Wealth Hospitality breaks ground on dual brand in Louisiana
The 154-room Hilton hotel is expected to open in early 2026
By Vishnu Rageev RNov 15, 2024
WEALTH HOSPITALITY GROUP recently broke ground on a dual-branded Tru by Hilton and Home2 Suites in Ruston, Louisiana. The development, set to open in early 2026, will offer 154 rooms with extended-stay options, Wealth Hospitality said in a statement.
The Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Wealth Hospitality is led by Founder, CEO and Managing Principal Hiren “Chico” Patel, President and Managing Principal Mitesh “Mike” Patel and Founder and Managing Principal Bhupender “Bruce” Patel.
Hiren Patel cited the area’s location along I-20 and a nearby sports complex, which attracts 400,000 visitors annually, as key factors in the project’s appeal. The hotel, Ruston’s first dual-branded and extended-stay option, is near Louisiana Tech University and Grambling State University.
The new hotel is the first in nearly a decade in Ruston, meeting the growing demand for accommodations, especially during university events and sports tournaments, the statement said.
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker expressed support for the project, noting its importance for the city’s growth, particularly in sports tourism.
The groundbreaking also marked the company’s commitment to the local community, with donations to Louisiana Tech’s and Grambling State’s Colleges of Business, as well as to the Ruston Police and Fire Departments.
NexGen Hotels recently acquired The Maritime Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 150-room property will be rebranded as The Moor Hotel at Marina Bay, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, with renovations expected by the third quarter of 2025.
Peachtree launched new DST with 131,040‑square foot industrial facility in Mansfield, Texas.
The property was acquired at $180 per square foot.
Peachtree completed $320M in debt-free transactions across multiple markets since 2022.
PEACHTREE GROUP LAUNCHED its latest Delaware Statutory Trust with the acquisition of a newly built 131,040-square-foot industrial facility in Mansfield, Texas. The company has completed about $320 million in debt-free transactions since launching its DST program in 2022, according to its statement.
The rear-load building, completed in 2025, features 36-foot clear heights, a three-acre outdoor storage yard and room for future expansion. The property was acquired for $180 per square foot, below market comparables, and is fully leased to Ferguson, a distributor for professional contractors in North America, Peachtree said in a statement.
“In today's higher-rate environment, where tighter credit and volatile valuations challenge traditional ownership, DSTs have emerged as a compelling alternative,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree’s managing principal and CEO. “They deliver attractive cash flows backed by institutional-quality assets, while also offering tax advantages, professional management and diversification.”
Ferguson signed a 10-year corporate lease beginning in March, with 3 percent annual rent escalations, two five-year extension options and limited landlord obligations, the statement said. With investment-grade credit ratings from S&P BBB+ and Moody’s Baa1, the tenant supports the trust’s income stability and risk profile.
Peachtree’s DSTs, Opportunity Zones and REIT structures form a platform aimed at tax efficiency, compounding benefits and risk-adjusted returns, supported by Peachtree’s integrated asset management.
“Expanding into the industrial sector is a step toward building a diversified DST platform that can perform across cycles,” said Tim Witt, Peachtree’s president of 1031 Exchange and DST Products. “DSTs turn a looming tax bill into compounding wealth, keeping money in commercial real estate, but their true strength is pairing tax efficiency with investments that stand on their own merits.”
Atlanta-based Peachtree is led by Friedman; managing principal and CFO Jatin Desai and principal Mitul Patel. In July, Peachtree added the 128-key SpringHill Suites Phoenix West Avondale in Arizona as its ninth Delaware Statutory Trust offering since launching the program in 2022.
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AHLA Foundation is partnering with ICHRIE and ACPHA to support hospitality education.
The collaborations align academic programs with industry workforce needs.
It will provide data, faculty development, and student engagement opportunities.
THE AHLA FOUNDATION, International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration work to expand education opportunities for students pursuing hospitality careers. The alliances aim to provide data, faculty development and student engagement opportunities.
Their efforts build on the foundation’s scholarships and link academics to workforce needs, AHLA said in a statement.
"We're not just funding education—we're investing in the alignment between academic learning and professional readiness," said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president and CEO. "These partnerships give us the insights needed to support students and programs that effectively prepare graduates to enter the evolving hospitality industry."
ACPHA will provide annual reports on participating schools’ performance, enabling the Foundation to direct resources to programs with curricula aligned to industry needs, the Foundation said.
Thomas Kube, incoming ACPHA executive director, said the partnership shows academia and industry working together for hospitality students. The collaboration with ICHRIE includes program analysis, engagement through more than 40 Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society chapters and faculty development.
“Together, we are strengthening pathways to academic excellence, professional development and industry engagement,” said Donna Albano, chair of the ICHRIE Eta Sigma Delta Board of Governors.
U.S. holiday travel is down to 44 percent, led by Millennials and Gen Z.
Younger consumers are cost-conscious while older generations show steadier travel intent.
76 percent of Millennials are likely to use AI for travel recommendations.
NEARLY 44 PERCENT of U.S. consumers plan to travel during the 2025 holiday season, down from 46 percent last year, according to PwC. Millennials and Gen Z lead travel intent at 55 percent each, while Gen X sits at 39 percent and Baby Boomers at 26 percent.
PwC’s “Holiday Outlook 2025” survey found that among those not traveling, about half prefer to celebrate at home and cost concerns affect 43 percent, rising to 50 percent for Gen Z non-travelers. Visiting friends and relatives remains the main reason for holiday travel, cited by roughly 48 percent of those planning trips.
Younger consumers are more cost-conscious, while older generations show steadier travel intent. This split influences travel operators’ planning: younger travelers may require clear value, bundled perks and flexible options, whereas older travelers respond to reliability and convenience. Despite overall spending pressure, travel remains a key priority, reflecting its social and emotional importance during the holidays.
PwC surveyed 4,000 U.S. consumers from June 26 to July 9, with 1,000 each from Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers, balanced by gender and region.
Generational spending patterns
Gen Z plans a 23 percent reduction in spending after last year’s 37 percent surge, while Boomers expect a 5 percent increase. Millennials are largely flat, down 1 percent and Gen X edges up 2 percent. Overall holiday spending is down 5 percent, with gift spending falling 11 percent, while travel and entertainment budgets remain stable, increasing 1 percent.
Households with children under 18 plan to spend more than twice as much as households without, averaging $2,349 compared to $1,089, highlighting the focus on family-centered experiences.
For travel and hospitality operators, these patterns suggest stronger conversion potential among older cohorts with steadier budgets and the need for clear value and cost transparency for younger travelers. Consumers are prioritizing experiences and togetherness over material gifts. Flexible fares, transparent pricing and bundled benefits such as Wi-Fi, breakfast, or late checkout can reinforce value and encourage bookings, especially among younger demographics. Gen Z’s pullback makes price-to-experience ratios decisive.
AI, timing and travel strategy
About 76 percent of Millennials say they are likely to use AI agents for recommendations, signaling a shift to “assistant-first” travel discovery. Operators must provide structured, AI-readable content, including route maps, fees, loyalty policies and inventory availability. Brands that do not may be invisible in AI-driven search and recommendation systems.
This year’s late Thanksgiving on Nov. 27 compresses the holiday booking window. Short-haul visiting-friends-and-relatives trips may see bunched reservations, increasing demand for early inventory visibility, simple cancellation policies and accurate last-minute availability. Operators should hold a portion of inventory for late bookings, streamline mobile checkouts and maintain flexible policies to capture last-minute travelers.
Strategies should be generationally targeted. Boomers and Gen X respond to comfort, reliability and multi-generational options, while Millennials and Gen Z require clear value and AI-optimized offers. Focusing on VFR travel through “home for the holidays” packages, flexible dates, partner transport and easy add-on nights can capture demand in key residential hubs.
Despite overall spending declines, travel remains a priority. Operators that deliver transparent value, AI-ready content and offers tailored to each generation can maintain bookings, convert last-minute demand and meet consumers’ evolving holiday expectations.
A TravelBoom Hotel Marketing report found that Americans continue to prioritize travel despite inflation and economic uncertainty, but with greater financial caution. About 74.5 percent plan a summer vacation and 17.5 percent are considering one, showing strong demand linked to careful budgeting.
Indian visitors to the U.S. fell 8 percent to 210,000 in June 2025, according to NTTO.
President Trump’s 50 percent tariff on Indian goods took effect on August 27.
The U.S. has seen a decline in international visitors in recent months.
INDIAN VISITORS TO the U.S. fell in June 2025 for the first time this millennium, excluding the Covid period, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office. About 210,00 Indians visited the U.S. in June, down 8 percent from 230,000 in the same month last year.
The provisional figure for July shows a 5.5 percent drop from the same month last year, Economic Times reported, citing NTTO data. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariff on Indian goods took effect on August 27, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to follow the “Vocal for Local” policy in his Aug. 15 Independence Day address. Beyond exports like textiles, the measure is likely to affect travel, tourism and hospitality in both countries.
The U.S. has seen a decline in international visitors in recent months, the Times said.
NTTO reported that total non-U.S. resident arrivals fell 6.2 percent in June 2025 from June 2024; 7 percent in May; 8 percent in March and 1.9 percent in February. January rose 4.7 percent and April 1.3 percent over the same months last year.
India is the fourth-largest source of international visitors to the U.S. Excluding Mexico and Canada, which share a land border, India is the second-largest overseas source after the UK.
“Combined, these top five markets, with Brazil fifth, accounted for 59.4 percent of total international arrivals in June,” NTTO said.
Travel industry leaders say it is too early to blame the drop in Indian visitors on stricter visa rules under Trump’s second term, which coincided with strained India-U.S. ties; the impact could rise if the policy continues. The U.S. mostly issues 10-year multiple-entry visitor and B1 and B2 visas, allowing holders to continue traveling, but new delays or stricter issuance norms could affect arrivals after a time lag.
“We are seeing a visible impact on the student segment this year due to delays in visa issuance, even after people have secured college admission,” a travel agent was quoted as saying in the report. “Historically, the biggest categories of visitors from India to the U.S. have been those visiting friends and relatives, business and students. The U.S. has never been a top leisure destination for Indians; that space is led by Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with North America following. Right now, apart from students, we are not seeing a significant impact on other segments, but if new visa issuances are affected, they will also be hit after a time lag.”
With an Indian diaspora of more than 5 million, the U.S. sees strong travel demand from India. NTTO data shows that every June since 2000 had recorded a year-on-year increase until 2025 broke the trend.
April saw high outbound travel from India. According to the tourism ministry, 2.9 million Indians traveled abroad, with the most going to the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore and the U.S.
“But after May and June, travel was hit by the Pehelgam terror attack, closure of Pakistan airspace (which continues for Indian carriers and vice versa) and the Air India Ahmedabad crash,” a travel industry leader told the Times. “Every destination, especially in the west, was affected. The drop to the U.S. may not be in isolation, given how quickly western destinations were impacted.”
Global hotel RevPAR is projected to grow 3 to 5 percent in 2025, JLL reports.
Hotel RevPAR rose 4 percent in 2024, with demand at 4.8 billion room nights.
London, New York and Tokyo are expected to lead investor interest in 2025.
GLOBAL HOTEL REVPAR is projected to grow 3 to 5 percent in 2025, with investment volume up 15 to 25 percent, driven by loan maturities, deferred capital spending and private equity fund expirations, according to JLL. Leisure travel is expected to decline as consumer savings tighten, while group, corporate and international travel increase, supporting RevPAR growth.
Major cities continue to attract strong demand and investor interest, particularly London, New York and Tokyo. APAC is likely to post the strongest growth, fueled by recovering Chinese travel, while urban markets remain poised for continued momentum.
Lifestyle hotels are emerging as the new “third place,” blending living, working and leisure. The trend is fueling expansion into branded residences and alternative accommodations. JLL said investors must weigh regional performance differences, asset types and lifestyle trends when evaluating opportunities.
Separately, a Hapi and Revinate survey found fragmented systems, inaccurate data and limited integration remain barriers for hotels seeking better data access to improve guest experience and revenue.