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HUNDREDS OF RED Roof franchisees gathered for the company's 2021 regional meeting in Dallas. It was part of a "Look & Listen" tour for Red Roof's newly appointed President George Limbert, and it provided a snapshot of the company's future. Limbert and other company executives addressed the crowd of hotel owners during the conference at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center. Topics included updates on the company's new HomeTowne Studios prototype, launched in August during the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show, that the company said is more cost-effective to develop with improved operational efficiency. For Limbert, who was appointed in August, it was another opportunity to meet the people he serves in order to chart Red Roof's course in the post pandemic hospitality marketplace. Look & Listen Limbert said he went to 11 properties during a visit to Atlanta for the Red Roof regional meeting there the week before the Dallas event. He planned to visit 12 more during his time in Texas. "I'm a people person. I love people. I love learning their stories. I love hearing their origins stories, I love hearing about franchisees," Limbert said. "We've got such resilient franchisees. We started outperforming 2019 numbers in April of 2021. So, our recovery wasn't now, it wasn't the summer, it was in April, so our brand is resilient, our brand is doing great."

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC may be waning, but other factors are leading many people to stay home this holiday season, according to a survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and conducted by Morning Consult. High gas prices are a major reason given for opting out of Thanksgiving and Christmas journeys. AHLA's survey found that only 29 percent of Americans are likely to travel for Thanksgiving and 33 percent are likely to travel for Christmas. That is still a 21 percent and 24 percent increase respectively from 2020. The survey questioned 2,200 adults between Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. "While vaccines have helped travelers feel more comfortable, rising gas prices and continued concerns about the pandemic are making many Americans hesitant to travel during the holidays," said Chip Rogers, AHLA's president and CEO. "Despite a slight expected uptick in holiday travel this year, hotels will continue to face economic fallout from the pandemic, underscoring the need for targeted federal relief, such as the Save Hotel Jobs Act, to support the industry and its workforce until travel fully returns." Most of those who do plan to travel, 68 percent of Thanksgiving travelers and 64 percent of Christmas travelers, will be driving, the survey found. For Thanksgiving,11 percent plan to fly while 14 percent will take to the skyways for Christmas.

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. HOTEL construction pipeline dropped 8 percent by projects and 10 percent by rooms in 2021 when compared to 2020, according to Lodging Econometrics. However, the number of projects in the early planning stage is rising, it added. The total construction pipeline at the fourth quarter of last year stood at 4,814 projects containing 581,953 rooms, according to LE. There were 2,021 projects containing 239,816 rooms in the early planning stage, up 18 percent by projects and 11 percent by rooms, LE data shows. According to LE, 1,821 hotel projects containing 210,890 rooms are scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months. As many as 972 projects containing 131,247 rooms under construction finished the year. "New project announcements are down in the fourth quarter. However, developers are eager to accelerate projects long-delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they face some development roadblocks, including escalating inflation and supply chain shortages, that are causing higher prices versus 'pre-pandemic' costs for labor and materials," LE said. "These factors continue to prolong hotel development timelines. We anticipate these challenges to abate throughout the year and see construction starts to moderately improve."

KEN GREENE IS leaving his position as president and CEO of AAHOA to begin a new job with Dallas-based IBF Hospitality. AAHOA already has begun searching for his replacement. Greene will leave on Feb. 11, according to a statement. He was brought on last year in June to replace Cecil Staton, AAHOA's former president and CEO when he left the association unexpectedly. "Ken has been instrumental in carrying AAHOA through the past several months, which brought on a lot of change both at AAHOA and in our industry," said AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel. "We're grateful for the time he's spent at AAHOA and wish him nothing but continued success as he transitions to another opportunity." While at AAHOA, Greene oversaw the association's return to in-person events, including the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas in August. He also helped in write AAHOA's strategic plan and helped restaff the organization after the departure of Staton, the association's executive vice president and COO Rachel Humphrey and others.

IN ANOTHER SIGN of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Super Bowl is expected to bring increases in hotel business to host city Los Angeles, according to STR. ADR and RevPAR are projected to reach the second-highest levels for any Super Bowl weekend on record. During the weekend of the game, Feb. 11 to 13, STR forecasts that ADR will reach $445 and RevPAR will be around $396 in the L.A. market. Occupancy is expected to hit 89 percent as fans flock in for the game. "Since July, the Los Angeles hotel market has consistently achieved monthly rates near or above pre-pandemic levels," said Blake Reiter, STR's director of custom forecasts. "Occupancy has been rapidly improving toward 2019 levels as well, but it hasn't reflected the same degree of recovery. We expect there will be, at least to a certain extent, a curtailing of occupancy because of COVID. Of course, if the NFL decides to switch venues as media reports have suggested, or implement more stringent protocols, L.A. hotel performance will certainly be among the ripple effects." Los Angeles's Super Bowl hotel occupancy is projected to outperform last year's venue, Tampa, Florida, which saw 82.4 percent occupancy when the home team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. However, it is well below the 92.8 percent Miami saw when it hosted the game in 2020, and also is lower than what L.A. saw over the comparable weekend period in 2020, 87.7 percent.

AS THE FIRST investment for its recently announced $100 million real estate fund, NewcrestImage has purchased the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Dallas. The company, which is based in Dallas, purchased the historic building from Denver-based Stout Street Hospitality. Opened in 1922 as the headquarters offices for Magnolia Petroleum, the 325-room, 29-floor Magnolia Hotel was the city's first skyscraper and the first high-rise in the United States to have air conditioning. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and opened as a luxury boutique hotel in 1999. The hotel is across from the 37-floor world headquarters of AT&T and the $100 million AT&T Discovery District, a shopping, dining and entertainment development. The Discovery District features a 30-foot diameter interactive "walk-in" sculpture and a 104-foot high media wall for watching sports, movies and music events. The hotel features a library, a restaurant, two lounges and 11 meeting rooms, that range from 230 to 3,500 square feet. "Rooted in history and ready to be reinvented for the future - that describes this hotel, and also our entire hospitality industry right now," said Mehul Patel, chairman and CEO of NewcrestImage. "The Magnolia Hotel is an especially relevant and significant opportunity for us because it continues two important corporate commitments - re-energizing downtown Dallas and revitalizing historic buildings."

VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP will celebrate its 25th anniversary in April. The company, led by Mitch Patel as president and CEO, is now making plans for the next quarter century. Founded in 1997, Vision Hospitality began with a Homewood Suites by Hilton, Chattanooga/Hamilton Place Patel developed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the company is still headquartered. Then, as the U.S. economy struggled to overcome the 9/11 attacks of 2001, Patel went on to develop 10 more hotels. "Here, VHG learned agility and how to pivot, gaining a deeper understanding of how to successfully adapt to the ebb and flow of the hospitality and financial industries," the company said in a statement. "These lessons, along with a solid foundation of core values - dedication, integrity, respect, excellence, community, teamwork, and spirit - were the guiding principles that led to continued growth through the Great Recession and the unprecedented challenges of the last few years."

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."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE dropped in the first week of November compared to the week before as expected due to the Halloween calendar shift, according to STR. Performance also weakened when compared to 2019. Occupancy was 62.4 for the week ending Nov. 5, down from 65.8 percent the week before and dropped 9.2 percent from 2019. ADR was $147.48 during the week, decreased from $152.94 the week before and up 11.4 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $91.99 during the first week of November, down from $100.59 the week before and a slight increase of 1.1 percent from 2019. None of STR's top 25 markets showed an occupancy increase over 2019 during the week after Halloween. Tampa came closest to its pre-pandemic comparable, with an increase of 1 percent to 72.4 percent.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE was down in the third week of January compared to the week before on account of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, according to STR. Occupancy was 54.2 percent for the week ending Jan. 21, slightly down from 54.8 percent the week before and decreased 6.2 percent from 2019. ADR was $140.16 during the week, dropped from $144.81 the week before and up 11.3 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $75.97 in the third week, decreased from $79.38 the week before and up 4.4 percent from January 2019. Among STR's top 25 markets, Tampa reported the highest increase over 2019 in all metrics during the week, with occupancy up 6.8 percent to 78.8 percent, ADR rising 31.9 percent to $174.78 and RevPAR up 41 percent to $137.76.

THERE WAS A slight slip in U.S. hotel performance in the third week of October compared to the week before, according to STR. However, numbers improved during the week when compared to 2019. Occupancy was 69.9 percent for the week ending Oct. 22, down from 70.3 percent the week before and down 0.5 percent from 2019. ADR was $157.43 during the week, slightly dropped from $157.52 the week before and up 16.7 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $110.11 in the third week of Oct. 22, just dipped from $110.78 the week before and up 16.1 percent from 2019. Among STR's top 25 markets, Tampa reported the largest increase in occupancy during the week, up 7.4 percent to 75.9 percent and RevPAR, increased 39.2 percent to $117.28, over 2019. It has been one of the markets in Florida that have seen a performance lift associated with post-Hurricane Ian demand.

Joel Eisemann is now the senior advisor of real estate investment managing firm Noble Investment Group, the company said in a statement. Previously he was chief development officer for the Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts. He will work with the Noble team to develop and scale the company's investment strategies as the firm continues the meaningful growth of its platform that serves institutional investors around the world, the statement added. Eisemann was with IHG for the past 11 years and retired last year. Under his leadership, IHG launched five new brands in the Americas and grew to approximately 5,000 hotels open and in the pipeline.

DALLAS-BASED NEWCRESTIMAGE plans to acquire 45 hotels from a private investment firm. The portfolio includes approximately 3,300 rooms in 11 states, but other terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The hotels include 35 Marriott International-branded, seven Hilton-branded, two Choice Hotels International-branded and one Radisson Hotels-branded properties. They are in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas, according to NewcrestImage. "The current financial environment makes it very attractive to buy rather than build, and this group of fine hotels in high-traffic locations provides us with an exceptional opportunity to immediately start generating significant revenue, profit, and return on investment," said Mehul Patel, NewcrestImage managing partner and CEO.

Sameer Nair is now senior vice president of acquisitions and development for Atlanta-based hotel investment and management firm Hospitality Ventures Management Group. Prior to joining HVMG, Nair oversaw transactions worth more than $600 million as vice president of investments and capital markets for Delray Beach-based Kolter Hospitality, the company said in a statement. In a career span of 11 years, Nair has sourced and closed deals worth more than $350 million across Hilton-, Hyatt-, IHG-, Marriott-franchised hotels and also negotiated and restructured $1 billion of existing debt. "An industry expert with more than a decade of hospitality real estate experience, Sameer immediately brings a wealth of knowledge and industry relationships he's acquired during his decorative career thus far. His presence immediately augments and broadens our already strong bench strength, and we look forward to Sameer playing an important role in helping HVMG and our owners and investors achieve their growth goals," said Robert Cole, HVMG president and CEO.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE dropped in the fourth week of October compared to the week before, according to STR. When compared to 2019, occupancy increased as a result of the Halloween calendar shift, as the holiday fell during the comparable week three years ago. STR reminded that in the first week of November performance metrics will show the negative side of that shift. Occupancy was 65.8 percent for the week ending Oct. 29, down from 69.9 percent the week before and up 5.2 percent from 2019. ADR was $152.94 during the week, dipped from $157.43 the week before and up 21.4 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $100.59 during the week, down from $110.11 the week before and up 27.8 percent from 2019. Among STR's top 25 markets, Tampa reported the largest increase in each of the key performance metrics: occupancy up 21.5 percent to 76.1 percent, ADR increased 42.1 percent to $158.38 and RevPAR improved 72.5 percent to $120.58, over 2019. Tampa has been one of the markets in Florida that have seen a performance lift associated with post-Hurricane Ian demand.

U.S. HOTEL CONSTRUCTION declined for the seventh consecutive month in June, according to STR. Rooms in construction in New York City and Nashville represent a significant percentage of existing supply in those markets. Though at a slower pace, planning activity increases across the U.S. and developers are showing interest in Miami, Nashville and Phoenix, the report said. According to STR, there are 146,198 rooms under construction in the U.S. in June, down 20.1 percent when compared to same period last year. As many as 178,809 rooms are at final planning during the month, decreased 11.3 percent from last year and 281,190 rooms are at planning phase, an increase of 6.1 percent from June 2021. "The U.S. hotel pipeline continues to decelerate as we enter the second half of the year," said Carter Wilson, senior vice president of consulting, STR. "The continued increases in debt costs combined with the ongoing supply chain disruptions will likely delay projects from breaking ground this year, which will lead to a further decline in rooms in construction. On a national basis, new supply will not be a significant headwind for the future." New York leads the major markets in rooms in construction at 13,568 rooms in June, up 10.8 percent compared to last year, followed by Nashville with 3,939 rooms, up 7 percent, Phoenix with 4,388 rooms, an increase of 6.3 percent over last year, Atlanta with 5,991 rooms, up 5.5 percent and Detroit with 2,382 rooms, an increase of 5.1 percent over June 2021.

U.S. HOTELS REPORTED record-high monthly room rates on a nominal basis in July, according to STR. RevPAR on a nominal basis hit an all-time high during the month and occupancy was the second highest since August 2019. However, performance dipped some in the third week of August on a weekly basis, but performance improved during the week over 2019. Occupancy was 69.6 percent in July, down from 70.1 percent in June and down 5.4 percent from three years ago. ADR was $159.08 during the month, up from 155.04 in June and up 17.5 percent over 2019. RevPAR reached $110.73 in July, up from $108.64 the month before and increased 11.2 percent three years ago. At the same time, occupancy dropped to 67.3 percent for the week ending August 20, down from 68.5 percent the week before and dropped 3.9 percent from 2019. ADR was $150.96 for the week, decreased from $152.34 the week before and increased 16.7 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $101.59 during the week, fell from $104.30 the week before and increased 12.2 percent from 2019.

THE LABOR DAY calendar shift pulled U.S. hotel performance down in the second week of September, compared to the week before, as expected, according to STR. The weekly performance was also down when compared to 2019. Occupancy was 61.7 percent for the week ending Sept. 10, down from 62.8 percent the week before and decreased 11.2 percent from 2019. ADR was $146.80 for the week, down from $147.14 the week before and increased 10.6 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $90.50 during the week, dipped from $92.45 the week before and decreased 1.8 percent from 2019. Orlando reported the only occupancy increase, up 1.5 percent to 59.3 percent, among STR's top 25 markets, when compared to 2019.

MONTHS OF RUMOR were confirmed true when Choice Hotels International on Wednesday announced it has proposed to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in an approximately $9.8 billion transaction. The proposal to Wyndham stockholders came after months of negotiations broke down and Wyndham's board of directors voted to decline Choice's offer, calling it "underwhelming" and risky. AAHOA also issued a statement saying it has "high concern" that a Choice/Wyndham merger would give one franchiser too much dominance over the economy/limited service hotel segment. The proposal In its announcement of the proposal, Choice said it sought to acquire all the outstanding shares of Wyndham at a price of $90 per share, payable in a mix of cash and stock. Shareholders would receive $49.50 in cash and 0.324 shares of Choice common stock for each Wyndham share they own. Choice claims that is a 26 percent premium to Wyndham's 30-day volume-weighted average closing price ending on Oct. 16, an 11 percent premium to Wyndham's 52-week high, and a 30 percent premium to Wyndham's latest closing price.