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SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. executed approximately 15 franchise agreements, adding more than 1,900 keys in the first quarter of 2024. These new franchise hotels span Sonesta's brands, including The James, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Essential, Americas Best Value Inn, Red Lion Hotels, Red Lion Inn & Suites, and Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, Sonesta said in a statement. "The 15 signed franchise agreements during the first quarter underscore Sonesta's momentum as we welcome new owners into our growing portfolio and expand our market presence," said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's executive vice president and the president of franchise and development. "With a fast, friendly, and flexible approach and a seamless conversion process for our franchisees, we expect continued growth throughout 2024." These agreements highlight Sonesta's appeal as a conversion option compared to larger competitors, the statement added. The company said hotel owners are attracted to the company's focus on maximizing ROI through property rebranding. It offers owners various options across upper upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay and premium economy segments.

ONLY 15.6 PERCENT of leaders in the B2B travel technology space are women, according to Belvera Partners. Their analysis of top CEOs and prominent individuals in the industry revealed this gender disparity. The research, conducted in July for the Belvera B2B Travel Tech Map to select companies and individuals using LinkedIn profiles to determine gender, found that, by business vertical, lobby groups had the highest percentage of female leaders at 36 percent. Car rental had the lowest at 10 percent. In a 2021 analysis of its smaller tech map, Belvera found that 12.4 percent of CEOs were female, showing the current increase to 15.6 percent as marginal progress. Belera Partners' emphasized that this is not a direct comparison, as the current map is larger, and some companies from the previous map have been removed due to changes in the travel tech landscape, including closures and mergers. The B2B Travel Tech Map covers sectors like aviation tech, accommodation distribution, TMCs, car rental tech, in-destination experiences, and short-term rentals, featuring over 400 entries. It is updated almost monthly.

U.S. HOTEL METRICS improved for the week ending Feb. 15, with both week-over-week and year-over-year gains, according to CoStar. Chicago led the top 25 markets in year-over-year occupancy growth. Occupancy rose to 60 percent for the week ending Feb. 15, up from 55.9 percent the previous week, reflecting a 1.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. ADR climbed to $164.79 from $156.03, marking a 2.2 percent year-over-year gain. RevPAR also saw an increase, reaching $98.83 from $87.22, representing a 3.4 percent improvement over the previous year. Among the top 25 markets, Chicago led in occupancy growth, rising 14.4 percent to 55 percent.

US passports issued to children age 15 and younger are valid for only five years, if your child's passport is expired, you will need to follow the same procedure that is used for a first time minor passport. As soon as your child turns 16, he will be eligible to get his first adult passport valid for 10 years. If you need help getting a passport for your child in a hurry, check out our article and follow the passport renewal procedure according to your child's age group.

US passports issued to children age 15 and younger are valid for only five years, if your child's passport is expired, you will need to follow the same procedure that is used for a first time minor passport. As soon as your child turns 16, he will be eligible to get his first adult passport valid for 10 years. If you need help getting a passport for your child in a hurry, check out our article and follow the passport renewal procedure according to your child's age group.

Look no further, we came up with 15 Unique Romantic Date Ideas to shake up your night together. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary or just a casual night out, mark the destinations below and things to do on your unique romantic date to select what type of date you are looking for you have in mind.

Architecture, food, shopping, art and romance, that's what Paris is all about. Here's the 15 best tours you can enjoy while you're in the French capital.

THE BAIRD/STR Hotel Stock Index jumped 15.8 percent in October, according to STR. There were no signs of slowing as U.S. demand continued to strengthen during the month. The index decreased 8 percent year-to-date through the first ten months of 2022. The index fell 9.1 percent in September. In October, the index outgrew both the S&P 500, up 8 percent and the MSCI US REIT Index, increased 4.7 percent. The hotel brand sub-index increased 14.4 percent from September to 9,458, while the hotel REIT sub-index grew 20.6 percent to 1,193. "October was a strong rebound month for hotel stocks, and they recouped all their losses from the prior two months," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "Importantly, both the global hotel brands and the hotel REITs were relative outperformers versus their respective benchmarks in October. As investors shifted their focus from broader macroeconomic uncertainties to sector-specific performance ahead of and through third-quarter earnings reports, hotels continued to screen favorably given still-strong underlying fundamentals and an intact post-pandemic recovery thesis."

U.S. HOTEL CONSTRUCTION increased slightly in December after 25 consecutive months of decline, according to STR. Projects in the later stages of development saw a reversal in their decline and luxury projects were up. There are 159,344 rooms in construction during the month, up 0.3 percent, over Dec. 2021. As many as 213,066 rooms are in the final planning state, an increase of 15 percent over last year. STR pipeline data added that 240,092 rooms are under planning, a decline of 15.6 percent. New York City, Phoenix and Dallas are set to see the largest supply percentage increases from current construction. The luxury and upscale segments would see the most supply. "While the overall pipeline continued to contract year over year, December showed strength in the later phases of development," said Alison Hoyt, STR's senior director of consulting. "Over the past year, we've seen late-stage pipeline rooms consistently decline from 2021 levels, while rooms in the planning phase often showed double-digit growth. We started to see a change in this pattern in November, when final planning rooms significantly jumped year over year and planning rooms came down pretty firmly. The same occurred in December, with the only difference being construction increasing slightly over 2021. When looking strictly at volume, the in-construction phase has been fairly stable throughout the year, remaining under 160,000 rooms and showing month-over-month increases from July through October and again in December."

Peachtree Group recently promoted 15 senior-level executives to support business initiatives within its investment and investment services teams. From the investment team, Nicholas Huddleston is promoted to vice president, loan servicing; Matthew Larre to vice president, portfolio management; Kendall Burrus to assistant vice president, debt asset management; John Schellhase to assistant vice president, development investments; and Matthew Weatherford to assistant vice president, dispositions and acquisitions. Promotions in the investment services team include: Daniel Puglisi to senior vice president, corporate operations, hospitality management; Lee Shuman to senior vice president, hospitality development; Jenelle Zadik to senior vice president, people, culture, and workplace initiatives; Allison Frazier to vice president of revenue management; Sophia Koehl to vice president of hotel accounting; and Charles Talbert to vice president, corporate communications. Also promoted in the services team were Eugene Barber III to assistant vice president, construction and design; Zachary Bollinger to assistant vice president, debt capital markets; Sean Hondorf to assistant vice president, renovation program; and Katherine Atkinson to controller.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS' Women Own the Room surpassed 15 hotel openings and 50 signings in just over 24 months. The program has expanded its network to more than 550 women, leveraging Wyndham's scale to break down barriers to hotel ownership, Wyndham said in a statement. "For decades, the hotel industry has been complacent in allowing women to remain on the sidelines of hotel ownership and in turn, has missed out on the opportunity to strengthen itself through greater diversity," said Galen Barrett, Wyndham's vice president for strategic franchise initiatives. "Women Own the Room and the subsequent programs it has inspired throughout the industry are finally changing the narrative and Wyndham is proud to lead the way." According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Castell Project, although women comprise nearly 60 percent of the hospitality workforce, they hold only one leadership position for every 10 men.

CITIZENM BOSTON BACK Bay is now open in Boston. The 15-story, 399-room tower is the company's largest property to date and its second hotel in the city. The Netherlands-based citizenM, led by founder and chief brand officer Robin Chadha, currently operates 15 hotels in the U.S. Asian HospitalityLocated in the mixed-use Lyrik development in Back Bay, the hotel was designed by citizenM's long-time partner, concrete Amsterdam, with local firm Elkus Manfredi also contributing to the project, citizenM said in a statement. The hotel shares a campus with the new LEGO office and is near Fenway Park and Newbury Street. "We are thrilled to open the doors to our second Boston location, and what will be the largest hotel in our global portfolio," said Chadha. "Boston is known for its creative expression and captivating stories, and, likewise citizenM will spotlight locally inspired works of art and exciting opening campaigns with Boston citizens at the forefront. The Back Bay neighborhood is a historic area, featuring delicious eateries and bustling small businesses-we are excited to become part of this community and the Lyrik development. With our curated selection of artwork, rooftop bar and this prime location, citizenM Boston Back Bay will be the go-to spot for vibrant offerings and stunning city views."

HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS reported net income of $422 million for the second quarter ending June 30, up from $413 million last year. The development pipeline grew 15 percent year-over-year to 3,870 hotels with 508,300 rooms, an 8 percent increase from the previous quarter. Systemwide RevPAR rose 3.5 percent year-over-year due to higher occupancy and ADR. "We are pleased to report a solid second quarter, with an increase in RevPAR of 3.5 percent, driven by growth in all segments, with particularly strong group performance," said Christopher Nassetta, Hilton's president and CEO. "On the development side, we ended the quarter with a record development pipeline, up 15 percent from the prior year and up 8 percent sequentially from the first quarter, including strategic partner hotels. Looking forward to the rest of the year, with the continued growth of our existing brands, as well as the addition of our new brands and strategic partner hotels, we expect net unit growth of 7 percent to 7.5 percent for the full year." Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30 was $917 million, up from $811 million in 2023, Hilton said. Management and franchise fee revenues increased by 10 percent year-over-year. In the US, second-quarter occupancy rose by 1.1 percentage points to 76.8 percent, ADR increased by 1.4 percent to $172.36, and RevPAR climbed 2.9 percent to $132.33.

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL resurgence in the U.S. significantly impacted the economy in 2022, with every $1 spent returning $1.15 to the U.S. GDP, according to the Global Business Travel Association. The industry also contributed $484 billion to the U.S. GDP in the same year and the association forecasts a further increase in business travel spending for 2024. The study, titled "GBTA U.S. Economic Impact Study: Business Travel's Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy," revealed that for every 1 percent growth in business travel, the U.S. economy gains nearly 60,000 jobs, $2.9 billion in wages, $1.2 billion in tax revenue and $4.8 billion in new GDP. "The data shows that business travel is a substantial contributor to the health of the U.S. economy, and therefore also a key driver for the global economy," said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA's CEO. "Business travel supports millions of jobs and delivers billions in tax revenue, which is why it is important for policymakers to consider the impact on the industry when devising economic policies - and for sustainable solutions to be prioritized, funded and developed to help us abate travel's hardest-to-abate sectors."

Did you know that your child also need a passport to travel internationally with you? Don't forget your child's passport when you apply for yours. If your kid is 15 or younger, then you need to have a minor US passport, which is valid for 5 years. The kids at 16 can apply for adult US passport. The procedure to get a child US passport is the same whether or not the child has previously been issued a passport. Check out the step by step guide that would help you understand the process and how you can expedite a child US passport.

Did you know that your child also need a passport to travel internationally with you? Don't forget your child's passport when you apply for yours. If your kid is 15 or younger, then you need to have a minor US passport, which is valid for 5 years. The kids at 16 can apply for adult US passport. The procedure to get a child US passport is the same whether or not the child has previously been issued a passport. Check out the step by step guide that would help you understand the process and how you can expedite a child US passport.

Teenagers are always on the go... and who are planning to go to travel outside the US will need to have valid passports. The US State Department issues minor passports to children up to age 15, and adult passports to teens starting at age 16. Read and learn the special procedures to obtain a passport for your teen traveler under the age of 15, 16 to 17, and for teen the age of 18 and older.

Lifetime adventurous hiking experiences towards Mount Everest. Superb views of world highest peak {Mt. Everest} Amadablam, Makalu, Nuptse, Thamserku, Lhotse and Khumbu icefal. Explore Sherpa settlement region Walk around the Mount Everest Base camp. Incredible Himalayas flight experience to the Everest region. Tengboche monastery which is 17th century oldest monastery.

Join in our 15 Days lifetime adventure Everest base camp trek on US $1200 per person inclusive all services for your next vacations.

The world's largest event dedicated to the golf travel industry, the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), will take place this year in the Algarve, 12-15 November, awaiting some 1500 participants from 50 countries. Need Algarve Car Hire or Portugal Car Hire for your holidays in Algarve at affordable price? Book at http://www.you-drive.cc