HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
U.S. Travel Reacts to Release of Additional H-2B Visas
U.S. Travel Association | January 31, 2022
WASHINGTON — January 31, 2022 — U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s release of 20,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2022: “The release of these additional visas is a good start to address the U.S. travel industry’s significant workforce challenges, but more is needed to ensure businesses are adequately staffed—particularly ahead of the busy summer travel season when so many businesses rely on access to temporary workers to sustain operations. ...
The Castell Project Releases Fifth Annual Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership Report
THE CASTELL PROJECT | January 31, 2022
ATLANTA, GA — January 31, 2022 — Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today released the 2022 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report. Now in its fifth year, the report details women’s progress in leadership positions within the hospitality industry. “As the hospitality industry rebuilds the jobs it has lost since the start of the pandemic, developing career opportunities for women and minorities is even more vital in the hotel sector,” said Peggy Berg, chair, Castell Project, Inc. “This ...
ALIS 2022 Takeaways – Our Industry Braces for a Big Year Ahead
Rod Clough | January 28, 2022
By Rod Clough Contributions by Kirsten Smiley, Eric Guerrero, Emil Iskandar, Daniel MacDonnell, John Berean, and Luigi Major. ALIS kicked off the 2022 hospitality industry convention season this week with heightened optimism for the sector. Several factors are converging this year that are setting the stage for what may be a year of record-breaking transaction activity. Fundamentals Fall into Place to Drive Value Increases The higher inflationary environment will continue to bode well for hotels, resulting in ADR pricing power leading to a lift in revenue on top of still lean operational models. Group tr...
HSMAI’s Adrian Awards Celebration Makes Historic Move to The Boca Raton
HSMAI | January 27, 2022
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is thrilled to announce that the 2021 Adrian Awards Celebration will return to a live, in-person format on March 30 at The Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Florida. This year’s event, taking place outside New York City for the first time in more than 25 years, has been reimagined to provide attendees more time to socialize, celebrate, and enjoy the exceptional outdoor and indoor spaces offered by The Boca Raton. Networking receptions will take place before and after the awards ceremony. “The Adrian Awards Celebration is getting a breath of fresh air, bringing ind...
KSL Capital Partners Chairman Michael Shannon Awarded ALIS Lifetime Achievement Award
KSL Capital Partners | January 25, 2022
DENVER, CO - January 25, 2022 - KSL Capital Partners, LLC (“KSL”) announced today its Co-founder and Chairman, Michael Shannon, was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award during the 21st annual the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles. This prominent award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the hospitality industry through their actions, deeds, and great accomplishments. “I am honored for this recognition and gratefully share it with our hardworking, dedicated global KSL team and portfolio companies,” Shannon said. “Having led through market cycles and di...
ADA Defense Lawyer: A Victory Against Serial Plaintiff: The “Reservation Rule” Lawsuit Against California Hotel Dismissed
Martin H. Orlick | January 25, 2022
By Jim Butler, Martin Orlick In another blow to serial ADA litigation against hotels, a judge in the Northern District of California has issued an opinion dismissing the case against JMBM client OCI, which owns and operates a Comfort Inn & Suites near the San Francisco International Airport. Brian Whitaker, who has filed nearly 2,000 ADA lawsuits in the last two years, claimed that OCI failed to include enough detail in its online description of accessible features, violating the ADA’s “Reservation Rule.” JMBM filed a motion to dismiss on behalf of OCI, which was granted on January 6, 2022. This is the second Reservation Rule ...
AHLA Foundation Raises Over $822,000 With Record Night at 2022 Gala
AHLA Foundation | January 24, 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA – January 24, 2022 – The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) raised over a record $822,000 at its annual gala to fund programs aimed at grooming and growing a diverse industry workforce. Each year, the Night of A Thousand Stars gala celebrates the hotel industry’s most important VIPs – the property-level talent that makes the industry so unique. Throughout the evening, industry leaders commemorated the 2022 Stars of the Industry Award winners and the diverse individuals that embody the spirit of hospitality, while raising critical funds to support the future of hospitality. “As a missi...
Siegel Sez: Business Intelligence and Analytics: RIP Excel?
January 21, 2022
Siegel Sez January 21, 2022 Here we are in the third week of January. Doesn’t it already seem like the holidays were ages ago? I know it does for me. As we look ahead to 2022, there have been interesting conversations regarding what lies ahead. I talk to so many hoteliers and vendors, and it’s great that there’s a sense of controlled optimism. It’s refreshing after what we’ve all been through. Of course, there will always be those who are focused on the negative, but that will never be my focus. Think positive! Be positive! And great things will happen. I hope this is not just the dreamer in me. I’ve enjoyed all the inquiries...
Hospitality Asset Managers Association (“HAMA”) Releases Top Five Membership Concerns for 2022
HAMA | January 20, 2022
ATLANTA, GA — January 20, 2022 — Officials of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (“HAMA”) today released the findings of an internal survey conducted by its industry relations committee listing membership’s top five concerns for 2022. “As the hotel industry works towards regaining its footing, we wanted to learn exactly what was keeping our members awake at night,” said Matthew Arrants, CHAM, HAMA president, The Arrants Company principal. “Not surprisingly, labor dynamics remain the main issue for many, followed closely by the impacts of the overall economy. AHLA, with whom we have recently partnered, s...
HFTP and HSMAI Renew Strategic Alliance
HFTP | January 20, 2022
Austin, TX— January 20, 2022 — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) have renewed their commitment to collaborate on industry advancing initiatives. The two leading-associations have long worked together via co-located events, knowledge-sharing, research and recognition of industry leaders. This recent partner agreement continues this tie through 2024. “The technology, finance and marketing fields considerably overlap — the foundational focus of HFTP’s and HSMAI’s stakeholders,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH. “Throu...
Nominations Open for the 2022 Rising Star Award Caribbean to be Presented at CHRIS
ISHC | January 20, 2022
Miami, FL — January 20, 2022 — The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) has opened nominations for the prestigious Rising Star Award Caribbean to be presented at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS). This is the twelfth year ISHC and CHRIS have collaborated to recognize young, talented leadership in the Caribbean region. Candidates must meet the following criteria: 35 years of age or younger, born on or after May 18, 1986 Is currently, and has been, working in a hospitality-related field Is recognized by leaders in the hospitality field as a rising star Is currently living and...
Travel Industry to Congress: Enact Urgent Policies to Restore Travel Demand
U.S. Travel Association | January 20, 2022
WASHINGTON — January 20, 2022 — More than 600 travel industry members—representative of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam—signed a letter to congressional leadership urging immediate action on near-term federal policies to restore and grow the U.S. travel industry. The letter was delivered by the U.S. Travel Association to lawmakers today. The letter details measures that are specifically aimed at reviving the domestic business travel and international inbound travel sectors, which continue to struggle to rebound. Early estimates from Tourism Economics indicate that international travel spending was a...
Tripadvisor’s Community of Travelers Awards 22 Top Trending Destinations for 2022
Tripadvisor | January 19, 2022
NEEDHAM, MA - January 19, 2022 - Today, Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, announced the first of its highly anticipated, annual community-powered Travelers' Choice Awards for 2022: the Best of the Best Destinations. If 2021 was the year travelers dipped their toes in the water with smaller getaways and outdoors trips, 2022 is shaping up to be the year we return to travel in a big way. Despite new variant surges, data shows that the desire to travel remains stronger than ever. In fact, 71% of Americans in a recent Tripadvisor sponsored survey say they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022. Just as travelers are ram...
“Practice Group of the Year” Awarded to JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group by Law360
Jim Butler | January 19, 2022
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP (JMBM) is proud to announce that the Global Hospitality Group® (GHG) has been selected as one of Law360’s Practice Groups of the Year. This award “honors the practices behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in 2021” and winners are chosen out of hundreds of submissions. The recognition is a result of the unsurpassed experience of the GHG team members who, for the past 30 years, have helped clients with more than 4,500 hospitality properties, valued at more than $112 billion. Some notable accomplishments by members of the GHG in 2021 include: ...
Radical Innovation Announces 2022 Call for Entries
Radical Innovation | January 19, 2022
ATLANTA, GA – January 19, 2022 – Radical Innovation, an initiative that challenges creative thinkers at the professional and student level to pioneer compelling ideas in travel and hospitality, is now accepting entries to its annual competition on the website www.radicalinnovation.io. “For over 15 years, Radical Innovation has been discovering and spotlighting creative thinkers in the hospitality realm.” explains John Hardy, Founder of Radical Innovation and Chairman of The Hardy Group. “This is truly an international initiative, and we are pleased to assist in promoting these incredible submissions to hospitality industr...
U.S. Travel Association: Implementation of 5G Would Mean Travel Disruptions and More Economic Harm
U.S. Travel Association | January 19, 2022
WASHINGTON — January 19, 2022 — U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on the implementation of 5G wireless near U.S. airports: “The U.S. Travel Association is urgently calling on the U.S. government and mobile wireless carriers to delay the introduction of 5G wireless around affected airports until critical operational concerns can be resolved. “The implementation of 5G around affected airports threatens to disrupt domestic and international air travel, delay thousands of passengers, and cause unnecessary economic harm to the nation and the entire travel industry – not just...
Tourism Grows 4% in 2021 but Remains Far Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
UNWTO | January 18, 2022
Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020 (415 million versus 400 million). However, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) were still 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to preliminary estimates by UNWTO. This follows on from 2020, the worst year on record for tourism, when international arrivals decreased by 73%. The first 2022 issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer indicates that rising rates of vaccination, combined with easing of travel restrictions due to increased cross-border coordination and protocols, have all helped release pent up demand. International tourism rebounded ...
Travel in 2022 – A Look Ahead: Tripadvisor Research, in Partnership With Ipsos MORI, Reveals 2022 Is the Year of the Travel Rebound
Tripadvisor | January 14, 2022
NEEDHAM, MA - January 14, 2022 - A new travel trends research paper released today by Tripadvisor®, the world’s largest travel guidance platform*, in partnership with Ipsos MORI, reveals how respondents are planning to travel in 2022 and beyond, and how their attitudes and behaviors in relation to travel have changed as compared to pre-pandemic. While outside factors like COVID-19 variants, international travel rules and staffing shortages still can represent existential threats to traveler behaviors, year-end sentiment and search data shows ongoing demand for travel remains high. Who benefits from the tourism demand? As travelers spend ...
UN Report Underscores Importance of Tourism for Economic Recovery in 2022
UNWTO | January 14, 2022
The important role that tourism will play in the recovery of national economies and global trade has been highlighted in the 2022 edition of the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report by the United Nations. Drawing on data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), WESP underlines the sector’s importance for the world economy and particularly for developing economies, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS). After a global contraction of 3.4% in 2020 and a rebound of 5.5% in 2021, the world economy is projected to grow by 4% in 2022 and then 3.5% in 2023. Given its importance as a major export category (prior to t...
Travel Program Communication During COVID-19 and Beyond: What Business Travelers Want to Know and How They Want to Hear It
The Global Business Travel Association | January 13, 2022
Alexandria, VA – As business travel resumes amid an ongoing pandemic, keeping connected with business travelers has taken on renewed urgency for companies and their travel managers. It’s critical for travelling employees to stay on top of changes and it has accelerated the need for travel managers to communicate often complex, fast-changing information while not only deciding what to communicate, but also how to communicate most effectively. This is the topic tackled in a recent survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and made possible by Dinova Inc. The survey — “No Reservations: Travel Program Commu...
It’s 2022, but the Same Problems Persist for Hotels
HotStats | January 13, 2022
If you thought 2021 was topsy-turvy, wait until you see 2022. Though the calendar has changed, the world remains saddled with many of the same issues faced last year. And now, with the advent of the Omicron strain, which some experts predict will infect everyone, the scenario is becoming clearer by the day: things have a way to go before we are back to business as usual. This virus is not done yet and it is causing a migraine for the global hotel industry, from a demand perspective, labor, expenses and a host of other variables. It’s all causing confusion and angst for some industry insiders, but other hotel prognosticators reading t...
The Challenges of SB 93 (California Senate Bill No. 93) Will Impose on the Employers and Their Human Resource Management Team
Brittany Schaffer | January 12, 2022
By Brittany Schaffer The COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, and it has caused massive changes within a short period of time. One of the most rememberable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was that businesses had to come to a complete halt, forcing them to lay off employees. California's unemployment rates went up. Now that the stay-at-home orders have lifted, people start to come out. Businesses are now reopening, looking to rehire their laid-off employees. Before the pandemic, employers had the option of recalling only a certain number of laid-off employees they would want to rehire based on employees' job performance. T...
ProfitSword Again Wins Industry-Wide Acclaim With Multiple Recognitions During the 2022 HotelTechAwards
ProfitSword, LLC | January 11, 2022
Technology provider credited with maximizing efficiency and hotel revenues earns high rankings in Business Intelligence, Best Places to Work and People’s Choice categories. Alpharetta, GA – January 11, 2022 – ProfitSword, a premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software for the hospitality industry, is today honored to announce details on its impressive performance at this year’s HotelTechAwards. Recognized as an industry-leading organization in the categories for Best Business Intelligence Software, Best Places to Work as well as coming in among the top 10 for the People’s Choice Award, ProfitSword...
Cloudbeds Named Best PMS, Best HMS in 2022 HotelTechAwards
Cloudbeds | January 11, 2022
Hotel Tech Report honors Cloudbeds with five total awards, including Best Places to Work, Top 10 People’s Choice, and Channel Manager Finalist (SAN DIEGO) January 11, 2022 — Cloudbeds has been recognized for the fourth consecutive year as one of the industry’s top technology providers by Hotel Tech Report. The 2022 HotelTechAwards honors Cloudbeds with five total awards: Best Property Management Systems, Best Hotel Management Software, 10 Best Places to Work, Top 10 People's Choice, and Channel Manager Finalist. The industry’s only data-driven awards platform, the HotelTechAwards determine winners based on product reviews from v...
