-room extended-stay hotel is nearthe Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, minutes from Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora Sports Park, Aurora Reservoir and it is 17 miles from Denver International Airport. Amenities include The Commons and the Outdoor Commons social gathering areas, a fitness center and more than 1,800 square feet of meeting space. Additional services including guest laundry and complimentary grocery shopping for extended-stay guests. The property will be managed by Humanist Hospitality, the hotel management division of Vision Hospitality. "We know our property compliments the businesses in the market along with travelers looking for a hotel in the Aurora area, whether they are staying for a few days or an extended time," said General Manager Deacon Cottrell.

HOTEL BRAND HIHOTELS by Hospitality International has partnered with Getaroom, a hotel distribution platform within OTA Priceline. The arrangement is expected to increase hihotels reservations capability through adding Getaroom's website and call center. The benefits for hihotels' five brands, Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn, include stronger distribution, access to more incremental guests and increased revenue, according to Hospitality International. "Hihotels is thrilled to announce this strategic alliance with Getaroom," said Gary Gobin, hihotels director of operations. "The opportunity to expand the distribution of our hotels is a top priority. This new relationship will help to bring more visibility to our hotels and offer budget-friendly accommodations to travelers."

A SLIGHT DROP was witnessed in U.S. hotel performance in the first week of April from the week before due to a continuing slump in Spring Break travel, according to STR. Little movement was seen in the top 25 markets as well. Occupancy was 64.1 percent for the week ending April 2, down from 65.5 percent the week before and down 6.4 percent for the same period in 2019. ADR was $145.74 for the week, dropped from $149.38 the week before and increased 11.7 percent from two years ago. RevPAR was $93.48 for the week, dipped from $97.92 the week before and up 4.5 percent from the same period in 2019.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT of Justice will appeal the recent court ruling that overturned a federal mask mandate on public transportation. In response, the U.S. Travel Association said that the mandate is simply out of step with the current public health landscape. Last week, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority in issuing the mask mandate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the DOJ to appeal the ruling. In a statement on April 20, the CDC said that an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health. CDC will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary, it added.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton Whitestown Indianapolis NW is now open in Whitestown, Indiana. It is owned by the Jetha Group with Sumeet Jetha as president of operations and managed by Hotel Equities. The 107-room hotel is near Grand Park Sports Campus, Indiana Motor Speedway, Amerisource Bergen, Indy Car Exchange and Indianapolis International Airport. Amenities include a combined laundry and fitness area, indoor pool and Digital Key check-in. During its opening weekend, Home2 Suites Whitestown Indianapolis donated all of its proceeds to So Big, an organization that provides assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies. "We are excited to open our doors to travelers visiting metro Indianapolis and serving our community," said Keith Adkins, the hotel's general manager. "Whitestown and the surrounding area is a great place to visit and stay for a while with an abundance of amenities at your door step, including nearby shopping and dining."

THE UPWARD MOVEMENT of ADR for U.S. hotels lifted the forecast for the market by STR and Tourism Economics. The travel research firms released the new forecast during the opening sessions of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles on Monday. The recovery timeline laid out in the new forecast remains mostly the same as the previous forecast released in November, with ADR will near full recovery this year. RevPAR is anticipated to exceed 2019 levels in 2023, but when adjusted for inflation ADR and RevPAR are not projected to reach full recovery until after 2025. Occupancy is projected to surpass 2019 levels in 2023. "The industry recaptured 83 percent of pre-pandemic RevPAR levels in 2021, and momentum is expected to pick up after a slow start to this year," said Carter Wilson, STR's senior vice president of consulting. "With so much of that RevPAR recovery being led by leisure-driven ADR, however, it is important to keep an eye on the real versus the nominal. Terms of recovery are not playing out evenly across the board, and many hoteliers have had to raise rates to minimize the bottom-line hit from labor and supply shortages. We are anticipating inflation to remain higher throughout the first half of the year with a gradual leveling off during the third and fourth quarters. If that happens, and we avoid major setbacks with the pandemic, this year will certainly be one to watch with demand and occupancy also shaping up to hit significant levels during the second half."

AS THE HOLIDAY season dwindles into the past, so did U.S. hotels' performance, according to STR. Occupancy dropped, dragging ADR and RevPAR with it. Occupancy was 45.4 percent for the week ending Jan. 8, down from 54.3 percent the week before and down 14.9 percent from the comparable week in 2019. ADR was $119.92 for the week, down from $157.91 week over week and a 4.8 percent drop from 2019. RevPAR reached $54.47, a decline from $85.74 the prior week and down 19 percent from 2019. "Occupancy fell week over week because of a slowdown in leisure demand and a continued absence of business travel due to a Saturday holiday," STR said. "While ADR also dropped from an all-time high the previous week, the metric came in at roughly 95 percent of the 2019 comparable." Occupancy did not increase over 2019 levels for any of STR's top 25 markets, but Dallas came closest, falling shy by 6.6 percent with 55.1 percent.

The SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Odessa in Odessa, Texas, is now open. It is owned by Shivbkrishna LLC led by Manish Bhakta. The 110-room hotel is near the Odessa Meteor Crater, the second largest meteor crater in the U.S., the Parker House Ranching Museum and Monahans Sandhills State Park. Amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool and two different spaces for meetings and events. "Our fully-renovated hotel offers the most value and best service for both business and leisure travelers staying in Odessa," Bhakta said. "The SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Odessa provides guests with the excellent comfort, value and service they are looking for in a hotel stay," said Rob Mentnech, managing director of SureStay Hotel Group.

OCCUPANCY AND ADR in U.S. hotels will continue to grow in 2022, with a year-over-year rebound in RevPAR of 14.4 percent, around 93 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to PwC. Meanwhile, ADR in the third and fourth quarter of 2022 is expected to surpass comparable 2019 levels. The near-term outlook for the U.S. lodging sector by PwC, titled U.S. Hospitality Directions: November 2021 has said that the vast majority of temporarily-closed hotels will have reopened and demand growth, particularly from individual business travelers and groups, will improve if infection rates continue to drop in 2022. According to PwC report, continued demand recovery will result in an occupancy of 61.7 percent next year and ADR will see an increase of 5.9 percent. The consultancy firm anticipates RevPAR up by 14.4 percent in 2022.

PROFITS ROSE IN October for U.S. hotels on a month-to-month basis, according to STR. However, the numbers are still down versus 2019, indicating a bump in the road to recovery. GOPPAR for the month was $62.75, according to STR's monthly P&L data release, up from $46.29 in September. TRevPAR for the month was $165.03, compared to $140.94 the month before, and EBITDA PAR was $44.14, up from $30.47 in September. At the same time, labor costs also rose from $47.50 the previous month to $52.17 inOctober. Estimated industrywide gross operating profit was 89 percent of October 2019 levels, after coming in at 97 percent in September. Labor costs reached 91 percent of pre-pandemic comparables in October after reaching a high of 96 percent in September. "October data was important to analyze from multiple angles," said Raquel Ortiz, STR's assistant director of financial performance. "The metrics were up quite a bit from September if you measure by available rooms, but that's to be expected as October is usually a stronger revenue month due to conferences and group travel. When you extrapolate and bring in the comparison to pre-pandemic times, performance was lower. Fortunately, even with less corporate business this year, profit margins (38 percent) still came relatively close to what we saw in 2019 (40.9 percent)."

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."

THE FIRST TWO months of 2022 saw up and down performance by Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index, according to STR. In January, the index sank, then in February it rose again, regaining lost ground. In January, the index dropped 3.8 percent after rising 12.7 percent in December. The index still outperformed both the S&P 500, which dropped 5.3 percent that month, and the MSCI US REIT Index, which dropped 7 percent. The hotel brand sub-index fell 4.3 percent from December and the hotel REIT sub-index declined 2.2 percent. "Despite the significant stock market volatility to start the year, both the hotel brands and hotel REITs outperformed their respective benchmarks in January, which continued the momentum from the end of 2021," Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird, said at that time. "Positively, Omicron-related concerns are slowly subsiding, and investors are looking forward again. At the same time, leisure demand remains robust, optimism regarding a more normalized travel environment is building, and the broader growth-to-value rotation has benefitted hotel stocks as inflation pressures remain front and center."