Following news announced on March 15 that Extended Stay America and its paired-share real estate investment trust ESH Hospitality would be acquired by Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Starwood Capital Group for $6 billion in cash, the deal is now facing opposition, "with three more sizable shareholders saying they plan to vote against the deal," Bloomberg reports.

The three shareholders who plan to oppose the deal include SouthernSun Asset Management, Cooke & Bieler LP and River Road Asset Management, citing "the $6 billion purchase price undervalues the company. They also argue it comes at a time when Extended Stay's prospects are strong, and have concerns about why the company chose to sell," the news outlet writes.

ESA's CEO Bruce Haase released a statement Thursday saying, "The company’s management and the boards believe this transaction provides a compelling and certain return for our shareholders," adding the process of approving this transaction took careful consideration by the board, specifically "the value achievable under the company’s business plan, the execution and market risks inherent in the plan, and the capital needed to execute the plan."

"Our proxy statement for the transaction will contain detailed information on the background to the transaction, the alternatives considered by the boards, the boards’ deliberations and the reasons for our recommendation of this transaction. We urge shareholders to read the proxy when it is filed, and we look forward to discussing the rationale for this transaction with our investors," he said.

Mexico is gearing up for a rebound "from one of the worst-ever years for its critical tourism sector," as summer bookings are up significantly despite a muted spring break season, Reuters reports.

Summer bookings are between 48.7% and 61.5% occupancy at major tourist destinations in Mexico. U.S. travelers are showing more confidence because of the increased COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

"Battered shares of Mexican hotel companies have already begun to recover as the expectation of sunnier times takes hold," Reuters writes. "Shares of Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe, which operates properties in Mexican beach destinations including Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, have rebounded by more than a third since last November when they hit a record low."

Speaking during the "Global Hotel Overview" session of the online Hotel Data Conference: Global Edition, STR managing director Robin Rossmann said the global hotel industry has a long road to recovery but will get back to some normalcy within two years, reports HNN's Sean McCracken. STR is CoStar Group's hospitality analytics firm.

He added overall performance numbers could reach pre-pandemic levels by the latter half of 2022.

"By [fourth quarter] 2022, depending on where you are in the world, demand will be between 80% to more than 100% of 2019 levels," he said. "I'll just say that again, within seven quarters of today, it's going to feel pretty normal. Demand is going to be pretty close to back up to 2019 levels."

On Monday, 10 people were shot and killed at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, when a gunman opened fired. Among the victims was former Stonebridge Companies Chief Operating Officer Kevin Mahoney, aged 61, the New York Times reports.

Mahoney left the company in 2014.

“I am heartbroken to announce that my Dad, my hero, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in the King Soopers shooting,” his daughter, Erika Mahoney, said in a post on Twitter. “My dad represents all things Love. I’m so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer.”

"Strong and long-lived tornadoes" could tear through the South this week, just one week after 49 tornadoes landed in the region on St. Patrick's Day, NBC reports.

"About 33 million people will be at risk for severe thunderstorms Thursday that could bring strong, long-lived tornadoes, hail up to the size of baseballs or larger and damaging winds in excess of 75 mph," the news outlet writes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center.

Rain and thunderstorms could start Thursday morning across Louisiana and Mississippi and clear up by the afternoon, but could turn volatile later in the day, moving east toward Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

Compiled by Dana Miller.