Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Hawkeye Hotels, JR Hospitality open trio of hotels in Milwaukee

The dual-brand and stand-alone properties are brand firsts for the area

HAWKEYE HOTELS IS making its premier in downtown Milwaukee with a dual brand Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton along with a neighboring Holiday Inn Express. The hotel campus will employ more than 100 workers and provide a total of 331 rooms.

The 115-room Home2 Suites and 100-room Tru will occupy one of the two buildings in the campus with the 116-room Holiday Inn Express next door. Along with being the first properties Hawkeye Hotels has opened in the city’s downtown, each hotel is the first of its brand in that part of the city.


“We are very excited to be a part of the Downtown Milwaukee community. Although the market has slowed down in recent times due to Covid, we are extremely optimistic that Downtown Milwaukee will continue to grow in the years to come,” said Jay Patel, Hawkeye Hotels development manager. “We look forward to hosting a grand opening next year once it is safe to do so.”

There will be a shared fitness center between the two Hilton hotels, an indoor pool, fitness center and business center in both buildings. The hotels will be near Interstate 794, Lake Michigan,  the U.S. Bank Center and the city’s historic Third Ward.

Hawkeye Hotels partnered with Minnesota-based JR Hospitality on the project.

“Having multiple brands in close proximity allows us to serve different needs of our guests. Home2 Suites is an extended stay property with kitchenettes catering to long term guests whereas the Tru and Holiday Inn Express brands are targeted to our transient guests staying one to two nights,” said Jay Bhakta, JR Hospitality’s managing partner.

JR Hospitality is a third generation hotel company with its portfolio primarily in the Midwest. Hawkeye Hotels, formed in 1982 in Mena, Arkansas, today owns and operates more than 50 hotels across the country with an additional 50 hotels under development.

In January, Hawkeye Hotels opened the boutique hotel Chauncey, in Iowa City, Iowa. The 51-room hotel is part of a mixed-use development that includes a movie theater, coffee shop, offices and condominiums.

More for you

Peachtree Group DST Mansfield Texas

Peachtree adds Mansfield, TX, industrial asset to DST

Summary:

  • Peachtree launched new DST with 131,040‑square foot industrial facility in Mansfield, Texas.
  • The property was acquired at $180 per square foot.
  • Peachtree completed $320M in debt-free transactions across multiple markets since 2022.

PEACHTREE GROUP LAUNCHED its latest Delaware Statutory Trust with the acquisition of a newly built 131,040-square-foot industrial facility in Mansfield, Texas. The company has completed about $320 million in debt-free transactions since launching its DST program in 2022, according to its statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

AHLA Foundation expands hospitality education

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. holiday travel 2025 trends

Report: U.S. consumers’ holiday travel intent dips

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump tariffs India impact travel

Indian arrivals to U.S. fall for first time in millennium

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Report: Global RevPAR to rise 3–5 percent in 2025

Report: Global RevPAR to rise 3–5 percent in 2025

Summary:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less