Latest news: Crescent adds in PHX; new Houston Bunkhouse; Hilton debuts in Nepal

Crescent will manage dual-branded hotels in Phoenix. Fairfax, Virginia-based Crescent Hotels & Resorts will manage the dual-branded 184-key AC Hotel by Marriott North Phoenix at Norterra and the 94-key Element by Westin North Phoenix at Norterra, which is scheduled to open in late 2025. The hotel is a collaboration between Dallas-based developer Jackson Shaw and Tucson-based Holualoa Companies. Crescent operates over 120 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada.

Bunkhouse adds in Houston. Austin, Texas-based Bunkhouse is opening its first property in Houston with the Hotel Saint Augustine. The 71-key property is scheduled to open in mid-November. Bunkhouse is already developing a second hotel in Houston, the 47-key Hotel Daphne, which is scheduled to open in early 2025. Bunkhouse currently operates 10 hotels in Texas, California, Kentucky and Mexico. 

Hilton debuts in Nepal. Hilton is making its debut in Nepal with the opening of the 172-key Hilton Kathmandu. The hotel is owned and developed by Napal-based Shanker Group and will be the tallest hotel in Kathmandu. Hilton has almost 90 hotels and resorts across Asia Pacific.  

New brand for Standard. New York City-based Standard International is debuting a new lifestyle hotel brand, The StandardX, in Melbourne, Australia. The 125-key The StandardX, Melbourne is scheduled to open on August 8 and is a sister brand to The Standard, which has locations in New York, Miami, London, the Maldives, Hua Hin, Ibiza and Bangkok.

Lemon Tree adds in India. New Delhi, India-based Lemon Tree Hotels has signed a new hotel at Kota, Rajasthan, India, which is scheduled to open in fiscal year 2025. The 58-key Keys Prima by Lemon Tree Hotels, Kota will be managed by Carnations Hotels, which is a subsidiary of Lemon Tree Hotels. Lemon Tree operates over 160 hotels in India and across Asia Pacific. 

Hotel performance in Canada improves. Hotels in Canada saw higher numbers in June than the previous year, according to the latest data from CoStar.  Through June 2024, occupancy was 74.5% (up 0.5% from June 2023), ADR was CAD231.04 (up 3.7%) and RevPAR CAD172.10 (up 4.2%). Among the provinces and territories, Newfoundland and Labrador recorded the highest occupancy level (82.8%, up 4.6%), while Toronto saw the highest occupancy among major markets (84.7%, up 1.5%). The lowest occupancy among provinces was in Saskatchewan (63.3% up 0.4%), with Edmonton having the lowest occupancy among major markets (62.2% up 7.5%).

Industry legend W. Michael Murphy dies. W. Michael Murphy, who had a distinguished hotel career and was a board member for several hotel companies, passed away on July 24. Murphy was serving on the boards of Dallas-based Ashford Inc. and was chair of Vancouver-based American Hotel Income Properties REIT. Prior to serving on the board of Ashford, Murphy served on the boards of Ashford’s two other REITs: Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels & Resorts.