LODGING Staff - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 104

2 min

HVMG Names Gary Kunesh Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

🏦 Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) in Atlanta appointed Gary Kunesh as senior vice president and chief financial officer, overseeing accounting, financial reporting, tax, risk management, and technology. Kunesh brings over 30 years of hospitality experience, having served as vice president of financial planning and analysis at White Lodging Services for a $1 billion-plus hotel portfolio and as director of finance at the $150M Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. He has also worked with BRE Hotels & Resorts, Apple Hospitality REIT, RLJ Lodging Trust, and Host Hotels & Resorts. Additionally, Kunesh is a volunteer for Uplift 313 in Detroit.

2 min

Lighthouse Acquires The Hotels Network Following $370M Series C Investment

🏡 Lighthouse acquired The Hotels Network, a marketing personalization technology leader, enhancing Lighthouse's AI-driven marketing capabilities. The Hotels Network, founded in 2015, operates in over 100 countries serving more than 20,000 hotels and delivering an average 32% uplift in direct bookings. This acquisition enables Lighthouse to offer a comprehensive platform combining market intelligence with personalized guest booking experiences, aiming to increase direct revenue for hotels. The combined technologies will assist hoteliers in attracting and converting guests using AI, predictive algorithms, and real-time data.

2 min

Raines Breaks Ground on Hampton Inn & Suites in York, South Carolina

🏨 Raines broke ground on Hampton Inn & Suites York, S.C. in York, South Carolina, a project by York Hotel Group LLC and designed by ODA Architecture. Aiming to boost York's economy, with local manufacturing and residential growth, the new hotel will be the only branded option in the area and is expected to create 30-35 jobs. The 97-room hotel features ample meeting space, free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, and is part of Raines's expansion, which saw over 20 new properties in 2024, including 16 hotels with Atlantic Hotels Group. Raines plans further growth in 2025.

2 min

Smith Hill Capital and Bain Capital Announce $235 Million Refinancing for Gurney’s Montauk Resort

🏠 Smith Hill Capital and Bain Capital completed a $235 million refinancing for Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa in Montauk, New York. The 158-key oceanfront property includes 109 guestrooms, 35 suites, 8 cottages, 6 residences, 5 dining venues, a 30,000 square foot spa with 4 pools, a 20-treatment room facility, a salon, a fitness center, and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. JLL represented the sponsors in the financing of this 20-acre luxury resort.

2 min

Cloudbeds Announces Launch Of Cloudbeds Labs

🏨 In SAN DIEGO, California, Cloudbeds launched Cloudbeds Labs for AI-driven operations in the hospitality industry, unveiling AI solutions Signals and Engage. Signals forecasts demand with 96% accuracy up to 180 days and offers AI recommendations to outperform competitors by 15% or more. Engage, an AI voice concierge, answers guest inquiries in five languages and handles voice-driven bookings. Both aim to drive direct bookings, enhance operational efficiency, and scale hotel profitability without added headcount.

3 min

Hyatt Opens First Hyatt Studios Hotel in Mobile, Alabama

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation opened its first Hyatt Studios hotel in Mobile, Alabama, following a soft opening in February. Located less than 10 miles from Mobile International Airport, Hyatt Studios Mobile / Tillmans Corner offers 122 studio apartment-style suites with full kitchens and contemporary amenities. The brand targets extended-stay travelers as part of Hyatt’s Essentials Portfolio. 3H Group, which manages the property, is expanding with more Hyatt Studios in Huntsville, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida, and other Hyatt-branded projects.

2 min

Hotel Equities Appoints Greg O’Stean as Chief Development Officer

🏨 Hotel Equities (HE) has appointed Greg O’Stean as Chief Development Officer and promoted Joe Reardon to Vice Chairman. O’Stean has over 30 years of experience in hospitality and aims to expand HE's global presence. Reardon, after 11 years growing HE to manage over 200 properties, will focus on strategic partnerships. The announcement coincided with HE's alliance with Pinnacle Hotel Group, starting May 1, revealed at the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference.

2 min

AHLA: Los Angeles Tourism Industry Lagging Behind All Other Major U.S. Cities in Post-Pandemic Recovery

📦 In Los Angeles, the tourism industry, one of the top five employers supporting over 540,000 jobs, generated $40 billion in local business sales and $290 million in transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue in 2023. Despite this, L.A. faced a $14.3 million TOT budget shortfall in FY 2023-2024 and a $13.9 million shortfall by midyear FY24-25. The industry has only reached 79% of 2019 levels, lagging behind other major U.S. cities. Upcoming hotel operational restrictions could worsen TOT shortfalls, threaten small business owners, and risk thousands of job losses ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Proposed legislation like the Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance may lead to the loss of nearly 15,000 hotel jobs, $169 million in tax revenue, and discourage $342 million in hotel construction spending.

2 min

AHLA Adds Four New Companies to Premier Partner program

🏨 In Washington, D.C., the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) welcomed four new companies to its Premier Partner program: ADA Cosmetics and BKL Hospitality as Silver Partners, and BDV Solutions and Sabre as Associate Partners. These partnerships aim to strengthen the hotel industry by offering insights, trends, and engage with AHLA Board members. Partners benefit from marketing support and discounts to AHLA events, contributing to industry advancements and meeting guest expectations.

2 min

Women’s Innovation Council Joins Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance

📢 The Hospitality Women’s Innovation Council joined the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, founded in 2021, becoming its thirty-fourth member to support women and underserved communities in the hospitality industry. Sponsored by Visual Matrix, the Women's Innovation Council (WIC) was formed in 2023 in Richardson, Texas, and includes hotel executives and technology developers. WIC aims to improve collaboration in hospitality tech and advance industry innovation.

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