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1. Larry Cuculic Named CEO of BWH Hotel Group
BWH Hotel Group announced Larry Cuculic will be its new president and CEO starting Dec. 1 following the retirement of current President and CEO David Kong, reports HNN’s Dana Miller. Cuculic has served as the company’s senior vice president and general counsel for the last 12 years.
“I have worked alongside Larry for 12 years and have been continually inspired by his thoughtful leadership and strategic thinking,” Kong said in the news release about the announcement. “Throughout his tenure, Larry has gained valuable experience through a wide range of responsibilities, including our central reservations and contact centers. He is conversant in many areas of our company and is well liked and respected throughout the organization. Larry is the ideal candidate for the role of president and CEO.”
2. US Travel Demand Projections Mixed
United Airlines announced its domestic flight schedule is the biggest since March 2020, with the month of December standing out with having more than 3,500 daily domestic flights, 91% of its domestic capacity compared to 2019, according to a news release.
"We're seeing a lot of pent-up demand in our data and are offering a December schedule that centers on the two things people want most for the holidays: warm sunshine and fresh snow," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning and scheduling at United. "We know families and friends are eager to reunite this holiday season, which is why we're thrilled to add new flights that will help them connect and celebrate together."
At the same time, a survey of about 1,200 Americans conducted by market research firm Destination Analysts found more than 68% of respondents said they were planning or considering a trip, but that’s down from 78.7% in June, Bloomberg reports. More than 23% reported canceling an upcoming trip because of the pandemic, and nearly 27% posted their trip for the same reason.
3. Concord Hospitality Sells Times Square Hotel for $89 Million
Concord Hospitality sold its 196-key Cambria Hotel New York – Times Square, a property that was permanently closed, for $88.5 million, the Real Deal reports citing public records. The company bought the plot near Times Square in 2013 for $30 million and later developed the hotel.
The news of the sale comes just days after Concord acquired the property at 100 Greenwich St., the Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Downtown Manhattan, for $69 million from the McSam Hotel Group, the news outlet reports.
4. Developer Aims to Create First Net-Zero Hotel in US
Architect and developer Bruce Becker is trying to turn a local landmark building in New Haven, Connecticut, into the country’s first net-zero hotel. The planned 165-room Hilton-branded property called Hotel Marcel is designed to run independent of fossil fuels, powered primarily by solar panels on the hotel’s rooftop and parking lot.
"You have to reuse, recycle and reinvent existing buildings to be truly sustainable," Becker said. "The culture we have of tearing down and building new is really inefficient, and particularly when you have a building like (this one) which has such a great structure and that's built to last for another century, not to repurpose it would have been a real shame."
5. US Economy Added 194,000 Jobs in September
The U.S. Department of Labor reported the U.S. economy added 194,000 jobs in September, the lowest monthly gain since December 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal. The number was down from the upwardly revised 366,000 jobs added the previous month.
The weaker than expected payroll gain points to ongoing fears over COVID-19, and specifically the delta variant, along with global supply issues. The largest factor in the number of new jobs added was the decline in public-sector jobs, specifically at schools. Meanwhile, employers remain desperate to hire new employees.
“Ramped up production may be necessary, but you can’t find the employees to ramp it up,” said Ann Silver, head of the local Chamber of Commerce in Reno, Nevada. “We’re hearing that from every sector—hospitality and touring, healthcare, you name it. People can’t be found. Everybody’s quick to say, ‘Wow, the economy is rebounding.’ Well, it can’t without human beings.”