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Marriott International's Board of Directors has elected David Marriott as its new chairman, effective after the end of their 2022 annual meeting, with outgoing chairman and David's father J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr. slated to become chairman emeritus, according to a news release from the company.

The elder Marriott has led the company since 1985 and began working with the then-family-owned company in the 1950s. The leadership transition had been in the works for years.

"On behalf of the board and the hundreds of thousands of people who wear a Marriott name badge around the world, I'd like to thank Mr. Marriott for his outstanding leadership throughout his tenure with the company. He is truly an industry icon," Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said in a statement. "I'd also like to congratulate David Marriott on being elected Chairman of the Board. Not only does he have tremendous operational experience from his career at Marriott, but hospitality is in his DNA. I look forward to working alongside him for years to come."

Hoteliers speaking during a recent webinar hosted by business advisory HVS noted there are signs of demand ramping up in London and the market is expected to see a full rebound from the pandemic, HNN's Terence Baker reports.

Michael Izzo, the London-based chief financial officer of Corinthia Hotels, described 2021 as a strong year, with things like food and beverage and spa revenues already climbing near 2019 levels.

“Week on week, day by day, we see demand coming back in, and I think the rebound will come in very quickly,” he said.

After almost a week of protests, police have cleared the Ambassador Bridge between U.S. and Canada near Windsor, Ontario, and traffic has resumed, The New York Times reports.

Border crossings near Emerson, Manitoba, and Coutts, Alberta, continue to be disrupted, and protests continue in Ottawa.

"But any sense of accomplishment by law enforcement was offset by the tenaciousness of protests in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, which are now in their third week. Truckers have snarled traffic, disrupted normally serene residential neighborhoods and undermined the local economy," the newspaper reported. "Virtually unchecked, they have also cut off access to the country’s Parliament, Supreme Court and the prime minister’s office.

Extended Stay America has announced the promotion of Greg Juceam to the role of president and chief executive officer as previous CEO Bruce Haase leaves the company "to pursue other opportunities." Juceam most recently worked as the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer. He previously served as president and COO with G6 Hospitality before joining ESA in November.

“For more than 25 years, ESA has pioneered the extended-stay lodging segment and is widely recognized for its premier guest experience, superior service and high-quality hotels," Juceam said in a news release announcing his promotion. "I thank Bruce for his skilled leadership, especially in guiding us safely and successfully through the pandemic, and wish him the best in his future endeavors. Together with our team members, franchisees and general managers, I am confident that ESA is well-positioned for continued growth.”

ESA was bought by a joint venture of Blackstone and Starwood Capital Group in June. Blackstone also owns G6.

CoStar's hospitality analytics firm STR has recently released preliminary January data for several top international markets, showing mixed results.

Berlin recorded its lowest occupancy in more than half a year with occupancy hitting just 28.2%. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, came down slightly after hosting the Saudia Arabian Grand Prix in December, but still reached revenue per room levels in line with recent months at 263.05 Saudi riyals ($70.12).

Melbourne, Australia, saw its strongest rates of the pandemic era thanks to the Australian Open, hitting an average daily rate of 204.21 Australian dollars ($145.36) and RevPAR of AU$83.28.

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