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Civana Wellness Resort & Spa Appoints Camila Frederico as New General Manager
CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa | May 4, 2021
CAREFREE, Ariz. – May 4, 2021 – Nestled high in the Sonoran Desert just outside of Scottsdale, Arizona, CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa is pleased to announce the appointment of General Manager, Camila Frederico. As an industry veteran, Camila offers her visionary expertise to further bolster CIVANA as a premium wellness destination for modern travelers – which recently ranked among the top 10 wellness resorts and spas in the U.S. by Travel + Lesiure, Conde Nast Traveler, and USA Today, to name a few. Camila joins a leadership team comprised of more than 90% women, and together they will continue to bring to life CIVANA’s promi...
With Remarkable Pent-Up Travel Demand, Tourists Are Jet Setting to Mexico
JLL | May 4, 2021
CHICAGO – May 4, 2021 – Mexico is featuring robust market dynamics that suggest strong hospitality and lodging industry recovery amid the pandemic. In JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group’s latest Travel and Tourism Update, there are several factors that put Mexico on the map for tourism recovery and increased investor interest. Economic Outlook Being the second largest economy in Latin America and sixth largest emerging market across the globe, almost two-thirds of Mexico’s economic gross added value is generated by the service industry and 16 percent of the country’s GDP is directly impacted by the travel and t...
Travel Outlook Selected as Preferred Call Center Partner for Curator Hotel & Resort Collection
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | May 4, 2021
Travel Outlook will Provide the Ultimate Call Booking Experience for Curator Member Hotel Guests SANTA FE, New Mexico - May, 4 2021 - Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center announced today that it has been selected as the preferred provider of reservation and guest service calls for Curator Hotel & Resort Collection’s (“Curator”) growing roster of member hotels. Through this partnership, Curator hotels can leverage Travel Outlook’s high-performing call booking services while also reducing their costs during this highly competitive period for the hospitality industry. “We are honored to have been chosen by Curator to be its...
Debunking 8 Myths of Mobile Check-In; What This Technology Can/Cannot Do for Your Hotel
Warren Dehan | May 4, 2021
Mobile check-in is ideal for independent hotels due to its ability to be used by anyone with a mobile device while personalizing the stay experience to meet each guest’s preferences By Warren Dehan For many hoteliers, 2021 is likely to be a year of experimentation, both with new technology and existing tools that have gained new purpose. The abrupt end to the previous business cycle, brought on by the arrival of COVID-19, showed the industry guests are looking for increased flexibility with regards to the check-in process. Traveler interest in mobile check-in was rising before the pandemic, but today it is almost a necessity t...
Kirkwood Collection Hires Kenan Jones as New Vice President of Operations
Kirkwood Collection | May 3, 2021
Growing Boutique Hotel Collection Staffs Up for Pipeline of Expansion BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MAY 3, 2021 – Kirkwood Collection has hired Kenan Jones as Vice President of Operations to shepherd the collection through upcoming acquisitions and expansion of the brand. Jones has over 17 years of experience in operational and senior leadership roles with some of the most iconic brands in the boutique and lifestyle hotel space. Kenan joins Kirkwood after his latest role as the opening General Manager of The Hoxton hotel in Downtown LA. There, under his leadership the property achieved #1 ranking on TripAdvisor, outperforming 400+ hotels i...
Performance of Smaller, Economy Hotels Close to 2019 Levels
STR | May 3, 2021
By Isaac Collazo Small to midsized hotels, with fewer than 300 rooms, and hotels in the economy segment continue to lead the U.S. hotel industry recovery, with demand over the past six weeks reaching 90% or more of 2019 levels. Average occupancy at small to midsized hotels was 60% in the week of April 24, while demand for large hotels, with more than 300 rooms, was less than half of what it was in 2019. Demand at economy hotels was 99% of the level achieved during the same week in 2019, while upper-upscale hotel demand was just 44% of 2019 levels. Overall, more than half of U.S. hotels (52%) had occupancy a...
Nominations Open for the 2021 Rising Star Award Caribbean to Be Presented at CHRIS
ISHC | May 3, 2021
Miami, FL — May 3, 2021 — 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 eleventh 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 August 31, 1985 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 worki...
PACE Financing Lawyer: New York Opening PACE – a Big Opportunity!
David Sudeck | May 3, 2021
By Jim Butler, David Sudeck The NYC PACE Financing Program has finally released its program guidelines! Prospective qualified PACE lenders are now carefully reviewing the guidelines, applying for approval to be a PACE lender in New York City, and seeking projects that may benefit from PACE financing. It is time to get ready, but the official launch date for the program is being delayed a bit and has not yet been set. We expect the launch soon. New York’s Law Will Motivate Building Owners to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions While PACE financing has been available throughout the country for years, the PACE program for New Yo...
The Siegel Group Acquires Former Amerihome Inn & Suites in Houston, Texas
The Siegel Group Nevada, Inc. | May 3, 2021
LAS VEGAS - May 3, 2021 - The Siegel Group Nevada, Inc., a real estate investment and management company, announced today that it had acquired the former Amerihome Inn & Suites located in Houston, Texas. This acquisition increases the number of Siegel Suites and Siegel Select properties throughout the United States to 60 and marks the brand’s third location in the Texas market. These locations are in addition to the company’s significant presence throughout Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Ohio. The Siegel Group, which operates a sizable commercial real estate portfolio con...
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Announces $20 Million Capital Investment Commitment
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City | May 3, 2021
Atlantic City, N.J. – May 3, 2021 – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City announced today the resort will reinvest a minimum of $20 million in capital improvements including suite renovations, the opening of a new Starbucks, additional slots and table games, a new dining outlet and a refresh of beachfront amenities. "The commitment of these capital dollars from our ownership proves their devotion to enhancing our guest experience, along with the revitalization of Atlantic City and our property which opened after a $500 million renovation less than three years ago," said Joe Lupo, President of Hard Rock Atlantic City. "Ou...
InterContinental Adelaide Plans $32 million Refurbishment in Late 2021
IHG Hotels & Resorts | May 3, 2021
InterContinental Adelaide, one of Adelaide’s landmark luxury hotels, today announces its first major renovation since its opening. The hotel’s asset management company, TCC Land International, based in Thailand, together with hotel operator, IHG Hotels & Resorts, has outlined plans for an extensive $32 million investment into the iconic 367 room hotel, which will commence in late 2021. The transformative refurbishment will include a redesign of all 367 guestrooms and suites; upgrades to meeting and event spaces; a refreshed restaurant and bar; enhancements to the hotel’s award-winning Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, Shiki; and...
New Data: State-by-State Breakdown on Projected Hotel Industry Job Loss for 2021
AHLA | May 3, 2021
Download Fact Sheet on 2021 State Job Loss Here WASHINGTON — May 3, 2021 — Today, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released new data showcasing the ongoing devastating impact of COVID-19 on hotel industry employment, including projected hotel job loss through the end of 2021. Without targeted relief from Congress, nationwide, hotels are expected to end 2021 down 500,000 jobs. Hotels are the only major hospitality and leisure segment yet to receive direct aid. The top five states projected to end 2021 down the highest number of jobs include: California: 67,169 jobs lost Florid...
OTO Development Opens Completely Renovated Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach, FL
Hilton Garden Inn | May 3, 2021
SPARTANBURG, SC – May 3, 2021 – OTO Development brings a new Hilton Garden Inn to St. Pete Beach through an ambitious, top to bottom renovation project. After a complete upfit of an existing hotel, the brand-new Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach offers all the resort amenities for the perfect beach vacation. OTO Development, a Johnson Management company, acquired the hotel in December 2019. “With a fresh new look and a new brand, we are so excited to unveil the newest hotel on the beach. When we purchased this property, we planned an ambitious renovation to showcase this incredible location with design elements that embody ...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: The System to Follow to Create Financial Leadership in Your Hotel
David Lund | May 3, 2021
By David Lund Practice is what we are missing. Practice with the financial piece is somehow a foreign concept. But in the hotel world practice is everywhere, right? If you and I worked in banquets and we were both rookies, we would show up every day and listen, work and learn, and in a relatively short period of Time, we would both be pretty good at setting up, servicing and tearing down the banquet. How is this different from learning the financial piece? It’s not, that’s the illusion. It looks different because it is money and we see that it has a certain illusionary power. The monthly financial circle in a hotel is the prac...
Top Three Franchise Companies Account for 69% of Projects in the U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | May 3, 2021
PORTSMOUTH, NH – May 3rd, 2021 – In the recently released Q1‘21 United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), the franchise companies with the largest U.S. construction pipelines at the end of Q1‘21 are Marriott International with 1,354 projects/178,290 rooms, followed by Hilton Worldwide with 1,248 projects/145,256 rooms, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 807 projects/81,702 rooms. These three companies combined account for 69% of the projects and 65% of the rooms in the total U.S. construction pipeline. At the end of Q1‘21, the franchise company with the most projects in the under c...
LBA Hospitality President Beau Benton to Speak at the 2021 Hunter Hotel Investment Conference
LBA Hospitality | May 3, 2021
LBA Hospitality is a Silver Sponsor of the 32nd “HUNTER” Dothan, AL – May 3, 2021 – LBA Hospitality, an Alabama–based hotel management company, announced that President Beau Benton has been selected to be a panelist at the 2021 Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. The three-day event held annually in Atlanta brings together the most influential leaders and investors in the hotel industry. Benton will serve as a panelist on the Future of Management: Select-Service and Full-Service Hotels session at this year’s conference. Benton has been leading LBA Hospitality since 2005, growing the company through a combination of innovative ...
Vaccine Skepticism Should Not Be Ignored in US Outbound Travel Recovery, Says GlobalData
GlobalData | April 30, 2021
Vaccine skepticism coupled with COVID-19 concerns will continue to affect US outbound travel recovery in 2021 and potentially 2022, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. COVID-19 concerns are high in the US. According to GlobalData’s Q1 2021 consumer survey, 52% of US respondents stated they were ‘extremely concerned’ about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in general, which is 10% higher than the global average. However, GlobalData’s Live Verdict Poll found that 23% of respondents in North America did not intend to take a vaccine against COVID-19. This was higher than any other region and suggests that a large p...
Hilton Signs With Shimao Group Holdings to Launch Four Luxury Hotels in China
Hilton | April 30, 2021
SHANGHAI, China and MCLEAN, Va. - Leading global hospitality company Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Shimao Group Holdings Ltd. (Shimao) today announced the signing of a landmark agreement to launch four luxury hotels in China: Waldorf Astoria Shenzhen, Conrad Shanghai, Conrad Wuhan and Conrad Zhuhai. When they open, the hotels will mark the entry of Hilton’s iconic luxury brands, Waldorf Astoria and Conrad, in the four cities, while Conrad Shanghai takes the spotlight as the largest Conrad hotel in Asia to open, with more than 700 rooms. The multi-deal signing signals optimism from both companies on the luxury tourism outlook in China and a...
Analyzing Recovery: Total Room Inventory vs. STR Standard Methodology
STR | April 30, 2021
Occupancy has long been one of the key hotel performance metrics measured by STR. Reported on both a monthly and weekly basis, occupancy is easily calculated by dividing rooms sold (demand) by rooms available (supply), providing a straightforward representation of the percentage of rooms occupied during a given time period. However, even this traditional metric has not escaped the impacts of COVID-19. Voluntary and mandated hotel closures caused a fundamental shift in the way we record and report supply, and thus, a new hotel occupancy metric was born. The status quo In normal times, and in alignment with USALI guidelines, STR record...
Room Demand Pushes Toward Normal for Lesser-Traveled States, Gaps Persist for Key Markets
STR | April 30, 2021
April 30, 2021 - As we move further into the spring, much of the U.S. continues to make solid progress toward reaching comparable demand levels from 2019. As a reminder, 2019 is being used as the recovery benchmark due to the heavy pandemic impact in 2020. Recovery trends demonstrated in STR’s latest 51-chart demand map show that a small number of lesser-traveled states, such as Idaho, Montana, Mississippi, have recently been meeting or surpassing their 2019 demand levels since the week ending 20 March 2021. Florida and Texas, of course, stood out as popular travel states surpassing 2019 levels during the spring break period. In contr...
New York City Market Continues to Lead the U.S. Construction Pipeline
LODGING ECONOMETRICS | April 30, 2021
PORTSMOUTH, NH – April 30, 2021 – In the recent U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report released by Lodging Econometrics (LE), at the close of Q1‘21, New York City continues to hold the lead amongst U.S. markets for the most projects in the U.S. construction pipeline with 145 projects/24,762 rooms. Other U.S. markets that follow are Los Angeles with 144 projects/23,994 rooms, Dallas with 135 projects/16,260 rooms, Atlanta with 132 projects/18,264 rooms, and Orlando with 98 projects/17,536 rooms. New York City has the greatest number of projects under construction with 110 projects/19,457 rooms. Following New York City with the highes...
U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Begins 2021 With 4,967 Projects/622,218 Rooms at Q1 Close
Lodging Econometrics | April 30, 2021
PORTSMOUTH, NH – April 30, 2021 – According to Lodging Econometrics’ (LE’s) Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the United States, the total U.S. construction pipeline stands at 4,967 projects/622,218 rooms at the end of Q1‘21. While this is a slight dip in the pipeline year-over-year (YOY), it’s not unexpected given the lockdown and travel restrictions over the past year. Further, the pipeline shows no signs of great decline compared to what occurred during the ’08 and ’09 recession. Actually, projects and rooms in the early planning stage are up significant YOY (stats on this below). Although hotel development may stil...
Travel and Franchise Industries Endorse ‘Save Hotel Jobs Act’
U.S. Travel Association | April 30, 2021
WASHINGTON — April 30, 2021 — The U.S. Travel Association and the International Franchise Association (IFA) on Thursday voiced strong support for new legislation that would provide relief for hard-hit hotel workers until travel returns to pre-pandemic levels. The Save Hotel Jobs Act, introduced in both chambers of Congress by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), would support jobs in the devastated lodging industry through a combination of direct payroll grants and tax credits, among other provisions. The measure earlier won the joint endorsement of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and UNITE HERE, th...
Tourism in Technicolour
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | April 30, 2021
Cartoons might just hold the key to attracting an important new niche in the tourism market, according to a pioneering recent study by Dr Mimi Li and Mr Yuhao Chen of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their co-authors. With society’s increasing emphasis on family togetherness and bonding, especially through leisure activities, more families are travelling together than ever before. How can destination marketing be targeted to meet the needs of different generations? Focusing on child tourists, a growing yet remarkably understudied market, the researchers provide novel empirical e...
