Extended Stay America to add 15 hotels: Extended Stay America has signed a development agreement with a partnership consisting of Raleigh, North Carolina-based Concord Hospitality and Westlake Village, California-based Whitman Peterson to develop 15 new Extended Stay America Premier Suites hotels across western U.S. The properties will be located in Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Salt Lake City, Utah. Concord Hospitality will be handling the properties’ development, branding, and operations; while Whitman Peterson will provide equity, identify markets and assist with development. Currently, Extended Stay America has 28 Extended Stay America Premier Suites across the U.S.
HVMG adds in Atlanta: Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), Atlanta, Georgia, has announced it will operate the recently-opened 195-key REVERB by Hard Rock Downtown Atlanta. The hotel is owned by Bolton Atlanta, an affiliate of Atlanta-based real estate development company Dezhu US. The 11-story pet-friendly hotel features a 3,800 square-foot lobby, a grab-and-go outlet and a rooftop bar. HVMG’s portfolio currently operates 56 hotels and a convention center across 16 states totaling more than 9,000 rooms.
Ascott reports: CapitaLand Investment’s (CLI) wholly-owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), shared its business outlook and lodging investment management strategy on Monday, suggesting RevPAR at the end of Q3 was pacing close to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. It expects serviced residences to further bolster revenues. Ascott leadership said the group is embarking on an increasingly asset-light growth, with over 80% of its properties currently signed under management and franchise contracts, up from 39% in 2011. In the first half of this year, Ascott signed more than 7,500 new rooms and opened over 4,500 rooms. With the acquisition of Oakwood, it has achieved a net room growth in 2022 of 15%. Ascott is on track to achieving its target of 160,000 units globally by 2023.
Mövenpick grows in Indonesia: Accor has grown its presence its Indonesia with the signing of its second Mövenpick hotel in Jakarta. An existing 23-story hotel is being transformed for the Mövenpick hotel. Slated to open in Q3 2023, Mövenpick Jakarta Pecenongan will offer 253 rooms and suites, an executive lounge, five restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The hotel will also feature two ballrooms, a pre-function area, several meeting rooms and a wedding chapel on the sixth floor. The hotel joins the Mövenpick resort in Bali and the recently-signed Mövenpick hotel at the Jakarta Airport. Accor has 130 hotels and a pipeline of 53 projects across Indonesia.
AHLA, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance partner: The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance have formed a new strategic partnership to drive advanced ESG efforts in the hotel and hospitality industry. As part of the partnership, AHLA, AHLA Foundation and the Alliance will collaborate to support one another’s solutions and programs. The partnership’s announcement follows a two-day summit hosted by the Alliance. Members of the Alliance represent 35% of the hotel industry worldwide by rooms and include 21 leading hotel companies and partners, most of which are also AHLA members.
Capital One Travel announces new offerings: Capital One Travel has announced Premier Collection, a global selection of luxury properties. Properties under this collection include hotels from leading brands and companies like Small Luxury Hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World, Six Senses, 1 Hotels, Proper Hotels, etc. Set to launch later this year, Premier Collection is available to Venture X cardholders and will offer premium benefits and elevated earn on each stay. Capital One Travel has also launched Capital One Landing, a new, culinary-based alternative to the traditional airport lounge in partnership with José Andrés Group. Capital One Landings will debut at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. The company will also open Capital One Lounges at Denver International Airport and Dulles International Airport in early 2023.
Spain probes Booking.com: Spain’s competition regulator has opened an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior by Booking.com, after the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers and the Regional Hotel Association of Madrid complained against the online travel agency giant. The Comisión Nacional de Los Mercados y La Competencia (CNMC) said it will probe into some practices by Booking.com and whether they were an abuse of a dominant position in the provision of intermediation services to hotels and if it was imposing unfair trade conditions and imposing commercial policies that may have exclusionary effects on other online travel agencies. The Spanish competition watchdog has up to 18 months to conduct its probe and reach a final decision.