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Phil Norman is executive vice-president of people resources and development for third-party hospitality management company Twenty Four Seven Hotels. Previously, he was chief human resources officer with Canyon Ranch where he operated human resources functions for 1,840 U.S. employees across hotels and cruise ships. Norman will provide oversight for talent management, including leadership development, organizational capability and change management in this newly created role, the company said. He also held similar positions as human resources director at the Homestead, America's oldest resort property dating to 1766, and the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, where he oversaw 1,250 team members, while ensuring safety and building an inclusive environment. "With 35 years of hospitality human resources experience, Phil is the ideal candidate to take over our people resources and development team as well as provide immediate support to our on-property teams," said David Wani, CEO for Twenty Four Seven Hotels. "His performance at both the hotel and corporate levels has been amazing, creating workplaces where every associate is gratified by their work and where they feel they belong. Phil's reputation of aligning systems and processes and his focus on workplace culture create the potential for exceptional stakeholder returns and in turn support the growth of the company."

ATRIUM HOSPITALITY MARKED the graduation of the inaugural class of WomenRISE, its female hotel general manager development program, which ran from February to October this year. The program helps women advance their careers through mentorship, resources and growth opportunities. Meanwhile, the selection process is underway for the next group of future GMs, set for career development in 2025, Atrium said in a statement. "Atrium's first year to offer our innovative WomenRISE program has been highly successful," said Anneliesse Cooper, Atrium Hospitality's chief human resources officer. "WomenRISE participants, instructors and mentors overwhelmingly agree that the investment in time and resources is hastening the career paths of women in hospitality. Through virtual group classes, individual interviews and 360-degree assessments for identifying strengths and areas for development, Atrium's WomenRISE 2024 class participants received focused training and mentoring to confidently move forward in their hotel career journeys."

Bus service is an important mode of transportation now more than ever because of global warming as well as the state of the economy, it is vitally important for everyone to do their part in helping to conserve our natural resources as well as provide greater levels of protection for the land, air and water. By using a bus service, people are helping to conserve energy as well as resources and thereby reducing the carbon footprint

NATALIE ROBINSON IS now vice president of people and culture for Peachtree Group. Also, the Atlanta-based company, led by Jatin Desai and Mitul Patel as managing principals, also says it's on the way to a record year for new hotel construction. Good with people Previously, Robinson was the human resource director of title company OS National, according to Peachtree Group. She began her career developing accounting and billing policies and procedures, as well as human resources systems for two Atlanta law firms. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia. "It's an exciting time at Peachtree as our organization expands and evolves," said Vivian Clarke, Peachtree's senior vice president of people and culture. "Natalie's strong leadership skills will advance our culture, drive our growth and talent strategy, and strengthen our reputation as an employer of choice. We are proud of Peachtree's high team member engagement, and the company culture built and recognize the opportunity to improve our people processes and discipline as we further scale the business." Peachtree made several changes to its structure and leadership in September.

THREE MAJOR U.S. hospitality firms have donated $1 million to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation to support human trafficking prevention and survivors, a statement said. The Hyatt Hotels Foundation donated $500,000 to the fund and the G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America gave a combined $500,000 to the initiative, AHLA said in a statement. The fund supports economic stability for survivors of human trafficking. It also provides advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry. A representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council. "We recognize the potential of human trafficking to intersect with the hospitality industry and believe that one of the best ways the industry can combat the egregious violation of fundamental human rights is through efforts like the AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund," said Malaika Myers, the Hyatt foundation's chief human resource officer. "The fight against human trafficking has no finish-line, and as an industry we will continue to provide cutting-edge resources and support to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent and respond to human trafficking," said Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA Foundation.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association has partnered with hiring software provider Hireology to provide AHLA members access to industry-specific tools and services, AHLA and Hireology said in a joint statement. Hireology also will organize a series of leadership exchange events, aiming to bring together professionals in the hospitality sector to discuss current challenges, trends, and solutions. "Hireology is a hiring technology leader and provider of hotel-specific workforce knowledge," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "Joining forces will allow us to take our services to the next level and further our mission to empower the American hospitality industry." Partnering with Hireology brings hiring technology and expertise into the association's catalog of resources, the statement said. The program stands as a practical resource for hotel operators addressing their business challenge in the coming years.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and World Wildlife Fund have revamped the "Hotel Kitchen" platform to help U.S. hoteliers reduce food waste, divert food from landfills and lower operating costs. The initiative supports the goal of halving U.S. food waste by 2030, AHLA and WWF said in a joint statement. Hotel Kitchen is part of AHLA's Responsible Stay initiative, which promotes energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation and responsible sourcing, the statement said. Since its 2017 launch, more than 36,000 hotel staff have completed the training, with pilot properties reducing food waste by 17 to 38 percent. "Reducing food waste provides a number of important benefits: it's good for the environment, reduces hoteliers' operating costs and conserves resources at a time when too many Americans are food insecure," said Lauren Pravlik, AHLA's vice president for committees and member engagement. "The Hotel Kitchen platform is dedicated to helping hoteliers achieve these goals, and we are pleased to continue sharing this resource with the industry through our partnership with WWF."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and Hospitality Technology Next Generation recently launched new safety resources to help hoteliers prevent, address and respond to battery-related fire incidents. Many of these are unknowingly caused by guests using lithium-based devices such as e-bikes, laptops and mobile phones. Lithium battery incidents-particularly from micromobility devices-have become a rising concern for hotels nationwide, AHLA said in a statement. "The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority, which is why we continuously update protocols and guidance to address emerging risks," said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA's president and CEO. "Lithium battery fire incidents are on the rise and can pose significant risks without proper education and procedures. Our new tools will help hoteliers take practical steps to protect guests and employees, while staying ahead of this growing issue."

West Palm Beach is the most populous city of Palm Beach County lying in South Florida. Situated along the seaside of Atlantic Ocean, West Palm Beach inherits a wide amount of potential resources that tourists can entertain here. People can easily understand why this city are named the 11th best summer vacation destination by U.S. News & World Report due to many amazing and exciting things in Downtown West Palm Beach, beautiful streets along the sands of Atlantic Ocean, great variety of parks, clubs, and bars. Things to do in West Palm Beach seem to be never ended.

The Restoring Brand USA Act took another step toward passage, clearing the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill would renew the program aimed at promoting international travel to the U.S. Brand USA has generated $56 billion to the U.S. economy since 2013 and supported more than 45,000 jobs each year, according to Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, a sponsor of the bill. The program is funded by international visitors and private contributions, and the decline in international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a loss of that funding, Bilirakis said. The bill would direct the Treasury Department to allow this program to access critical resources, funded by foreign traveler visa fees, for the next few years. "The travel and tourism industry was one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic. As we seek to restore our way of life and fully recover, we cannot overlook the work that must be done to renew this powerful engine of economic growth for communities across the nation," Bilirakis said. "Brand USA has proven itself as a successful catalyst for spurring tourism to the U.S. We need that catalyst now more than ever to help rebuild the industry and spur job growth. Common sense solutions like this will help boost the economy and help get us moving in the right direction."

AAHOA RELEASED ITS updated resource guide for member franchisees. The updates reflect the current business landscape and the long-term, mutually beneficial relationship between industry franchisors and franchisees. AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising is officially titled "An Educational Primer: A Best-Practice Approach to Designing, Developing, and Implementing Best-in-class, Mutually Beneficial Franchise Systems." The importance of franchise relations was highlighted last year when several hotel owners filed lawsuits against InterContinental Hotels Group regarding what they call the company's retaliatory actions against franchisees who complain. "Because of the changing business environment post-COVID-19 and the ever-evolving need to educate our members, it was time for AAHOA to revisit the 12 Points and review them carefully to ensure that they're relevant and reflective of industry changes and evolution," said Vinay Patel, AAHOA chairman. "AAHOA created the 12 Points of Fair Franchising Ad Hoc Committee, which was tasked with recommending revisions to the 12 Points of Fair Franchising. With the help, support, and input of the 12 Points of Fair Franchising Ad Hoc Committee and the AAHOA Board of Directors, we're releasing the updated 12 Points of Fair Franchising," he added.

WAYSIDE INVESTMENT GROUP of Houston, Texas, will manage the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Katy, Texas, in collaboration with Southwest Hospitality Management. The hotel will undergo a complete Formula Blue multimillion-dollar renovation. Wayside, led by Miraj Patel as president, has added three hotels this year to its purchasing, development and management services. The 98-room Holiday Inn is near the Golf Club at Cinco Ranch, TopGolf Houston, Katy Mills Mall and CityCentre. "The addition of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Katy demonstrates our focused growth in our local Houston-area market and provides us the opportunity to launch our collaboration with Southwest Hospitality Management, which will provide our companies the resources to grow our footprint," Patel said.

WHEN IT COMES to growing hotel revenue, size does not matter. Economy hotels and micro-inventory properties are experiencing one of the biggest booms in recent years, thanks partly to a massive resurgence in small group travel, changing economic trends, and the staying power of global "return to travel". CBRE noted economy and midscale hotels recovered to 2019 performance levels by 2021, and properties with fewer rooms may benefit from lower operating costs when compared to their big-box brethren-though they also tend to have fewer resources with which to hire revenue professionals. Revenue managers are driving the charge for better operating returns. Many are taking the lessons they learned from their success at larger hotels and applying these truths to the industry's smaller properties. These revenue managers leverage new technology and strategies, options that small hotels with smaller, cross-functional staff haven't fully embraced. However, competition among economy hotels and properties tends to be fierce, requiring new action, especially with recent economic pressures and a downward 2023 RevPAR forecast of 0.2 percent in recent data shared by Tourism Economics . Modern revenue management practices and technology can provide these hotels with many benefits and significant competitive advantages. Small hotels need to avoid the erratic rate shifts of the past and capitalize on new trends as they emerge. By embracing strong revenue management systems and discipline in these properties, operators can realize greater control over a typically inconsistent space. Room Enough for Revenue The most common misconception about revenue management's place in hospitality is that it is the domain of large or full-service hotels. This is simply not the case today. No two hotels are the same, in practice, with key differences always existing between the layout of a property, its location, third-party partnerships, and so on. Every hotel has different revenue pot

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."

TEXAS-BASED G6 HOSPITALITY launched 'Light Her Way' program to empower women seeking hotel ownership opportunities with tools and resources, a statement said. The company announced the program during AAHOA's inaugural HerOwnership Conference & Retreat in October. The Carrollton, Texas-based G6 owns Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the U.S. and Canada. "We have always promoted the belief that everyone has the right to travel, but it is just as important that everyone have the right to ownership," said Tina Burnett, chief development officer, G6 Hospitality. "The launch of 'Light Her Way' will empower women on the path to ownership and is an example of how we live up to our values."

The Best Western Gallup West is now open in Gallup, New Mexico. It is owned by Murad Mohsin. The 60-room hotel is near Veteran Memorial Pillars, Red Rock State Park, the Gallup Flea Market Fire Rock Navajo Casino and the Navajo Nation Museum. It is two hours from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, spa and free parking. "We are very excited to join Best Western and to have access to the brand's best-in-class support and resources that will strengthen our property and guest service," said Murad Mohsin, owner of the Best Western Gallup West. "Our hotel offers something for everyone and is near some of Gallup's most interesting sights. We look forward to providing the comfort travelers are looking for in our quaint town situated off Route 66."

BWH HOTEL GROUP has announced the recipients of the first ever David and Louise Kong Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship grants financial assistance to individuals associated with Best Western Hotels & Resorts. The four winners are Alexis Heichman of Eagle, Ashley Hernandez, of Patterson, and Phoenix residents Katerina Rose Levendi and Kayla McMahon, the group said in a statement. They will receive $12,000 as part of funding. Heichman will begin her journalism studies at Arizona State University this fall. She wants to be a travel, cultural or sports correspondent. Hernandez will continue her bachelor's degree studies in hotel and hospitality management. She is currently the general manager of the Best Western Plus Villa Del Lago Inn. Levendi now studies business at Paradise Valley Community College and wants to become a human resources manager. McMahon will start studying business administration and management at Arizona State University this fall. Her career interests is in family law and business. The scholarship is given to member hoteliers or their children, hotel staff or their children, and corporate associates or their children, the statement added.

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS hopes to draw more young college graduates to the hospitality field, particularly among historically underrepresented groups, through a new partnership with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College in Atlanta. As part of the tie-up, IHG will provide resources to support students' professional development in the hospitality sector and create employment opportunities. The initiative is part of IHG's early-career recruitment program, according to IHG, which also is based in Atlanta. "Our partnerships with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College underscore IHG's commitment to supporting the success of future leaders and increasing ethnically and racially diverse talent within our company," said Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Americas. "Our goal is to create meaningful engagements that open more doors of opportunity for underrepresented groups. I recently had the pleasure of meeting a few of our summer interns from both schools and it was inspiring to be among a new generation of up-and-coming talent that we hope will soon come back to IHG."