Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Le Meridien hotel opens in St. Louis

Hawkeye Hotels will operate the property for the Paris-based owners

Le Meridien hotel opens in St. Louis

The Le Meridien St. Louis Downtown in St. Louis is open. It was developed by Hawkeye Hotels, led by Ravi Patel as president, and Paris-based Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts.

The 96-room hotel was converted from the Hotel Majestic, located in a building built in 1913, one of the city’s oldest landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is near the Dome at America’s Center, America’s Center Convention Complex, Busch Stadium, Gateway Arch National Park, Citygarden Sculpture Park, City Museum and Stifel Theater. Other nearby landmarks include the Gateway Arch, the Civil Courts Building and St. Louis City Hall.


Hotel amenities include a fitness center, 1,210 square feet of meeting and event space, American blended with French Creole and Cajun cuisine restaurant Prime 55 Restaurant & Lounge and gelato stand Le Scoop by Le Méridien. Hawkeye will operate the hotel.

Le Méridien fits in with St. Louis’s history as the former “Paris of the West,” according to Om Patel, Hawkeye’s vice president of development.

"To watch the deep history of this hotel and the French heritage of St. Louis come to life through an unprecedented rehabilitation has been truly special,” Patel said. “It has been important to our team to honor the hotel's unique history while also incorporating the mid-century modern design that is signature to Le Méridien. We can't wait for guests to experience that combination of modernized amenities with timeless elegance."

A grand opening for the hotel was held May 5 and St. Louis Mayor Tishuara Jones attended.

In September, Hawkeye opened the Holiday Inn Erie in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1982 with one roadside hotel in Mena, Arkansas, Hawkeye Hotels has become one of the fastest-growing hospitality companies in the US. The firm, which employs more than 1,000 staff, owns and operates over 60 hotels across the country, with additional properties under development.

More for you

AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Report: Global RevPAR to rise 3–5 percent in 2025

Report: Global RevPAR to rise 3–5 percent in 2025

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel data challenges report highlighting AI and automation opportunities in hospitality

Survey: Data gaps hinder hotel growth

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hyatt Way partnership

Hyatt taps Way for unified guest platform

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Report: CMBS delinquency rate hits 7.23 percent in July

Report: CMBS delinquency rate hits 7.23 percent in July

Summary:

  • U.S. CMBS delinquency rate rose 10 bps to 7.23 percent in July.
  • Multifamily was the only property type to increase, reaching 6.15 percent.
  • Office remained above 11 percent, while lodging and retail fell.

THE U.S. COMMERCIAL mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate rose for the fifth consecutive month in July, climbing 10 basis points to 7.23 percent, according to Trepp. The delinquent balance reached $43.3 billion, up from $42.3 billion in June.

Keep ReadingShow less