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.
WOMEN AND MINORITIES made very little advancement in the hospitality industry over the last year, according to the fourth Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report from The Castell Project, a not-for-profit organization that promotes women in the hotel business. The COVID-19 pandemic is the suspected cause of the stifling of diversification.
For example, the odds of a woman moving into a leadership level, such as CEO or partner, was one woman in 5.7 men in 2020, just slightly better than 2019’s rate of one woman to 5.9 men, according to the report. That’s probably an effect of the pandemic, said Peggy Berg, founder and chair of the Castell Project.
“While the rhetoric surrounding women and diversity in leadership escalated in 2020, the needle barely moved, exacerbated by COVID-related layoffs and furloughs. The effects of the pandemic on women and minorities were particularly noticeable,” Berg said. “Returning to the status quo should not be the goal. The industry lost 479,000 employees, 35 percent, over the past year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; this is a massive reset. We believe this offers companies a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build stronger organizations by benefiting from the full-pool of diverse talent.”
There is a 48 percent difference between the most and least gender-diverse companies, Berg said, citing the May 2020 McKinsey & Co. Diversity Wins report.
“This is critical for the hospitality industry where leading companies also have the most robust diversity initiatives. As an industry that feels workforce pressure, we need to do better for women who want career advancement in addition to families and for men who want families as well as career advancement,” Berg said. “The companies that perform best in the new post-Pandemic market will be companies with diverse leadership.”
The American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation supported the research for the report.
Last week, Castell Project and the She Has A Deal contest that provides its winner a chance at hotel ownership announced the creation of Fortuna’s Table, a new website built to connect prospective hotel owners to the knowledge, guidance and networking they need to achieve their goal.
Sonesta launched Americas Best Value Studios, an extended-stay version of ABVI.
The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping.
The brand meets demand for longer-term, value-focused stays.
SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. launched Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta, an extended-stay version of its franchised brand, Americas Best Value Inn. The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping, optional fitness center and lobby market along with standard brand requirements.
The brand aims to address the growing demand for longer-term, value-driven accommodations, Sonesta said in a statement.
"Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta represents a strategic evolution of our trusted Americas Best Value Inn brand," Keith Pierce, Sonesta’s executive vice president and president of franchise development, said. "We are expanding our offerings to directly address the increasing demand within the extended-stay segment, providing a practical solution for travelers seeking longer-term lodging at value. This new brand type allows our local franchised owner-operators to tap into a growing market while maintaining the community-focused experience that Americas Best Value Inn is known for."
ABVI has a majority presence in secondary and tertiary markets, the statement said.
The extended-stay brand’s operational model features a front desk, bi-weekly housekeeping, on-site laundry and pet-friendly accommodations, Sonesta said. Guests can also earn or redeem points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.
In August, Sonesta named Stayntouch its preferred property management system after a two-year review of its ability to support the company’s franchise model. The company operates more than 1,100 properties with more than 100,000 rooms across 13 brands on three continents.
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