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GEOFF BALLOTTI, PRESIDENT and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will be recognized by UJA Federation of New York at its annual Hospitality Division event in June. The event is held in conjunction with the NYU Hospitality Investment Conference and will raise funds to support UJA-Federation's annual campaign, which supports a wide network of nonprofits. UJA Federation will hold the event on June 4, at 4:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The federation works with a network of hundreds of nonprofits in New York, Israel and 70 other countries to provide $180 million in grants affecting 4.5 million people annually. "For 15 years, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has supported UJA and the vital work it does caring for those in need while creating and fostering diverse communities where all are welcome," Ballotti said. "Together with my hospitality colleagues, we'll celebrate the extraordinary work of UJA and how it improves lives in communities across the globe."

Sonesta International Hotels Corp.'s Red Lion Inn & Suites in Elk Grove, Illinois. The 47-room mid-scale property is owned by Mahesh Chaudhari. "The opening of the Red Lion Inn & Suites Elk Grove is a testament to the brand's renewed growth nationwide," said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's executive vice president and president of franchise and Development. "This is the third Red Lion Inn & Suites location to open in 2024, underscoring how Sonesta continues to meet consumer demand for midscale properties with openings in secondary and tertiary markets." Sonesta said that guests at Red Lion Inn & Suites Illinois can earn or redeem points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program. Sonesta is the 8th largest hotel company, with approximately 1,100 properties totaling 100,000 guest rooms across 15 brands in eight countries, according to STR.

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA led in meetings and events growth for the top 25 markets in February with a 20 percent year-over-year increase, according to Knowland. Denver and Boston came in second and third, respectively, while National Associations and Technology groups led in four of the top five markets. Overall, year-over-year event volume growth for the industry reached 5.3 percent, the report said. Meetings in the top 25 markets used an average space of 3,507 square feet, compared to 2,890 square feet in secondary markets. The top 25 markets had an average of 124 attendees, while secondary markets averaged 118 attendees. Additional insights into the key industry drivers for the top 25 markets with the highest meeting volumes include: Tampa-St. Petersburg (up 20 percent): national association, healthcare, charity/non-profit/social services, technology and wedding. Denver (up 7 percent): technology, national association, education, healthcare and construction. Boston (up 15 percent): education, healthcare, technology, training/education and travel.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE rose in the second week of March compared to the previous week but declined year over year, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, all saw increases compared to the prior week. Occupancy climbed to 63.2 percent for the week ending March 9, up from the prior week's 62.5 percent, reflecting a 2.2 percent year-over-year decline. ADR rose to $156.96 from $155.29 the previous week, marking a 0.6 percent decrease compared to last year. RevPAR reached $99.17, up from the previous week's $97.12, signifying a 2.8 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Minneapolis saw significant year-over-year growth across all three key performance metrics: occupancy surged by 25.1 percent to 63.7 percent, ADR rose by 15.9 percent to $143.12, and RevPAR increased by 45.1 percent to $91.11.

PEACHTREE GROUP, A commercial real estate investment firm with a $6.4 billion portfolio, has closed its third hotel property structured as a Delaware Statutory Trust with the acquisition of the 98-key Hilton Garden Inn in Jackson, Tennessee. The acquisition provides 1031 exchange investors the chance to reinvest proceeds from real estate sales, enjoying tax deferral benefits and maintaining a strong real estate allocation, Peachtree said in a statement. "The hotel's strategic location near healthcare and manufacturing jobs, including Ford's planned $5.6-billion Blue Oval City, along with a diverse collection of entertainment and retail destinations, establishes it as a valuable addition to our expanding portfolio of DST properties," said Tim Witt, Peachtree's president for 1031 Exchange/DST Products. Peachtree launched its DST program in August 2022 and is a top-15 sponsor in the securitized 1031 exchange marketplace, according to Mountain Dell Consulting's year-end market equity update.

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.

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.

ONLY ONE IN five hotel professionals believe the current tech stack is sufficient for achieving efficiencies, cost savings and adequate guest care, according to a recent survey by the Hospitality Women's Innovation Council. Approximately 91 percent of survey respondents indicated that better collaboration among technology companies on integrations is needed, while 86 percent felt improved integration processes would encourage greater investment in technology. HWIC, a group of hotel brand executives, managers, and innovators, conducted the survey between May 25 and June 15, HWIC said in a statement. More than 300 owners, managers, and technologists participated in the survey. The study was supported by Visual Matrix, a PMS software developer in Richardson, Texas. "Industry professionals have confirmed that more than any other factor, collaboration is the key to driving better business results for hoteliers-collaboration among technology providers and between the providers and the hoteliers they serve," said Georgine Muntz, HWIC co-chair and CEO of Visual Matrix. "When we created the council close to a year ago, we began with the assumption that women leaders in hospitality can help improve the ways industry professionals collaborate for common ends and encourage better standardized integrations. Now that assumption has been fully validated. We look forward to sharing the council's recommendations on better integration, collaboration and advancing innovation, in the weeks ahead."

U.S. HOTEL WEEKLY performance showed mixed results in the fourth week of May compared to the previous week but posted positive year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar. Despite a slight uptick in occupancy, both ADR and RevPAR decreased week-on-week across all key metrics. Occupancy rose to 67.7 percent for the week ending May 25, up from 67.4 percent the prior week, reflecting a 1.6 percent year-over-year increase. ADR decreased to $160.67 from $163.11, yet still representing a 2.3 percent surge compared to last year. RevPAR stood at $108.73, a decline from the previous week's $109.93, but marking a 3.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston experienced the most significant year-over-year boosts in occupancy, soaring 20.9 percent to reach 74.1 percent, while RevPAR surged by 29.2 percent to $89.15. Las Vegas recorded the sole double-digit increase in ADR, climbing by 10.9 percent to $217.53.

Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, was recognized by the UJA Federation of New York for his professional and philanthropic achievements at its annual Hospitality Division reception on June 4 at the New York Marriott Marquis. The New York event raised $600,000 to support UJA Federation's global crisis relief efforts, the Federation said in a statement. The UJA Hospitality Division committee is chaired by Jonathan Tisch, co-chairman of the board of Loews Corporation and executive chairman of Loews Hotels. "For 15 years, Wyndham has supported UJA and its work caring for those in need while fostering diverse communities," Ballotti said in January when UJA-Federation announced the recognition. "Together with my hospitality colleagues, we'll celebrate UJA's work and its impact on communities worldwide."

PEACHTREE GROUP RECENTLY received I-956F approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency overseeing the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, for developing a Home2 Suites by Hilton in Boone, North Carolina. USCIS adjudicated the I-956F petition for the hotel development in five months, Peachtree said in a statement. "It is a testament to the due diligence of the Peachtree team that it was able to get the project approved so quickly, especially when the published processing time is over 15 months," said Adam Greene, Peachtree's executive vice president of EB-5. The company, led by Greg Friedman as CEO and managing principal, Jatin Desai as managing principal and Mitul Patel as principal, originated $21.7 million in fixed-rate construction financing over a five-year term for Narsi Properties to develop the 105-room Home2 Suites near downtown Boone, Peachtree said. Narsi Properties is led by Deven, Neel and Rupal Patel as principals.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the fourth week of June compared to the previous week, showing positive year-over-year results, according to CoStar. Occupancy, RevPAR and ADR all increased over the prior week. Occupancy increased to 71.9 percent for the week ending June 29, up from 69.5 percent the previous week, showing a 3.2 percent year-over-year increase. ADR rose to $162.81 from $159.88, marking a 3.6 percent increase compared to last year. RevPAR climbed to $117.13 from $111.17 the previous week, reflecting a 6.9 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Minneapolis recorded the highest year-over-year increases: occupancy rose by 20.1 percent to 74.8 percent, ADR increased by 15.7 percent to $150.42 and RevPAR grew by 39 percent to $112.46. The market's performance was boosted by events such as the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials and the Twin Cities Pride Parade.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE dropped in the first week of July compared to the previous week due to Independence Day on July 4, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, saw declines over the prior week. Occupancy was 61.3 percent for the week ending July 6, down from 71.9 percent the previous week, showing a 0.9 percent year-over-year decrease. ADR dropped to $157.27 from $162.81, marking a 0.5 percent increase compared to last year. RevPAR fell to $96.35 from $117.13 the previous week, reflecting a 0.4 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, New Orleans saw the highest year-over-year increases in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy rose 15.5 percent to 56.6 percent, ADR increased 35.1 percent to $197.23 and RevPAR grew 56.1 percent to $111.72.

CORPORATE TRAVEL SPEND by U.S. companies is expected to grow 8 to 12 percent, reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, according to a recent Deloitte study. Around 73 percent of travel managers expect their companies' travel spend to increase in 2024, while 58 percent expect further increases in 2025, with projected gains averaging 14-15 percent each year. Deloitte's 2024 corporate travel report, "Upward Climb with Uphill Struggles," found that live events are a top growth driver, with 6 in 10 business travelers expecting to attend a conference, trade show or exhibition this year. "Business travel has been slower to come back following pandemic slowdowns, but this could be the year that it accelerates to new heights," said Eileen Crowley, Deloitte's vice chair and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services attest leader. "More employees are traveling for business-and enjoying it-underscoring that in-person connection often remains a critical component. As companies see a renewed benefit in the opportunities business travel provides, business leaders can capitalize on the enthusiasm and prioritize travel experiences that are valuable to both the organization and employee."

India- the land of mystique, spirituality, colors, lights and a melting pot of cultures, make it a special addition to any traveler's bucket list. The iconic Taj Mahal, the Palaces of Udaipur, the ...

India- the land of mystique, spirituality, colors, lights and a melting pot of cultures, make it a special addition to any traveler's bucket list. The iconic Taj Mahal, the Palaces of Udaipur, the ...

Just grabbing the bag and going home without US passport control, Isn't a good thought? It has possibly come true with "Preclearance" facilities set up by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) at 15 airports in 6 countries. If you are flying to US with those airports can pass through US immigration and customs before you board your flight. The benefits of preclearance is not only to facilitates your entry in US but it is an extra layer of scrutiny to make sure terrorists or other inadmissible people are not allowed to board flights to the US.

Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France laid the first stone for the construction of Future Terminal 1 in December 2014. The new terminal will increase the airport's capacity to 15 million passengers by 2020 when compared with the current capacity of ten million.

Nepal is a nation which is straightforward on one hand and courageous on the other. It confirms to be a Catch 22 with two complete unmistakable angles. Nepal involves the most lifted mountain crest of the world - Mt. Everest which stands tall at the most astounding elevation.

The electronic logbook mandate was declared by the FMCSA in order to track and record the hours of services status of truckers in a faster, smoother and more accurate manner. In the traditional paper logbook method, accurate documentationof the truckers' informationcould not be expected as they were capable of misremembering details for the paper logs. But with the implementation of the electronic logbooks for truckers, such complications can be completely removed and a sound and unblemished trucking compliance can efficiently be brought forward. Discussed below are the many advantages of utilizing the ELDs.