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.
MARCH IS WOMEN’S History Month, a time to focus attention on women’s role in business and society. It also is the second month for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ new “Women Own the Room” program that aims to open the door for more women to achieve hotel ownership.
Two of the first participants in the program are Trusha Patel, founder and CEO of Platinum Holdings in Austin, Texas, and Neha Jadhav of Chantilly, Virginia, founder of Luminous Hotel Management. Both women are opening dual-brand La Quinta and Hawthorn Suites hotels with assistance from WOTR assistance.
Correcting an imbalance
Wyndham launched WOTR in January in an effort to overcome the common barriers women face in developing, opening and running their own hotel. The program provides assistance with financial solutions, personalized operational support and networking and educational opportunities.
Programs such as WOTR are needed to counter hospitality industry data that shows women are significantly underrepresented in hotel ownership, real estate, and investment funding roles, Wyndham said in a press release. The company cited the most recent annual report from the Castell Project, a nonprofit focused on promoting women in the industry, that found that while there are more women in the hospitality industry they still lag behind in leadership roles.
Also, only one woman enters hotel development for every 9.2 men entering the field, Wyndham said.
“Women want to own and develop hotels – the momentum we’re seeing proves it – they’ve just lacked trusted partners and advocates who will help guide them in their pursuits,” said Lisa Checchio, Wyndham’s chief marketing officer. “The mentorship opportunities and resources Women Own the Room provides are invaluable and will better inspire and prepare future generations of women hoteliers.”
A stark realization
Patel was one of the first two franchisees to take part in the WOTR program. She grew up in the hotel business, as did so many others in the Asian American community, serving several roles in her family’s independent hotel in San Antonio, Texas. In her teens she served as translator assisting her father in making deals for the business.
She moved away for a while and practiced psychology for a while, but eventually returned to Texas with her husband where they developed a hotel in Houston, then several more. Then, something happened that made her aware of a reality within the industry.
At a conference, she was talking to lending partners about one of her acquisitions, trying to get better terms, only to be told they could do no better. Then her husband approached one of the other men she had spoken to and told him he was involved in the deals his wife had presented.
The lender agreed to new, better terms that evening.
“That made me realize that it's not something to do with the assets, it's not to do with my buying choice, it's nothing, it's just a gender issue,” she said. “Being that it's a gender issue, it provoked me to be able to look at all the brands during that conference, and see that there's a lot of talk, lots of conversations out there, that we're wanting to do this, we're going to do this, but truly, who actually has something in place right now that I can actually utilize and be of an asset for me to go on to the next step to be able to be instrumental for my progression? And that's where Women Own the Room came in.”
Patel’s hotels, two separate La Quinta/Hawthorn Suites dual-brands, will be in Austin and Georgetown. Each hotel will offer a combined 125 guestrooms – 75 of which will feature La Quinta’s Del Sol prototype and 50 will feature the updated room design for Hawthorn, an extended-stay brand.
Patel said she has developed new hotels for her father and husband before.
“But this will be my own two new builds that I can put my stamp on and create a legacy,” she said. “Because if you think about it, it's all the decision-making right from the ground up all the way up to opening up the business.”
Trusha Patel and Neha Jadhav both will develop dual-brand La Quinta and Hawthorn Suites hotels with assistance from Wyndham’s Women Own the Room program.
Women take point
Jadhav came from similar circumstances to Patel. Her family moved from India to the U.S. in 1984 and bought their first independent property in Wilmington, Delaware, which they still own. She grew up in the hotel, helping out, until she met her husband at University of Delaware when she was 18.
They moved to California after marrying, and Jadhav worked several jobs in financing, including a stint at Morgan Stanley focusing on securities management and overseeing a $400 million investment portfolio.
“But, once we had kids, we decided it was time for us to move back to the East Coast from California to be closer to my parents and so the kids can spend time with their grandparents,” she said. “And that's when I rejoined the hotel industry in 2004.”
With partners she purchased the property in Warrenton, Virginia, that currently holds her Baymont Inn and Suites, another Wyndham product. That will be the location of her new dual-brand project as well.
“It sits on basically a four-acre parcel and so we were redeveloping that into a LaQuinta/Hawthorne and keeping our Baymont on the same parcel,” Jadhav said. “It's a unique situation for us and Wyndham where they'll have three-brand representation capturing pretty much all market segments you can think of, from extended-stay to midscale to economy.”
She signed the deal for the new hotel in December, thanks in no small part to the WOTR program.
“The Women Own the Room program definitely gave me that push in terms of the support that we need, given that it's a new construction and is something that I did not have experience with,” Jadhav said. “I know that Wyndham with the program, the initiative that they're providing by assisting with financing the design team, I think that we will definitely be in good shape when we do start the construction.”
The new hotel will have between 100 and 125 rooms, but Jadhav said she is conducting market research to determine how they will be distributed.
Jadhav said the WOTR program and other efforts to support the advancement of women in hospitality will pay off for the industry in the end.
“A lot of the women, they're in the back of the scenes, or they have other experiences, but are not put to the forefront,” Jadhav said. “Now we can have their voice move to point and be presented at the ownership level, too. It's a very innovative and progressive program that will empower women entrepreneurs to become hotel owners and operators. It will definitely bring diversity and a fresh perspective to the hotel industry. I think it's going to benefit not just women owners, but also, holistically benefit all owners and brands.”
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.
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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.
Global pipeline hit a record 15,871 projects with 2.4 million rooms in Q2.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects; Dallas tops cities with 199.
Nearly 2,900 hotels are expected to open worldwide by the end of 2025.
THE GLOBAL HOTEL pipeline reached 15,871 projects, up 3 percent year-over-year, and 2,436,225 rooms, up 2 percent, according to Lodging Econometrics. Most were upper midscale and upscale, LE reported.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects and 737,036 rooms, 40 percent of the global total. Dallas leads cities with 199 projects and 24,497 rooms, the highest on record.
LE’s Q2 2025 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed 6,257 projects with 1,086,245 rooms under construction worldwide, unchanged in project count and down 3 percent in rooms from last year. Projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months totaled 3,870 with 551,188 rooms, down 3 percent in projects but up 1 percent in rooms. Early planning reached 5,744 projects and 798,792 rooms, up 10 percent in projects and 9 percent in rooms year-over-year.
Upper midscale and upscale hotels accounted for 52 percent of the global pipeline, LE said. Upper midscale stood at 4,463 projects and 567,396 rooms, while upscale reached 3,852 projects and 655,674 rooms. Upper upscale totaled 1,807 projects and 385,396 rooms, and luxury totaled 1,267 projects and 245,665 rooms, up 11 percent year-over-year.
In the first half of 2025, 970 hotels with 138,168 rooms opened worldwide. Another 1,884 hotels with 280,079 rooms are scheduled to open before year-end, for a 2025 total of 2,854 hotels and 418,247 rooms. LE projects 2,531 hotels with 382,942 rooms to open in 2026 and 2,554 hotels with 382,282 rooms to open globally in 2027, the first time a forecast has been issued for that year.
HAMA is accepting submissions for its 20th annual student case competition.
The cases reflect a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Teams must submit a financial analysis, solution and executive summary.
THE HOSPITALITY ASSET Managers Association is accepting submissions for the 20th Annual HAMA Student Case Competition, in which more than 60 students analyze a management company change scenario and provide recommendations. HAMA, HotStats and Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting are providing the case, based on a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Student teams must prepare a financial analysis, a recommended solution and an executive summary for board review, HAMA said in a statement.
“Each year, the education committee looks forward to the solutions that the next generation of hotel asset managers bring, applying their own experiences to issues in ways that reveal new directions,” said Adam Tegge, HAMA Education Committee chair. “This competition demonstrates that the future of hotel asset management is in good hands.”
The two winning teams will each receive a $5,000 prize and an invitation to the spring 2026 HAMA conference in Washington, D.C. HAMA will cover travel and lodging.
Twenty industry executives on the HAMA education committee will evaluate submissions based on presentation quality, the statement said. HAMA mentors volunteer from September through November to assist teams seeking feedback and additional information. Schools will select finalists by Jan. 15, with graduate and undergraduate teams reviewed separately.
The competition has addressed topics in operating and owning hospitality assets and HAMA consulted university professors to update the format for situations students may encounter after graduation, the statement said.
This year’s participants include University of Denver, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Boston University, Florida International University, Michigan State University, Columbia University, Morgan State University, Howard University, New York University and Penn State University.