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1. Hotels packed with Hurricane Milton evacuees
Hotels around Florida have quickly filled with people trying to flee the path of Hurricane Milton, and Florida state officials are now scrambling to set up "warehouse shelters" to help in what's expected to be the state's largest hurricane evacuation since 2017, Tampa-based ABC affiliate WFTS reports. Milton is expected to make landfall today on Florida's Gulf Coast, hitting the Tampa Bay region as a Category 4 storm.
Part of the problem, the news outlet reports, is some hotels are still filled with emergency workers responding to Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in late September and caused severe flooding across the Southeast U.S.
“We have some construction crews from the previous storm, so we were kind of already booked at the same time. Now we’re sold out until Friday,” said Justin Craven, general manager of a 109-room LaQuinta Inn and Suites near the University of South Florida.
2. Tropicana demolished to make way for Vegas baseball stadium
After 67 years as a Las Vegas institution, the Tropicana Las Vegas was demolished in a controlled explosion to make way for a stadium for the baseball team currently known as the Oakland Athletics, USA Today reports. In typical Las Vegas fashion, the implosion was turned into an event with 555 drones and fireworks.
"The demolition of the Tropicana is an important milestone in the process of bringing A’s baseball to the world-renowned Las Vegas Strip and the community of Southern Nevada," said A's owner John Fisher in a statement. “We hope that, in time, this site will become a place of unforgettable experiences for fans of the game.”
3. Despite widespread anxieties, hoteliers at Lodging Conference remain optimistic
Interest rates and geopolitical risk still weigh heavy on the overall economic outlook, but hoteliers on-site for the 2024 Lodging Conference in Phoenix remain optimistic overall, according to HNN's Bryan Wroten and Trevor Simpson.
During the event, Marriott International's President and CEO Tony Capuano stressed the importance of mentorship for growth in the industry and how that has been the history between leaders at his company — including Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson.
"On that fateful Sunday night when we've lost our friend and I'd been appointed, I was reminded of those words," Capuano said. "Arne [Sorenson] was remarkable. I have no idea how to be Arne. I only know how to be myself. But with mentors like Arne and [Bill] Marriott, there are lessons that you take from every leader who you work with, and I think that's highly impactful as you develop your own leadership style."
4. Trump Organization discussed Israel expansion
The New York Times reports the Trump Organization has been considering plans for multiple hotels in Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, although those plans were put on hold a year ago after Hamas attack on Israeli citizens a year ago.
In an interview, Eric Trump confirmed the plans and said the Trump Organization "definitely" expects to finalize a deal for Israeli expansion.
“The deal absolutely would have gotten done if not for Oct. 7,” he said.
5. Anaheim Marriott faces $12 million in fines for not recalling workers
California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower is levying $12.45 million in fines on the Anaheim Marriott claiming the property circumvented state labor laws by not offering 28 former employees laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic the chance to return to their positions, the Los Angeles Times reports. Instead, the brand-managed property filled the positions — including bellhops, engineers, landscapers and cooks — with contract labor.
Two years ago, the Terranea Resort reached a $1.52 million settlement with the state related to similar contention of not property following recall rights for hospitality workers after being hit with $3.3 million in fines. Last year, the Hyatt Regency Long Beach was fined $4.8 million.