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RevPAR
trends better than expected. RevPAR trends have been better than expected across the
board year to date, according to a note from analyst Michael Bellisario of R.W.
Baird. Bellisario said RevPAR growth in the first quarter was about 200 basis
points ahead of Baird’s beginning-of-the-year expectations, with particular
strength in February and March. “The low end is improving due to easier
comparisons, the high end is still outperforming, and San Francisco, South
Florida and New York City have been strong,” he said. He said favorable calendar
and holiday timing shifts in both February and March boosted leisure and resort
performance, and, according to many of the airlines' recent commentary,
corporate travel demand and bookings have remained at record levels.
New AAHOA
chair. Rahul Patel
has become the 36th chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association
(AAHOA), serving for the 2026–2027 term. Patel assumed the role at the
conclusion of AAHOACON26, the association’s annual convention & trade show,
held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. He was elected
secretary in 2023, beginning a leadership journey that culminates with his
chairmanship. The organization announced its new board of directors for the
2026-27 term, including newly elected Secretary Dhiren Masters.
IHG adds
in India. IHG Hotels
& Resorts has signed a management agreement with NCPL to develop the
100-key Holiday Inn Goa Kadamba in India, scheduled to open in the first
quarter of 2030. IHG currently operates 51 hotels across six brands in India
and has a pipeline of 89 hotels due to open over the next three to five years.
New Sleep
Inn prototype. Choice Hotels International is debuting its new “Scenic Dreams” prototype for
its Sleep Inn brand in Tennessee, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Choice said early
results show that the Scenic Dreams investments are translating into stronger
performance, with hotels that have undergone the renovations seeing a RevPAR
premium of +1.71, and among properties that have completed the majority of
their upgrades, guest satisfaction scores have also risen. The new hotels are
in Ashland City and Savannah, Tennessee; Middletown, Pennsylvania and
Henderson, Nevada. Choice said there are more than 40 Sleep Inn hotels with the
Scenic Dreams prototype in the pipeline.
Ascott
Ltd. adds in Nairobi. Singapore-based The Ascott Ltd. has signed the 160-key Citadines Westview
Nairobi in the capital’s Kilimani district. The new property will complement
the existing 162-key Somerset Westview Nairobi serviced apartments, forming a
strategic dual-brand offering. The new hotel is scheduled to open in the first
quarter of 2028. The Nairobi signing forms part of Ascott’s broader expansion
across Africa, where the company has secured 10 signings over the past year.
Ritz-Carlton
Savannah update. The
LCP Group LP has closed on $104.5 million in construction financing for The
Ritz-Carlton Savannah, Downtown, a 168-key luxury hotel currently under
development, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2028. The
project and developer is Boca Raton, Florida and Charleston, South
Carolina-based TMGOC Ventures on the previously reported deal.
Luxury-tier
boutiques led last year. Comparisons with the same class of traditional US hotels indicate that
boutique hotels continued to perform very well in 2025, according to data in
The Boutique Hotel Report 2026. Demand and revenues reached all-time highs, and
the strongest year belongs to luxury-tier boutiques, which saw across-the-board
gains, including a 6% increase in revenues. “Lifestyle hotels increased supply
at the fastest pace in 2025, gaining from the largest number of affiliations
with former indie boutiques, many with an emphasis on outdoor lodging… A focus
on the outdoor lodging concept will be an interesting boutique trend to watch
as this segment continues to evolve,” said Kim Bardoul, owner, Bardoul Hotel
Advisors.