ATLANTA-BASED EV Hotels, a new technology-centric hotel brand founded by Ken Patel, has partnered with Spanish firm CLERHP to construct a luxury resort in the new Larimar City & Resort project in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. The 400-room hotel will be built on an area of nearly eight acres, the company said in a statement.
Larimar City & Resort will be on the Promenade on the Farrallón de Verón, which has a view of Punta Cana, said Leonardo Padron Hermes, CEO of Blacklions International Group, a company associated with CLERHP in the development of real estate projects in the Dominican Republic. The area includes restaurants, clubs, shops and an 18-hole golf course.
“After many years of working behind the scenes to develop a hotel brand that both innovates and revolutionized the industry, it is truly rewarding to now see EV make an impact across the globe. And believe me, we are just getting started,” Patel said. “Larimar City & Resort will be one of the best tourist attractions around the globe and our team at EV is excited to be part of this Smart-City. Growth doesn’t come with a single action. It is the consequence of persistence, courage, and hard work. What we are accomplishing here is to create an experience that brings hospitality back and gives it life again. Innovation is a team sport.”
CLERHP is a Spanish company with subsidiaries in Bolivia, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic in the construction and engineering sector. The company has investments in “buildtech” companies which seek to off tools to improve productivity in the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations sector.
“We find the agreement with EV Hotels especially gratifying and motivating, a company that is committed to technology in its hotels and whose values are very close to ours,” said Juan Andrés Romero, president of CLERHP. “It fits perfectly with the new smart city that is Larimar City & Resort,”
There has been rising international demand for EV Hotels, said Brian Esposito, EV Hotels chief strategic officer and CEO and founder of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises.
"Now with a confirmed location coming to Dominican Republic we are honored to begin to service the Caribbean with state-of-the-art IoT technologies, enhanced guest and staff services, a true health and wellness component with our partners FitNest, as well as our claim to fame Crypto, NFT, and Blockchain components," Esposito said.
FitNest will equip the hotel’s fitness center.
“FitNest is making a collaborative effort with EV hotel on bringing wellness and fitness to hospitality. Creating a unique experience for all guests that stay in the EV Hotel as well as staff. We are extremely excited to bring this combined experience to the Dominican Republic. Giving the gym state of the art equipment, training assistance, and much more will make it an incredible stay for all guests as well as an experience for the local business owners and residents,” said a spokesperson for FitNest.
Recently, EV Hotels entered the “metaverse” by way of a partnership with “metavestor” club BAPESWORLD. EV Hotels properties will include a “crypto trade floor” in partnership with cryptocurrency and NFT exchange Chicago Digital Exchange where the crypto trading community can meet in person to share information and expertise.
Individual traders and companies will be able to buy membership trading rights through CDX that will include discounted exchange fees and other exchange amenities at the EV Hotel trading floors. Under the new agreement, BAPES will be featured in the “non-fungible tokens” lobby where it will have NFTs for sale for in-person and in the metaverse.
IHG launched its 20th global brand, Ruby, in the U.S.
The brand offers serves city-centers and urban locations with restrictions.
It focuses on major urban markets with new-build, conversion, and adaptive reuse.
IHG HOTELS & RESORTS introduced Ruby Hotels, its 20th global brand, to the U.S. It is designed to fit in city centers and urban locations with entry barriers and space constraints.
The company’s growth plan will focus on major urban markets and include new-build, conversion and adaptive reuse projects, IHG said in a statement.
“Ruby is a brand built for the future of hospitality,” said Jolyon Bulley, IHG's CEO for the Americas. “Its success in Europe speaks to the growing demand for flexible, lifestyle-focused hotels in highly traveled locations. Ruby’s U.S. introduction will complement our premium portfolio and offer owners a differentiated product with strong economics and scalable growth potential. We’re encouraged by the initial interest and buzz around Ruby, which reinforces our confidence in its appeal and ability to thrive in this market.”
Ruby, founded in Germany in 2013, joined the IHG portfolio earlier this year and has 34 open or pipeline hotels in European cities. The U.S. launch reflects IHG’s plan to grow the brand to more than 120 hotels in the next decade and more than 250 in 20 years.
Lauren Krostue, Ruby's vice president for global brand management, said Ruby allows IHG to connect with a new type of traveler—those who value unique stays at an accessible price point.
"In bringing Ruby to the U.S., we will retain what’s made the brand so special in Europe—including its unique design and operating model—while localizing certain elements to reflect market needs," she said. "We look forward to introducing the Ruby experience to a new group of owners and guests and showcasing what sets the brand apart in the increasingly popular ‘urban micro’ segment.”
IHG nearly doubled global conversion signings from 2023 to 2024, with conversions representing about 60 percent of openings and 40 percent of signings in the first quarter of 2025.
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The H-2B visa program protects U.S. jobs and wages, according to AHLA citing a study.
It allows hotels and resorts to meet travelers’ needs while supporting the economy.
It provides foreign workers for seasonal jobs when domestic workers are unavailable.
THE H-2B VISA program does not harm U.S. jobs or wages but increases pay and supports the labor force, according to an Edgeworth Economics study. Citing that study, the American Hotel & Lodging Association said the program enables hotels and resorts to meet travelers’ needs while supporting the workforce and economy.
The Edgeworth study for the H-2B Workforce Coalition found the program allows businesses to hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs when domestic workers are unavailable. It showed no evidence that increases in H-2B visas reduce U.S. employment or wages. Instead, each H-2B worker supports three to five local jobs and areas with more H-2B workers saw wages grow 1.6 percent faster.
“Areas that hired more H-2B workers under the higher visa cap saw greater job and wage growth among U.S. workers,” said Steve Bronars, partner at Edgeworth Economics, citing findings consistent with an earlier analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Ashley McNeil, AHLA’s vice president of federal government affairs and chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition, said the new analysis underscores the H-2B program’s clear value to local communities.
“The hotel industry, which is still 200,000 workers short compared to pre-pandemic levels, relies on legal guest worker programs to augment our workforce, particularly to address seasonal demands,” McNeil said. “Access to the H-2B visa program has been critical in allowing hotels and resorts of all sizes to meet travelers’ needs, while supporting the local workforce and economy.”
The program has also helped businesses manage peak-season labor shortages, easing the workload for full-time employees. Landscaping accounts for nearly 40 percent of certified H-2B workers. Hotels and motels account for 8.67 percent, support activities for forestry 6.3 percent and seafood processing and packaging 5.65 percent.
“This study reaffirms what our members have long recognized: despite extensive recruitment efforts, there remains a critical shortage of U.S. workers willing or available to fill temporary positions that are currently being filled by H-2B workers,” said Arnulfo Hinojosa, COO of the Federation of Workers and Employers of America and vice chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition. “H-2B workers allow seasonal businesses to operate at a higher capacity and create more U.S. jobs.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump recently signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 annually, a move that could affect Indian professionals in the U.S.
AHLA’s survey finds reduced hotel development and renovation plans.
Only 8 percent of property owners are moving forward with new investments.
Survey participants included 387 property owners and operators.
ABOUT 32 PERCENT of U.S. hotel owners and operators are delaying development projects and 24 percent are scaling back plans, according to a recent survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. About 8 percent have canceled projects entirely.
“Hotels are eager to invest in their properties and communities but rising costs and uncertain demand are forcing many to put projects on hold,” said AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta. “It’s been a tough year for hotel operators, especially our small business owners. As Congress gets back to work, we’ll focus on advancing policies to spur travel, ease operational pressures and provide our industry the certainty it needs to grow, create jobs and strengthen local economies nationwide.”
The workforce challenges further compound pressures, with nearly half of the respondents, 49 percent, reporting understaffed properties. On the demand side, leisure travel continues to decline. Thirty percent of hotels reported declines in completed leisure stays, while 26 percent saw drops in upcoming bookings compared with the same period last year.
Business, group and government travel also showed weakness, with 15 to 17 percent of properties experiencing decreases in bookings.
The AHLA survey, conducted between Aug. 21 and 29, included responses from 387 property owners and operators across the U.S., representing all hotel segments.
In another recent survey by the Hospitality Asset Managers Association, more than 70 percent of respondents expect a 1 to 3 percent RevPAR increase in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Howard Johnson is marking its 100th anniversary with fried clam–shaped soaps.
The soaps pay homage to an iconic HoJo menu item.
Available at select hotels and for online purchase starting Oct. 3.
HOWARD JOHNSON BY Wyndham marks a century with one of its most famous menu items, the fried clam strip. The brand is introducing limited-edition HoJo’s Original Fried Clam Soap, available at select Howard Johnson hotels across the U.S. and for online purchase beginning Oct. 3.
Designed to resemble the original food item, the soaps are infused with lemon, sea salt and butter in a nod to the butter-soaked rolls that once accompanied the fried clams, according to a statement by Wyndham.
“Howard Johnson is a brand woven into America’s cultural fabric and beloved by millions for generations,” said Marissa Yoss, HoJo’s head of marketing. “As we celebrate 100 years, our limited-edition fried clam soap is a fun, nostalgic tribute to the brand’s storied past and a playful nod to the retro-modern, family-friendly spirit that continues defining our hotels today.”
For World Waffle Day celebrations, Comfort Hotels hosted a one-day Waffle Lounge in New York City on Aug. 21.
The use of AI agents hotels must rethink customer loyalty, a FAU study finds.
The paper proposes strategies as AI becomes the main booking channel.
Researchers warn of ethical and privacy issues.
HOTELS MUST RETHINK how they build and maintain loyalty as artificial intelligence systems make travel decisions and bookings for consumers, according to a study by Florida Atlantic University. The rise of artificial intelligence agents will complicate hotel customer loyalty management.
“AI agents will be the new gatekeepers of loyalty,” said Anil Bilgihan, FAU College of Business professor of hospitality management. “The question is no longer just ‘How do we win a customer’s heart?’ but ‘How do we win the trust of the algorithms advising them?’ Hotels need to prepare for a future where a guest’s preferred brand may be decided before they even open their phone.”
As consumers use AI agents to search for hotels, check availability, compare prices, analyze reviews and make bookings, decision-making will shift to the algorithm, creating loyalty to the agent or its ecosystem rather than to the brand, the report said.
Bilgihan said AI is not influenced by traditional advertising and sorts options based on algorithmic criteria.
“Imagine a traveler asking their AI agent to book a hotel in Miami within a certain budget, with a pool and strong reviews,” he said. “If your hotel doesn’t appear in that recommendation set, you may never be considered. Hotels must design loyalty programs, digital visibility and service experiences that appeal to both human guests and the AI systems filtering choices on their behalf.”
The paper proposes a framework for hotels to rethink loyalty strategies as AI agents become the main channel for travel bookings. While emotional branding still matters for humans, marketers should focus on loyalty programs that engage both humans and AI systems, using customer data to tailor experiences, improve algorithmic visibility and design programs appealing to both, the study said.
Researchers also warned of ethical and privacy concerns, including algorithmic bias, limited consumer understanding of how AI agents work and challenges in brand visibility.
“At the end of the day, technology doesn’t replace the fundamentals,” Bilgihan said. “AI may shape how guests discover and book, but the foundation of loyalty will always be the experience once they arrive.”
The paper in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management was authored by Max Ostinelli, assistant professor of marketing; Ye Zhang, associate professor of hospitality management; Melanie Lorenz, associate professor of marketing and Bilgihan.
New York University’s State of Distribution 2025 found a gap between AI potential and hotel operational readiness, as teams are still developing training, systems and workflows. In May, India’s International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) Kolkata launched ‘NamAIste – IIHM HospitalityGPT,’ the first generative AI platform for the global hospitality industry.