HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25th, 2024
Unique to Boutique: Overview of the Boutique Hotel Investment Conference
the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) | August 14, 2023
The Boutique Lifestyle Leadership Association (BLLA) held its 11th annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 7 and 8 in the heart of New York City at Florence Gould Hall. The conference brought together passionate participants to collaborate on shaping the future of the independent boutique hotel landscape. Distinguished leaders from around the world gathered to explore various topics that independent hospitality businesses face today as well as contemplate the growing interest from investors. From “F&B as a Recipe for Success” to discussing “The largest sales transaction since the Pandemic” with The Pomeranc Brother...
Global Business Travel and Events Costs Expected to Remain Elevated Through 2024, Reflecting ‘True New Cost of Travel’
GBTA | August 10, 2023
Global business travel and events costs are set to climb higher through the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, albeit at a much more moderate pace than the exceptionally steep increases seen in 2022. This is according to the 2024 Global Business Travel Forecast, published today by CWT, the business travel and meetings specialist, and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel trade organization. Rising fuel prices, labor shortages, and supply chain challenges, coupled with red hot demand, caused travel prices to skyrocket in 2022 – far surpassing some of the increases outlined in last year’s for...
AHLA and HHA Unite to Help Hotel Employees and Guests Impacted by Hawai‘i Wildfires
AHLA | August 10, 2023
WASHINGTON (Aug. 10, 2023) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association, in partnership with the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, is working with the State of Hawai‘i to support relief efforts in West Maui following devastating wildfires fueled by Hurricane Dora. “We’re trying to keep the lines of communication open to Lahaina and other parts of West Maui and the greater island," said Jerry Gibson, President of the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance. Most hotels are working off diesel generators, which will need refueling. Access to the area is limited, and hotel properties are working to support the safety and basic needs of their employees, gu...
More Than One Million Anti-Human Trafficking Trainings Completed by Hotel Industry Employees
AHLA Foundation | August 10, 2023
The trainings, funded by the AHLA Foundation, are part of an ongoing industry-wide initiative to combat human trafficking WASHINGTON, DC (August 10, 2023) – The AHLA Foundation proudly announced today that Foundation-funded human trafficking awareness trainings have been completed more than one million times by hotel employees across the industry. Developed by Marriott International and administered by PACT (previously known as ECPAT-USA), the trainings are part of an industry-wide initiative to help hotel employees recognize and report signs of potential on-property human trafficking. The hospitality industry is uniquely positioned to dis...
Knowland Wins 2023 Skift IDEA Award
Knowland | August 10, 2023
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HSMAI Top 25 and Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations Open
HSMAI | August 9, 2023
McLean, VA (Aug. 9, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Top 25 Extraordinary Minds and the Marketing and Public Relations Lifetime Achievement Awards. Nominations are open now through Sept. 8, 2023, via the HSMAI registration page. HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds honors exceptional Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization, or Distribution leaders in hospitality, travel, and tourism organizations for their achievements in the preceding 18 months. Selected by a panel of senior industry executives, “Top 25” awardees are high achievers who stand ou...
U.S. Travel Applauds Biden Plan to Return Federal Workforce to Office
U.S. Travel Association | August 8, 2023
WASHINGTON (August 8, 2023)—U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s reported new call for federal employees to return to in-person work: “The Biden plan to return federal workers to the office will benefit far more than team culture. It is also critical to the success and vibrancy of American cities and the return of government travel, which has lagged. We applaud this directive and appreciate the boost this action will give to the economy.”...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Unveils New Visual Identity
Omni Hotels & Resorts | August 7, 2023
Leading hospitality brand set to reinvest $1.5 billion in its portfolio of properties over the next 5 years Dallas, TX – Omni Hotels & Resorts is launching a brand evolution as it continues significant growth comprised of nationwide portfolio enhancements, service training and marketing investments. Driven by Omni president, Kurt Alexander, the announcement signals a new era for the brand and marks the first major shift in visual identity in more than a decade. “Over the last 60 years we’ve been creating elevated experiences inspired by remarkable destinations where guests connect and enjoy genuine hospitality,” said Alex...
California Lodging Investment Conference [CLIC] Announces Seventh Annual Gathering
[CLIC] | August 7, 2023
Event to be Held March 6-7, 2024, at Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. COSTA MESA, Cali., August 7 , 2023—Officials of the California Lodging Investment Conference [CLIC], the only hospitality conference focused on the California hotel market, today announced that the upcoming, seventh annual gathering will take place March 6-7,2024, at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. "The hospitality sector remains one of the hottest real estate markets in California, and savvy investors need to stay on top of trends and developments to be successful," said Craig Sullivan, founder and president, [CLIC]. "CLIC was created...
SURVEY: 86% of LA Residents Say City Should Not Prioritize Housing Homeless Individuals in Hotels
AHLA | August 7, 2023
Despite concerns for worker safety, negative impact on tourism, Unite Here is fighting to house people experiencing homelessness next to paying guests WASHINGTON (Aug. 7, 2023) – 98% of Los Angeles residents say homelessness in the city is a crisis or a major problem. Despite that, 86% say LA should not prioritize housing people experiencing homelessness in hotels, according to a new survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and conducted by Public Opinion Strategies. LA residents are set to vote in March 2024 on whether to require all local hotels to house unhoused individuals next to paying guests as pa...
Allyship, Psychological Safety and Authenticity Most Valued at IHG
IHG | August 4, 2023
1,200 employees surveyed as hotel giant expands on its inclusive ecosystem Bangkok, Thailand – 4 August 2023: Allyship, psychological safety and authenticity are the most valued workplace considerations by IHG Hotels & Resorts employees in Thailand, according to a new survey. The findings came after IHG, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, invited Steps to survey 1,200 colleagues1 across five hotels: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, Crowne Plaza Lumpini Park, Holiday Inn Bangkok, Sindhorn Midtown Bangkok Vignette Collection and Holiday Inn Silom. The study was conducted as IHG prepares to work with Steps, Thailand...
What Your Hotel Needs to Know About FTC’s Stand Against Fake AI Generated Reviews
Lodging Interactive | August 3, 2023
The FTC acknowledges the emergence of generative AI and its potential impact on creating fake hotel guest reviews. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking a stand against deceptive practices in online reviews and social media metrics. With a proposed formal ban, the FTC intends to crack down on fake reviews, testimonials, and the use of phony followers and views to artificially inflate social media metrics. This means we’ll see a lot more hotels and travel businesses get authentic reviews and followers in the future! This latest move by the FTC builds upon previous actions targeting fake reviews. In 2019, the agency fined a third-p...
A New Wave of Confident Travelers Emerges Post-Pandemic, With Younger Americans Leading the First-to-Travel Trend
Allianz Partners | August 2, 2023
A Quarter of Americans Will Take "Revenge Travel" Trips this Year RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 2, 2023 -- Americans are ready, willing and confident they will travel this year. The 15th annual Allianz Partners USA's Vacation Confidence Index* underscores the paradigm shift that started during the pandemic around the importance of taking an annual vacation, as Americans continue to prioritize leisure travel time and more have already taken a vacation this year than any other time during the survey's history. According to the travel insurance and assistance's company's latest survey, almost two-thirds (62%) of Americans have taken a vacation in...
Business Travel Is Back. Purpose Is Key!
Accor | August 2, 2023
Is the business world still Zooming from home? Has corporate travel spending made a full recovery from the pandemic? Are carbon budgets replacing financial budgets? Accor’s Masters of Travel advisory board meeting brought industry leaders from technology, law, energy, engineering, and pharmaceuticals to Brussels to create a vision for business travel and corporate meetings post-pandemic. The delegates’ mission was to dig deep into the real value of travel, evaluating the demands it makes in environmental, social and governance (ESG) and what businesses need to prioritise in 2024 and beyond. The new Business of Travel report from Acco...
AAHOA Backs Best Practices, Enhanced Reporting Requirements to End Human Trafficking
AAHOA | August 1, 2023
ATLANTA, Ga., August 1, 2023 – Hotels and motels are on the front lines of preventing and intercepting human sex and labor trafficking. AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), the largest hotel owners association in the world, has been working with its 20,000 members to promote awareness and prevention strategies for trafficking. “As the owners of 34,000 hotels around the country, AAHOA Members are playing a huge role in preventing the scourge of human trafficking,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “With estimates of tens of thousands of individuals being trafficked here in the U.S., including under-aged m...
Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society Honors 12 Hospitality Management Alumni
PSHRS | August 1, 2023
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS) and Penn State School of Hospitality Management will honor 12 alumni during the 2023 Alumni Awards Reception, held in conjunction with the school’s 18th annual Alumni in the Classroom event, on Oct. 11. This year’s award ceremony will take place in the Marriott Foundation Building, the School’s Collaboratory for Inclusion and Innovation, on the Penn State University Park campus. “In the face of surging global travel demand, it is gratifying to recognize this year's class of Penn State School of Hospitality Management alumni who are shaping and lea...
HSMAI Washington DC Chapter Announces State of the Industry Program
HSMAI Washington DC Chapter | July 31, 2023
WASHINGTON (July 31, 2023) – The Washington, D.C., chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International today invited hospitality professionals from throughout the metropolitan area to attend its annual State of the Industry program Aug. 24 at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf. The program is designed to help area hospitality sales, marketing and revenue-management professionals prepare their plans and budgets for 2024. Moderator will be Jennifer Hill, Kalibri Labs vice president of commercial strategy. The panel will include Robin McClain, Destination DC chief marketing officer; John Hach, Amadeus seni...
AHLA Statement in Support of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act
AHLA | July 31, 2023
WASHINGTON (July 31, 2023) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers is speaking out today in support of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Moran (R-Kan.). “The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is an important bill that will create a single standard for mandatory fee display across the entire lodging ecosystem – from hotels to online travel agencies, metasearch sites, and short-term rental platforms,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “We know consumers shop for travel across multiple sites, and this bill is a pivot...
Choice Releases First “Choice Privileges State of the American Traveler Survey” in Partnership With Harris Poll
Choice Hotels® | July 27, 2023
Survey finds consumers are prioritizing experiences and exploring the U.S. and want to spend less than $200/night on lodging ROCKVILLE, Md., July 27, 2023 -- Today, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), released its first Choice Privileges State of the American Traveler Survey, a poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults that sheds new light on Americans' travel plans and priorities this summer and beyond. This survey, conducted in partnership with Harris Poll, comes as nine new brands with nearly 600 hotels, including Radisson Blu, Radisson and Country Inn & Suites, are now available to be booked on ChoiceHotels.com. Earlier this...
AHLA Statement in Support of the HIRE Act
AHLA | July 27, 2023
Event welcomed more than 3,500 attendees, featured 300 vendors WASHINGTON (July 27, 2023) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers is speaking out today in support of the H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers (HIRE) Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). “As of May, America had 9.8 million job openings, but only 6.1 million unemployed people to fill them. This workforce gap negatively impacts critical sectors of the American economy, especially hospitality. Thankfully, Congress is taking initiative to address workforce shortages th...
IDeaS Welcomes More Than 200 Hotel Commercial Leaders to Its 2023 Converge Client Summit in London
IDeaS | July 27, 2023
Executives from Microsoft, Starwood Capital Group, and Aimbridge Hospitality cover trends ranging from AI to revenue optimization LONDON—July 27, 2023— IDeaS, the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, held its annual Converge Hospitality Revenue Summit. The sold-out event was attended by more than 200 global hospitality executives and delivered two days of networking opportunities, education, and strategies for business growth and a look at the future of revenue management (RM) technology. The event comes as IDeaS further expands its product suite and offerings to more than 30,000 hotel...
Hotel Hiring Spree Pays Dividends in Customer Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds
J.D. Power | July 26, 2023
Staff Service, Effective Problem Resolution Keep Guests Coming Back for More Amid Ongoing Travel Boom TROY, Mich.: 26 July 2023 — With average U.S. hotel occupancy on track to reach 63.8% in 2023,1 just shy of the pre-pandemic level of 65.9%, business and leisure travelers are packing into hotels throughout North America for a second consecutive year. Hotels have risen to the challenge by ratcheting up staffing and doubling down on customer service. According to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study,SM released today, staff service garners the highest level of satisfaction among all guest experi...
Meyer Jabara Hotels’ Allentown Property Recognized for ‘Excellence in Business’
Meyer Jabara Hotels | July 25, 2023
Delta Hotels by Marriott Allentown earns coveted ‘Excellent Emerging Business’ Award bestowed by the Small Business Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce [Danbury, Conn., July 25, 2023] — Properties operated by Meyer Jabara Hotels continue to win awards. Recently the Delta Hotel by Marriott Allentown was selected by the Small Business Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce as the winner of its “Excellent Emerging Business” award, presented to a business less than three years old. The honor was awarded for the hotel’s outstanding business practices as demonstrated by their mission, Chamber...
AAHOA Emphasizes Importance of Hotel Industry in Comments for National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan
AAHOA | July 24, 2023
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), offered input about how transportation infrastructure can create a solid foundation for promoting and sustaining long-distance travel and tourism, in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Request for Comment on the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan (NTTISP). The DOT solicited comments to aid it in updating its Strategic Plan, which was developed in response to a mandate in the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) that it assess the condition and performance of the national transportation network, identify issues tha...
