LODGING Staff - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 114

2 min

Getting Pulled In

📌 Tiffany Leadbetter Donato, a Cornell School of Hotel Administration alumna, initially aimed for finance or consulting but was drawn to hospitality real estate and development post-graduation. Observing diversity progress in the industry, she notes a shift in senior leadership demographics compared to 10-20 years ago, predicting diverse future leaders. She highlights the improvement in women's representation in lodging leadership, especially in operations and marketing, and sees an upward trend despite the investment sector's challenging work-family balance.

4 min

Marriott Details Openings and Signings Across CALA Region From 2024

🏦 Marriott International announced 67 room agreements for about 8,000 rooms in the CALA region in 2024. 30 new properties were added, expanding to 528 properties across 37 countries by year-end. The company celebrated its 500th CALA property with Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort opening. Marriott’s CALA pipeline includes 183 properties, representing 27,817 rooms. The luxury segment signed 11 deals and anticipates openings like Salterra, St. Regis Punta Cana, and W Punta Cana in 2025. Marriott entered the all-inclusive market in 2019, now with 36 properties across nine markets and 19 all-inclusive properties in the global pipeline (15 in CALA). Post-City Express acquisition in 2023, Marriott boasts 153 open and 53 pipeline properties globally. Costa Rica and Dominican Republic are key growth markets with numerous developments and openings planned for 2025.

1 min

CoStar: U.S. Weekly Hotel Performance Reports Positive Comparisons

🏨 U.S. hotel industry, March 1, 2025: occupancy rose 0.4% to 62.8%, ADR increased by 2.7% to $159.26, and RevPAR grew 3.1% to $100.06, compared to the same week in 2024. St. Louis topped occupancy growth with a 12.1% rise to 59.4%. New Orleans, boosted by Mardi Gras, saw ADR soar 36.8% to $233.77 and RevPAR up 30.6% to $148.54, despite a 4.6% occupancy drop to 63.5%. Oahu and Boston faced RevPAR declines of 13.1% ($206.45) and 11.0% ($102.66), respectively.

2 min

Mentored by a Memorable Leader

🏨 Angie Gadwood, inspired by a college job, has been in the hospitality industry since. Mentored by Joy Reighard, Gadwood learned the significance of understanding every hotel role for advancement. Though over 60% of the hospitality workforce is female, only 10% hold leadership positions. Companies and organizations, including Wyndham, are creating programs to improve this disparity. Gadwood visited mentor Reighard, now 93 and retired, in Vegas last year.

2 min

Peregrine Hospitality Adds 26 Properties to Its Management Portfolio

👨🏥 Peregrine Hospitality in Denver, Colorado expanded its management portfolio with 26 select-service properties. Five assets were transferred in February, including Hilton Garden Inn in Texas with 133 keys, a 192-key dual-branded hotel in Massachusetts, a 100-key property in Florida, and a 114-key Marriott property in California. Peregrine's portfolio spans 17 states, demonstrating its multi-market service consistency. Additional properties include 21 select-service hotels like Element Atlanta Buckhead and Tru by Hilton Atlanta Galleria Ballpark.

3 min

Leading With Purpose

🏨 Lexy Stevens, with a background in hospitality via Hotel Equities, emphasizes the importance of mentorship and the company's ethos of nurturing talent. Mentors include Nancy Curtin Morris, who taught the value of trust, attention to detail, and the empowerment of women, and her father Michael Jochim, who demonstrated the impact of mindset and a positive work environment. Stevens highlights ongoing efforts for diversity and inclusion, specifically mentioning an initiative for hiring individuals with intellectual disabilities, aiming to fill employment gaps and enhance team diversity. Additionally, she notes the necessity for women in the industry to develop and mentor future female leaders.

2 min

This Week’s Comings & Goings

📋 Hyatt appoints Marc Jacheet as group president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Javier Águila as chief growth officer and president of Inclusive Collection, and Jim Chu as head of owner relations. Civitas' new chief product officer is Andres Spitzer. The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village names Robert Nokley as general manager. Hotel Arts Barcelona appoints Renato De Oliveira as general manager. Nicola Migheli becomes managing director of Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco. Annette Rullman is now the senior sales manager for The Westin Grand Cayman Resort & Spa. Hilton Anatole appoints Josh Franklin as director of wellness and recreation. Octant Hotels expands its culinary team with Pendro Mendes as executive chef. Metaxa Hospitality Group's new general manager for Santo Collection is Serafim Karouzakis. Hospitality America hires multiple individuals, including Jennifer Colangelo and Shelby Sieg for the Element by Westin Charleston Airport, Renae Ouellette for Embassy Suites Greenville and Hampton Inn & Suites Greenville, Shay Brown for Home2Suites by Hilton Asheville Airport, and Meghan Macaulay as corporate director of revenue strategy. The Adolphus promotes Blaine Eads and Gricel Duran. Hotel 1000, LXR Hotels & Resorts enhances its culinary team with Juan Carlos Cabezas and Alejandro Ayala.

1 min

PMZ Realty Capital Arranges Loan for Holiday Inn Express in Texas

💰 PMZ Realty Capital LLC secured a $14.5 million loan for Holiday Inn Express & Suites Halton City – Fort Worth to refinance high-interest-rate construction loan. Opened in October 2024, the 125-room hotel includes amenities and is strategically located near corporate offices and airports in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

4 min

SH Hotels & Resorts Rebrands as Starwood Hotels

🏨 SH Hotels & Resorts rebrands as Starwood Hotels on its 10th anniversary, a name first created by Barry Sternlicht nearly 30 years ago. With Sternlicht as chairman and CEO, the company launched W Hotels, expanded St. Regis, and updated other brands. Starwood plans to open or develop over 40 properties by 2025 across four continents. Flagship properties are set for Tokyo, Melbourne, and Copenhagen, with further expansion in the Middle East and Southern Europe. The 1 Hotels brand, launched in 2015, will open new locations in Seattle, Melbourne, Copenhagen, and Tokyo by 2025. Baccarat Hotels & Residences will expand to Rome, Florence, Riyadh, Dubai, and the Maldives. Treehouse Hotels will launch in Manchester and Silicon Valley in 2025. Starwood's focus includes culinary and wellness offerings, with signature restaurants and Bamford Wellness Spas. Sustainability remains a core strategy, with plans to increase staff from 3,900 to over 5,000 by 2025.

2 min

Cendyn Incorporates AI-Enabled Analysis Into Business Solutions

📌 Cendyn, a business intelligence solutions provider, has integrated AI into its CRM and Knowland platform, enhancing hotel sales and marketing teams with actionable insights. Following the acquisition of Knowland in October 2024, Cendyn launched new AI search capabilities and expanded into Europe with London as the first market. AI-generated insights help optimize marketing campaigns and identify trends for actionable measures, driving direct bookings and revenue increase.

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