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A Consultant’s Perspective on the Pandemic in 2021
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | February 17, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky The pandemic continues to plague our operations and practically all aspects of our daily lives. In 2020, we may have found ourselves feeling disconnected from the world around us and losing touch with old friends as we all shuffled about to adapt to the new normal. That’s why it was great to reconnect early in January with Cornelia Kausch, a veteran hotelier who hails from Germany and who I worked with in what seems like several lifetimes ago. Currently living in Berlin, Cornelia is the founder of CK Hospitality Advisors, and she can offer a unique perspective on where hospitality is headed as we anxiously...
Choice Hotels International Reports 2020 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
Choice Hotels | February 17, 2021
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Feb. 17, 2021 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, today reported its results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020. "Despite a year of unprecedented challenges brought upon us by the pandemic, Choice Hotels drove results that significantly outperformed the industry, achieved a number of major milestones in the execution of our long-term strategy and positioned the company to continue to grow our share of travel demand in the years to come," said Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. "These results are a te...
ADA Defense Lawyer: Whitaker v. Tesla Motors – the End of Cookie-Cutter ADA Complaints?
Jim Butler | February 17, 2021
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com For many years, businesses classed as public accommodations under the ADA have been the subject of “cookie-cutter” complaints that allege discriminatory conditions without providing any specific examples. Thousands of nearly identical complaints have been filed in federal courts nationwide, and their lack of detail makes it difficult for courts to provide a remedy that will prevent future harm. Martin Orlick, Chair of JMBM’s ADA Compliance & Defense Group, summarizes the recent decision in Whitaker v. Tesla Motors which may put an ...
Hilton Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
Hilton | February 17, 2021
MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton" or the "Company") (NYSE: HLT) today reported its fourth quarter and full year 2020 results. The following results reflect the material impact that the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic has had on Hilton's business. Highlights include: Diluted EPS was $(0.80) for the fourth quarter and $(2.56) for the full year, and diluted EPS, adjusted for special items, was $(0.10) for the fourth quarter and $0.10 for the full year Net loss was $225 million for the fourth quarter and $720 million for the full year Adjusted EBITDA was $204 million for the fourth quarter and $842 million ...
Noah Brodsky Appointed President, Travel + Leisure Group and Chief Brand Officer
the New Travel + Leisure Co. | February 17, 2021
ORLANDO, Fla. – Feb. 17, 2021 – Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL), formerly Wyndham Destinations, which made its official debut on the New York Stock Exchange today as the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company with nearly 20 travel brands across its resort, travel club, and lifestyle portfolio, announces the appointment of Noah Brodsky to the new role of President, Travel + Leisure Group and Chief Brand Officer. According to Michael Brown, president and chief executive officer of Travel + Leisure Co., Brodsky steps into this new leadership role based on his previous accomplishments as Chief Brand Officer; a role he reta...
Olympia Hotel Management Opens Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol – University in Florida
HYATT HOUSE | February 17, 2021
Tallahassee, Fla. – February 17, 2021 – Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol - University and Olympia Hotel Management (OHM) proudly announced today the hotel’s opening in the Florida state capital. The five-story, 80,000 square foot property is comprised of 120 guestrooms, including 77 with full kitchens, a large patio with outdoor bar service, an outdoor pool, a fitness room, and an 846-square-foot meeting space. 6,000 square feet of retail space is situated adjacent to the modern extended-stay hotel. Developed by Mountain Shore Properties (MSP), a Charleston, South Carolina-based developer, and managed by OHM, Hyatt House Tallahassee...
Hotel Equities and Virtua Partners Form 33 Degrees™
33 Degrees | February 17, 2021
Alpharetta, Ga — Feb 17, 2021 — Today, Hotel Equities and affiliated global private equity group Virtua Partners officially announced the launch of 33 Degrees, a master brand encompassing a portfolio of companies, including: Hotel Equities - Best-in-class hotel operating and development firm with a portfolio of industry-leading brands, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hard Rock & Hyatt. The portfolio consists of luxury, resort, full service, select service, boutique, independent, and lifestyle hotels. 33 Degrees Financing - Formerly known as Virtua Credit, specializing in capital arrangement for institutional real esta...
Amber Property Group Begins Construction on Peppers Melbourne Richmond
Peppers | February 17, 2021
On track to open in mid-2022, construction has begun on the highly anticipated Peppers Melbourne Richmond by prominent Melbourne developer, owner and operator, Amber Property Group. Located on historic Bridge Road, the 80-room hotel will be nestled in the vibrant inner-city suburb of Richmond. It will elevate the accommodation scene of Richmond, offering exceptional facilities, including a state-of-the-art gym and restaurant. The hotel will also be home to an incredible rooftop bar which will overlook Melbourne’s stunning skyline, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Botanical Gardens. The rooftop bar is destined to be the new go-to destinatio...
Lyle Washington DC, the Second U.S. Property From International Hospitality Company Lore Group, to Open in April 2021
LORE Group | February 17, 2021
Lyle Washington DC, a brand-new independent hotel from Lore Group, is set to open in the capital’s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood in April 2021. Lyle, the second U.S. property from the international hospitality company behind renowned hotels Sea Containers London, Pulitzer Amsterdam and Riggs Washington, D.C, is located on New Hampshire Avenue in an early 1940s Art Deco building constructed originally to house apartments. In redesigning the interiors of property, Lore Group Creative Director Jacu Strauss wished to create a world of calm, a place where you can feel in complete comfort in understated style. The luxury is in the deta...
Tharaldson Hospitality Management Opens Residence Inn Grand Rapids Downtown
Tharaldson Hospitality Management | February 17, 2021
Grand Rapids, MI – February 17th, 2021 – Tharaldson Hospitality Management (THM) is pleased to announce the opening of the brand-new Residence Inn Grand Rapids Downtown. This extended-stay Residence Inn, located at 40 Louis Street NW, features 147 all-suite rooms, along with great amenities such as free Wifi, free hot breakfast, an indoor pool, fitness center, business center, on-site laundry, grocery shopping service, and much more. The hotel also features a meeting room available for rent and the Residence Inn MixTM, a complimentary evening social for guests (not currently available during COVID-19 cleanliness protocols). The uniq...
DataArt Partners With PROVision to Expand Commercial and Digital Service Offerings for Travel and Hospitality Clients
PROVision Partners International | February 17, 2021
NEW YORK — FEBRUARY 17, 2021 — DataArt, a global technology consultancy that designs, develops, and supports unique software solutions, today announced a new partnership with PROVision Partners International, a strategic growth, marketing, technology, and commercial advisory firm serving the global hospitality and travel industry. DataArt has emerged as a recognized innovator in the travel, transportation, and hospitality space, developing digital solutions that are modern and relevant, often leveraging legacy systems. The DataArt – PROVision partnership is designed to further extend hospitality and travel companies’ confidence i...
Digital Marketing and the Voice Channel: A Symbiotic Symphony
Travel Outlook | February 17, 2021
John Smallwood CEO Travel Outlook Scott Meldrum Founder, Principal Strategist Digitality How to Optimize Digital Marketing Performance via Voice In today’s world, digital marketing efficiency is not only mission-critical, it‘s a business imperative. While hospitality marketers typically look to improve conversion rates from their digital campaigns on their websites and within the booking engine, there are many opportunities to optimize digital marketing performance within the voice channel. In fact, these two communication channels co-exist in ways that are very symbiotic. In this article, we’ll ex...
Heart of a Lion: The Harsh Reality of Entrepreneurship
Magnuson Hotels | February 17, 2021
By Thomas Magnuson There are a billion different reasons which drive people to become entrepreneurs. Some people are driven by a desire to help people and some people just want to go for money. I don’t think Jeff Bezos thinks about money at all and I don’t think Bill Gates did either. I truly think Jeff Bezos was consumed with efficiency and providing more things at a lower cost. I think Bill Gates’ dream was putting a computer on every desktop in the world and imagining the increased standard of living if everyone could have open access to education. Whatever the reason, the reality is the same for everyone, whether it’s rom...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 244: Hotel History: Wormley Hotel
Stanley Turkel | February 16, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Wormley Hotel (150 rooms) James Wormley, a pioneering Black nineteenth-century businessman opened the first integrated hotel in Washington, D.C.. He was also known for his business acumen and lobbying efforts to secure adequate funding for the first Washington, D.C. public schools for black Americans. Wormley was born to Pere Leigh and Mary Wormley. Both parents had lived as free people and servants with a wealthy Virginia family prior to moving to Washington, D.C. in 1814. On January 16, 1819, while living in a small, two-room, brick building located on E Street, near Fourteenth Street, nort...
Pivot to Debut Bellyard, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Pivot | February 16, 2021
ATLANTA, -- Feb. 16, 2021 -- Davidson Hospitality Group, the nation's leading full-service hospitality management company, has been tapped by Three P Partners to manage Bellyard, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, expected to open Summer 2021. The 161-room hotel will be managed by Davidson's lifestyle operating vertical, Pivot, and will feature Drawbar, a modern, upscale American tavern; an outpost of Saint-Germain Bakery; a rooftop pool and bar concept operated by Slater Hospitality; 8,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, and a robust collection of local art on display. Located within The Interlock, a $450 mil...
OYO Hotels Expands Footprint Across US; Opens Doors to 10 New Hotels
OYO Hotels & Homes | February 16, 2021
Dallas, TX - February 12, 2021 - OYO Hotels & Homes, the leading technology and revenue growth platform for owners and operators of hotels and homes, today announced that it opened doors to 10 new hotels in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas. Continuing its US recovery momentum, the company’s RevPar reached over 130% of pre-COVID levels in Q4 2020 as it emerged as the preferred choice of accommodation for front-line travelers getting our economy moving again. Under the leadership of Kasra Moshkani, Head of OYO US, the company aims to continue delivering quality living spaces with 300+ hotels and nearly 20,00...
Dusit International Signs to Rebrand and Manage 190-Key Dusit Princess Hot Springs Resort Fengshun, Guangdong
Dusit International | February 16, 2021
Shanghai – 16 February 2021 – Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, represented in China by Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts, has signed a management agreement with Fengshun Jindebao Kaiyue International Hot Springs Hotel Co., Ltd., to rebrand and manage its property under the new name of Dusit Princess Hot Springs Resort Fengshun, Guangdong, starting this April. Located in the heart of Fengshun County in the east of Guangdong Province, Southeast China, the upper midscale resort is set within a new development zone of Meizhou City. The site is approximately 40 minutes by car from Jieyan...
Hotel Equities Opens Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Fort Myers, Florida
Hotel Equities | February 16, 2021
ALPHARETTA, Ga., – February 16, 2021 – Today, Hotel Equities (“HE”) announced the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fort Myers Airport is officially open. The property’s close proximity to Southwest Florida International Airport will make it a first choice for travelers visiting the region. The hotel is owned by Shivam Soham, LLC. Hotel Equities manages the property. “We are proud to officially open our doors to guests visiting southwest Florida,” said HE’s VP of Operations, Keith Hensley. “With a phenomenal General Manager leading the team, I have complete confidence that our hotel will quickly become a leader in the ...
Business Travel Sees Steady Recovery in Europe
the Global Business Travel Association | February 16, 2021
London – February 16, 2020 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the world’s largest business travel association – held its European Town Hall today to discuss its annual BTI™ Outlook with a focus on Europe. Europe comprised 27% of global business travel in 2019, attributing $392 billion to the $1.43 trillion global busines travel spending. Business travel in Western Europe accounted for approximately 23.4% of this global figure ($334.7 bn) and Eastern Europe (Emerging Europe) accounted for 4.0% ($57.2 bn). The six largest markets in the region (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands) accounted fo...
Is Your Hotel Barking Up the Right Tree?
Sonya Taylor | February 16, 2021
By Sonya Taylor Was it the picture of our staff’s adorable dogs that interested you in this article, or was it the punny title? Regardless of your answer to that question, I can tell you with 100% certainty that if you are not pet friendly, you’re missing out on a “Mastiff” opportunity. Why Should I Have a Pet Friendly Hotel? Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a steady increase in hotel guests searching for accommodations for the whole family, including FIDO. Boomers and Millennials finally agreed on something, they want to travel with their beloved fur-babies. Now that we are in the midst of a pandemic that has pivoted...
HVS Market Pulse: The Florida Keys Lodging Market
Chris Cabrera | February 16, 2021
By Chris Cabrera Notable market downturns that have negatively impacted the Florida Keys lodging market include the Great Recession in 2009, the Zika virus in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and the ongoing global pandemic. Nonetheless, hotel and resort properties in the Florida Keys have positive attributes that allow owners and operators to continue to perform well even during the hardships of economic crises. The heavy leisure-dependent market, without reliance on commercial and meeting/group demand, allows local hoteliers to overcome multiple challenges other national markets cannot offer or accommodate. After recently visiting the ...
NewcrestImage Sells Hyatt House in Frisco, Texas
February 16, 2021
NewcrestImage has sold its 132-suite, six-floor Hyatt House in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas to a hotel group based in the northeastern United States. The hotel, built by NewcrestImage, opened in March of 2016. “This sale demonstrates that despite the upheavals of COVID, a well-positioned asset in a strongly-performing market has attractive investment appeal,” said Mehul Patel, Chairman and CEO of NewcrestImage. Added Patel, “Our company constantly evaluates how we can best add value and boost profitably for our investors. Proceeds of the Frisco transaction enable us to move ahead promptly and efficiently with additions t...
Gulph Creek Hotels Names Addy Maini as Chief Operating Officer
Gulph Creek Hotels | February 16, 2021
Gulph Creek Hotels, a Pennsylvania-based hotel management and ownership group, has named Addy Maini as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In the newly created role, Mr. Maini, who rejoins the company, will work closely with corporate and on-property leadership, focusing on day-to-day operations, training, sales, food and beverage, human resources and accounting. Additionally, he will provide guidance and direction for company infrastructure enhancements as the company continues to expand into full-service hotels and outside their Mid Atlantic geographic base. Mr. Maini has extensive experience in all aspects of multi-property management i...
Marriott International Announces the Unexpected Passing of Arne M. Sorenson, President and CEO
Marriott International | February 16, 2021
BETHESDA, MD — FEBRUARY 16, 2021 — It is with profound sadness that Marriott International announces that Arne M. Sorenson, President and CEO, unexpectedly passed away on February 15, 2021. In May 2019, the company announced that Mr. Sorenson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On February 2, 2021, Marriott shared the news that Mr. Sorenson would temporarily reduce his schedule to facilitate more demanding treatment for pancreatic cancer. Mr. Sorenson became the third CEO in Marriott’s history in 2012, and the first without the Marriott surname. A visionary leader, Mr. Sorenson put the company on a strong growth trajectory ...
