Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently senior editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
REPLETE WITH CAR racing motifs reflecting its theme “Accelerate,” BWH Hotels held its annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nearly 3,000 BWH Hotels members, operators and partners from around the world attended the event that featured a welcome reception in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum.
BWH Hotels President and CEO Larry Cuculic followed the racing theme in his opening address to the crowd.
“Winning every day, leveling up every day's wins, create that year's championship,” Cuculic said. “That's how it happens in racing. Wins create championships, and then championships create legacies, lasting legacies for you, your teams and your family.”
During the convention, Cuculic and other executives addressed the company’s growth domestically and internationally, its performance in the extended-stay and luxury sectors as well as new technologies. Attendees also heard about BWH Hotels’ marketing efforts and reports from board members including Raj Patel, also CEO of Apsilon Hotels in Atlanta.
Raj Patel, also CEO of Apsilon Hotels in Atlanta and BWH Hotels board member told attendees they are “united by our passion.”
“As I look out in this audience, I can't help but feel now that we are all together in the convention, our family, my father, moved to America and started all over again from the ground up so his kids would have a better life, and through hard work, it all came out,” Patel said. “I know many of you share the similar story, but regardless of where you come from, where your hotel is located, or what type of hotel you have, we are all united by our passion.”
Growth at home and abroad
Cuculic said the “Accelerate” theme expresses the company’s energy and momentum.
“Our company is a powerful, global network of hotels for every type of traveler. This year, we reached $8.5 billion in international hotel revenue and signed nearly 300 new properties, including our first-ever beautiful glamping resort, the Zion Wildflower Resort at Zion National Park,” Cuculic said. “Our hotel teams are the heart of our business, and we are grateful our global community could come together this week to help shape the future and success of BWH Hotels.”
This year, BWH Hotels, which already has more than 4,300 hotels in 100 countries and territories worldwide signed nearly 300 properties, reinforcing its position as the second-largest soft branding company in the world. It saw increases in both leisure and business room nights throughout 2024 and reached a milestone of $1 billion in sales revenue for the first time.
Growth continues in India
BWH Hotels’ international subsidiary WorldHotels added several new properties in 2024, said Ron Pohl, WorldHotels president and BWH Hotels president of international operations. In India, Pohl said, BWH Hotels’ master licensee for the country Sorrel Hospitality, has opened 32 hotels over the past eight years and has another 24 in the pipeline.
WorldHotels President Ron Pohl said India is BWH Hotels’ “next horizon.”
“I'm working very closely with the Sorrel team and your board of directors to determine how we can expedite our growth in India, maybe with the help of some of the folks in this room,” Pohl said. “India is the next horizon for BWH Hotels.”
Pohl said WorldHotels, Sorrel and the BWH Hotels board of directors are working “to determine how we can excel growth in India, which may include additional member and brand support.”
Luxury and extended stay
Growth is the key to everything, said Brad LeBlanc, BWH Hotels’ senior vice president and chief development officer.
“It is the key to your personal life, your professional life, and your hotels,” LeBlanc said. “I can say emphatically that growth is the key to BWH's future, hands down. The best way I can help you is to grow this company, because at the end of the day, we know size and scale matter.”
Much of the company’s growth comes from the extended-stay segment. BWH Hotels’ extended-stay brands include @HOME by Best Western that currently has properties under construction in Miami, Atlanta and Orlando as well as 20 states and territories in its pipeline.
Brad LeBlanc, BWH Hotels’ senior vice president and chief development officer, said the company is seeing much growth in the extended-stay sector and that its upscale Aiden brand is the key to opening new markets.
“I'll say it again, extended-stay rules the pipeline with 33 percent of the pipeline, that's just an incredible fact,” LeBlanc said. “Here's what I believe. I believe that we're on the cusp of an expansion that we haven't seen in a long time. I believe the suppressed supply growth with aging inventory, I believe with a growing moving shift in population base, we are on the cusp of something huge in this industry.”
LeBlanc also highlighted the company’s upscale Aiden brand as another source of growth. With nearly 130 properties open and in the pipeline, the brand opened new properties globally, including its first New York City hotel with Aiden Long Island City and new properties in Poland, Mexico and Guyana.
“At the end of the day, Aiden will be an absolute huge winner for this organization,” LeBlanc said. “Aiden allows us, in a very, very fun way to penetrate much needed urban and dense suburban markets. We have a solution. It's new, it's fresh. It's really hard to get approved, but you'll get there.”
By “hard to get approved,” LeBlanc specified that every Aiden must be in an upscale market.
“That means it has an upscale comp set that doesn't have creative food and beverage and that doesn't have a boutique operator around it,” he said.
Like birds in the wilderness
LeBlanc also spoke on BWH Hotels entry into the $12.4 billion glamping industry with the Zion Wildflower Resort. The move follows Hilton’s AutoCamp Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s Under Canvas.
“The hospitality industry continues to evolve and we're evolving right along with it,” LeBlanc said. “Last year in this country, glamping revenues totaled $500 million. Glamping revenues annually were $12.4 billion, moving to $40 billion by 2034.It's a segment hoteliers are stepping into.”
Reopening for a new season next March 1, three-year-old Zion Wildflower is part of the BW Premier Collection by Best Western.
“You wake up in nature, in a beautiful tent of some sort, with all the modern conveniences surrounding you, wake up in the fresh air, but not on the ground,” LeBlanc said. “You walk outside with your cup of coffee, and you stand in the beauty of nature, and you just soak it in all the modern conveniences and a camping experience.”
LeBlanc said more such resorts are planned.
“We have a growing interest from many of our members for new locations. Adding a dozen is a real possibility. And it's just a market that's beginning, though. It's in its infancy,” LeBlanc said. “This is not sleeping in a tent. This is sleeping in a well done, fully formatted, fully AC, really cool place with bathroom with your iPhone charger next to your bed.”
New audience, new message
Joelle Park, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, discussed the company’s plans to further define its "Life's a Trip" marketing campaign. The original program was based on research by PMG Research.
“Building on that third party research that informed our initial personas for our Life's a Trip campaign. This summer, we conducted our own proprietary global consumer research,” Park said. “What we learned is BWH Hotel's next best guest skew slightly younger than our current basic travelers. They still travel for both leisure and for business, slightly more for leisure. They have a skew of exploration, actively seeking experiences off the beaten path. So we're going to define these next best guests for us as our emerging Explorers.”
Joelle Park, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, addressed the company’s plans to market itself to a new, experience-seeking generation of travelers.
This new group of travelers are looking for unique experiences. Park said they are largely aware of Best Western but were not aware of the broader BWH portfolio.
“Here's the important part; when we introduce this new group of travelers, emerging explorers, to the full range of hotel options that we offer, their likelihood to try our hotels overall increased, as well as their likely to join our loyalty program,” Park said. “This is our opportunity to introduce these emerging explorers who are open to trying new brands to our full portfolio of brands through the added value of our loyalty program.”
Hersha Hotels & Resorts sold The Boxer Boston to Eurostars Hotels.
The company acquired the property in 2012 for $12.6 million.
The property now sold for $23.6 million.
HERSHA HOTELS & RESORTS sold The Boxer Boston, an 80-room hotel in Boston’s West End, to Eurostars Hotels, part of Spain’s Grupo Hotusa. The company, which reportedly acquired the property in 2012 for $12.6 million, received $23.6 million for it.
The seven-story hotel, built in 1904, is near TD Garden, the Charles River Esplanade, One Congress, North Station and Massachusetts General Hospital, said JLL Hotels & Hospitality, which brokered the sale. It also has a fitness center.
Hersha Hotels & Resorts is part of the Hersha Group, founded in 1984 by Hasu Shah. Jay Shah serves as senior advisor and his brother Neil Shah is president and CEO.
JLL Managing Director Alan Suzuki, Senior Director Matthew Enright and Associate Emily Zhang represented the seller.
"The Boxer’s prime location at the crossroads of Boston's West End, North End and Downtown districts, combined with its strong cash flow and its unencumbered status regarding brand and management, made this an exceptionally attractive investment," said Suzuki. "Boston continues to demonstrate resilient lodging fundamentals driven by its diverse demand generators, including world-class educational institutions, medical facilities, corporate presence and convention and leisure attractions."
The property will become the Spanish hotel chain Eurostars’ fifth U.S. hotel, supporting the group’s North American expansion, the statement said.
Amancio López Seijas, president of Grupo Hotusa and Eurostars Hotels Co., said the addition of Eurostars’ The Boxer strengthens the company’s presence in key locations and promotes urban tourism.
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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.
U.S. holiday travel is down to 44 percent, led by Millennials and Gen Z.
Younger consumers are cost-conscious while older generations show steadier travel intent.
76 percent of Millennials are likely to use AI for travel recommendations.
NEARLY 44 PERCENT of U.S. consumers plan to travel during the 2025 holiday season, down from 46 percent last year, according to PwC. Millennials and Gen Z lead travel intent at 55 percent each, while Gen X sits at 39 percent and Baby Boomers at 26 percent.
PwC’s “Holiday Outlook 2025” survey found that among those not traveling, about half prefer to celebrate at home and cost concerns affect 43 percent, rising to 50 percent for Gen Z non-travelers. Visiting friends and relatives remains the main reason for holiday travel, cited by roughly 48 percent of those planning trips.
Younger consumers are more cost-conscious, while older generations show steadier travel intent. This split influences travel operators’ planning: younger travelers may require clear value, bundled perks and flexible options, whereas older travelers respond to reliability and convenience. Despite overall spending pressure, travel remains a key priority, reflecting its social and emotional importance during the holidays.
PwC surveyed 4,000 U.S. consumers from June 26 to July 9, with 1,000 each from Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers, balanced by gender and region.
Generational spending patterns
Gen Z plans a 23 percent reduction in spending after last year’s 37 percent surge, while Boomers expect a 5 percent increase. Millennials are largely flat, down 1 percent and Gen X edges up 2 percent. Overall holiday spending is down 5 percent, with gift spending falling 11 percent, while travel and entertainment budgets remain stable, increasing 1 percent.
Households with children under 18 plan to spend more than twice as much as households without, averaging $2,349 compared to $1,089, highlighting the focus on family-centered experiences.
For travel and hospitality operators, these patterns suggest stronger conversion potential among older cohorts with steadier budgets and the need for clear value and cost transparency for younger travelers. Consumers are prioritizing experiences and togetherness over material gifts. Flexible fares, transparent pricing and bundled benefits such as Wi-Fi, breakfast, or late checkout can reinforce value and encourage bookings, especially among younger demographics. Gen Z’s pullback makes price-to-experience ratios decisive.
AI, timing and travel strategy
About 76 percent of Millennials say they are likely to use AI agents for recommendations, signaling a shift to “assistant-first” travel discovery. Operators must provide structured, AI-readable content, including route maps, fees, loyalty policies and inventory availability. Brands that do not may be invisible in AI-driven search and recommendation systems.
This year’s late Thanksgiving on Nov. 27 compresses the holiday booking window. Short-haul visiting-friends-and-relatives trips may see bunched reservations, increasing demand for early inventory visibility, simple cancellation policies and accurate last-minute availability. Operators should hold a portion of inventory for late bookings, streamline mobile checkouts and maintain flexible policies to capture last-minute travelers.
Strategies should be generationally targeted. Boomers and Gen X respond to comfort, reliability and multi-generational options, while Millennials and Gen Z require clear value and AI-optimized offers. Focusing on VFR travel through “home for the holidays” packages, flexible dates, partner transport and easy add-on nights can capture demand in key residential hubs.
Despite overall spending declines, travel remains a priority. Operators that deliver transparent value, AI-ready content and offers tailored to each generation can maintain bookings, convert last-minute demand and meet consumers’ evolving holiday expectations.
A TravelBoom Hotel Marketing report found that Americans continue to prioritize travel despite inflation and economic uncertainty, but with greater financial caution. About 74.5 percent plan a summer vacation and 17.5 percent are considering one, showing strong demand linked to careful budgeting.
Indian visitors to the U.S. fell 8 percent to 210,000 in June 2025, according to NTTO.
President Trump’s 50 percent tariff on Indian goods took effect on August 27.
The U.S. has seen a decline in international visitors in recent months.
INDIAN VISITORS TO the U.S. fell in June 2025 for the first time this millennium, excluding the Covid period, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office. About 210,00 Indians visited the U.S. in June, down 8 percent from 230,000 in the same month last year.
The provisional figure for July shows a 5.5 percent drop from the same month last year, Economic Times reported, citing NTTO data. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariff on Indian goods took effect on August 27, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to follow the “Vocal for Local” policy in his Aug. 15 Independence Day address. Beyond exports like textiles, the measure is likely to affect travel, tourism and hospitality in both countries.
The U.S. has seen a decline in international visitors in recent months, the Times said.
NTTO reported that total non-U.S. resident arrivals fell 6.2 percent in June 2025 from June 2024; 7 percent in May; 8 percent in March and 1.9 percent in February. January rose 4.7 percent and April 1.3 percent over the same months last year.
India is the fourth-largest source of international visitors to the U.S. Excluding Mexico and Canada, which share a land border, India is the second-largest overseas source after the UK.
“Combined, these top five markets, with Brazil fifth, accounted for 59.4 percent of total international arrivals in June,” NTTO said.
Travel industry leaders say it is too early to blame the drop in Indian visitors on stricter visa rules under Trump’s second term, which coincided with strained India-U.S. ties; the impact could rise if the policy continues. The U.S. mostly issues 10-year multiple-entry visitor and B1 and B2 visas, allowing holders to continue traveling, but new delays or stricter issuance norms could affect arrivals after a time lag.
“We are seeing a visible impact on the student segment this year due to delays in visa issuance, even after people have secured college admission,” a travel agent was quoted as saying in the report. “Historically, the biggest categories of visitors from India to the U.S. have been those visiting friends and relatives, business and students. The U.S. has never been a top leisure destination for Indians; that space is led by Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with North America following. Right now, apart from students, we are not seeing a significant impact on other segments, but if new visa issuances are affected, they will also be hit after a time lag.”
With an Indian diaspora of more than 5 million, the U.S. sees strong travel demand from India. NTTO data shows that every June since 2000 had recorded a year-on-year increase until 2025 broke the trend.
April saw high outbound travel from India. According to the tourism ministry, 2.9 million Indians traveled abroad, with the most going to the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore and the U.S.
“But after May and June, travel was hit by the Pehelgam terror attack, closure of Pakistan airspace (which continues for Indian carriers and vice versa) and the Air India Ahmedabad crash,” a travel industry leader told the Times. “Every destination, especially in the west, was affected. The drop to the U.S. may not be in isolation, given how quickly western destinations were impacted.”
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.