Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

UJA Federation to honor Wyndham’s Ballotti

He will be recognized in June at the federation’s Hospitality Division event

UJA Federation to honor Wyndham’s Ballotti

GEOFF BALLOTTI, PRESIDENT and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will be recognized by UJA Federation of New York at its annual Hospitality Division event in June. The event is held in conjunction with the NYU Hospitality Investment Conference and will raise funds to support UJA-Federation’s annual campaign, which supports a wide network of nonprofits.

UJA Federation will hold the event on June 4, at 4:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The federation works with a network of hundreds of nonprofits in New York, Israel and 70 other countries to provide $180 million in grants affecting 4.5 million people annually.


“For 15 years, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has supported UJA and the vital work it does caring for those in need while creating and fostering diverse communities where all are welcome,” Ballotti said. “Together with my hospitality colleagues, we’ll celebrate the extraordinary work of UJA and how it improves lives in communities across the globe.”

Ballotti was selected because he is “one of the finest leaders and changemakers in our industry, said Jonathan Tisch, executive chairman of Loews Hotels and UJA’s Hospitality Division chair.

“Geoff is passionate about ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect and this honor reflects that commitment in both his professional and philanthropic efforts,” Tisch said.

The UJA Hospitality Division committee members are Bruce Blum, Liberty Hotel Advisors, LLC; Richard Born, BD Hotels; Jonathan Falik, JF Capital Advisors; Mark Gerstein, McKinsey & Co.; Mark Gordon, Intrinsic Hotel Capital; Michael Lefkowitz, Triumph Hotels; Michele Mahl, The Agency; Gary Mendell, HEI Hotels & Resorts; David Pepper, Choice Hotels International, Inc.; Stacy Silver, Silver Hospitality Group LLC; Brian Schwartz, The Elliot Group; and Evan Weiss, LW Hospitality Advisors.

Last year, Ballotti became the second recipient of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. The award is presented by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation and the BHN Group. The award is named after Arne Sorenson, the former president and CEO of Marriott International who passed away in 2021, and in December of that year David Kong, the recently retired president and CEO of Best Western Hotel Group, was the inaugural recipient.

More for you

AHLA members meet with U.S. lawmakers to discuss key hospitality legislation impacting hotel owners and workers

AHLA shares priorities with lawmakers

AHLA Members Unite on Capitol Hill to Advance Hospitality Legislation

MORE THAN 250 American Hotel & Lodging Association members met with lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House to discuss legislative priorities critical to the hospitality industry. They raised concerns about tax and trade policies impacting hotel operating costs and travel demand amid ongoing budget reconciliation and tax negotiations.

Members also discussed expanding and upskilling the hospitality workforce through measures such as adjusting the H-2B visa cap and protecting the franchise model, which supports more than half of all U.S. hotels and 2.8 million jobs, the association said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
CBRE: US Hotel RevPAR to Grow 1.3 Percent in 2025

CBRE: RevPAR to grow 1.3 percent in 2025

U.S. HOTEL REVPAR is expected to grow 1.3 percent in 2025, supported by urban markets from group and business travel and increased demand for drive-to and regional leisure destinations, according to CBRE. Occupancy is forecast to rise 14 basis points and ADR 1.2 percent year-over-year.

This represents slower growth than CBRE’s February forecast, which projected 2 percent RevPAR growth based on a 21-basis-point increase in occupancy and a 1.6 percent rise in ADR, the commercial real estate and investment firm said.

Keep ReadingShow less
AHLA ForWard Conference 2025 held in Atlanta

ForWard Conference held in Atlanta

NEARLY 1,000 HOSPITALITY professionals attended the AHLA Foundation’s ForWard Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. With a theme centered on recognizing, accessing and amplifying power designed to elevate women in hospitality, the two-day event included professional development and networking opportunities.

The conference featured speakers from across the hospitality industry and adjacent industries. They included Jennifer Hyman, CEO and co-founder of Rent The Runway; Lamiaa Laurene Daif, worldwide strategy leader at Apple; and Grammy-nominated songwriter Makeba Riddick.

Keep ReadingShow less