Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

New Arizona boutique hotel will feature COVID-19 related safety features

Asian American owners plan to open The Tuxon this summer

TWO ASIAN AMERICAN hoteliers in Tucson, Arizona, are taking a chance that their new boutique hotel will open this summer to crowds looking for a safe escape from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tuxon will be the first hotel under Marriott International’s Design Hotels brand in Arizona when it opens and will be designed with cleanliness and safety measures in place.

The 112-room Tuxon, owned by Vishal and Sunny Patel, will incorporate elements of the local Mexican and Native American cultures as well as displays from local artists with a desert theme. It also will provide remote check-in options that promote social distancing.


"We continue to take all of the proactive steps needed to ensure a safe and clean environment,” Vishal said. “Prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and future guests remains of the upmost importance."

The Tuxon also will implement Marriott’s new cleaning protocols, set by its newly formed Global Cleanliness Council, from the beginning of its operations. Other COVID-19 inspired safety features include a a V-shaped, open-air design that allows guests to park near their rooms for entry without going through the lobby. It’s also arranging the furniture in the lobby to allow for more space.

"We've spent a lot of time thinking through from a safety standpoint first and foremost for our employees, our team, which includes our various partners, and then certainly our guests," Sunny told USA Today.

The boutique hotel’s focus on providing a local experience led to its inclusion in the Design Hotels collection, said Markus Schreyer, Design Hotels' senior vice president for the Americas and business innovation. More than 400 hotels apply to join the portfolio every year but only 5 percent are approved.

"As our first member in Arizona, we can't wait to share this hotel and the incredibly rich destination with our global community,” Schreyer said. “Originals Vishal Patel and Sunny Patel have tapped into exactly the values we hold: a socially-centered hub deeply rooted in its surroundings."

The hotel’s other amenities include a cactus garden and desertscape along with a boomerang-shaped pool. Nearby attractions include Sentinel Peak, known as the "birthplace of Tucson," along with hiking and bicycle trails. However, Vishal and Sunny are aware of the difficulty of opening in the current environment.

"We’re fully expecting it to be tough sailing early on as travel still is in the process of bottoming. But I think we have an amazing product and there's nothing like it in Tucson and I think that between how our property is set up and how we are positioned, I think we expect to do very well over time," Vishal Patel told USA Today.

More for you

Peachtree picked to manage six hotels
Photo credit: Peachtree Group

Peachtree picked to manage six hotels

Summary:

  • Peachtree adds six hotels to third-party platform.
  • Five are owned by La Posada Group, one by Decatur Properties.
  • Third-party portfolio totals 42 hotels.

PEACHTREE GROUP’S HOSPITALITY management division added six hotels to its third-party management platform. Five are owned by La Posada Group LLC and one by Decatur Properties Holdings.

Keep ReadingShow less
AHLA Foundation awards $710K in scholarships

AHLA Foundation awards $710K in scholarships

Summary:

  • AHLA Foundation distributed $710,000 in scholarships to 246 students.
  • Nearly 90 percent of recipients come from underrepresented communities.
  • The foundation funds students pursuing education and careers in the lodging sector.

AHLA FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $710,000 in academic scholarships to 246 students at 64 schools nationwide for the 2025–2026 academic year. Nearly 90 percent of recipients are from underrepresented communities, reflecting the foundation’s focus on expanding access to hospitality careers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Congressional deadlock shutters government
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Congressional deadlock shutters government

Summary:

  • The U.S. government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to agree on funding.
  • About 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed daily, costing $400 million.
  • Key immigration and labor programs are halted.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT shut down at midnight after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on funding. Disputes over healthcare subsidies and spending priorities left both sides unwilling to accept responsibility.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. government shutdown 2025 news
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Trump, Congress face shutdown deadline

Summary:

  • President Donald Trump will meet Congress as a shutdown looms.
  • Democrats say they are ready to negotiate a bipartisan deal.
  • Thousands of federal jobs and the U.S. travel economy are at risk if a shutdown occurs.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP will meet Congressional leaders on Monday after Senate Democrats rejected a Republican stopgap spending bill to fund the government until Nov. 21. The U.S. Travel Association recently warned a government shutdown could cost the travel economy $1 billion a week.

Keep ReadingShow less