Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Asian American-owned JV developing a Canopy in New Orleans

Baywood Hotels and NewcrestImage to renovate historic Oil and Gas Building

TWO ASIAN AMERICAN-owned companies are working together to develop a Canopy by Hilton in downtown New Orleans. Baywood Hotels and NewcrestImage are renovating the historic former Oil and Gas Building into a 176-room, 14-floor upscale hotel.

Baywood, based in Columbia, Maryland, is led by President Al Patel and Mehul Patel is chairman and CEO of Dallas-based NewcrestImage.


The joint venture will update the Oil and Gas Building that was built in 1959 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 for its use of glass, steel and abstract geometry in a skyscraper. It is near the city’s French Quarter,  the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Audubon Aquarium, Harrah’s Casino and historic Jackson and Lafayette squares.

Other nearby attractions are Tulane Medical Center, the University Medical Center of New Orleans and the LSU Health Center. The new Canopy will include updated features while retaining its connection to the local community, Mehul said. It will feature a restaurant and a meeting space with a terrace balcony.

“We are a development company that is very much about preservation, conservation, and adaptive-reuse,” he said.  “This new hotel will preserve the past and make it work for the present.”

Baywood’s Al agreed.

“We are combining the glamour of yesterday with the cool and comfortable of today,” he said. “Our guests will enjoy a little bit of classic, a little bit of modern, and a whole lot of the neighborhood character.”

The hotel, scheduled to open in the summer of 2021, is NewcrestImage’s third hotel in New Orleans and Baywood’s fourth in Louisiana.

Baywood owns more than 110 properties in 18 states and Gujarat, India, including its recently opened the dual-branded Home2 Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America and Tru by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. NewcrestImage, which recently opened a Hyatt Place in Amarillo, Texas, owns and operates 32 hotels in 10 states with 18 more under construction.

More for you

Colliers: US hotel assets improve in 2025, led by Northeast and Central regions

Report: Hospitality health up on travel, events

What are the key findings from Colliers’ 2025 Hospitality Outlook?

THE FINANCIAL HEALTH of hospitality assets, especially in the northeast and central regions, is improving, driven by leisure travel and the return of conferences and events, according to Colliers. U.S. hotels saw RevPAR rise 2.4 percent, ADR 1.9 percent and a slight uptick in occupancy from April 2024 to March 2025.

Colliers' 2025 Hospitality Outlook report found that some regions are still returning to pre-pandemic demand levels, while others are reaching prior cyclical peaks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Extended Stay America survey 2025

Study: Extended-stay hotels feel more like home

What makes extended-stay hotels better than vacation rentals?

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPERFORM vacation rentals and apartments in comfort, value and sense of home, according to a survey by Extended Stay America. About 79 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels are like a home away from home, while 82 percent said they offer a stronger sense of home than vacation rentals or apartments.

In the national survey by ESA and Wakefield Research, respondents preferred extended-stay hotels over other options, citing amenities at 34 percent, comfort and familiarity at 33 percent and personalization at 30 percent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Analyze competitive set data to boost revenue in the USA hospitality market

HotStats: Updated comp sets boost revenue

Why U.S. Hotels Must Regularly Update Their Competitive Sets

HOTELS SHOULD USE an updated competitive set to maximize revenue, control costs and maintain market position, according to HotStats. Those that fine-tune their comp sets consistently outperform others by using real-time insights to guide pricing, labor and revenue strategies.

The comp set should be reviewed at least once a year, HotStats wrote in a recent blog post.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two best friends reunite on a Days Inn trip for social media ambassador campaign

Days Inn launches $10K bestie contest

How Can You Win $10K with Days Inn’s Best Friends Contest?

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS’ Days Inn brand is launching a nationwide search to reunite five pairs of long-distance friends as brand ambassadors. The pairs, named “Days Inn-siders,” will spend a weekend highlighting a destination on the brand’s social media and receive $10,000, accommodations, flights and a daily stipend.

The initiative aligns with National Best Friends Day on June 8, and applications are open online through July 1, Wyndham said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ameyalli Park City by Appellation resort

Appellation, Chopra launch Utah retreat

Introducing Ameyalli Park City by Appellation

APPELLATION HOTEL BRAND co-founders Charlie Palmer and Christopher Hunsberger are working with wellness expert Deepak Chopra to launch a new branded hospitality concept, “Ameyalli Park City by Appellation”, near Park City, Utah. The 78-acre retreat, set to open in 2026 in Midway, will include an 80-key hotel, a wellbeing center and multiple dining venues.

The resort will feature the Ameyalli Center of Excellence, offering health and longevity programming based on Chopra’s seven pillars of wellbeing: emotional regulation, sleep, mindfulness, movement, relationships, nutrition and laughter. Appellation will operate the property.

Keep ReadingShow less