Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Staybridge Suites opens in Duluth, Georgia

It is the first in the country to feature the brand’s ‘Next Generation 7.0’ design

The Staybridge Suites in Duluth, Georgia, is now open. The hotel, owned and operated by Duluth Capital Investments led by Sonial Patel as principal, is the first Staybridge Suites in the country using the brand’s new “Next Generation 7.0” design that incorporates elements to protect against COVID-19.

The 99-room, 5-story hotel has more open room in its public spaces for social distancing, which is strictly enforced. It features no contact check in / check out, as well as extensive disinfecting as part of  InterContinental Hotel Group’s “Clean Promise” program, including completely cleaning each suite with an electrostatic sprayer.


Guests select their housekeeping schedule to further avoid contact.

The extended-stay hotel is in a suburb of Atlanta. Amenities include an outdoor saltwater pool and a 600-square-foot meeting room.  Work on the hotel began in 2018 and it was scheduled to be completed last year, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

In September, the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Spartanburg owned by Peter Patel, opened in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

More for you

Hilton

Hilton posts unit growth as Q2 RevPAR slips

Summary:

  • Hilton reported 7.5 percent net unit growth in the second quarter while systemwide RevPAR declined 0.5 percent year-over-year.
  • Net income and adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2025 were $742 million and $1.8 billion, up from $690 million and $1.67 billion YoY.
  • For the third quarter of 2025, Hilton expects systemwide RevPAR to be flat to slightly down.

HILTON WORDLWIDE HOLDINGS reported 7.5 percent net unit growth in the second quarter of 2025, however systemwide RevPAR declined 0.5 percent year-over-year. The company said economic fluctuations are being felt but not hindering performance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Peachtree Group loan
Photo credit: Peachtree Group

Peachtree backs $42M loan for AFC deal

Summary:

  • Peachtree provided a $42 million floating-rate loan to Banyan Street Capital for the acquisition and repositioning of Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead.
  • The deal delivers capital at a reset basis, with comps pricing 98 percent higher, reflecting strong collateral and execution.
  • It recently launched a $250 million fund to invest in hotel and commercial assets mispriced from market illiquidity.

PEACHTREE GROUP PROVIDED its first mortgage loan to Banyan Street Capital for the acquisition and repositioning of the 914,774-square-foot Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead, Georgia. Peachtree said the office sector is at an inflection point, similar to the retail segment previously.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump’s Proposed Visa Fee Threatens Seasonal Hospitality Workforce

Report: Trump visa fee sparks summer staffing fears

Summary:

  • Trump’s proposed $250 Visa Integrity Fee faces pushback from groups relying on seasonal J-1 workers from Latin America and Asia.
  • J-1 visa holders often work as housekeepers, amusement park staff, and lifeguards from pre-season through Labor Day; more than 300,000 use the visa annually.
  • DHS and the State Department have not clarified how the fee will be implemented or who qualifies for a refund.

A $250 VISA Integrity Fee in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is drawing criticism from groups that rely on seasonal workers from Latin America and Asia on J-1 and other visas, Newsweek reported. The organizations warn the cost, though sometimes refundable, could reduce the summer workforce that supports U.S. beach towns and resorts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wyndham & Grubhub Offer Free Delivery to Guests & Staff

Wyndham, Grubhub offer free delivery to guests, staff

Summary:

  • Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Grubhub to offer free product delivery to guests and staff at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands.
  • A Grubhub account is required to activate the complimentary Grubhub+ membership; no credit card is needed and the membership does not auto-renew.
  • Wyndham recently deployed Elavon’s cloud payments interface to more than 6,000 U.S. and Canadian franchisees.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and Grubhub, an online ordering and delivery platform, will offer item delivery to guests and staff with no delivery fees and other benefits. The service is available at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands, with orders placed through the Grubhub app on-site or by scanning a hotel QR code.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Hotel Construction Hits 20-Quarter Low in June

CoStar: Hotel construction drops in June

Summary:

  • U.S. hotel rooms under construction fell year over year for the sixth straight month in June, hitting a 20-quarter low, CoStar reported.
  • About 138,922 rooms were under construction, down 11.9 percent from June 2024; the luxury segment had 6,443 rooms, up 4.1 percent year over year.
  • Lodging Econometrics recently said Dallas led all U.S. markets in hotel construction pipelines at the end of the first quarter, with 203 projects and 24,496 rooms.

THE NUMBER OF U.S. hotel rooms under construction declined year over year for the sixth straight month in June, reaching a 20-quarter low, according to CoStar. Additionally, more than half of all rooms under development are in the South, mostly outside the top 25 markets.

Keep ReadingShow less