Hyatt Hotels Corporation President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian said his company is already seeing "interesting and very positive data in group activity," while the favorable prediction is that leisure travel still will drive the demand rebound, reports Hotel News Now's Sean McCracken.

During a fourth quarter and full-year earnings call, Hoplamazian said Hyatt booked $170 million in new group business in January alone, not including rebookings for canceled or postponed events.

“That represents a 20% acceleration over [the third quarter] in pure new group bookings,” he said. “We are, for the first time since COVID-19 began, seeing association and corporate activity pick up for 2022 and beyond. And we have early signs that we will actually host corporate meetings as early as the second quarter of 2021.”

Power is being restored to many Texans, but "millions of people in the storm-ravaged state are facing an escalating water crisis" following the historic winter storm this week, The Washington Post reports.

Google's search data shows an increase in searches for "hotels near me" as many residents sought warmth and water.

KXAN-TV reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency is alerting people "of a fake phone number being shared for Texans looking to get hotel costs covered." The scam is designed to collect callers' personal information.

French hotel firm Accor announced it has completed the sale of a 1.5% stake in China-based Huazhu Group Limited for 239 million euros ($289.8 million).

Accor still retains a 3.3% stake in Huazhu Group and a presence on its board of directors.

"This transaction allows Accor to crystallize further value creation of the initial investment while simplifying its balance sheet," the release states.

Nonprofit organization Castell Project released its "Diversity of Hospitality Industry Public Company Boards 2021" report as pressure intensifies to diversify boards of both race and gender on boards of directors at companies industrywide.

The organization, which works to advance the careers of women in the hospitality industry, studied more than 30 public hospitality companies over five years.

Study findings include only 11 of 31 hospitality boards have Black representation, and the inclusion of both Black and female board members reached a peak in 2019. That nearly stalled in 2020.

MGM Resorts International announced it will resume 24-hour daily operations at three of its Las Vegas hotels following increased demand in the city.

The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Park MGM and The Mirage will resume operations beginning March 3. Each property previously "implemented selective midweek closures related to decreased business volumes due to COVID-19," the release states.

Compiled by Dana Miller.