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 assistant 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.
THE HOLIDAY INN Express (HIE) in LaPlace, Louisiana, reopened on Jan. 17, after the owner, QHotels Management in LaPlace led by Vimal Patel, completed $5 million in repairs to damage form Hurricane Ida in September. The repairs were slowed by his insurance company’s failure to pay for the work in a timely manner, Patel said.
The situation also is affecting Patel’s ability to repair and reopen other properties in the area.
“We had to use our own line of credit, to finish the hotel,” Patel said. “Five more hotels to go. They are still a work in progress. A couple of hotels will open probably next month and then a couple probably will open in sometime in April. And the last hotel will probably take some time, so maybe May or June before we can open it up.”
The 91-room Holiday Inn Express is near Cajun Pride Swamp Tours, The Choice Hall, YMC EVENTS Venue and the Dream Event Center.
When Ida hit, Patel was left town, but the area where his hotels were located was hit hard.
“I traveled to Slidell, but a couple of my partners stayed in LaPlace,” he said. “They saw the brunt of the bad weather; broken windows, water leaks all sorts of things. Now I am on my way to Slidell again to assess the situation.”
His insurance company is posing several problems, Patel said.
“They are not agreeing to the damages incurred and they take time to do third party reports,” Patel said. “There's a lot of a lot of red tape, and then lot of unwillingness to pay.”
Getting attorneys involved has helped, he said.
“We started seeing some funds come through, so it's eased up some pressure, so now we are able to just get some of the other hotels going simultaneously,” Patel said. “But by that time, it's going to be over six months from the hurricane, that's going to take that long to open up this hotel. If only the insurance company would cooperate we could open it up in probably about three to four months.”
Patel is not alone in experiencing delays in rebuilding, he said in an article in L’Observateur magazine. Large and small companies alike have been experiencing supply chain problems as well.
“It's been difficult for small business owners to even two large business owners, and everybody's experiencing that challenge,” he said. “There was a lot of damage, extensive damage, and the labor cost and the material cost has gone up drastically. Local hardware stores, Home Depot, and even the big commercial supply places for trucks and installations they either didn't have it in stock and there’s a long lead time, in a price increases, and so forth. We had to bite the bullet and get sources all the way from Mexico and pay a higher shipping cost, and we still saw delays with receipt of the delivery.”
In one case, an installation crew had to wait for the sheetrock to arrive, leading to a lot of downtime.
“But this is the situation that we are all in and we just have to deal with it as things are progressing,” Patel said. “But at least we were able to get the supplies within a few weeks period versus a few months.”
At least business has improved for the Holiday Inn Express, Patel said.
“It took a few weeks to get back to about 40, 45 percent occupancy now. The first couple of weeks it was about 10 to 15 percent occupancy but it’s slowly trickling in back in,” Patel said. “New Orleans’ festivals and some other events are still on the books, they have not been cancelled, so that's a good thing. We will see some overflow from those markets, and then we'll see some additional action around the oil and gas industry.”
He hopes to get occupancy back in the 60 percent range as business comes in from oil workers and retail workers.
HAMA is accepting submissions for its 20th annual student case competition.
The cases reflect a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Teams must submit a financial analysis, solution and executive summary.
THE HOSPITALITY ASSET Managers Association is accepting submissions for the 20th Annual HAMA Student Case Competition, in which more than 60 students analyze a management company change scenario and provide recommendations. HAMA, HotStats and Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting are providing the case, based on a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Student teams must prepare a financial analysis, a recommended solution and an executive summary for board review, HAMA said in a statement.
“Each year, the education committee looks forward to the solutions that the next generation of hotel asset managers bring, applying their own experiences to issues in ways that reveal new directions,” said Adam Tegge, HAMA Education Committee chair. “This competition demonstrates that the future of hotel asset management is in good hands.”
The two winning teams will each receive a $5,000 prize and an invitation to the spring 2026 HAMA conference in Washington, D.C. HAMA will cover travel and lodging.
Twenty industry executives on the HAMA education committee will evaluate submissions based on presentation quality, the statement said. HAMA mentors volunteer from September through November to assist teams seeking feedback and additional information. Schools will select finalists by Jan. 15, with graduate and undergraduate teams reviewed separately.
The competition has addressed topics in operating and owning hospitality assets and HAMA consulted university professors to update the format for situations students may encounter after graduation, the statement said.
This year’s participants include University of Denver, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Boston University, Florida International University, Michigan State University, Columbia University, Morgan State University, Howard University, New York University and Penn State University.
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Stonebridge Cos. added the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton, to its managed portfolio.
The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group.
The property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District and the Dallas World Aquarium.
STONEBRIDGE COS. HAS contracted to manage the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas to its managed portfolio. The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group, led by Mehrdad Moayedi.
It has an outdoor pool and more than 26,000 square feet of meeting space, Stonebridge said in a statement. The downtown Dallas property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Deep Ellum, Klyde Warren Park, and the Dallas World Aquarium.
“The Statler is an extraordinary asset with a storied history in Dallas, and we are thrilled to welcome it to our managed portfolio,” said Rob Smith, Stonebridge’s president and CEO. “Its blend of modern hospitality with timeless character makes it a natural fit within our lifestyle collection. We look forward to honoring the property’s legacy while enhancing performance and delivering an elevated guest experience.”
Stonebridge, based in Denver, is a privately held hotel management company founded by Chairman Navin Dimond and led by Smith. The company recently added the 244-room Marriott Saddle Brook in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, to its full-service portfolio.
G6 Hospitality and the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association will support Texas hotel advocacy.
G6 adds an economy-brand perspective to policy and support discussions.
The two will co-host workshops for market education and talent development.
G6 HOSPITALITY, PARENT of Motel 6 and Studio 6, recently joined the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association to expand a statewide coalition on advocacy, public safety and market growth for its Texas franchisees. The company brings an economy-brand perspective to discussions that influence policy, operations and guest experience across the state.
The two will co-host workshops, forums and tech showcases to support market education, best-practice sharing and talent development statewide, the duo said in a statement.
“As we join THLA, our goal is to contribute to a stronger Texas lodging ecosystem—advocating smart policy, elevating safety and guest experience and providing collaborative learning opportunities for our franchisees and employees statewide,” said Sonal Sinha, G6 Hospitality's CEO. “We’re proud to add our voice and scale to THLA’s efforts while equipping our franchisees with Texas-specific resources to operate confidently and grow.”
The company will support discussions on competition, consumer protection, tourism promotion and workforce initiatives for independent and branded hotels, the statement said. OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal is chair of G6 Hospitality.
“G6 Hospitality’s membership strengthens our initiatives that help advance Texas hotels," said Scott Joslove, THLA's president and CEO. "Their reach in the economy segment brings valuable insights to policy development, workforce initiatives and community safety programs that benefit properties in every market and price point."
THLA works with state and local leaders to promote business growth, protect consumers, and support hotels with legal guidance, policy insights and education, the statement said. The association will provide Texas-specific compliance and operations training for G6 owners and teams alongside G6’s standards.
Peachtree secured EB-5 approval for a Florida multifamily development project.
The 240-unit community in Manatee County is backed by $47 million in construction financing.
It is Peachtree’s fourth EB-5 project approval since launching the program in 2023.
PEACHTREE GROUP RECENTLY secured EB-5 approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for Madison Bradenton, a 240-unit multifamily development in Bradenton, Florida. It also raised $47 million in construction financing with a four-year term for the project on a 10.7-acre site in Manatee County.
The approval allows the company to advance its EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which directs foreign investment to U.S. job creation, Peachtree said in a statement.
“Madison Bradenton reflects the strong demand for high-quality multifamily housing in growing markets,” said Adam Greene, Peachtree’s executive vice president of EB-5. “This project underscores our ability to pair EB-5 financing with secured lending, delivering attractive opportunities for investors while meeting critical housing needs.”
The project will include five four-story apartment buildings with elevators, a two-story carriage building and a clubhouse, with residences averaging 1,027 square feet and featuring private patios or balconies. The location provides access to employment centers, healthcare facilities and Siesta Key Beach.
Atlanta-based Peachtree is led by Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO; Jatin Desai, managing principal and CFO and Mitul Patel, principal.
This is Peachtree’s fourth approved I-956F application, following projects such as Home2 Suites by Hilton in Boone, North Carolina; SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Bryce Canyon, Utah and TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Palmdale, California. In May, Peachtree secured USCIS approval for four regional centers—South, Northeast, Midwest and West—allowing it to sponsor EB-5 projects in those territories.
The EB-5 visa program allows foreign investors to obtain a green card by investing in a U.S. commercial enterprise that creates jobs, the statement said. Investors who contribute at least $800,000 to a project that creates or preserves 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers are eligible for permanent residency.
Separately, Peachtree launched the $250 million Special Situations Fund to invest in hotel and commercial real estate assets affected by capital market illiquidity.
GSA will keep federal per diem rates the same for FY 2026.
The lodging rate stays $110 and meals allowance $68.
AHLA raised concerns over the impact on government travel.
THE U.S. GENERAL Services Administration will keep standard per diem rates for federal travelers at 2025 levels for fiscal year 2026. The American Hotel and Lodging Association raised concerns that the decision affects government travel, a key economic driver for the hotel industry.
The standard lodging rate remains $110 and the meals and incidental allowance is $68 for fiscal year 2026, unchanged from 2025, GSA said in a statement.
“Government travel is a vital economic driver for the hotel industry and the broader travel economy,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA’s president and CEO. “That’s why it’s so important for government per diem rates to keep pace with rising costs across the economy. The GSA’s decision to keep per diem rates flat will place a strain on the hospitality industry as well as government travelers seeking lodging. A strong economy requires a thriving hospitality sector. We will continue to advocate with the GSA and members of Congress for per diem rates that reflect hotels’ rising costs of doing business.”
GSA sets per diem rates to reimburse federal employees’ lodging and meal expenses for official travel within the continental U.S., based on the trailing 12-month ADR for lodging and meals minus 5 percent. This is the first year in five that GSA has not raised the rates.
The federal administration said the decision reflects the federal government’s commitment to using taxpayer funds appropriately and for core mission activities. The steady per diem rates are enabled by the reduction in inflationary pressures from the previous administration.
“GSA's decision ensures cost-effective travel reimbursement while supporting the mission-critical mobility of the federal workforce,” said Larry Allen, associate administrator, GSA Office of Government-wide Policy.
The rate applies to federal travelers and those on government-contracted business for all U.S. locations not designated as “non-standard areas,” which have higher per diems. For fiscal year 2026, GSA will keep the number of non-standard areas at 296, unchanged from 2025.