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George Seli

17 posts
Modern lounge with warm wood paneling, a back-lit red bar, and colorful seating including round ottomans and chairs.
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  • 3 min

Hilton Launches Undergraduate by Hilton Brand Aiming for 400-500 Hotels, First Opening in 2027

🏨 Hilton’s Undergraduate by Hilton, launched in June 2024, is aimed at college-town hospitality with an upper-midscale approach. The brand plans for 400-500 hotels, starting in 2027, within three miles of college campuses. Rooms emphasize flexibility with study corners and local design elements. The food and beverage offerings include late-night snacks and college classics. Hilton’s lifestyle portfolio targets 700 hotels by 2028, reflecting strong expansion with 60 openings this year alone.
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Lakeside white hotel with blue accents and a wooden walkway, beside a headshot of a smiling man in a blue suit.
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  • 5 min

Ascend Collection Surpasses 500 Locations, Boosts Visibility for LaTour Hotels with Soft Branding Benefits

🏨 LaTour Hotels & Resorts, led by Scott Styron in Asheville, NC, has transitioned many properties to Choice International's Ascend Collection, including the Church Street Inn in Charleston and Ocean Club in North Myrtle Beach. Since Ascend's launch in 2008, it has grown to over 500 hotels. The association provides technological and operational support, enhancing guest experiences without compromising each hotel's unique character. Notably, the Atrium Beach Resort in Sint Maarten reported record revenues after joining Ascend.
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Abstract wireframe sphere of connected nodes atop a silver pedestal in a futuristic studio setting that hints at network technology.
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  • 3 min

Actabl Launches AI Asset Setup to Automate Hotel Equipment Data Collection, Reducing Manual Entry Time Significantly

🤖 Actabl recently launched AI Asset Setup for hotel asset management. It automates data collection, reducing manual entry errors and time. Tasks that took days now take seconds. Using mobile devices, teams photograph equipment, and AI extracts data, structuring it into Transcendent, Actabl's platform. This improves maintenance and capital planning, with over 400 integrations. Actabl aims to expand AI use to guide operational decisions, enhancing efficiency and decision-making across the hospitality sector.
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Abstract digital illustration: a white circuit-cloud on a blue gradient with colorful square accents, symbolizing cloud computing and tech.
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  • 8 min

AI Adoption Accelerates Across Hospitality Industry, Mid-Market Properties Leading with Fewer Barriers to Experimentation

🤖 November 2022 marked a turning point with OpenAI's ChatGPT, igniting the AI revolution in hospitality. As of 2026, mid-market properties lead AI adoption, although the trend extends to all hotel scales. AI's role is expansive, akin to confetti across the industry, influencing operations, marketing, and guest services. By 2025, the Innovation Subcommittee, part of AHLA's T100, emphasized GEO's rise over SEO. HTNG merged with AHLA in 2021, celebrating its fifth anniversary with upcoming tech summits in 2026.
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Hotel Industry Experts Discuss Network Infrastructure Upgrades for Enhanced WiFi Performance and Security in Guestrooms

📶 Kevin Sweeney, Speleos Dravillas, and Pierre Trudeau emphasize optimizing hotel WiFi networks. Bringing access points into guestrooms enhances signal strength. Reusing coaxial infrastructure can cut costs by 80% and installation time by 75%. WiFi 7 introduces enhanced encryption. Proper planning for IPTV and casting is crucial. Monitoring networks with enterprise-grade equipment improves reliability. Standardizing on equipment and strategic access point placement ensures better guest connectivity. Prioritize guestrooms and deploy bandwidth controls for cost-efficiency.
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McKibbon Hospitality Celebrates 100 Years of Growth and Innovation in Hotel Development and Management

🏨 McKibbon Hospitality is celebrating its centennial in 2026, with roots tracing back to 1926 in Gainesville, Georgia. Originally a Piggly Wiggly franchise, the company evolved over decades, entering the hospitality sector in 1946 and expanding through strategic acquisitions and partnerships with Holiday Inn, Marriott, and Hilton. It operates over 100 hotels, employs 3,200 staff, and will commemorate the milestone at a Nashville conference in November. Despite challenges, McKibbon emphasizes sustainability, strong relationships, and employee development.
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Coury Hospitality Marks 40th Anniversary with Portfolio Growth to 85 Properties and Expansion Plans for Vin Hotel Collection

🏨 Coury Hospitality, based in Dallas, Texas, celebrates its 40th anniversary. Founded by CEO Paul Coury, the company now manages over 85 hotels and restaurants. In 2014, Coury partnered with Marriott to operate 16 Autograph and 7 Tribute hotels. Last year, the portfolio doubled to 42 properties. The company employs about 3,800 staff and boasts a 20% higher retention rate than the national average. Future plans include expanding the Vin Hotel Collection, with new openings in Arkansas and Texas.
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Hotels Invest in Gel-Infused Memory Foam Mattresses to Enhance Guest Sleep Experience and Increase Durability by 30%

🛌 In 2026, across all hotel segments, guest expectations drive a demand for enhanced mattress technology, significantly influencing sleep quality and reviews. According to Karen Goossens from Furniture Row and David Wiles of Tempur Sealy, comfort is key for repeat business. The pre-compressed, gel-infused memory foam offers 30% more durability than polyfoam. 70% of the hotel market skips cooling tech, while pocketed coils reduce motion transfer. Tempur Sealy's acquisition of Mattress Firm aids in aligning with consumer preferences.
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  • 4 min

RI Marketplace Reports 40% Increase in Hotel Transactions, Expects to Reach $1 Billion in Asset Sales in 2026

📈 RI Marketplace was founded in 2017 as an online commercial real estate auction platform, notably growing 40% in hospitality transactions from 2024 to 2025. At the 2026 Hunter Hotel Investment Conference in Atlanta, Damien Smoter highlighted their distinct marketing and underwriting strategies. In 2025, RI Marketplace sold 48 hotels worth over $250 million, with an average of 15 bidders per hotel. They aim for $1 billion in asset sales this year, already reaching over $400 million.
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