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FOUR HOTELS RECENTLY joined Hospitality International's hihotels brand, including three Red Carpet Inns along the East Coast and a new-build Scottish Inns outside of Houston, Texas. The company expects more growth in the future. Hihotels includes five brands Scottish Inns, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. The new properties include. Red Carpet Inn in Elkton, Maryland, 55 rooms, former Days Inn Red Carpet Inn in North Brunswick, New Jersey, 50 rooms, former independent Red Carpet Inn in Edison, New Jersey, 42 rooms, former OYO Hotel Scottish Inns in Richmond, Texas, 35 rooms, new construction While three of the four are conversions, the property in Richmond is the latest new build to join the brand. Two other Scottish Inns construction projects are currently ongoing in Texas in Houston and Forest Hill. Another new build recently opened in Hitchcock, Texas.

THE U.S. ADDED 428,000 jobs in April, keeping the unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, just above the level two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. However, the leisure and hospitality sector saw some of the slowest growth in job creation. After spiking to 14.7 percent in April 2020 following business closures across the country due to COVID-19, unemployment has declined steadily and is now just a hair above its 3.5 percent rate before the pandemic, the latest jobs report indicates. The number of unemployed people was at 5.9 million in April, not far from where it was in February 2020, new data showed.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association has announced the dates, cities, and registration information for its "On the Road" State Hotel Conferences for 17 states in 2023. The conferences will provide hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers opportunities to connect with their peers as well as hospitality and policy leaders to learn about the latest news and information affecting the hotel and lodging industry, AHLA said in a statement. Anyone who works in the hotel industry can attend these half-day, free events, it added. "AHLA's 'On The Road' State Hotel Conferences are designed to help local hoteliers connect with their peers, gain insights on national and local market business performance trends and learn from top hospitality leaders, service providers and policy experts," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The events are also a vital tool to help AHLA build coalitions, grow our grassroots network and rally hoteliers around the industry's goals and initiatives. We are excited to bring AHLA's successful On The Road State Hotel Conference series to a record number of cities in 2023." AHLA will host these conferences in partnership with its state or city lodging association partners. Since starting with four events in 2021, AHLA's On The Road State Hotel Conferences have brought together thousands of hoteliers in cities across the nation. Last year, 11 events were held.

THIRD-PARTY HOSPITALITY management company, Twenty Four Seven Hotels, has opened the 128-room Hyatt House Sacramento/Midtown, a statement said. Twenty Four Seven is led by David Wani as CEO. The adaptive reuse project, owned and developed by Hume Development, Inc., repurposed the former Eastern Star Hall located at Sacramento's art, music and cultural scene. According to the statement, the Romanesque Revival-style building first opened in 1928 as a Masonic women's meeting place and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation included the redevelopment of five floors within the original structure, keeping the major architectural features of the historic building intact. "The Hyatt House Sacramento/Midtown is the perfect marriage of the classic and the contemporary, providing the latest amenities and services in a setting that draws heavily from its nearly century-old history to provide a uniquely Sacramento experience," said Amanda Hawkins-Vogel, chief operating officer at Twenty Four Seven Hotels. "This hotel is an extension of our presence in Northern California and marks our first opening this year with two more to come in 2023. As the newest hospitality offering in the city, we expect the Hyatt House Sacramento to quickly take its rightful place as the segment and market leader for business and leisure travelers."

REMOTE SALES AND training appear to be surging in popularity among hotels, according to training consulting firm Gillis Sales. The firm reported $23 million in revenue from hospitality clients in 2021 and a 40 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. The latest figures indicate that hotels are seeing the benefits of investing in sales to increase profitability as travel resumes, said Tammy Gillis, CEO of Gillis Sales. Gillis foresees an increase in business as hoteliers turn to remote sales solutions to find and keep qualified salespeople. Market trends suggest that leisure and corporate travel are increasing while labor shortage continues, according to the company's statement.

PROPOSED FEDERAL REGULATIONS defining a "joint-employer standard" would have a "chilling effect" on the hospitality industry and franchises in general, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The National Labor Relations Board's latest version of the standard could define two companies as joint employers if they both control certain elements of employees' terms and conditions. The period for comments on the proposed regulations ended Nov. 21 and the would rescind and replace the joint-employer rule that took effect on April 27, 2020. That previous rule established that "a business must possess and exercise substantial direct and immediate control over one or more essential terms and conditions of employment of another employer's employees" to be considered a joint employer. However, a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in July reversed that rule. Now, under the new rule, "two or more employers would be considered joint employers if they 'share or codetermine those matters governing employees' essential terms and conditions of employment,' such as wages, benefits and other compensation, work and scheduling, hiring and discharge, discipline, workplace health and safety, supervision, assignment, and work rules," according to NLRB.

THIRD-PARTY HOSPITALITY management company, Twenty Four Seven Hotels, has opened the 128-room Hyatt House Sacramento/Midtown, a statement said. Twenty Four Seven is led by David Wani as CEO. The adaptive reuse project, owned and developed by Hume Development, Inc., repurposed the former Eastern Star Hall located at Sacramento's art, music and cultural scene. According to the statement, the Romanesque Revival-style building first opened in 1928 as a Masonic women's meeting place and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation included the redevelopment of five floors within the original structure, keeping the major architectural features of the historic building intact. "The Hyatt House Sacramento/Midtown is the perfect marriage of the classic and the contemporary, providing the latest amenities and services in a setting that draws heavily from its nearly century-old history to provide a uniquely Sacramento experience," said Amanda Hawkins-Vogel, chief operating officer at Twenty Four Seven Hotels. "This hotel is an extension of our presence in Northern California and marks our first opening this year with two more to come in 2023. As the newest hospitality offering in the city, we expect the Hyatt House Sacramento to quickly take its rightful place as the segment and market leader for business and leisure travelers."

NEARLY 80 PERCENT of travelers said that the latest COVID-19 variant, BA5, is unlikely to make them cancel or postpone international travel this year, according to a survey from travel risk assessment firm Global Rescue. At the same time, Global Rescue said relaxed COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could encourage travelers' confidence. The floodgates are opening The Summer 2022 Global Rescue Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey found that 68 percent of respondents have already traveled internationally since the pandemic. Another 16 percent expects to travel abroad by the end of the year and 9 percent plan to do so in the first quarter of 2023. "Whether it's revenge travel or responsible travel following vaccination, or a combination of both, 7-out-of-10 travelers are much less concerned about travel compared to the beginning of the pandemic," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce. "They feel safe enough to plan trips and vacations because they're vaccinated, borders are open, and they have confidence they'll be able to get home if the worst happens." The U.S. ending its requirement for a negative COVID test to enter the country in June also went far in increasing confidence and encouraging visits from international travelers, Richards said. Nearly half of travelers, 49 percent, said that they are more likely to travel internationally in the next 12 months as COVID related restrictions are relaxed.

NEXGEN HOTELS HAS acquired the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Chicago Bolingbrook in Chicago. The company, led by Chris Patel as principal, plans to fully renovate the hotel. The 82-suite hotel is in Bolingbrook a suburb of Chicago, near Chicagoland Speedway, Harrah's Casino, The Promenade at Bolingbrook, Pelican Harbor Indoor/Outdoor Aquatic Park, downtown Chicago and other shopping, dining and entertainment businesses. Renovation work on the hotel will begin in December. The hotel's amenities include an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center. "When renovations are completed, we expect the hotel to appeal to travelers coming to the Chicago area seeking a well-known brand with modern amenities," Patel said.

THE U.S. LED the global hotel construction pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to Lodging Econometrics. The global pipeline decreased 1 percent by projects during the period. The U.S. accounted for 35 percent of global construction pipeline with 4,814 hotels containing 581,953 rooms out of 13,770 projects containing 2,304,386 rooms in the global pipeline. The U.S. was followed by China at 27 percent of the global pipeline, and the two countries together account for 62 percent of all global projects, LE said in its latest trend report. During the fourth quarter, China's construction pipeline reached a new all-time high with 3,693 projects containing 700,567 rooms. This is followed by the UK with 313 hotels containing 48,770 rooms, Indonesia with 304 projects with 48,175 rooms, and Germany with 277 hotel projects with 48,827 rooms, the report said.

INTERNATIONAL INBOUND TRAVEL is expected to slow down in the fall after surging over the summer, according to the latest U.S. Travel Association forecast. USTA also expects it may take until 2025 for the travel segment to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Inbound travel recovery picked up in summer and reached a pre-pandemic high of 35 percent below 2019 levels in July 2022, said U.S. Travel Association. It improved from a 41 percent decrease in May and declines of more than 50 percent earlier in 2022. The latest report by Aaron Szyf, economist, USTA, said that inbound travel recovery continued from Europe and Latin America in the past few months, which was 22 percent below 2019 levels in July. Meanwhile, Asian markets declined 66 percent in July, largely due to stagnation from China and a very slow return from Japan.

AS MANY AS 84 percent of business travelers in the U.S. expect to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions or trade shows in the next six months, according to a survey from the U.S. Travel Association. They also expect to resume traveling at a slightly slower pace, about 1.6 trips per month, compared to 1.7 monthly trips pre-pandemic. The Quarterly Business Travel Tracker by J.D. Power said that less than one in 10 U.S. business travelers are uncertain if they would travel in the next six months. Meetings and events are not occurring and corporate policies restricting business travel are listed as reasons behind this. USTA forecasts that business travel spending was still down 60 percent from pre-pandemic levels in 2021. However, the latest data shows a clear shift in American business travelers' desire to return to in-person meetings.

OMICRON, THE LATEST COVID-19 variant of concern, led to new restrictions on some international travel over the Thanksgiving weekend. Members of the travel industry are urging federal officials to be cautious, but not to impose bans that they say will not stop the spread of the new variant. On Nov. 26, the World Health Organization issued new guidance on the Omicron variant, which emerged out of South Africa. Researchers are still investigating the variant's transmissibility, severity and the effectiveness of current vaccines against it. "Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron)," the WHO said in its statement. "WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines. Vaccines remain critical to reducing severe disease and death, including against the dominant circulating variant, Delta. Current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE showed mixed results from the previous week, according to STR's latest data through the end of April. However, it remained up year over year. According to STR, occupancy stood at 66.6 percent for the week ending April 29, down from 67.2 percent the week before and increased 0.1 percent over the comparable week in 2022. ADR came in at $156.14, up from $155.76 the week before, and rose 5.5 percent from 2022. RevPAR was $104.01 in the last week, down from $104.64 the week before and increased 5.6 percent against the same period in 2022. Among the Top 25 Markets, Boston registered the highest year-over-year increase in occupancy in the fourth week of the month, up 15.3 percent to 75.6 per cent. Meanwhile, New York City (87.8 percent), Las Vegas (81.5 percent), and San Francisco (81.1 percent) were the only three markets to post occupancy above 80 percent.

BWH HOTEL GROUP will offer cashless tipping to guests via eTip and Visa. The function will allow guests to express gratitude to hotel associates through pre-selected or custom tipping in the U.S. and Canada. The eTip process will be available at properties of the group, including Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group hotels, the statement added. BWH said the new facility will empower guests to financially give to those who rely on tips as latest reports revealed that only 16 percent of U.S. customers carry cash. "We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our guests and bringing value to BWH hoteliers and their associates," said Michael Morton, BWH vice president for brand management. "We're excited to offer eTip digital tipping solution as a convenient way our valued guests can show appreciation to our dedicated hotel associates. We are equally excited to offer our associates a choice to receive their tips in real-time directly into their bank accounts. Innovation and caring are at the heart of our brand and we're proud to partner with eTip to innovate the tipping experience for guests and hoteliers alike."

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.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS has entered into a new agreement with Groups360 to bring instant online multi-room bookings to Wyndham hotels in 2023. Using Groups360's GroupSync Marketplace direct booking solution, Wyndham hotel owners will have the opportunity to integrate the platform with their hotel reservation systems, providing travel planners, including groups and events organizers along with those managing infrastructure, logistics and corporate accounts, with rates and availability as well as booking of rooms online, the company said in a statement. "Over the last three years, Wyndham has invested over $100 million in major technology initiatives, giving our franchisees access to best-in-class offerings that unlock new efficiencies while helping to grow their bottom line," said Lisa Checchio, Wyndham's chief marketing officer. "Bringing franchisees access to GroupSync is just the latest example and one we believe offers incredible opportunity for franchisees, particularly those in the economy segment, where such technology is an industry first." Hotels that publish live inventory and rates within the GroupSync Marketplace save travel planners' valuable time by allowing them to search, shop and book blocks of rooms. Possible users include short one- to-two-night group events such as youth sports, weddings and family reunions, as well as multi-week infrastructure or logistics projects such as commercial construction, bridge repair or highway expansion, Wyndham's statement said.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE rose from the previous week, while occupancy and RevPAR levels reached the second highest of the year, behind the week ending 18 March, according to STR's latest data through 22 April. Occupancy for the week ending April 22 came in at 67.2 percent, up from 64.2 percent the week before, and increased 2.3 percent than the comparable week in 2022. ADR stood at $155.76, up from $155.33 the previous week and 4.2 percent over the same period in 2022. RevPAR was $104.64, also up from $99.67 the week before and 6.6 percent rise over 2022. Among the Top 25 Markets, Chicago posted the highest year-over-year increases in each of the key performance metrics: occupancy rose 23.9 percent to 72.2 percent, while ADR increased 29.6 per cent to $174.71. RevPAR also rose 60.6 percent to $126.13. Notably, New York City (82.1 percent) and Las Vegas (80.8 percent) were the only two markets to report occupancy above 80 percent.