Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently senior editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
SIX PROPERTIES SIGNED with hihotels by Hospitality International in the second quarter of the year, all under Asian American owners. The new hotels are in Texas, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
They join four other properties that, in the first quarter, joined hihotels’ five brands; Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn.
The new properties are:
A Red Carpet Inn in Leavenworth, Indiana, owned by Katen Patel.
A Red Carpet Inn in College Park, Maryland, former Econo Lodge, owned by Naginbhai Patel.
A Red Carpet Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, former Travelodge, owned by Mahendra Patel.
A Red Carpet Inn in Lester, Pennsylvania, former Econo Lodge, owned by Vinod Patel/Bharat ‘Raj’ Naik/Arav Naik.
A Scottish Inns in Ashland, Oregon, former Rodeway Inn, owned by Bharat Lad.
A Scottish Inns & Suites in Spring, Texas, former Econo Lodge, owned by Ketan Rama.
“We have been working aggressively to expand the footprint of our brands through what I call smart growth,” said hihotels President & CEO Chris Guimbellot. “Instead of focusing on the sheer number of hotels in the system, we are focusing more on hotels that are in good locations, are high quality and have ownership that has a desire to work together to achieve success for both their property and their franchise system. These new additions are perfect examples and will help increase the value of the system in the long term.”
The new hotels join 18 properties throughout the U.S. added in 2020, most owned by Asian American hoteliers, as are the four added this year. More hoteliers are expressing interest in the brand, said Guimbellot.
“We provide the tools to help hoteliers maximize their ROI potential, such as the ‘Assurance & Marketing Program’ that delivers ongoing sales and marketing support and training right to your door,” he said.
House introduces AFA to boost franchise model and hotel operations.
The act establishes a joint employer standard.
AHLA backs the bill, urging swift adoption.
THE HOUSE Of Representatives introduced the American Franchise Act, aimed at supporting the U.S. franchising sector, including 36,000 franchised hotels and 3 million workers nationwide. The American Hotel & Lodging Association, backed the bill, urging swift adoption to boost the franchise model and clarify joint employer standards.
The AFA amends the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act, which since 2015 have created uncertainty for franchisors and franchisees, AHLA said in a statement.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma) and Don Davis (D-North Carolina) introduced the AFA.
“Hotel franchising is a pathway to the American Dream for many entrepreneurs,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president and CEO. “It is a proven win-win business model that enables partnerships between franchisees and franchisors. The American Franchise Act codifies a clear joint employer definition and is essential to protecting this framework.”
AFA aims to protect the franchise model, which has long enabled women and minority entrepreneurs to run their own businesses with support from larger brands, the statement said. It will clarify the employment relationship by establishing a joint employer standard that protects workers and preserves franchisee autonomy.
Mitch Patel, AHLA board chair and Vision Hospitality Group CEO, said that as a hotel franchisee, he has seen how the model enabled him and others to achieve the American Dream.
“Throughout my career, my hotel business has employed thousands of people who have built lifelong careers in our industry,” he said. “The American Franchise Act is essential to preserving this foundation. For the benefit of both employers and employees, we strongly encourage the swift passage of this critical legislation.”
"As one of the few franchisees in Congress, I understand how damaging an ever-changing joint-employer rule is to the franchise business model,” said Hern. “I'm pleased that we were able to come together in a bipartisan effort to create legislation that safeguards small businesses and individuals working to achieve the American Dream across the country."
Davis said changes to joint-employer rules have created prolonged uncertainty in the industry.
“The American Franchise Act aims to restore stability by clarifying that franchisors and franchisees operate as independent employers while safeguarding workers through established labor standards,” he said.
Separately, a petition for a referendum on Los Angeles’s “Olympic Wage” ordinance, which sets a $30 minimum wage for hospitality workers by the 2028 Games, fell short of signatures. The ordinance will take effect, raising hotel wages from $22.50 to $25 next year, $27.50 in 2027 and $30 in 2028.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Asian Media
Group USA Inc. and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
AHLA Foundation is partnering with ICHRIE and ACPHA to support hospitality education.
The collaborations align academic programs with industry workforce needs.
It will provide data, faculty development, and student engagement opportunities.
THE AHLA FOUNDATION, International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration work to expand education opportunities for students pursuing hospitality careers. The alliances aim to provide data, faculty development and student engagement opportunities.
Their efforts build on the foundation’s scholarships and link academics to workforce needs, AHLA said in a statement.
"We're not just funding education—we're investing in the alignment between academic learning and professional readiness," said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president and CEO. "These partnerships give us the insights needed to support students and programs that effectively prepare graduates to enter the evolving hospitality industry."
ACPHA will provide annual reports on participating schools’ performance, enabling the Foundation to direct resources to programs with curricula aligned to industry needs, the Foundation said.
Thomas Kube, incoming ACPHA executive director, said the partnership shows academia and industry working together for hospitality students. The collaboration with ICHRIE includes program analysis, engagement through more than 40 Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society chapters and faculty development.
“Together, we are strengthening pathways to academic excellence, professional development and industry engagement,” said Donna Albano, chair of the ICHRIE Eta Sigma Delta Board of Governors.
Global hotel RevPAR is projected to grow 3 to 5 percent in 2025, JLL reports.
Hotel RevPAR rose 4 percent in 2024, with demand at 4.8 billion room nights.
London, New York and Tokyo are expected to lead investor interest in 2025.
GLOBAL HOTEL REVPAR is projected to grow 3 to 5 percent in 2025, with investment volume up 15 to 25 percent, driven by loan maturities, deferred capital spending and private equity fund expirations, according to JLL. Leisure travel is expected to decline as consumer savings tighten, while group, corporate and international travel increase, supporting RevPAR growth.
Major cities continue to attract strong demand and investor interest, particularly London, New York and Tokyo. APAC is likely to post the strongest growth, fueled by recovering Chinese travel, while urban markets remain poised for continued momentum.
Lifestyle hotels are emerging as the new “third place,” blending living, working and leisure. The trend is fueling expansion into branded residences and alternative accommodations. JLL said investors must weigh regional performance differences, asset types and lifestyle trends when evaluating opportunities.
Separately, a Hapi and Revinate survey found fragmented systems, inaccurate data and limited integration remain barriers for hotels seeking better data access to improve guest experience and revenue.
Fragmented systems, poor integration limit hotels’ data access, according to a survey.
Most hotel professionals use data daily but struggle to access it for revenue and operations.
AI and automation could provide dynamic pricing, personalization and efficiency.
FRAGMENTED SYSTEMS, INACCURATE information and limited integration remain barriers to hotels seeking better data access to improve guest experiences and revenue, according to a newly released survey. Although most hotel professionals use data daily, the survey found 49 percent struggle to access what they need for revenue and operational decisions.
“The Future of Hotel Data” report, published by hospitality data platform Hapi and direct booking platform Revinate, found that 40 percent of hoteliers cite disconnected systems as their biggest obstacle. Nearly one in five said poor data quality prevents personalization, limiting satisfaction, loyalty and upsell opportunities.
“Data is the foundation for every company, but most hotels still struggle to access and connect it effectively,” said Luis Segredo, Hapi’s cofounder and CEO. “This report shows there’s a clear path forward: integrate systems, improve data accuracy and embrace AI to unlock real-time insights. Hotels that can remove these technology barriers will operate more efficiently, drive loyalty, boost revenue and ultimately gain a competitive edge in a tight market.”
AI and automation could transform hospitality through dynamic pricing, real-time personalization and operational efficiency, but require standardized, integrated and reliable data to succeed, the report said.
Around 19 percent of respondents cited communication delays as a major issue, while 18 percent pointed to ineffective marketing, the survey found. About 10 percent reported challenges with enterprise initiatives and 15 percent said they struggled to understand guest needs. Nearly 46 percent identified CRM and loyalty systems as the top priority for data quality improvements, followed by sales and upselling at 17 percent, operations at 10 percent and customer service at 7 percent.
Meanwhile, hotels see opportunities in stronger CRM and loyalty systems, integrated platforms and AI, the report said. Priorities include improving data quality for personalized engagement, using integrated systems for real-time insights, applying AI for offers, marketing and service and leveraging dynamic pricing and automation to boost efficiency, conversion and profitability.
“Clean, connected data is the key to truly understanding the needs of guests, driving amazing marketing campaigns and delivering direct booking revenue,” said Bryson Koehler, Revinate's CEO. “Looking ahead, hotels that transform fragmented data into connected data systems will be able to leverage guest intelligence data and gain a significant advantage. With the right technology, they can personalize every interaction, shift share to direct channels and drive profitability in ways that weren’t possible before. The future belongs to hotels that harness their data to operate smarter, delight guests and grow revenue.”
In June, The State of Distribution 2025 reported a widening gap between technology potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in using AI and developing training, systems, and workflows.
Hyatt partners with Way to unify guest experiences on one platform.
Members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites.
Way’s technology supports translation, payments and data insights for Hyatt.
HYATT HOTELS CORP. is working with Austin-based startup Way to consolidate ancillary services, loyalty experiences and on-property programming on one platform across its global portfolio. The collaboration integrates Way’s system into Hyatt.com, the World of Hyatt app, property websites and FIND Experiences to create a centralized booking platform.
World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites, including wellness programs, cultural activities, ticketed events and local collaborations, the companies said in a statement. Members can also access FIND Experiences, which includes activities and auctions where points can be used to bid on events.
"In our search for an on-brand platform to power experiences and tap into ancillary revenue opportunities, Way's collaboration has been a true unlock for us," said Arlie Sisson, Hyatt’s senior vice president and global head of digital. "After a thorough evaluation of potential solutions, Hyatt chose Way to power the next chapter of our digital strategy by streamlining operations, elevating brand differentiation, enhancing personalization and, most importantly, delivering care at every touchpoint in the guest journey."
The Way initiative spans Hyatt’s portfolio, covering cabana rentals, in-room amenities and partnerships with local providers, the statement said. Way’s technology supports real-time translation, more than 100 currencies, multiple payment methods and data insights to help Hyatt manage operations globally.
"Hyatt set a high bar and Way is proud to bring their vision to life," said Michael Stocker, Way’s co-founder and CEO.
"The platform supports enterprise needs while preserving the guest experience."