AHLA Foundation expands 'ForWard' initiative for women in hospitality
The foundation also announced the winner of the Peggy Berg Castell Award
By Vishnu Rageev RSep 26, 2023
THE AHLA FOUNDATION, is re-launching its ForWard program, created to advance women in leadership and ownership within the hotel industry, and plans to integrate the program with the recently acquired Castell Project, an organization focused on promoting women in hospitality leadership. Also, the foundation presented the 2023 Peggy Berg Castell Award to Julienne Smith, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ chief development officer for the Americas.
The integration of ForWard and the Castell Project will result in a unified platform offering resources, events, professional development, and community-building opportunities, the AHLA Foundation said in a statement.
“There is tremendous opportunity for us to do more to celebrate, champion, and create community for women,” said Anna Blue, president of AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. “AHLA Foundation is uniquely positioned to collaborate across industry and invest in the women who are advancing hospitality.”
The ForWard initiative's updated portfolio includes:
ForWard BUILD & ELEVATE (formerly Castell BUILD & ELEVATE): a year-long curriculum featuring skills-based workshops, career coaching, and leadership coursework aimed at establishing a strong foundation for career success.
ForWardThinking (formerly Castell@College): a speaker series designed to help hospitality students envision future career opportunities.
The ForWard Network: a community of women leaders that brings together ForWard Ambassadorswith the Friends of Castell and Castell Luminaries.
The ForWard Conference will continue as an AHLA Foundation event within this consolidated initiative.
The Peggy Berg Castell Award (formerly the Castell Award): This award, which recognizes exceptional women leaders in the hotel industry, has been renamed to honor the legacy and dedication of the Castell Project’s founder.
The integration of ForWard and Castell aligns with AHLA Foundation’s industry-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives, enabling unified strategic direction and amplified program impact, the foundation said. It aims to broaden the ForWard Network on local and national levels, providing enhanced professional development opportunities for women to connect, both in-person and online, it added.
Recognizing a trailblazer
The foundation presented the Peggy Berg Castell Award to Smith at the Lodging Conference on Sept. 20. The award highlights women trailblazers who are paving the way for more women to rise to the top of the hospitality industry.
Julienne Smith, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ chief development officer for the Americas, received the 2023 Peggy Berg Castell Award from the AHLA Foundation during The Lodging Conference in Phoenix last week.
The foundation said Smith is actively involved in supporting women through mentorships and sponsorships, and she partners with organizations that help women navigate the hotel ownership process. She also led the development of IHG LIFT, an owner growth program in the U.S. and Canada focused on creating more hotel development support for historically under-represented groups within IHG and across the hospitality industry. Julienne also serves on the Global and Americas Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Boards within IHG, is on the AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees, and serves on several industry conference advisory and planning committees, including AHLA’s ForWard.
“Increasing representation of women as well as other diverse and under-represented groups in the hospitality industry is something I’m passionate about as it builds upon our already powerful foundation and will ultimately strengthen our entire industry,” Smith said. “I’m honored to be in the same company of incredible women who have previously been recognized with this award, and I’m very grateful to the AHLA Foundation for this recognition.”
“The beauty of this award is the spotlight it puts on the women in this industry who are championing and elevating women, continuing the tradition of Peggy Berg (for whom the award is now named),” said Anna Blue, president of AHLA Foundation. “Julienne's leadership is inspirational; she's leaving an important mark on this industry in so many ways.”
With the acquisition of the Castell Project by AHLA Foundation last year, the Castell Award was renamed the Peggy Berg Castell Award to give tribute to the legacy and commitment of the Castell Project’s founder. The award will continue under AHLA Foundation’s ForWard initiative.
Noble broke ground on StudioRes Mobile Alabama at McGowin Park.
The 10th StudioRes expands Noble’s long-term accommodations platform.
Noble recently acquired 16 WoodSpring Suites properties through two portfolio transactions.
NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP broke ground on StudioRes Mobile Alabama at McGowin Park, a retail center in Mobile, Alabama. It is Noble’s 10th property under Marriott International’s extended stay StudioRes brand.
“Noble is institutionalizing one of the most resilient and undersupplied segments at the intersection of hospitality, mobility and how people stay,” said Shah. “We are scaling a branded platform to capture secular demand that creates stable cash flow and long-term value.”
In May, Noble acquired 16 WoodSpring Suites properties through two portfolio transactions, expanding its platform in branded long-term accommodations.
Noah Silverman, Marriott International’s global development officer, U.S. & Canada, said breaking ground on the 10th StudioRes with Noble reflects the brand’s growth and the companies’ three-decade partnership.
“With both companies’ expertise in long-term accommodations, Marriott’s distribution channels, and the power of our nearly 248 million Marriott Bonvoy members, we are confident StudioRes is uniquely positioned to generate customer demand at scale, drive performance and sustain long-term growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marriott has more than 50 signed StudioRes projects, about half under construction, the statement said. The first StudioRes opened in Fort Myers, Florida.
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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.
Their efforts build on the foundation’s scholarships and link academics to workforce needs, AHLA said in a statement.
"We're not just funding education—we're investing in the alignment between academic learning and professional readiness," said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president and CEO. "These partnerships give us the insights needed to support students and programs that effectively prepare graduates to enter the evolving hospitality industry."
ACPHA will provide annual reports on participating schools’ performance, enabling the Foundation to direct resources to programs with curricula aligned to industry needs, the Foundation said.
Thomas Kube, incoming ACPHA executive director, said the partnership shows academia and industry working together for hospitality students. The collaboration with ICHRIE includes program analysis, engagement through more than 40 Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society chapters and faculty development.
“Together, we are strengthening pathways to academic excellence, professional development and industry engagement,” said Donna Albano, chair of the ICHRIE Eta Sigma Delta Board of Governors.
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.
Major cities continue to attract strong demand and investor interest, particularly London, New York and Tokyo. APAC is likely to post the strongest growth, fueled by recovering Chinese travel, while urban markets remain poised for continued momentum.
Lifestyle hotels are emerging as the new “third place,” blending living, working and leisure. The trend is fueling expansion into branded residences and alternative accommodations. JLL said investors must weigh regional performance differences, asset types and lifestyle trends when evaluating opportunities.
Separately, a Hapi and Revinate survey found fragmented systems, inaccurate data and limited integration remain barriers for hotels seeking better data access to improve guest experience and revenue.
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.
“The Future of Hotel Data” report, published by hospitality data platform Hapi and direct booking platform Revinate, found that 40 percent of hoteliers cite disconnected systems as their biggest obstacle. Nearly one in five said poor data quality prevents personalization, limiting satisfaction, loyalty and upsell opportunities.
“Data is the foundation for every company, but most hotels still struggle to access and connect it effectively,” said Luis Segredo, Hapi’s cofounder and CEO. “This report shows there’s a clear path forward: integrate systems, improve data accuracy and embrace AI to unlock real-time insights. Hotels that can remove these technology barriers will operate more efficiently, drive loyalty, boost revenue and ultimately gain a competitive edge in a tight market.”
AI and automation could transform hospitality through dynamic pricing, real-time personalization and operational efficiency, but require standardized, integrated and reliable data to succeed, the report said.
Around 19 percent of respondents cited communication delays as a major issue, while 18 percent pointed to ineffective marketing, the survey found. About 10 percent reported challenges with enterprise initiatives and 15 percent said they struggled to understand guest needs. Nearly 46 percent identified CRM and loyalty systems as the top priority for data quality improvements, followed by sales and upselling at 17 percent, operations at 10 percent and customer service at 7 percent.
Meanwhile, hotels see opportunities in stronger CRM and loyalty systems, integrated platforms and AI, the report said. Priorities include improving data quality for personalized engagement, using integrated systems for real-time insights, applying AI for offers, marketing and service and leveraging dynamic pricing and automation to boost efficiency, conversion and profitability.
“Clean, connected data is the key to truly understanding the needs of guests, driving amazing marketing campaigns and delivering direct booking revenue,” said Bryson Koehler, Revinate's CEO. “Looking ahead, hotels that transform fragmented data into connected data systems will be able to leverage guest intelligence data and gain a significant advantage. With the right technology, they can personalize every interaction, shift share to direct channels and drive profitability in ways that weren’t possible before. The future belongs to hotels that harness their data to operate smarter, delight guests and grow revenue.”
In June, The State of Distribution 2025 reported a widening gap between technology potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in using AI and developing training, systems, and workflows.
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.
World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites, including wellness programs, cultural activities, ticketed events and local collaborations, the companies said in a statement. Members can also access FIND Experiences, which includes activities and auctions where points can be used to bid on events.
"In our search for an on-brand platform to power experiences and tap into ancillary revenue opportunities, Way's collaboration has been a true unlock for us," said Arlie Sisson, Hyatt’s senior vice president and global head of digital. "After a thorough evaluation of potential solutions, Hyatt chose Way to power the next chapter of our digital strategy by streamlining operations, elevating brand differentiation, enhancing personalization and, most importantly, delivering care at every touchpoint in the guest journey."
The Way initiative spans Hyatt’s portfolio, covering cabana rentals, in-room amenities and partnerships with local providers, the statement said. Way’s technology supports real-time translation, more than 100 currencies, multiple payment methods and data insights to help Hyatt manage operations globally.
"Hyatt set a high bar and Way is proud to bring their vision to life," said Michael Stocker, Way’s co-founder and CEO.
"The platform supports enterprise needs while preserving the guest experience."