A quick roundup of global hospitality news.
IHG, ALFURSAN PARTNER:Â IHG Hotels & Resorts has partnered with ALFURSAN, the loyalty program of Saudia Airlines, to introduce a limited-time offer. Launched in honor of Saudi National Day, the offer will allow IHG One Rewards and ALFURSAN members to earn triple ALFURSAN Reward Miles when booking a stay at an IHG hotel globally. The offer is applicable on registrations and hotel bookings made from September 14 to October 14.Â
MARRIOTT’S AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION IN ALULA: Marriott International will open an Autograph Collection hotel in AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia. Marriot has signed an agreement with AlUla Development Co., fully owned by the Public Investment Fund, to open the hotel in 2025. Located in central AlUla, adjacent to the AlUla Museum and opposite the AlUla Farmer’s Market, the hotel will have 250 rooms and suites, four dining venues, a spa, pool, fitness enter, meeting facilities, business center and retail space. Autograph Collection’s portfolio currently includes more than 290 independent hotels across 50 countries.
NEWBOND ACQUIRES ALOFT TAMPA DOWNTOWN: Newbond Holdings has acquired Aloft Tampa Downtown. This marks the company’s third hotel investment in downtown Tampa, Fla., since 2021. JLL arranged a $29.6 million floating-rate term loan to acquire and renovate the 130-room hotel. JLL represented Newbond Holdings to secure the loan through the lender, CIM Group. The hotel will be managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts. Located on Tampa’s 2.6-mile Riverwalk in Downtown Tampa, the hotel is one of the three hotels located on that stretch and close to Water St., Tampa Convention Center, The University of Tampa, Amalie Arena, Armature Works and Tampa General Hospital. Tampa features among the top three U.S. lodging markets in terms of RevPAR growth between 2019 and Q1 2023, said JLL.
BRICK HOSPITALITY ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS: Brick Hospitality, a San Diego-based hotel management company, has announced a new group of executive appointments. The executive leadership team includes Robert A. Rauch, who will serve as the chairman and chief strategist. With more than 40 years of hospitality experience, Rauch founded R.A. Rauch & Associates and RAR Hospitality in 1990 and 2010, respectively. Dallas King has been named CEO and will be directly responsible for leading and developing Brick Hospitality’s hotel management team. Sarah Lynch will serve as COO and will lead sales and marketing, guest satisfaction, operations excellence and profit-driven results for the company’s hotel portfolio. Founded in 2023, Brick Hospitality manages branded select-service hotels in key business and leisure destinations.
ISHC MARKS 35TH YEAR: The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) has marked its 35th anniversary. Established in 1988 by 19 founding members, the society aimed to promote awareness and advancement of the hospitality consulting profession and to encourage an ethical standard for the industry. The society now has 200 members across more than 26 countries in over 50 functional areas in the hospitality spectrum. ISHC will celebrate its milestone during its upcoming annual conference, which will take place at the Park Hyatt Washington, D.C., on October 5-7. This year, the conference theme is Charting the Future of Hospitality, where the focus will be on celebrating 35 years as well as on current events, technological advancements and personal development in an evolving professional environment.