The US hospitality industry is facing critical staffing shortages since the government tightened up its H-2B visa program. Restaurants, inns and landscapers say business will be down this season because theyÕre unable to hire the number of workers they need.
Ascott acquires majority stake in AustraliaÕs Quest Apartment Hotels
The Ascott Limited, the wholly owned serviced residence business of CapitaLand,Êis acquiring an additional 60 per centÊstake in Quest Apartment Hotels for A$180 million.
Marriott Hotels launches its ongoing partnership with TED in Asia
Worldwide Marriott Hotels has launched its ongoing partnership with TED in Asia, inviting three inventive TED fellows to share their views on travel and innovation.
Samsung and SONIFI launch an integrated in-room technology package
Samsung Electronics America, a global leader in hospitality technology, announces a partnership with Sonifi Solutions, a leading provider of interactive guest engagement solutions, to offer hoteliers an integrated in-room technology bundle.
STR: Record-breaking Q1 for London hotels
During the first three months of 2017, the hotel industry in London, England, posted its highest revenue per available room (RevPAR) for any first quarter on record, according to data from STR. The market’s absolute RevPAR level of GBP101.50 was an 11.3 per cent increase compared with Q1 2016.
SA must address shortage of experienced African GMs in hotel industry
According to the Managing Partner of HVS in Africa, Tim Smith, HVS Executive Search recently mapped the entire continent of Africa for general managers and it took them less than a week. ÒThere are a staggeringly low amount of GMs on the continent and this is something that definitely needs to be addressed,Ó he says.
Dual-brand hotels usher in new era as bigger properties go out of style
As the hotel industry learns to streamline costs and position itself to be more competitive against entities like Airbnb, many of the world’s leading hotel owners have taken toÊcombining multiple concepts under one roof in a trend known as dual-brand hotels.Ê
New bill seeks to curb Airbnb in New YorkÑby legalizing it
A new bill is being considered in New York to create exceptions in New York stateÕs housing laws for the establishment of more Airbnb rentals.ÊA Brooklyn state legislator is behind the bill, which seeks to amend the stateÕs multiple-dwelling law, which currently prohibits rentals for less than 30 days in New York City apartments unless the owner is present for the duration of the rental.Ê
French hotel groups invest in RoomChecking
Astotel Group, Maurice Hurand Hotels and BPI have followed in AccorHotel’sÊfootsteps, investing in hotel technology as the future of hotel management, and offer 750,000 EUR late seed-funding to RoomChecking, a hotel communications, housekeeping, and maintenance system startup.
A comeback from Japanese visitors boosts HawaiiÕs tourism spending
A comeback from the Japan visitor market helped boost statewide March tourism numbers, including the industry’s highest monthly spending increase since December 2012. Statewide March arrivals rose 2 per cent year-over-year to 802,802 visitors, who spent a healthy $1.4 billion, up 12 per cent from the prior year, according to visitor data released Friday by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.
