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THE BUSINESS TRAVEL revenue of U.S. hotels is expected to drop $20 billion this year, down 23 percent when compared to 2019, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs. It is already reported that hotels lost an estimated $108 billion in business travel revenue during 2020 and 2021 combined. The report said that business travel revenue, the largest source of revenue in hotel industry, will take significantly longer to recover. However, leisure travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, the report added. "While dwindling COVID-19 case counts and relaxed CDC guidelines are providing a sense of optimism for reigniting travel, this report underscores how tough it will be for many hotels and hotel employees to recover from years of lost revenue," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. "The good news is that after two years of virtual work arrangements, Americans recognize the unmatched value of face-to-face meetings and say they are ready to start getting back on the road for business travel."

VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP has broken ground on the upscale AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter Center in Atlanta. The 156-room hotel is expected to open in 2021. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Vision Hospitality is led by Mitch Patel, president and CEO. AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter Center will feature the first rooftop bar in Atlanta's Perimeter Center area. The hotel's library will provide novels for guests and the AC Lounge will be available for work and social gatherings. The hotel also will display a curated collection of art. Nearby are Perimeter Center Mall and offices for State Farm, UPS, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper and Mercedes Benz USA. Vision Hospitality has 10 hotels in the Atlanta metro area, including the recently refinanced 115-room Marriott Courtyard Duluth Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia, and the SpringHill Suites Downtown Atlanta. "The concept behind the AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter Center is simple but powerful - edit away the unnecessary to allow guests to focus on what is most important to them," Patel said. "I am especially excited to introduce the rooftop bar, which will feature expansive views of Perimeter Center, Buckhead and Midtown."

NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP recently acquired two hotels in Savannah, Georgia. The hotels are the Hampton Inn Savannah Historic District and Holiday Inn Express Savannah Historic District. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Noble, led by Mit Shah as CEO, acquired the hotels because of their position in Savannah's historic district. The city recently was named Travel + Leisure magazine's No. 3 Top City in the U.S. and included on TIME's list of The World's Greatest Places of 2021. The 7-floor, 143-room Holiday Inn Express has 2,765 square feet of meeting space, a rooftop pool and the Port Royal Tavern in the lobby. The 147-room Hampton Inn has an outdoor pool, a fitness center and a business center. In the historic district, the hotels are near museums, historic landmarks, mansions, and monuments from the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. Both hotels are on East Bay Street across the Savannah River from the Savannah Convention Center and River Street shopping and entertainment area.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY hotels registered an increase in occupancy and ADR in the first quarter of this year, according to hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. Record high demand, low supply growth and rising overall ADR are driving the strong performance. Economy and mid-price extended-stay hotels recovered RevPAR to their nominal 2019 values and the former is leading the recovery, the U.S. Extended-stay Hotels: First Quarter 2022 report said. However, the upscale extended-stay segment is lagging the overall recovery but reporting slightly better recovery performance as demand is at an all-time high, the report added. "There were 564,257 extended-stay hotel rooms open at the end of the first quarter. However, the 17,165 net gain in rooms open over the last year was the lowest annual increase since 2014, excluding 2020. Room nights available increased 3.1 percent over 2021, but supply growth dropped 50 percent from 2016 across all three segments," the report said.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT competition She Has a Deal (SHaD) started a 10-city tour of U.S. cities to raise equity capital under the name "SHaD Prosperity Fund I." The funds will support women-led hotel projects, a statement said. The tour kicks off in Miami on Feb. 11 and will be open to small groups of qualified individual investors, family offices, small entities and trusts. Cities on the tour include Cleveland, Phoenix, Dallas, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, as well as Oakland, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and Washington, D.C. It will finish in the first week of April. According to SHaD, each event will include a preview of the women-led hotel deals being pitched by participants in the 2022 She Has a Deal pitch competition. "Launching SHaD Prosperity Fund I is the next logical step in the SHaD mission. Now that we have created a powerful platform to expose more women to hotel ownership and educate them about the process, I want to ensure that capital is available for the women to close their hotel deals," said SHaD founder Tracy Prigmore. "This investment vehicle marries two of my passions: creating investment vehicles that open the doors of hotel investing to more people and increasing the number of women owning and developing hotels. The ability to create passive income for investors while leading social change is inspiring."

GEOFF BALLOTTI, PRESIDENT and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, is the second recipient of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. The award is presented by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation and the BHN Group. Ballotti will receive the award Jan. 22 AHLA Foundation's premier fundraising gala, Night of a Thousand Stars, and again during the 22nd Annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, according to AHLA. The award is named after Arne Sorenson, the former president and CEO of Marriott International who passed away in 2021, and in December of that year David Kong, the recently retired president and CEO of Best Western Hotel Group, was the inaugural recipient. "Geoff - much like Arne - is a true embodiment of all the good that hospitality represents. His empathy, his accessibility and his commitment to doing the right thing is what makes him one of our industry's greatest leaders," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The story of his success, from dishwasher to CEO of the world's largest hotel franchisor, is inspirational - as is his dedication to ensuring the success of future hotel leaders. I am lucky to call Geoff a colleague and friend, and it fills me with pride to honor him with this award."

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.

THE REVPAR RECOVERY of U.S. extended-stay hotels remain unchanged in August compared to July, according to consulting firm The Highland Group. However, ADR growth for mid-price and upscale segments decreased for the fifth consecutive month but remained higher than any other period before 2021. STR said that hotel occupancy gained 5.3 percent in August 2022 compared to same period last year, decreasing extended-stay hotel's occupancy premium to 12.6 percentage points compared to more than 14 points in August 2021. But the premium remains well within its long-term average range. Economy and mid-price extended-stay segments reported much faster ADR growth compared to corresponding segments during the month, according to the US Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: August 2022. The economy segment continued leading the RevPAR recovery compared to 2019, but demand declined 1.9 percent for the fifth consecutive month compared to August 2021 due to strong increases in ADR.

AS 2022 BEGINS, many of the issues U.S. hoteliers faced in 2021, primarily related to the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely to continue. The year past also saw other changes, such as new leadership at AAHOA and a new administration in Washington, D.C. Below are the top stories covered by Asian Hospitality during 2021. They also include ongoing economic relief as the hospitality industry continued its struggle to recover from the pandemic; the return to in-person conventions; and powerful natural disasters. The year began with some optimism that the end of the pandemic was near. Several kinds of vaccines were announced in December 2020, and the rollout continued into 2021. Hoteliers did what they could to promote vaccination, including AAHOA's "Pledge to Protect Our Guests, Employees, and Businesses" initiative. Hoteliers who sign the pledge will provide time, reduce barriers and consider incentives to encourage their employees to get vaccinated when they are available. They also will encourage COVID-19 safety precautions, including wearing masks and social distancing. "Thanks to AHLA's ongoing efforts, the CDC has updated its guidelines prioritizing hotel workers under Phase 1c of the COVID-19 vaccines distribution. This is a significant achievement that directly impacts the health and safety of hotel workers across the country. It also recognizes that hotel employees continue to be on the front lines of the pandemic," Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO said at the time.

NEWBOND HOLDINGS HAS acquired Aloft Tampa Downtown in Tampa, Florida, marking its third downtown riverfront hotel investment in the city in 24 months. This takes the company's total to more than 700 hotel rooms and more than 800 ft. of frontage along the Hillsborough River, Newbond said in a statement. Niel Luthra is the founding partner of New York-based Newbond Holdings. The 130-key hotel, located on the Riverwalk, provides both indoor and outdoor amenities, featuring a waterfront pool, gym, corporate meeting and event spaces, as well as a bar and lounge, the statement added. Newbond is planning a comprehensive hotel renovation to include all guestrooms, public areas and the pool deck. "Our third hotel investment in downtown Tampa since 2021 demonstrates our conviction in the long-term Tampa growth story," said Neil Luthra, founding partner of Newbond. "Tampa's robust job and population growth; flourishing convention and tourism business; and continued institutional investment have created one of the strongest real estate and hospitality markets in the country."

INDUS HOSPITALITY GROUP in Rochester, New York, has opened a new Microtel Hotel by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in Warsaw, New York. The company, led by Jett Mehta, also broke ground on another Microtel in Farmington, New York. The 67-room hotel in Warsaw opened July 21 near Letchworth State Park. It features a meeting room, a fitness center and outside firepit. Rooms are singles, doubles and suites. Mehta and Tammy Murphy, Indus vice president, broke ground on the 60-room Farmington Microtel on July 24. Nearby attractions will include New York state's Finger Lakes region. Amenities will include meeting rooms, a fitness center and business center. "We look forward to welcoming travelers to the area's newest hotel, scheduled to open in June 2021," Murphy said.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of a new brand and a new prototype respectively during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles this week. Choice bills its Everhome Suites as a new-construction midscale extended-stay brand while Wyndham's Arbor new-build prototype for its Wyndham Garden brand focuses on reducing construction costs. Choice broke ground on the first Everhome Suites in Corona, California, shortly after officially launching the brand. It also has agreements for the development of 13 more of the new brand in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, and the company expects the first opening in 2021. Everhome Suites is meant to fill a gap in the extended-stay market, said Patrick Pacious, Choice's president and CEO.

THREE LARGE HOTEL companies took advantage of last week's 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas to announce new brand prototypes and refurbishments. They include two new extended-stay concepts and investments in existing midscale brands. Red Roof Inn introduced its new HomeTowne Studios prototype that the company said features a cost-effective development footprint, and a layout that offers improved operational efficiency. Also, G6 Hospitality, parent company for Motel 6 and Studio 6, introduced its Studio 6 Suites to meet what it sees as increased demand of extended-stay brands. Also, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced it would invest more than $40 million over the next three years in its Microtel and La Quinta by Wyndham brands. The company's Microtel Lift Incentive Program aims to encourage renovations that will bring existing properties parallel to the new build prototypes followed by the brands.

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. 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."

BLACK PEOPLE MADE little progress in the hospitality industry over the past year, according to a report from diversity advocacy group the Castell Project. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly hard on Black hotel workers and executives. The Castell Project released the "Black Representation in Hospitality Leadership 2022" on Tuesday, which was International Women's Day. Much like last year's report, it showed little progress for racial diversity in the industry. For example, only 11 percent of the 671 hotel company websites reviewed for this study showed Black executives, director through CEO, prominently on their websites in 2021, down from 2019. Those Black executives represented just 2 percent of all hospitality industry executives on the websites reviewed.

THE REPRESENTATION OF Black and women members on hotel industry boards is on the rise, signaling progress in board diversity, according to recent research commissioned by AHLA Foundation and conducted by Penn State's School of Hospitality Management. The surge surpasses the 2022 averages for firms in the Russell 3000 Index, while indicating multiple gains for the industry. The 2022 data analysis involved 230 board members from 28 companies spanning the years 2016 to 2022, the AHLA Foundation said. Key findings from the report include: In 2022, women held 31.3 percent of independent board seats on hotel public company boards, a notable surgefrom 22.5 percent in 2021. This surpasses the 2022 Russell 3000 Index average of 28.4 percent for women representation.

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."

ZERO-BASED BUDGETING is essential for hotels amid near- and long-term volatility, according to a blog from HotStats. The blog also suggested that hoteliers need to turn to other futureproofing or future-cushioning methods. In a recent blog post, Michael Grove, COO, HotStats said that zero-based budgeting, a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period starting from a zero base, is very necessary given the fluidity of the global economy and, ultimately, its impact on hotel operations. At the recent 2022 M3 Partners meeting, Grove first illustrated the pandemic's effect on worldwide profits and how it's changed the landscape. "It's worth reminding ourselves of the importance and magnitude of the U.S. hotel industry's share on the global scale, which has only grown during the pandemic," Grove said in the article. According to the blog post, almost half of global profits are produced in the U.S. and that share only rose as the pandemic slackened. "A massive 47 percent of hotel profits are achieved in the U.S., up 6.6 percentage points since 2019, the result of myriad variables, including a large domestic market and staycation trend," Grove said in the post. "Meanwhile, severe lockdowns and restrictions in Europe and Asia-Pacific sent their percentages down as the Middle East received a boost in the fourth quarter 2021 from Expo 2020 in Dubai."

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.