INDUSTRY NEWS

Costar.com

Hotel New Now

By: Bryan Wroten

A new law in Los Angeles could have a dramatic effect on hotel development in the city — that is, if hotel developers didn’t already feel constrained by the overall environment there.

Lodgingmagazine.com

By: 

George Seli

On Jan. 1, 2024, Kevin Jacobs, chief financial officer and president, global development for Hilton, began his tenure as 2024 AHLA board chair, succeeding Leslie Hale in the position. Jacobs has been involved with AHLA since 2019, when he helped restructure the organization’s revenue model, and he became a member of AHLA’s Executive Committee in 2020. His participation in the association has also included service as secretary/treasurer in 2022 and vice chair in 2023. Jacobs recently spoke with LODGING on his goal of helping AHLA build on last year’s successes while continuing to bring its Strategic Plan to fruition, particularly in regard to protecting the franchise model, improving the availability of labor, and enhancing diversity within the U.S. hotel industry. Jacobs also offered his outlook on 2024 travel trends and insights on the current hotel financing and development environment, drawing on expertise from a nearly 16-year career with Hilton.

Costar.com

Hotel News Now

By: Laura Koss-Feder

Hotel revenue managers are going to have more tools at their disposal this year, as they navigate the changes in the hotel industry and prepare for an influx of business and group guests.

Hotelsmag.com

By: Kathakali Nandi

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the federal labor board’s joint employer legislation on Friday, which would treat companies as employers of contract and franchise workers and make it mandatory for them to bargain with workers’ unions. The rule was supposed to take effect in February.

The House voted 206-177 to overturn the National Labor Relations Board’s rule, according to a Reuters report. In the next step, this Congressional Review Act resolution will go to the Senate floor for a vote.

Earlier this week, the White House said President Biden would veto the resolution if it passed both houses of Congress. A two-thirds majority will be needed to overcome a White House veto.

The regulation, which revives a President Obama-era rule, has been severely criticized by business groups. Welcoming this move, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) said the House vote was a “victory for common sense.”

Claiming that the regulation will destroy the franchise model, which supports millions of small-business jobs, AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers said neither companies nor their employees wanted the “job-killing” regulation.

Hotelsmag.com

By:  David Eisen

Thomas Jefferson, to many, was several things: a Founding Father, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, a U.S. president. He helped birth a nation. He was an unmistakable and eternal optimist, possessing an innate capacity for optimism. It’s no wonder he is credited with saying: “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”

Hotelsmag.com

By: Harvey Chipkin

For the hotel industry, it’s no longer “business travel as usual” as the pandemic reshaped the patterns and behaviors of corporate travelers. The “new” business travel emphasizes quality of trips rather than quantity, considers sustainability a priority, sees a business trip as an opportunity to enjoy a destination and looks to hotels not just as a place to sleep but as a space to congregate and network.

Hotelmags.com

By: Kathakali Nandi

Hilton has unveiled the name of its new extended stay, studio apartment-style brand—finally. First adopting the working title name Project H3 by Hilton, the brand will officially be called LivSmart Studios by Hilton and has received “tremendous interest” from developers and owners in six months, Hilton said in a statement.

Costar.com

Hotel News Now

By: Dana Miller

Group demand is coming back at a stronger clip in 2024, and for some hotel companies it's shaping up to be a landmark year.

Lodgingmagazine.com

By:  Anthony Melchiorri

I manage a high-end, established luxury hotel that has been recently renovated. The product itself is wonderful, but we are having issues of high turnover. What can we do to encourage employees to stay with us long term versus one year or less?

Lodgingmagazine.com

By:  Justin Coffey and Kelly McGrath

The hospitality industry has always thrived on adaptability, and the realm of compliance is no exception. Amidst the ongoing evolution of regulations, one crucial development that hoteliers need to be well-versed in is the revised Form I-9 and its revamped verification process, published by USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) this summer.