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1. Los Angeles-area wildfires force thousands to evacuate
Three separate wildfires in the Los Angeles area are moving quickly, driven by heavy winds, and forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, the Associated Press reports. The fires are burning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the San Fernando Valley and north of Pasadena. More than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to respond to the fires.
Roughly 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders because of the Palisades fire alone, according to the article. More than 200,000 people are without power in LA County.
The Santa Ana winds reached 70 mph this morning, but some areas in the mountains and foothills could see winds over 100 mph, the AP reports. Southern California is experiencing warmer than average temperatures currently, and the region hasn't received more than 0.1 inches of rain since May.
2. KSL Resorts rebrands to Peregrine Hospitality
Hotel management and development company KSL Resorts has rebranded itself to Peregrine Hospitality, according to a news release. CEO Greg Kennealey will continue to lead its operations.
"This is an exciting time for the organization and reflects the owner/operator model and philosophy that differentiates us within the industry. We are operators at heart, performance-oriented and passionate about hospitality," Kennealey said in the release. "Our team has extensive experience in the acquisition, development and management of hotel properties, including some of the most exclusive resort destinations. Our talented team of leaders will allow us to grow a portfolio of exceptionally high-quality assets while continuing to elevate the guest experience."
Peregrine Hospitality has a portfolio of 92 properties under direct management, asset management and global sales support in the U.S., Fiji, the Maldives, Mauritius and Thailand.
3. Accor's Gilda Perez-Alvarado talks luxury brands, Orient Express
Fifteen months into her dual roles at Accor, Gilda Perez-Alvarado spoke with HNN’s Terence Baker about her work with the French hotel firm, most notably taking over its luxury brand Orient Express.
Perez-Alvarado, chief strategy officer for Accor and CEO of Orient Express, said most of the luxury brands at Accor are playing heavily into the lifestyle hotel space. The Orient Express brand has hotels, but the company is also working on adding yachts and restoring trains to join the brand. Orient Express is a joint venture between Accor and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, which through its own brand, Belmond, owns the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express luxury train that is separate from Accor and Orient Express’ upcoming trains offerings.
“We are in the Golden Age of Travel. It is an ideal marriage for Accor and LVMH to be reintroducing the Orient Express travel-asset collection, if you will, that is what they are. … We are in the business of experiences. Our dream at the end of the day is to be able to sell journeys, and journeys can be comprised of perhaps just a hotel stay, maybe just a train or a yacht, or maybe a combination thereof,” Perez-Alvarado said.
4. Justice Department sues major landlords over alleged rent scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing six major landlords, accusing them of coordinating to keep rent high by sharing information with each other and the use of an algorithm, the AP reports. The Justice Department joins 10 states in these efforts against six landlords who operate more than 1.3 million units across 43 states and Washington, D.C.
The suit alleges the landlords have shared rent and occupancy information with each other. The information includes renewal rates, how often the landlords follow the algorithm's price recommendation, use of concessions and future pricing strategies. The Justice Department said one of the landlords has agreed to cooperate.
Greystar Real Estate Partners, a defendant in the case, said in a statement published on its website: "Greystar has and will conduct its business with the utmost integrity. At no time did Greystar engage in any anti-competitive practices. We will vigorously defend ourselves in this lawsuit.”
5. US services sector activity increased in December
Activity in the U.S. services sector grew more than anticipated last month, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Institute for Supply Management said its purchasing-manager's index increased to 54.1 in December from 52.1 in November. Expectations were for 53.4 in December.
“There was general optimism expressed across many industries, but tariff concerns elicited the most panelist comments,” said Steve Miller, chairman of ISM’s Services Business Survey Committee.
The finance and insurance industries saw the highest growth while real estate had the biggest drop, according to the article.