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APERTURE HOTELS AND Satori Collective recently reopened the 120-room Hilton Garden Inn in Columbus, Georgia, following a multimillion-dollar renovation. The updates included public spaces, guestrooms, meeting space and fitness center, as well as parking improvements with EV charging stations. The full-service hotel also features an indoor pool with a hot tub and 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. Satori Collective is led by Andy Chopra as co-founder and managing partner. "With the completion of this full makeover, the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus now enjoys 'like-new' status, effectively making it the newest Hilton-branded hotel in Central Western Georgia," said Charles Oswald, Aperture Hotels' president and CEO. "We look forward to hosting a proper grand re-opening ceremony on Aug. 25 to fully embrace our position as a member of the community and to share our new offerings with guests and neighbors."

THE NUMBER OF U.S. hotel rooms under construction in June reached its highest level in 16 months, according to CoStar. The construction volume increased year-over-year for four consecutive months, with upscale and upper midscale segments dominating pipeline activity. "The number of rooms in construction has grown year-over-year for four consecutive months," said Isaac Collazo, STR's vice president, analytics. "While upscale and upper midscale continue to dominate, accounting for about 50 percent of all rooms in the final phase of the pipeline, the pace of activity in these segments has slowed compared to last year. Midscale and economy have shown the most growth, up 42 percent and 34 percent, respectively, with newer brands and extended-stay accounting for most of the new construction across the midscale segment." Approximately 157,713 rooms were under construction in June, up 5.5 percent from the same month last year. Additionally, 266,619 rooms were in the final planning phase, a 9.8 percent increase from June 2023. The planning stage saw 333,827 rooms, a rise of 38.7 percent compared to the previous year.

SMALL LUXURY HOTELS of the World, the London-based independent hotels chain, recently entered the Indian market through a partnership with The MRS Group of Hotels, which owns and operates luxury boutique hotels in the country. SLH will include MRS's hospitality offerings in its global distribution and marketing network. The collaboration integrates MRS Group's brands-Suryagarh Jaisalmer, Narendra Bhawan Bikaner, and Mary Budden Estate Binsar-into SLH's collection, soon to be available on SLH channels, the companies said in a joint statement. "We are incredibly proud to be the first independent hotel chain in India to partner with SLH, a brand synonymous with luxury and exceptional hospitality," said Karan Singh Vaid, The MRS Group of Hotels' president. "This alliance not only highlights our dedication to reimagining hospitality in India but also amplifies our mission to offer travellers thoughtfully designed experiences that are rooted in our rich heritage and distinctive service. We are excited to embark on this journey with SLH, aiming to enhance our global presence and enrich the travel adventures of our guests."

THE NATIONAL LABOR Relations Board recently withdrew its appeal of a Texas judge's ruling blocking its joint employer rule that would have broadened the shared responsibility for employees between franchisers and franchisees. Opponents of the rule said it would have damaged small businesses, including hotels, while President Joe Biden's administration said it would better enable employees to protect their rights. On Friday, the NLRB asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to dismiss its challenge, saying it believes the rule is lawful but wants "to consider options for addressing the outstanding joint employer matters before it," according to Bloomberg Law. The appeal had been related to a March 8 ruling in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business associations challenging the rule's legality.

Bob Gilbert, president and CEO of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, retired after 30 years in executive leadership roles. Juli Jones, HSMAI senior vice president, will serve as interim managing director while the association, aided by SearchWide Global and HSMAI's management company MCI, searches for the next president and CEO, HSMAI said in a statement. Gilbert accelerated his retirement due to a serious health issue. Kristin Miodonski, MCI associate vice president and HSMAI content director, will serve as interim managing director for the HSMAI Foundation, the statement said. "It is with the utmost respect that we announce the retirement of Bob Gilbert from his role of president and CEO of HSMAI," said Andrew Rubinacci, HSMAI Americas chair and chief advisory officer at FLYR Hospitality. "Bob has been a mentor and friend to so many of us in the industry and has taken the association to new heights over the course of his incredible 30-year tenure, expanding HSMAI across the globe. The association will benefit from his leadership for many years to come."

THE U.S. HOTEL industry reported higher performance in the second week of July compared to the previous week, but lower year-over-year results, according to CoStar. The first hurricane of the season impacted one top 25 market. Occupancy climbed to 69.2 percent for the week ending July 13, up from 61.3 percent the previous week, but down 3.7 percent year-over-year. ADR increased to $158.21 from $157.27, marking a 1.5 percent decline compared to last year. RevPAR increased to $109.51 from $96.35 the previous week, reflecting a 5.2 percent decrease from the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston recorded the highest year-over-year increases in key performance metrics: occupancy rose 13.4 percent to 72.2 percent, ADR increased 22.4 percent to $137.17, and RevPAR grew 38.8 percent to $98.97. The market's performance was impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

HomeTowne Studios Greenville is now open in Greenville, South Carolina. The owner Surya Hotel Corp. recently invested over $1 million to fully renovate the extended-stay hotel, located next to the 52-room Red Roof Inn. The 50-room hotel is near Clemson University, Roper Mountain Science Center, Greenville Technical College, Bob Jones University, Furman University, Saint Francis Hospital, Paris Mountain State Park and Lake Conestee Nature Park. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a short drive away.

NEW YORK CITY Council members recently introduced a bill requiring hotels to obtain additional licenses to operate in the city. However, the American Hotel & Lodging Association called the bill "destructive," warning it would permanently alter hotel operations and threaten thousands of jobs in the city. The bill's sponsors claim it addresses several issues, including prohibiting hotels from using subcontractors for core functions, adopting minimum hygiene standards and committing to policies to prevent prostitution and human trafficking. AHLA urged the council to slow down on the proposed licenses, noting they would decimate the hospitality economy. "This abrupt and destructive bill would permanently alter how hotels operate and threaten the jobs of thousands of New Yorkers," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "If it becomes law, thousands of hotel jobs could be lost, hotels will shutter, and New York City's economy - especially small business retailers, restaurants, and other hotel service providers - will suffer substantially."

A TOTAL OF 347 mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture financing deals were reported in the global travel and tourism sector during the first half of 2024, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company. That is a 12.6 percent year-over-year decline from the 397 deals in the same period of the previous year. North America saw a 31.7 percent year-over-year decrease in deal volume, while the U.S. experienced a 31.5 percent decline in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year, GlobalData said in a statement. "Even though there was a decline globally due to a dent in deal-making sentiments, the trend was a mixed bag across different markets and regions, with some countries contributing to the decline while some experienced improved activity," said Aurojyoti Bose, GlobalData's lead analyst. "And the same was the case for the deal types under coverage."

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."

GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL spending is forecast to reach $1.48 trillion by the end of 2024, surpassing the previous record of $1.43 trillion in 2019, according to a recent study by the Global Business Travel Association. Spending is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2028, indicating strong growth for the business travel sector. The 2024 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook, supported by Visa, found that economic stability and lingering pent-up demand are driving growth, reassuring CEOs and CFOs to send their teams back on the road for business meetings. "We are witnessing the expected rebound in the sector, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of businesses and the value of business travel worldwide," said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA's CEO. "With projected spending expected to continue to increase through 2028, the future of business travel looks promising. However, we must remain vigilant and adaptive to potential headwinds in this period of stabilization, as factors such as changing economic conditions, technological advancements and sustainability developments will also shape the sector ahead."