The Oklahoma City event covered rising ADA demand letter activity in mid-size markets and a stabilizing U.S. lodging transaction market, with deal flow expected to pick up in H2 2026.
With more than 28 years in hospitality and 14 years in executive leadership, Lippe is recognized for cultivating exceptional leaders, strong company cultures, driving operational success, and building community-rooted partnerships. His most defining chapter was at The Skirvin Hilton, where he led the historic hotel to national recognition, including the Historic Hotels of America "Hotel of the Year" Award win in 2021 and the Hilton Blue Energy Award. Throughout his career, Lippe has led major full-service hotels and renovations across Oklahoma and the Midwest, delivering record-setting service scores. He currently serves on the Board of the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association and is committed to mentoring future hospitality leaders and advancing the state's tourism industry. In his new role as Hotel Manager at The National, Autograph Collection | Downtown OKC, Lippe will play a key role in driving operational excellence and elevating the overall guest experience.
The Skirvin, a Hilton Hotel, has unveiled a $22 million renovation, revitalizing the historic 225-room property. The nine-month project, led by Robinson Park and managed by Hilton, touched nearly every corner of the hotel, from guest rooms and meeting spaces to the grand lobby, ensuring The Skirvin continues to shine as a landmark of Oklahoma City.
Introducing Oklahoma City's Newest $400 Million Attraction.
Dougherty brings nearly three decades of experience in the hospitality realm to his new role at The National and The Barfield. He has honed his skills at properties across the country before joining the Coury Hospitality team as the opening General Manager at The Barfield Hotel, Autograph Collection in Amarillo, Texas. During his tenure in West Texas, he was awarded Hotel Opening of the Year by Marriott as well as Best Hotel in the Best of Amarillo Awards. He also was awarded General Manager of the Year within Coury Hospitality for 2023. Dougherty now oversees daily operations at The National, as well as regional operational oversight of The Barfield, working to ensure they both uphold the exceptional standards of excellence synonymous with the Autograph Collection brand.
The history infused Fordson Hotel marks The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand's first foray into the Sooner State
First Hospitality, national hotel operations and development company, assumed management and operations of the Lively Hotel in Oklahoma City, further advancing the company’s growth into larger urban city destinations.
The new lifestyle hotel, formerly a 21c Museum Hotel, charms travelers and the OKC community with its rich history, steadfast spirit and moments that inspire.
NEW YORK, NY – Celebrated hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group today announced plans to open two new Dream Hotel and Unscripted Hotel locations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2024. Designed by Miami-based CUBE3 Architects and built by general contractor Hensel Phelps, the 220-room Dream Hotel and 174-room Unscripted Hotel will be the centerpiece of a large mixed-use development project with California-based Matteson Capital LLC.
The full-service hotel brings multiple food and beverage outlets, a spa experience, rooftop pool deck, event space and more.
An experienced industry veteran, Skip Harless has more than 32 years of hospitality experience. Harless joined Marcus Hotels & Resorts in May 2014 as the resident manager at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Most recently, Harless led the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin as general manager. Prior to joining Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Harless spent 27 years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Harless graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Omni Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Keenan as general manager of Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, the brand's upcoming development scheduled to open in early 2021. After 22 years with Omni, Keenan is ideally suited to spearhead a successful opening for the 605-room hotel.During his tenure with Omni, Keenan excelled in various roles within the organization including director of rooms at Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West, resident manager at Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas and Omni William Penn Hotel, director of operations at Omni Corpus Christi Hotel and opening director of rooms for Omni Fort Worth Hotel. In 2007, he returned to Omni Corpus Christi Hotel as general manager, where he has been an excellent leader for the past seven years. He has earned the titles of Ideal Executive for Operations as a result of his work at Omni William Penn and General Manager of the Year in 2013 for his work at Omni Corpus Christi.
Embassy Suites by Hilton, a global brand of upscale, all-suite hotels from Hilton (NYSE: HLT), announced today the opening of a new hotel located in Oklahoma City. Owned and operated by Northwest Hospitality, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest is perfectly situated to allow guests easy access to businesses, shopping and entertainment. Embassy Suites by Hilton prides itself on offering guests an approachable and stress-free experience at each of its spacious, all-suites hotel properties.
The unique hotel experience is situated near Penn Square Mall and Integris Baptist Hospital.
Radisson®, one of the best-recognized hotel brands, today announced the opening of the newly built Radisson Hotel Oklahoma City Airport located at 4716 West I-40 Service Road. The hotel is only four miles north of Will Rogers World Airport on Interstate 40, with the added convenience of a complimentary airport shuttle running on 30-minute intervals every day. Whether exploring the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, touring the campus of Oklahoma City University, or visiting the Oklahoma City Zoo, guests traveling to the area will find comfort at this new hotel.
New Century Hotels (NCH) is proud to announce and welcome Ronnie Krodel to their executive property leadership team as General Manager of the Aloft OKC in Bricktown. Ronnie is responsible for leading the company's largest asset. His past success and leadership style are aligned with the people focused values of NCH.
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced today the start of construction on the highly anticipated Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, a 605 guest room convention center hotel set to open in early 2021. Executives from Omni broke ground today alongside Mayor David Holt, Cathy O'Connor, president and CEO of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau. The 17-story hotel located at 100 West Oklahoma City Blvd. will serve the city's revitalized downtown area including the future convention center, Scissortail Park and Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 95-room, four-story hotel will be located at the intersection of Merdian Ave. and SW 15th St. The hotel will be close to local dining, shopping and entertainment attractions, and will have convenient access to I-44. Expected to open in 2019, the avid hotel Oklahoma City is owned by Champion Hotels, which also owns the very first avid hotel in Quail Springs, Oklahoma.
Hotel Equities (HE) just announced their selection as the operator of the new-build Aloft hotel located at 13111 Highland Park Blvd. in Oklahoma City, OK. This new addition to HE's lifestyle division of hotels is owned by Highland Hospitality, LLC. An expected completion date is scheduled for Q1 2019. "We are proud to partner with this ownership group to open the Aloft hotel in Oklahoma's capital city", said Joe Reardon, HE's SVP of Business Development & Marketing. "Our regional team will tap into their experience and knowledge of the market to ensure the hotel is fully ramped quickly upon opening and becomes a strong community partner. Hotel owners wanting to add premium-branded hotels to their portfolio see the value of establishing a partnership with a reputable firm [like HE] because we have the ability to quickly deploy a team of experts in operations, sales and revenue management and human talent deployment in order to maximize efficiencies and performance across the board." Hotel Equities currently has 100+ hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada with 35% of its portfolio consisting of boutique and lifestyle properties. "Hotel Equities was highly recommended to us as leaders in this space. Their reputation in the industry gives us complete confidence in their ability to operate our asset with excellence," said DJ Patel, Owner/Partner with Highland Hospitality, LLC. Aloft is the next generation of hotel, using technology and design to enhance experiences and move at the pace of their guests. The hotel will include the Re:mix lounge and pool table, along with loft-like guestrooms. Catch live acoustic performances, mix & mingle, and sip on crafted signature cocktails at the W XYZ® bar and Re:fuel cafe. The uniquely-designed hotel will complement the modern metropolis, offering guests an energetic, intuitive and affordable option when visiting the city.
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announces the official opening of its first avid™ hotels property, the 87-room, new-build avid hotel Oklahoma City-Quail Springs. Situated just north of downtown Oklahoma City, this hotel is in a thriving part of the city. With multiple business headquarters, medical centers, interesting neighborhoods, and plenty of sporting leagues nearby, the hotel gives visitors to the area, travelling for business or pleasure, a great place to stay.