Read the latest news from around the Americas region.

Group travel is expected to look and feel much different than it has in the past as it rebounds from the pandemic. To help navigate those changes, hotels are hiring group-specific roles, reports HNN's Dana Miller.

Silvia Baxter, partner at Baxter Hospitality, has added reunion designer to her title this year.

"As people gather again, we are seeing a steady stream of interest in reunion bookings for the summer and fall seasons — this includes Chapter House, too, which is set to open at the end of July," she said. "Just last month, we had a full buyout of family and friends taking over Sesuit Harbor House, and so far this year, we've hosted more than a dozen mini-reunions."

Because of this influx of requests for family reunions, Baxter saw an opportunity to offer the services of a reunion designer.

"Groups can leave the itinerary with me. I completely customize the getaway to serve exactly what the family is looking for, whether it be on-site outdoor cookouts, clam bakes and bonfires, or off-property excursions," she added.

Flexible cancellation policies continue to be offered at hotels, but as more travelers return, some companies are tightening their policies and requiring guests to give more notice of reservation changes, reports HNN's Danielle Hess.

Choice Hotels International updated its booking and cancellation policy to require guests to cancel a stay 48 hours before the scheduled arrival date.

Douglas Lisi, vice president of revenue management at Choice, said some guests are canceling at the very last minute, making it harder for hotel franchisees to fill rooms.

HNN's Bryan Wroten reports extended-stay hotels continue to outpace other hotel types in terms of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economy segment is leading the way.

Data from The Highland Group shows that economy extended-stay hotels in the U.S. are performing better than both extended-stay hotels in higher segments as well as the rest of the hotel industry.

In the May data, occupancy for extended-stay hotels across the economy, mid-priced and upscale segments averaged to 76.5%.

Third-party hotel management companies with a focus on boutique and lifestyle hotels have seen an uptick in soft-branded hotels seeking their services, HNN's Dana Miller writes.

According to The Highland Group's Boutique Hotel Report, soft-brand collection supply has increased 19% over the past decade.

"Whenever these types of properties get together under a management umbrella, it provides them with a larger platform for customized marketing, reservation tools and that identity that makes you different and unique from the traditional hotel," said Kim Bardoul, partner and consultant at the Highland Group. "The management expertise of these companies are really honing in on what it takes to keep a hotel individual. More and more, I think you're going to find those soft-brand collections going to those management companies to help them compete."

• Pebblebrook Hotel Trust acquired the 200-room Jekyll Island Club Resort in Jekyll Island, Georgia, for $94 million. Noble House will manage the property.
• Pebblebrook also executed a contract to sell Villa Florence San Francisco on Union Square for $87.5 million. The sale to an unaffiliated third party is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2021.
• Electra America Hospitality Group, a joint venture between Electra America and AKA that launched in February, acquired a 178-room hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. Before that, the joint venture purchased a 194-room boutique hotel in Manhattan.
• TPG Hotels, Resorts & Marinas purchased the 92-key Danfords Hotel, Marina & Spa in Jefferson, New York.
• Summit Hotel Properties completed the the acquisition of the 110-room Residence Inn by Marriott Steamboat Springs for $33 million through a joint venture with GIC.
• The Skyline Lodge and Oak Steakhouse, a newly renovated boutique property from Indigo Road Hospitality Group, officially opened on July 6 in Highlands, North Carolina.
• IHG Hotels & Resorts unveiled a new dual-branded prototype, combining Avid Hotels and Candlewood Suites.
• Lido House, an Autograph Collection hotel, appointed André Brose to the role of general manager.

• TPG Hotels, Resorts & Marinas appointed Tim Muir as chief development officer.

• The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos opened with 147 rooms.
• Paul Adan was named managing director of Latin America and the Caribbean for Radisson Hotel Group.