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.
ON DAY TWO, the theme for AAHOACON 2020 was “Where do we go from here?” The main topic of discussion in the day’s general sessions was how the U.S. hotel industry can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a first day of introductions and getting used to the functionalities of AAHOA’s first virtual conference, Wednesday was a series of talks ranging from how hotel associations like AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging Associations and the U.S. Travel Association are facing the crisis to how individual companies are being affected.
Word from the top
Cecil Staton, AAHOA president and CEO, moderated the first session, “Hospitality CEOs Converge: Advocating for the Hotel Industry.” His guests were Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO, and Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO.
“It's the most difficult time any of us have ever seen, 10 times worse than Sept. 11,” Dow said in answer to Staton’s question on the state of the country and travel industry.
Rogers said the associations are doing what they can to keep hoteliers afloat.
“There are a lot of folks out there talking about recovery, promotion, stimulus, and those things, and those are clearly important, no question about it,” he said. “But right now, so many in our in our industry are just trying to keep the doors open and make sure that there's a job for those employees to come back to.”
One of the most important issues AAHOA, USTA and AHLA have advocated for is an expansion of the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Refunding PPP is part of two stimulus packages under debate in Congress, the Republicans’ Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act and the Democrats’ Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.
“The problem is the PPP was originally created to last about eight to 10 weeks,” Rogers said. “We now know that this problem is going to exist for the rest of this year and well in the next year and probably many years in our industry. So the notion that an eight to 10 week fix will fix the problem is a little short sighted.
“We're asking specifically for another round of PPP funding for those businesses that have lost 35 percent or more of their revenue. The current HEALS Act offers that at a 50 percent or more revenue loss, we believe that that should go down to about 35 percent.”
Dow said helping the travel industry recover is key to a national recovery from the pandemic. Six more months of the current situation could mean another $70 billion and another 800,000 jobs lost for the travel industry.
“And if we don't get that going, if we let [the pandemic] take its own path that's a problem,” he said. “That's why it's so important to bring this thing back, because we will bring back the U.S. economy.”
The numbers don’t lie
The next session, “What the Data Says: Before, During, and After the Pandemic,” laid out the good and bad in the current economic crisis. Moderator Christina Trauthwein, editor-in-chief of Hotel Business, started with the July results.
“There were gains in the leisure sector in particular and the hospitality industry in general,” CBRE’s Jamie Lane said in response. “But, the pace of growth has slowed. It’s great that jobs are returning, but we haven’t seen a rebound.”
In the early days of summer, as states started to reopen, there was a growth spurt, said Cindy Estis Green, CEO and co-founder of Kalibri Labs.
“But I think, with the [COVID-19] cases starting to spike, it had a muting effect on the growth,” she said.
Demand remains sluggish, said Amanda Hite, STR president and CEO.
“[The pandemic] had a huge negative impact,” Hite said. “There is improvement week over week, but the big gains we saw over April and May have waned. The real question is [what happens] after Labor Day. What will happen to demand?”
There are some signs of recovery, Estis Green said.
“Leisure is split between brand loyalty programs and OTAs and that’s a big thing. We also are seeing signs of life in the corporate sector,” she said.
Some hotels are in some markets are doing better than last year, Hite said.
“So, there are positive stories out there,” she said. “By 2023, we’ll be back to our 2019 levels of demand."
The voices of the future
Panel members for the general session “A View from Young Professional Hoteliers: Driving the Future of the Industry Beyond COVID-19” were young executives from some top hotel development and investment companies. Joining moderator Teague Hunter, president and CEO at Hunter Hotel Advisors, were J.R. Patel, president and CEO of Helix Hotels; Harshil Patel, vice president, Champion Hotels; Jatin Desai, managing principal and CIO/CFO of Peachtree Hotel Group; Raj Patel, chief development officer, Hawkeye Hotels.
Hunter asked Desai about the state of the investment world in the pandemic.
“Our investor appetite in this current market obviously shifted,” Desai said. “Our investors have traditionally been high net worth individuals with not really large institutions. The profile of our investors has not changed since we first started the company back in 2007. Our investors are always looking for risk adjusted returns with capital appreciation. Obviously, that's different today than it was six months ago.”
J.R. with Helix said his company’s hotels, mostly in secondary and tertiary markets, were doing better than at the outset of the pandemic.
“I think we definitely saw the bottom as I would imagine most of us on here have. It’s improving but I think July 4 weekend was a bit of an acid test for our properties and our industry as a whole,” he said. “I think the number of [COVID-19] cases rising nationwide we're starting to see a bit of a plateau across our portfolio and I think the industry is speaking that way as well.”
Champion Hotels’ Harshil gave a similar report.
“We've had to obviously go in and just try to minimize all the costs,” Harshil said. “We have owner operators at most of our locations, so it's almost like running like a mom and pop again, where you're literally watching every single check being written, every invoice coming in.”
The impact of COVID-19 had exceeded Hawkeye Hotels worst-case scenarios, Raj said.
“When we build and operate hotels, we shock test for 30 percent drop in revenue,” he said. “When overnight, you have an 80 to 90 percent drop and the bottom falls out, even if you have done every single thing, right, when that day comes you can you can never be prepared for it.”
The crisis has affected their decision making toward future projects, Raj said. They probably won’t break ground on another project until the second or third quarter of 2021.
“Any project that's underway, anything that we've broken ground on, it's a freight train, you can't stop it. So, we are committed to looking forward on any project that's underway, and we've been able to do that on the projects that we just closed our loans on. And those dozen are all under way and we are cutting costs right now,” he said. “Any project that is not underway and is in the planning phases, we are certainly looking at the time when we should start the project. Once we can start seeing that recovery, once lending comes back around in a strong way and once we can feel 100 percent confident and comfortable with moving forward on those projects. We don't have any plans to scrap the projects but we’re just waiting for the right timing to maximize value and costs.”
Hyatt partners with Way to unify guest experiences on one platform.
Members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites.
Way’s technology supports translation, payments and data insights for Hyatt.
HYATT HOTELS CORP. is working with Austin-based startup Way to consolidate ancillary services, loyalty experiences and on-property programming on one platform across its global portfolio. The collaboration integrates Way’s system into Hyatt.com, the World of Hyatt app, property websites and FIND Experiences to create a centralized booking platform.
World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points on experiences booked through Hyatt websites, including wellness programs, cultural activities, ticketed events and local collaborations, the companies said in a statement. Members can also access FIND Experiences, which includes activities and auctions where points can be used to bid on events.
"In our search for an on-brand platform to power experiences and tap into ancillary revenue opportunities, Way's collaboration has been a true unlock for us," said Arlie Sisson, Hyatt’s senior vice president and global head of digital. "After a thorough evaluation of potential solutions, Hyatt chose Way to power the next chapter of our digital strategy by streamlining operations, elevating brand differentiation, enhancing personalization and, most importantly, delivering care at every touchpoint in the guest journey."
The Way initiative spans Hyatt’s portfolio, covering cabana rentals, in-room amenities and partnerships with local providers, the statement said. Way’s technology supports real-time translation, more than 100 currencies, multiple payment methods and data insights to help Hyatt manage operations globally.
"Hyatt set a high bar and Way is proud to bring their vision to life," said Michael Stocker, Way’s co-founder and CEO.
"The platform supports enterprise needs while preserving the guest experience."
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Global hotel rates are expected to remain stable through 2026, according to AMEX GBT.
New York is a key business travel and meetings destination.
India is likely to be a focus for travel programs during 2026 negotiations.
GLOBAL HOTEL RATES are expected to remain stable through 2026, as geopolitical tensions and potential U.S. tariffs limit demand and constrain price increases, according to American Express Global Business Travel. New York remains a popular destination for business travel and meetings.
AMEX GBT’s Hotel Monitor 2026, an annual forecast of global hotel rates in business travel destinations, identified India as a key market, with hotel rates and occupancy set to rise.
“This year’s forecast reveals a global environment where geopolitical uncertainties are tempering hotel rate increases,” said Dan Beauchamp, Amex GBT’s vice president for consulting. “These insights allow businesses to make more informed travel decisions. Understanding local market conditions will help companies optimize travel budgets and strategies.”
The report also projects continued rate increases for high-end accommodation based on demand.
New York hotel rates are projected to rise 4 percent in 2026. Despite expected softening in inbound U.S. travel from tariff uncertainty, New York remains a leading destination for business travel and meetings. The forecast is based on company data and IMF inflation and GDP projections.
India is expected to see rising hotel rates and occupancy in 2026. Rate growth will be below last year’s levels but above regional and global averages. India is likely to be a focus for many travel programs during 2026 negotiations. Bengaluru, a major technology and AI hub, recorded the country’s highest occupancy and ADR in the first quarter of 2025.
Simon Fishman, Amex GBT’s vice president for global hotels, said data shows news cycles can affect hotel prices in unpredictable ways.
“Amex GBT’s hotel marketplace gives companies access to over two million properties across 180 countries, including more than 45,000 hotels with pre-negotiated discounts and amenities via the Preferred Extras Hotel Program,” he said. “It enables companies of all sizes to adapt to changing business needs while accessing the best rates and traveler experiences.”
A May report by commerce media firm Criteo found that hotel booking values in Asia-Pacific rose 23 percent in early 2025, compared with 2 percent growth in the Americas.
The Trump administration says it is reviewing more than 55 million visa holders.
Reviews cover a wide range of visas for law enforcement and overstay violations.
The administration also suspended worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is reviewing more than 55 million people who hold valid U.S. visas for potential violations. It is expanding a policy of “continuous vetting” that could result in revocation and deportation.
The State Department confirmed all visa holders are subject to ongoing review, which includes checking for overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety or ties to terrorism. Should violations be found, visas may be revoked, and holders in the U.S. could face deportation, according to the Associated Press.
Officials said the reviews will include monitoring of visa holders’ social media accounts, law enforcement records and immigration files. New rules also require applicants to disable privacy settings on phones and apps during interviews. The department noted visa revocations since President Trump’s return to office have more than doubled compared to the previous year, including nearly four times as many student visas.
The administration also announced an immediate halt on issuing worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing road safety and competition concerns for U.S. truckers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio posted on X.
The Transportation Department linked the move to recent enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements for truckers, aimed at improving safety. The State Department later said it was pausing visa processing while it reviewed screening protocols.
Critics, including Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations, warned the actions could have significant economic consequences.
“The goal here is not to target specific classes of workers, but to send the message to American employers that they are at risk if they are employing foreign workers,” Alden wrote, according to AP.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows there are 12.8 million green card holders and 3.6 million temporary visa holders in the United States. The 55 million figure under review includes many outside the U.S. with valid multiple-entry tourist visas.
Earlier this week, the State Department reported revoking more than 6,000 student visas for violations since Trump returned to office, including around 200 to 300 for terrorism-related issues.
The vast majority of foreign visitors require visas to enter the U.S., with exceptions granted to citizens of 40 countries under the Visa Waiver Program, primarily in Europe and Asia. Citizens of China, India, Russia and most of Africa remain subject to visa requirements.
A $250 Visa Integrity Fee in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill drew criticism from groups that rely on seasonal workers from Latin America and Asia on J-1 and other visas.
Peachtree Group originated a $176.5 million retroactive CPACE loan for a Las Vegas property.
The deal closed in under 60 days and ranks among the largest CPACE financings in the U.S.
The company promotes retroactive CPACE funding for commercial real estate development.
PEACHTREE GROUP ORIGINATED a $176.5 million retroactive Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy loan for Dreamscape Cos.’s Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The deal, completed in under 60 days, is its largest credit transaction and one of the largest CPACE financings in the U.S.
The 2,520-room Rio, now under the Destinations by Hyatt brand, was renovated in 2024 and comprises two hotel towers connected by a casino, restaurants and retail, Peachtree said in a statement.
“This transaction is a milestone for Peachtree Group and a testament to the ecosystem we have built over the past 18 years,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's managing principal and CEO. “Through our vertically integrated platform, deep expertise and disciplined approach, we have developed the infrastructure to be a leader in private credit. Our ability to deliver speed, creativity and certainty of execution positions us to provide capital solutions that create value for our investors and partners across market cycles.”
Atlanta-based Peachtree is led by Friedman; Jatin Desai as managing principal and CFO and Mitul Patel as principal.
The CPACE loan retroactively funded the renovations, allowing the owners to pay down their senior loan, the statement said. The property improvement plan included exterior work, upgrades to the central heating and cooling plant, electrical infrastructure improvements and convention center renovations.
Jared Schlosser, Peachtree’s head of originations and CPACE, said the deal marks an inflection point, with major financial institutions consenting to its use for the benefit of the capital stack.
“By closing quickly on a marquee hospitality asset, we were able to strengthen the position of both the owner and its lenders,” he said.
The CPACE market has surpassed $10 billion in U.S. originations in just over a decade, according to the C-PACE Alliance, with growth expected as more institutional owners and lenders adopt it.
“We see significant opportunity for retroactive CPACE and its use in funding new commercial real estate development,” Schlosser said. “It is an alternative to more expensive forms of capital.”
In June, Peachtree named Schlosser head of originations for all real estate and hotel lending and leader of its CPACE program. Peachtree recently launched a $250 million fund to invest in hotel and commercial real estate assets mispriced by capital market illiquidity.
Spark acquired the 120-key Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey.
Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the transaction with DC Hospitality Group affiliates.
The 2020-built hotel is near William Paterson University and less than 20 miles from Manhattan.
SPARK GHC RECENTLY acquired the 120-key Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey, from affiliates of DC Hospitality Group. Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the deal for an undisclosed amount.
The 2020-built hotel is less than 20 miles from Manhattan in a commercial corridor with major employers including Driscoll Foods, FedEx Group, Advanced Biotech, St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital, and the Passaic County Administration, Hunter said in a statement. William Paterson University, Willowbrook Mall, and MetLife Stadium are also nearby.
It features an on-site fitness center, business center and indoor pool.
“The Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne represents the type of asset we target,” said Patel. “Its proximity to major corporate demand generators, higher education institutions, and retail and entertainment venues supports strong performance.”
Hunter’s senior vice presidents, David Perrin and Spencer Davidson, brokered the transaction.
Patel said this is their second transaction with Hunter and praised the process and partnership.
“We look forward to building on the hotel’s recent performance and continuing to deliver guest experiences in the Greater New York City community,” he said.
Northstar Hotels Management recently acquired a 78-key Residence Inn and an 81-key Courtyard near the Jacksonville, Florida, airport.