
Hotel Company Names New Vice President of Operations
Danika Smith-Josiah will provide support, training and guidance to general managers nationwide. Scarlett Hotel Group in Sarasota recently named Danika Smith-Josiah as its new regional vice president of operations. Smith-Josiah, who has been working for Scarlett for four years, will now lead hotel managers within the group’s portfolio of hotels, in areas such as property maintenance, asset protection, guest service, sales, accounting and budgeting. Prior to working at SHG, Smith-Josiah worked in hospitality leadership at

Danika Smith-Josiah promoted at Scarlett Hotel Group
Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) has promoted Danika Smith-Josiah to regional VP of operations. After starting at SHG four years ago, her leadership skills demonstrate the skill set required to move into an executive position, the company reports. This role will provide support, training and guidance to hotel general managers nationwide in SHG’s growing hospitality portfolio. In her new role, Smith-Josiah will lead the hotel managers of SHG’s portfolio of hotels, providing guidance and direction in

First hotel in Gladstone opens its doors
A community desperate for lodging has had its wishes come to fruition. Gladstone’s first hotel has opened at 6901 N. Oak Trafficway. Not far from the city’s Linden Square development, the $15 million Fairfield Inn & Suites Kansas City North/Gladstone is part of the Linden Square community improvement district. The hotel features 111 guest rooms and 22 executive suites. Amenities on the property include an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, cocktail lounge and breakfast offerings.

Scarlett Hotel Group Opens the Very First Hotel in Gladstone, Missouri
Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) announced today that its newest hotel, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Kansas City North/Gladstone, built from the ground up, is fully operational and open for business. Scarlett Hotel Group, which owns and manages the hotel, worked with officials from the City of Gladstone to ensure that the new property would meet the needs of the city and surrounding area, and be a part of the community for years to come. Located at 6901

River Walk hotel poised for $50 million transformation into luxury property
A longtime River Walk property is booking a total transformation at the hands of new owners. Announced June 10, the Wyndham San Antonio River Walk has been purchased by Scarlet Hotel Group in a joint venture with Trailbreak Partners, and a major makeover is planned. Now closed, the property will undergo a $50 million renovation and reopen in 2023 as San Antonio’s first InterContinental hotel. The forthcoming 4-star, luxury property will boast 390 guest rooms

Scarlett Hotel Group & Trailbreak Partners Plan New InterContinental Hotel For San Antonio
Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) announced today that the company has purchased the former Wyndham San Antonio River Walk, located at 111 East Pecan Street in San Antonio, as part of a joint venture with Trailbreak Partners. The new owners have closed the property to begin implementing plans for a $50 million overhaul of the hotel which will be transformed to a luxury, full-service, four-star, 390-room InterContinental hotel in early 2023. Hotel Background and Future Plans Located on

ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham Has Over 200 Hotels in Development Pipeline
PARSIPPANY, New Jersey—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the continued expansion of its ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, which in just one year, now has more than 200 hotels in its development pipeline. Outpacing initial growth expectations, the developer-driven brand caters to the extended-stay market, which continues to outperform other industry segments. Late last year, the brand broke ground on its first three hotels and nearly two dozen more ground breaks are expected for

Selecting an Extended Stay Franchise Brand
The extended stay segment has shown great resiliency through the pandemic and in challenging economic times as a strong performer, outpacing many transient hotels and garnering great interest from franchisors and investors. The demand and emergence of new mid-price and economy hotels in the U.S. extended stay hotel segment signals tremendous growth opportunities ahead. Here are six things to keep in mind when evaluating potential franchisors for a mid-price or economy extended stay hotel. A

Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index Fell 2.5 Percent in February 2023
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee, and MILWAUKEE—The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index fell 2.5 percent in February to a level of 5,541. “Hotel stocks—just like the broader market—pulled back in February as the focus turned to earnings and initial 2023 outlooks,” said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. “The global hotel brand stocks, while down slightly during the month, outperformed the S&P 500 on the heels of strong fourth-quarter earnings reports and guidance that matched

Mumford Company Celebrates 45th Year in Service
NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia—Mumford Company is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and Senior Principal David Mumford, along with Managing Principals Ed James and Steve Kirby, are each celebrating their 40th year in the hospitality industry. As a company working on the sale of focused service and select-service hotels, Mumford Company has grown from a family business that started in 1978 to a national operation backed by experience. “We have worked with Steve Kirby for over

Married To Hospitality
What initially inspired you to get into the hospitality business? This is such a great question for hospitality leaders because so many of us didn’t know we were destined for a career in hospitality. When I was in college, my brother got engaged. As we were planning the wedding, I had the opportunity to meet the catering director at the Marriott in San Antonio, Texas, who showed me the hotel and educated me on the business.

A Trusted Advisor: The Evolved Role of the Broker Brings More Value to Owners
When I first started out in hotel brokerage back in the late 1980s, the market was unsophisticated and had not adopted the fiduciary focus that was required to establish trust. Consequently, the term hotel “broker” had mostly a negative perception. However, over the past 35 years, many brokers have moved into the role of trusted advisors, who passionately make paramount their fiduciary responsibilities. As a trusted advisor, the broker adds significant value for owners in