Read the latest hotel industry news from around the Americas region.
Hotel Brand CEOs Pay Closer Attention to What Workforce Wants
Conversations among hotel brand CEOs at the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference indicated they are becoming more in tune with what hotel-level employees and corporate teams need to be content and succeed at their jobs, reports HNN's Dana Miller.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts President and CEO Geoff Ballotti said the hotel industry is competing against big-box retailers for talent and it must pay more.
"As an industry, we've underpaid. We need to be compensating competitively," he said. "A signing bonus has, for our franchisees, been one of the most effective tools throughout this pandemic in terms of attracting our housekeepers, room attendants and our guest-service agents."
Women in Hospitality Share How They Grew Their Careers
Data shows women lag men in hotel company leaderships roles but they aren't letting the biases stop them, reports HNN's Dana Miller.
"I believe that females in leadership positions face greater challenges personally as they are often judged as choosing career over family, which is unfair," she added. "The fact that I don't have children leads many to jump to the conclusion that I chose career over family, which couldn't be further from the truth. It's unfortunate that women are frequently judged more harshly than their male counterparts," said Audrey Oswell, president and managing director of Atlantis Paradise Island.
Oswell said her entire management team believes equality starts at the top and it must not be something they compromise on when hiring.
Wyndham Introduces New Economy Extended-Stay Brand
Wyndham announced in March it has awarded 50 new-build development contracts for its new economy extended-stay brand, operating under the working title "Project ECHO," reports HNN's Trevor Simpson.
Project ECHO has been developing under Wyndham since summer 2021, and the success of economy extended-stay brands in average daily rate and revenue per available room performance during the pandemic drove the company's appetite for this brand.
Accor Looks To Grow Luxury Lifestyle Footprint in South America
Thomas Dubaere, CEO of South America for Accor, said during an interview with HNN's Sean McCracken at the recent SAHIC Latin American and The Caribbean conference that the growth opportunities in the luxury segment are largely driven by resorts and branded residences.
Accor is currently searching for the best locations in South America to develop into resorts. Dubaere named two Sofitel properties in Cartagena, Colombia, the Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort and Sofitel Legend Santa Clara as the result of those efforts.
Deals, Developments, People on the Move
- Procaccianti Companies purchased the 56-room Chatham Wayside Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts, for $18 million from Chatfield Company.
- The RADCO Companies acquired the 315-room American Hotel Atlanta Downtown, a DoubleTree by Hilton for an undisclosed amount from Legacy Ventures.
- Wealth Hospitality Group sold the newly constructed 98-room Holiday Inn Express in Huntsville, Alabama, for $13.95 million to MH Hospitality.
- A joint venture among funds managed by Trinity Fund Advisors, an affiliate of Trinity Real Estate Investments and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management have purchased the 530-room Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California.
- Ann Durso has been appointed general manager of the 72-room Hillsboro Beach Resort in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
- The Excellence Collection, a high-end all-inclusive hotel group, has invested $50 million to revamp eight properties within its portfolio in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Punta Cana and Montego Bay.
- Hotel Emma in San Antonio, Texas, has appointed Jon Sakshaug as general manager.
- The Beverly Hills Hotel has selected John Scanlon as general manager. He has been with Dorchester Collection since 2005.