Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Silicon Valley has experienced drastic changes including the shift to remote work policies, the exodus of several major companies, and the widespread layoffs in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. The table below summarizes recent layoffs and remote work policies at major companies in Silicon Valley.
Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced that the recipient of the 2023 John Cahill Honorary Seat is Dylan Emerson, an undergraduate student at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. The award will be presented at the upcoming CIO Summit, an invitation-only annual event produced by Hospitality Upgrade magazine. This year’s event will be held Sept. 6-8 at Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas.
Hotels in the United States saw general pressure on profit margins in the first half of 2023, with Gross Operating Profit (GOP) margin falling by 1 percentage point compared to the same period in 2022. A closer look at brand-scale performance reveals that the extremes were particularly affected: both the luxury and midscale and economy segments exhibited the greatest year-on-year margin declines, as shown in Figure 1.
The Oliver Hotel, Oxford, formerly named Chancellor's House Hotel, unveils interior upgrades, three new food and beverage concepts, and an enhanced level of service for its guests. Following the recently announced rebrand of the historic hotel in Oxford, Mississippi, management company Oliver Hospitality's investment in the latest evolution of the property exemplifies its commitment to providing unparalleled hospitality experiences to guests and locals alike.
Great Wolf Resorts named Steve Pastor as the General Manager of Great Wolf Lodge Northern California. Pastor brings an extensive background in hospitality to his tenure at Great Wolf Lodge, with over a decade of experience managing hotels in California having previously worked for Evolution Hospitality with roles at both Hotel MdR in Los Angeles and Hyatt Regency Westlake Village. Additionally, Pastor previously managed the Radisson Mall of America Hotel Waterpark, an indoor water park resort in Bloomington, Minn., now known as Great Wolf Lodge Minnesota. In this role, Pastor will oversee all operations of the family-friendly indoor water park resort located in Manteca, California.
An urban Downtown Phoenix oasis anchoring the CityScape experience, Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' Luxury & Lifestyle collection, today announced Devin Mahoney as its new general manager. A dedicated leader and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants veteran with nearly two decades of experience, Mahoney is celebrated for creating experience-driven environments, an outstanding guest and teammate experience and is positioned to further elevate and evolve the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix experience.
PURE WELLNESS, the leading provider of turnkey wellness premium rooms, providing a refreshing and relaxing experience to guests, today announced its expanded partnership with Atrium Hospitality, one of the nation’s largest hotel operators. The deepened alignment will add approximately 70 new properties to the Pure Wellness portfolio spanning a variety of hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham, among others. Over the next six months, 32 hotels (360 rooms) will be converted, with an additional 36 hotels (365 rooms) set to join the portfolio in 2024 – bringing the total number of Pure Rooms to 874.
Visitors to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Hampton Convention Center in Virginia can now enjoy transformed accommodations after our hotel's completion of a six-month, multimillion-dollar makeover. Featuring newly renovated guest suites, the 295-key hotel is operated by award-winning Atrium Hospitality, one of the nation's largest hotel operators. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Atrium Hospitality manages a portfolio of more than 80 hotels in 28 states and approximately 3 million square feet of event space.
Since 2020, the Louisville hotel market has seen an increase in leisure travel associated with bourbon tourism, its nearby universities, and the Kentucky Derby. It is because of these large demand generators that the market has been able to recover most of its occupancy-based COVID-19 losses. Commercial travel has also helped to bolster the market. As employees have begun to return to offices and as business travel has increased, demand within this segment has improved.
U.S. hotel performance declined from the previous week but showed mostly positive comparisons year over year, according to CoStar’s latest data through 12 August. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.
The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North today announced the completion of a multi-million renovation that touched on all aspects of the hotel, including public spaces, guest rooms/suites and a new café and marketplace called Perimeter Provisions. The improvements also added cabanas with firepits for dining alfresco to the hotel's SAVOR Patio. The hotel is operated by HEI Hotel & Resorts, a leading hospitality investment and management company.
The Hotel Group (THG), an affiliate of Hotel Equities(HE), and a leading national hotel management, investment and development company, along with Hogback Development, will celebrate the topping off of the 74-room Tru by Hilton Yakima, WA. Tru by Hilton Yakima is located next to the Home2 Suites in Rainier Square, which over the past few years has been transformed by Hogback Development from an under-developed and under-utilized 1960's style-center, to a vibrant mix of restaurants, retail, and commercial business. THG and Hogback Development co-own the four-story Tru by Hilton hotel projected to open in Spring 2024.
The global business travel industry and in-person events continue to build momentum as evidenced by the robust attendance, critical insights and attendee engagement that took place this week at GBTA Convention 2023 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reports Los Angeles-Long Beach moved up to the lead spot in the U.S. over Chicago for July 2023. This is the first time this year that the Los Angeles market took the lead in event volume. Overall U.S. meeting and event volume for July 2023 was up 22.1 percent over July 2022. This data is sourced from Knowland’s sales intelligence platform designed to help hoteliers build and protect a hotel’s revenue base.
With almost two decades of industry experience, Chef Caspare has served as a chef across various international cities and Michelin Star restaurants joining the team from Pasquale Jones in New York City. Caspare has held head chef positions throughout New York and California, including Research and Development Chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Chef de Cuisine at Quince Restaurant, and Sous Chef at Eleven Madison Park.
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is pleased to announce the appointment of Aimee King as Director of Sales and Marketing. King brings extensive knowledge in the San Francisco Bay Area's hospitality sector and a proven track record of spearheading impactful marketing campaigns with her hands-on leadership, which will play a pivotal role at this landmark hotel.As an experienced Director of Sales and Marketing, King has established an impressive background across a variety of esteemed San Francisco Bay Area hotels, including the Omni Hotel, Hotel Adagio, St. Regis and more. Most recently, she was the Director of Sales and Marketing for San Francisco's Palace Hotel where she oversaw the revival and repositioning of the hotel post-pandemic. Her achievements extended to the creation and execution of a strategic partnership with AC Brands by Ayesha Curry, resulting in the hotel's buzzy Afternoon Tea and Pop-Up shop programming.
3H Group, Inc, founded by Hiren Desai, an expert in the select service space, has entered into a franchise agreement with Hyatt to build the inaugural Hyatt Studios hotel in Tillman's Corner, just outside of Mobile, Alabama. The site will mark Hyatt's first branded hotel in the area and is strategically located near Mobile Bay's Gulf Coast, providing extended-stay guests exceptional value and easy access to this rapidly expanding port city. In addition to attracting tourism, the city boasts a diverse range of industries in manufacturing, aerospace, and commercial retail, further enhancing its midscale appeal. This property is set to open in late 2024.
Kona Kai San Diego, a world-class Noble House Hotels & Resorts property defined and inspired by its place on San Diego's Shelter Island, today introduced Kenia Zavala as the director of spa at SpaTerre. A passionate leader, Zavala specializes in growth and operational strategy while simultaneously ensuring ongoing treatment innovation and an outstanding guest experience.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley has launched an extensive renovation called "The Next Chapter" that will be completed by Winter 2024 - including a guestroom refresh, the creation of a new Adventure Center with activity concierge and the Vail Valley's first rooftop bar.
Unveiling Modern Elegance and Historic Charm in the Heart of Wichita.