Leisure air travel in the United States is on track to recover much more quickly than originally expected, thanks to the expedited distribution of vaccines, recent Covid-19 relief and economic stimulus legislation and pent-up demand. We now predict leisure travel in the United States will return to 2019 levels by early 2022. But even with the uptick in bookings, the industry still faces tough challenges ahead.
Corpus Christi, located in the Gulf of Mexico, is the most expensive destination in Texas based on the cost of lodging, according to a recent survey conducted by CheapHotels.org.
Today, M3, the hospitality sector's #1 cloud-based accounting, financial reporting and data management platform in North America, announced the addition of Sage Hotel Management, a Sage Hospitality Group company, to its growing portfolio. As of March 2021, M3 proudly serves nearly 950 individual customers representing more than 6,700 active hotels online.
ette hotels, a contemporary luxury hotel group founded by hotelier Alex Ekbatani, launches ette hotel Orlando, the first in their portfolio which is set to open its doors early this Summer. Out to redefine the luxury hospitality space, ette hotels will feature a sophisticated look and feel with a focus on high-touch service and personalized experiences.
The contemporary oceanfront hotel Prince Waikiki has officially welcomed Heather Doeringer as Director of Marketing.
The Goodtime Hotel—the first collaborative lifestyle hotel brand from David Grutman of Groot Hospitality and Pharrell Williams—has opened in Miami Beach. The 266-room property offers an Art Deco aesthetic over nearly 100,000 sq. ft. of public space.
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Campus has implemented the Agilysys InfoGenesis ecosystem of modern cloud-native SaaS POS solutions for its campus dining including InfoGenesis POS, IG Buy self-service kiosks, IG OnDemand mobile ordering and payment, and Agilysys Pay for secure payment processing.
Amid a worldwide pandemic, the lodging industry is facing a downturn that is greater than the past two lodging-market declines combined. According to Visit Albuquerque, Albuquerque's RevPAR fell roughly 47% in 2020 from 2019 levels, driven primarily by occupancy losses of up to 33% compared to 2019 and ADR declines of up to 21%. The occupancy loss was not only a factor of limited demand caused by the travel halt at the onset of the pandemic, but also of New Mexico being closed to travelers from outside the state for most of the year. As many other markets in the United States were supported mid-summer by leisure guests, a required 14-day quarantine for visitors to New Mexico resulted in significant cancellations starting in July, handicapping demand through the remainder of the year.
AC Hotels by Marriott®, part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, announced the opening of the AC Hotel Columbus Downtown, located in the vibrant Uptown district of Columbus, Georgia. This six-story property is a design-driven lifestyle hotel featuring 125 guest rooms, engaging communal spaces and an extensive bar featuring custom-curated cocktails.
The retail market faced challenges before COVID-19 hit. The office market was solid before the pandemic sent employees working from home in droves. But the hospitality market? It was thriving in many parts of the country before March of 2020.
A contemporary new hotel located at 200 N. Field Dr. in Conway Business Park, The Forester, a Hyatt Place Hotel developed by Janko Group and operated by Janko Hospitality is a one-of-a-kind boutique inspired offering from the Hyatt Place brand. Marking the first hotel to open in the North Shore suburb since 1929, the property's concept is inspired by the city of Lake Forest's motto, "Naturae et Scientiae Amor," which translates to "Love of Science and Nature." The Forester, a Hyatt Place Hotel is at a similarly unique crossroads, offering all the benefits of a Hyatt Place hotel, while at the same time blazing new trails with unique offerings including Oaken Bistro + Bar, an upscale dining experience along with over 4,500 square feet of flexible event space.
If you are measuring your marketing success today the same way you did last year, you are not providing the value that your external stakeholders and ownership expect and that your internal business partners, like sales and revenue strategy, deserve. It is not enough anymore to measure how many guest rooms are booked per dollar spent on your paid marketing. Instead, focus your attention on two specific areas:
You've got your COVID vaccine, and the CDC says it's OK to travel this summer, even internationally. But you're likely to find that your overseas options are limited by border restrictions in many countries.
The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is currently accepting public comments on a provision in the recently enacted Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) which requires some privately-held business entities to disclose ownership information directly to a law enforcement agency. Interested parties should consider commenting before the May 5th deadline, and companies who may be impacted should take this opportunity to review their anti-money laundering compliance programs. Vince Farhat and Samuel Buchman of JMBM's White Collar Defense and Investigations Group have written an article detailing this legislation below.
Tiffany Rioux joins the new Dupont Circle as Director of Sales & Business DevelopmentThe Dupont Circle has undergone a complete transformation ensconcing itself among the most luxurious hotels in Washington, DC. In addition to its new mid-century bar and restaurant designed by Martin Brudnizki, its new oasis-like penthouse suite designed by Irish-born Clodagh, and its completely revamped rooms and suites, The Dupont Circle has brought on luxury hospitality veteran Tiffany Rioux to helm its sales and marketing.Tiffany is ingrained in the D.C. hotel world after working at Conrad for three years and Rosewood, Capella, St. Regis and Langham before that. She brings with her an in-depth knowledge of the market and a creative outlook in crafting the best integrated strategies across e-commerce, social media, events, partnerships and advisor relationships.
The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index dipped 0.2% in March to a level of 5,131. Year to date through the first three months of 2021, the stock index was up 12.2%.
In November 2020 Life House assumed the management of the historic Forbes Five-Star Wheatleigh Hotel and its AAA Five-Diamond restaurant in the picturesque Berkshires. Since taking over management in November, Life House has increased RevPAR by 76% over the prior operator's "Pre-COVID" performance, decreased operating expenses by 32% on an apples-to-apples basis, and simultaneously increased guest satisfaction scores - demonstrating that Life House's technology and operating systems are able to empower great hospitality, not only automate costs.
Following months of trials, MGM Resorts is adding cutting-edge enhancements to its Convene with Confidence program, one of the meeting industry's most comprehensive health and safety plans, designed to get businesses back to doing business in person.
An innovative and enthusiastic sales and marketing executive, Danielle Boyles brings proven expertise and thoughtful leadership to Grand Hyatt Vail. Eager to celebrate the year round appeal that the Vail Valley has to offer and the resort's extensive array of experiences, Boyles is committed to showcasing Hyatt's first Grand Hyatt hotel within a world-class U.S. mountain resort destination.
Alila Napa Valley, the luxury boutique hotel and spa reopening March 15, 2021 in the community of St. Helena, has named Ty Accornero as General Manager, effective immediately. A Sonoma County native, Ty has been immersed in the hospitality industry for over 25 years and possesses a vast knowledge and familiarity of the region, a benefit to both visiting guests and locals alike. As part of his new role, Accornero will oversee all property operati ons, including 68 guest rooms and suites, Spa Alila and Fitness Center, over 5,500 square feet of meetings and events space and the exceptional signature restaurant, Acacia House.