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.
THE DEBUT PROPERTY of Vision Hospitality Group’s (VHG) lifestyle The Tribute Portfolio, the Kinley Cincinnati Downtown, is now open in Cincinnati, Ohio. Two more are planned to follow in Vision Hospitality’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 94-room hotel is in the city’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood with nearby attractions including the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, the Cincinnati Art Museum and Cincinnati Music Hall. Vision Hospitality, led by Mitch Patel as CEO, renovated the historic Denton Building, constructed in 1916 by Cincinnati architect Alfred Oscar Elzner, to house the hotel.
Kinley Cincinnati Downtown décor features artwork showing local history local art pieces curated in partnership with the Cincinnati Art Underground. It includes the restored mural “Allegro” painted by artist Barron Krody for the 1971 series entitled Urban Walls: Cincinnati.
Other features include the contactless “uncheck-in” desk, a ground floor lobby bar called The Exchange and a restaurant, Khora, featuring a locally sourced pasta-driven menu. Khora is overseen by Cincinnati native Chef Kevin Ashworth and James Beard Foundation Award winner Chef Edward Lee.
The new hotel also features a fitness with Peloton fitness equipment. The name for the brand, Kinley, is derived from the terms kinship and “sincerely yours.”
“Kinley is bringing the hotel experience back to the root of what makes traveling such a desirable pastime – engaging in the community you’ve come to explore, and connecting with yourself,” Patel said.
Vision Hospitality broke ground for the 64-room Kinley Chattanooga Southside in downtown Chattanooga in January. It is expected to open in 2021 near the Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Songbirds Guitar Museum and also will feature works of local artists, a coffee bar and an “uncheck-in desk.”
Another Kinley is planned for Louisville, Kentucky, in the 51-room luxury boutique Grady Hotel, named after local journalist and proponent of New Urbanism Grady Clay.
Vision Hospitality launched the Kinley brand in 2018, originally as part of the Humanist portfolio.
“Humanist is bringing the hotel experience back to the root of what makes traveling such a desirable pastime – connecting with other travelers, connecting with the community you’ve come to explore, and connecting with yourself,” Patel said at that time.
Sonesta launched Americas Best Value Studios, an extended-stay version of ABVI.
The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping.
The brand meets demand for longer-term, value-focused stays.
SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. launched Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta, an extended-stay version of its franchised brand, Americas Best Value Inn. The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping, optional fitness center and lobby market along with standard brand requirements.
The brand aims to address the growing demand for longer-term, value-driven accommodations, Sonesta said in a statement.
"Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta represents a strategic evolution of our trusted Americas Best Value Inn brand," Keith Pierce, Sonesta’s executive vice president and president of franchise development, said. "We are expanding our offerings to directly address the increasing demand within the extended-stay segment, providing a practical solution for travelers seeking longer-term lodging at value. This new brand type allows our local franchised owner-operators to tap into a growing market while maintaining the community-focused experience that Americas Best Value Inn is known for."
ABVI has a majority presence in secondary and tertiary markets, the statement said.
The extended-stay brand’s operational model features a front desk, bi-weekly housekeeping, on-site laundry and pet-friendly accommodations, Sonesta said. Guests can also earn or redeem points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.
In August, Sonesta named Stayntouch its preferred property management system after a two-year review of its ability to support the company’s franchise model. The company operates more than 1,100 properties with more than 100,000 rooms across 13 brands on three continents.
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