NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced the relaunch of Radisson Individuals in the Americas region as an upper-upscale soft brand focused on full-service, boutique, and independent hotels that stand apart for their local character and guest service. This latest investment in the Radisson Hotels Americas brands since their acquisition in 2022 builds on Choice’s … [Read more...]

SAN DIEGO, California—Azul Hospitality Group announced that the Woodlark Hotel has officially joined its portfolio of hospitality assets. The Woodlark Hotel integrates two historic Portland buildings: the Woodlark Building, constructed in 1912, and the Cornelius Hotel, built in 1908. This combination of history and design reflects the city’s spirit. “We are thrilled to expand our hospitality … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON—After New York City Councilwoman Julie Menin shared a new version of her hotel licensing bill with industry stakeholders, hotel industry leaders released the following statements: “While we appreciate the Councilwoman’s willingness to listen to industry feedback and work toward more sensible outcomes for New York City’s hotels, the new version of the legislation still contains … [Read more...]

AUSTIN, Texas—Cendyn has acquired Knowland in a strategic acquisition that presents an opportunity to enhance sales prospecting by yielding greater bookings in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events) space. Knowland’s platform includes market intelligence data on meetings and events gathered from over 7,500 hotels across the United States and a handful of international markets. … [Read more...]

MCLEAN, Virginia—Although 2024 was dubbed the “Year of the Great Recharge,” where sleep retreats made headlines, mindful drinking rose in popularity and wellness-themed guestrooms took off. As the post-pandemic leisure travel boom normalizes, travelers surveyed in Hilton’s annual Trends Report are looking to pair their desire to relax and recharge with high-impact adventures and experiences to … [Read more...]

NORWALK, Connecticut—HEI Hotels & Resorts added Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters to its growing portfolio of luxury, upper-upscale, and upscale independent and branded hotels and resorts throughout the United States. Its portfolio now numbers more than 100 total properties. Located in Washington, D.C., the hotel is near the White House and within walking distance of 38 million square … [Read more...]

Since its global launch in Milan in 2014, Moxy Hotels, a part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 brands, has provided experiences for the next generation of travelers with its industrial design, social spaces, and programming. As part of its 10th anniversary, the brand shared plans to reach the 100-hotel mark in its Europe region by the end of 2025, with the anticipated addition of 17 … [Read more...]

GREENVILLE, South Carolina—Windsor Aughtry Company has selected Hospitality America to manage the Hotel Avail, Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Rogers, Arkansas. Scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2025, the 170-room hotel will have a rooftop restaurant (Oak Steakhouse concept by Indigo Road Hospitality), café and lobby bar, meeting space, and fitness center. This deal marks the 16th … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is hosting its annual Hotels on the Hill fly-in event, which will draw more than 200 hoteliers and industry leaders from 36 states to Capitol Hill to lobby for a variety of policies. The Sept. 24-25, 2024, event will include meetings with members and staff from more than 150 House and Senate offices. The United States has nearly … [Read more...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Rockbridge celebrated its 25th year in business and introduced an updated expression of its brand language and visual identity. Rockbridge began in 1999 with four partners who led the company in becoming a national platform for hotel investments built on industry relations, cycle-tested strategies, and outcome consistency. Since Jim Merkel was appointed CEO in 2008, the company … [Read more...]

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corporation continued the expansion of luxury and lifestyle hotels with a development pipeline of more than 20 recent and planned openings across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean through 2025. This planned growth will expand Hyatt’s brand footprint in several new regional markets. Since 2017, Hyatt has doubled its number of luxury rooms, … [Read more...]

NEW DELHI and DALLAS—Oravel Stays, the parent company of the global travel technology company OYO, announced that it has agreed to acquire G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, from Blackstone Real Estate for $525 million, in an all-cash transaction. OYO has expanded its footprint in the United States since its launch in the region in 2019 and currently operates … [Read more...]

Over the last several years, new brands have been rolled out at a dizzying pace by the major franchise companies, all of whom are searching for any white space they can find to grow distribution and consumer loyalty. While not all the brands introduced have gained significant development momentum, a handful have done well out of the gates, so to speak. This feature goes in-depth with five … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON—American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President and CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement after the introduction of the Halting of Trafficking and Exploitation in Lodging Act, or the HOTEL Act, which encourages federal workers traveling for business to stay at hotels with anti-human trafficking programs. “The HOTEL Act recognizes the crucial role hotels … [Read more...]

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina—Extended Stay America announced the launch of its STAY Counted program, designed to make voter registration more accessible and encourage participation in the upcoming presidential election. First introduced in 2020, STAY Counted has been refreshed for the November 2024 election to continue to help communities exercise their right to vote. Through the STAY Counted … [Read more...]

DENVER, Colorado—Sage Hospitality Group with Tidal Real Estate Partners announced that The Ann Savannah will be joining Sage’s growing portfolio of lifestyle properties. Anticipated to complete its conversion and join the Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy brand by early 2025, The Ann Savannah will offer 157 serviced apartment-style units. Sage will oversee all operations for The Ann, including food … [Read more...]

PARSIPPANY, New Jersey—Super 8 by Wyndham owners can now adopt the INNOV8TE 2.0 design package. The next iteration of the INNOV8TE program, developed in collaboration with owners and design experts, combines upgrades with increased operational efficiency. Available across the United States and Canada, INNOV8TE 2.0 is a cost-effective upgrade that aims to elevate the hotel experience. Making its … [Read more...]

According to AAA booking data, the two travel categories seeing increased demand compared to last year are flights and cruises. Domestic flight bookings are up 1 percent and international flight bookings are up 3 percent. Travelers are paying about the same as they did last fall. The average domestic roundtrip ticket is $660, and the average international roundtrip ticket is $1,315. Domestic … [Read more...]

NEWTON, Massachusetts—Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the execution of a deal to open five Sonesta ES Suites hotels in the Dominican Republic. The first property, Sonesta ES Suites ELEMENTS Jarabacoa, is scheduled to open in the first trimester of 2026 with the remaining four hotels to be completed within seven years. Sonesta ES Suites ELEMENTS Jarabacoa, an upscale, … [Read more...]

LAS VEGAS, Nevada—MGM Resorts International signed a power purchase agreement with Escape Solar LLC that will more than double its access to clean solar electricity. The agreement will help the company grow closer to its goal of procuring 100 percent renewable electricity in North America by 2030. MGM Resorts currently uses solar power for 90 percent of the total daytime needs at 11 of its Las … [Read more...]

Contender Development has selected Hospitality America to manage the Element by Marriott Charleston Airport in North Charleston, South Carolina. Scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2025, the 123-room extended-stay hotel will have a restaurant, a fitness center, a saline outdoor pool, and 500 square feet of meeting space. This is the eighth Marriott hotel in the Hospitality America … [Read more...]

ABERDEEN, South Dakota—Following thorough discussions with stakeholders, My Place Hotels of America has taken the next step in its journey by introducing My Place 3.0. This move by the upper-midscale, extended-stay brand features product enhancements alongside a new prototype. The new exterior design blends the cost-effectiveness of a pitched roof with the aesthetics of a flat roof, offering … [Read more...]

DALLAS, Texas—TPG Hotels & Resorts announced it has been selected to manage the AC Hotel Tuscaloosa Downtown, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The AC Hotel Tuscaloosa Downtown has WiFi, smart TVs, a 24-hour room, an on-site business center, and four separate event rooms totaling 1,500 square feet of meeting space for corporate meetings, training sessions, or presentations. AC Kitchen serves … [Read more...]

FRANKFURT, Germany—Hilton announced the signing of the 225-room Hilton Frankfurt Gravenbruch as part of a management agreement. The property will go through a conversion to Hilton’s flagship brand with an opening set for October 2024. Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development EMEA, Hilton, said, “With more than 60 properties either trading or under development, Germany continues to … [Read more...]

KIRKLAND, Washington—Noble House Hotels & Resorts welcomed Snake River Sporting Club to its portfolio. Noble House has been selected to manage the property, bringing the total number of North American hotels, resorts, and experiences within the portfolio to 29. The addition strengthens the brand’s footprint in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, joining Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa and Hotel Terra … [Read more...]

FLORENCE, South Carolina—Raines has added Hotel Theo, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property, to its management portfolio. Formerly known as Hotel Magnolia, Hotel Theo is now part of Woven by Raines, the lifestyle division of Raines. The property is owned by TCOR Hotel Partners and TriGate Capital. Located between the French Quarter and the Warehouse District, Hotel Theo is a spot for … [Read more...]

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana—Crescent Hotels & Resorts has welcomed the historic NOPSI Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana to its Latitudes: Lifestyles by Crescent collection. The former headquarters of New Orleans Public Service Inc., NOPSI is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a member of Historic Hotels of America. The NOPSI hotel is a symbol of New Orleans’ Jazz Age legacy … [Read more...]

NORWALK, Connecticut—HEI Hotels & Resorts added the Kimpton Sylvan Atlanta Buckhead to its portfolio, bringing the total number of hotels managed in the state of Georgia to 17. Originally constructed in 1952, the Kimpton Sylvan is a conversion of a residential condominium building reimagined as a boutique hotel and located in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. The building underwent a … [Read more...]

TROY, Michigan—According to the J.D. Power 2024 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark, overall guest satisfaction with branded hotels run by the nation’s largest third-party management companies improved significantly this year, outperforming chain-managed and independently operated hotels. “Third-party management companies operating branded hotels are really … [Read more...]

MCLEAN, Virginia—Just over two years after opening its 7,000th hotel, Hilton now has more than 8,000 hotels operating globally. Following a series of additions to its portfolio, including NoMad, Graduate Hotels, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Autocamp, Hilton has grown the company’s global network. “This has been a significant year for Hilton’s development, marked by strategic … [Read more...]