Operations
This week's Lodging Lowdown covers the annual Lodging Conference in Phoenix, where Wyndham partnered with Travel + Leisure Co. and Hyatt debuted new prototypes. IHG appointed Leanne Harwood as SVP of global sales. Spire Hospitality reopened the historic St. James Hotel in Selma, Alabama, under Series by Marriott. Duetto acquired FLYR Hospitality to enhance AI capabilities. Concord Hospitality added over 12 hotels and restaurants to its management portfolio, including properties in Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and North Carolina.
Bally’s CFO Mira Mircheva informed the company on Aug. 30 she was resigning effective Friday after just over a year in the role, according to a Thursday securities filing. She is leaving for “personal reasons” but will stay through Sept. 30 to help with the transition. Longtime Bally’s executive George Papanier will serve as interim CFO until a permanent finance chief is found. The casino operator is facing a cash crunch; last month it included a going concern warning in its Q2 earnings report, stating it was at risk of non-compliance with debt terms over the next 12 months. Bally’s is exploring liquidity options including asset sales, equity sale and debt financings. It also slowed construction of a $1.7 billion Chicago casino complex. Mircheva was named CFO last year after the February completion of a merger with Standard General and its affiliates, including The Queen Casino & Entertainment.
Airbnb announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Pepijn Rijvers, a former TripAdvisor group executive, as Chief Commercial Officer, effective September 1. Rijvers will lead listings, hotels, global markets, and corporate operations, succeeding Dave Stephenson, who has held the role for eight years. CEO Brian Chesky said Rijvers' 13 years of experience at Booking.com give him a deep understanding of the differentiated path Airbnb needs to take. The company also announced several executive changes and continued to expand partnerships with boutique hotels.
Resorts World Las Vegas hotel, in partnership with Johnson Controls, optimized its central energy plant without replacing equipment by utilizing the Metasys building automation system and OpenBlue AI solutions. Through real-time prediction and adjustment, the system achieved a 10.2% reduction in chilled water plant energy consumption and annual cost savings of $110,000, while enhancing infrastructure reliability and guest experience.
This week's hotel industry highlights include Marriott International launching adventure travel products under the Luxury Collection brand, a new Series-branded hotel in San Diego, a planned 340-room JW Marriott in Phoenix, and Lodging Econometrics reporting the U.S. leading the global hotel construction pipeline. Additionally, Meyer Jabara Hotels manages a university campus hotel for the first time, LivAway Suites breaks ground in Montgomery, Alabama, and Davidson Hospitality Group launches the GM Edge leadership program.
Hotels often serve as shelters and operational bases during hurricanes, making their preparedness vital for community recovery. This article, authored by Ross Haigler of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, emphasizes proactive annual inspections of roofs, windows, doors, and PTAC units to reduce vulnerabilities and avoid costly failures.
This week's hotel industry headlines are dense: Accor Group enters the Las Vegas market for the first time through the Treasure Island Hotel, which also becomes its largest hotel globally; the former Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C. is renamed the Potomac Hotel and joins Marriott's Autograph Collection; Crestline is appointed to manage a dual-branded Marriott hotel in Vail, Colorado; First Hospitality announces the addition of five new lifestyle hotels.
In the first half of 2026, the hotel investment market has seen significant changes in buyer-seller dynamics, shifts in lender attitudes, resilience in operational fundamentals, and increasing divergence in asset quality. This article, based on observations from Russ Flicker, co-founder of AWH Partners, reviews market dynamics in the first half of the year and provides an outlook for trends in the second half.
This week brings several major developments in the hotel industry: Viceroy Hotels & Residences announced it will open Viceroy Park Avenue in December, marking its return to the New York market; Radisson Hotel Group partnered with Accenture to launch an AI-driven hotel discovery app on ChatGPT; Remington Hospitality added Sheraton Mission Valley to its management portfolio; and Langham Hospitality Group appointed Nils-Arne Schroeder as Chief Operating Officer.
The upcoming Foreside Inn in Kittery, Maine (24 rooms, opening August 1st) will completely eliminate the traditional front desk, employing remote concierge and mobile key technology. Guests enter the hotel and their rooms using one-time PIN codes and contact a 24/7 digital concierge via phone or text. Owner Taylor McMaster states that streamlined staffing saves approximately $200,000 annually, and the remote team can manage multiple properties simultaneously. General Manager Christina Lehmann emphasizes that technology has not diminished personalized service but rather enhanced the experience by eliminating pain points such as waiting in line.