CitizenM Pitches its Co-Working Benefits

The DJIA rose 51 points, Nasdaq was up 147, the S&P 500 was up 15 points but you would never have known it by looking at lodging and gaming stocks. Perhaps they were playing off the .14 jump in the 10 year treasury yield to 4.48% after the big jump in oil today. VCSA led the decliners with an -8% drop, followed by SOND with a decline of -6% and then AHT was down -5% on the day. Welcome to the 3rd quarter of 2024.  

Owners looking to boost revenue, elevate their service to guests and make their day-to-day operations run more seamlessly can now take advantage of Wyndham Connect in North America. Wyndham’s new guest engagement platform powered by Canary Technologies comes at no additional cost to owners. Key benefits of Wyndham Connect include messaging that matters, allowing staff to use AI-generated messaging to help respond to guests via text message before, during, and after their stay. Smart mobile check-in speeds up the check-in process for both guests and front desk agents. Effortless upsell from early check-in, late check-out and personalized upgrades, hotels can generate incremental revenue. Smart mobile check-out provides a faster, contactless check-out experience for guests while helping alert front desk agents and housekeeping staff when guest rooms are available. Boosting online reviews by encouraging guests to complete surveys via text message following their stay. Integrated mobile tipping allows guests to leave housekeeping tips.   

The Marion Hotel Ocala, located in Downtown Ocala, Florida, is currently under renovation to see it converted into a 55-room hotel with historic flare and world-class amenities. The building that will house the hotel is undergoing extensive internal and external renovations, including the demolition of most of its interior. The property is owned by Marion Opportunity Zone Investment, who will partner with ARK Hospitality to create a boutique hotel that is part of the Hilton Hotels Tapestry Collection. The seven-story hotel will have a breakfast café with a bakery. The group is hoping to open the new hotel in the third quarter of 2025.  

Southern Lodging LLC broke ground on a new Marriott Element hotel located next to Chason Park in Bainbridge, Georgia. Construction should be completed by late 2025-early 2026. When complete, the hotel will be four stories and contain 100 rooms with both ground-level parking and a parking structure below the hotel.   

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of a newly rebranded and converted Holiday Inn Express hotel in Miami, Florida. Holiday Inn Express Miami Airport – Blue Lagoon Area offers 122 rooms, more than 1,250 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center and outdoor pool. The property is owned by Sunflower Hospitality, LLC and managed by Driftwood Hospitality.   

Sage Hospitality Group announced Sage Investments entered into a joint venture agreement with Aspect Real Estate Group, Corner Lot, and Kelco Management and Development, closing on One Ocean Resort & Spa located in Atlantic Beach, Florida. Sage will oversee operations of the 193-room resort, the resort spa and signature fine-dining restaurant. The property will be part of Sage’s Independent Collection.   

Hershey Farms Resort will open its new facility in Hershey, Pennsylvania, following a massive fire in January 2023. The restaurant and inn announced the brand-new facility will open on July 26. The new building promises to feature over 4,500 square feet of retail shops, a bakery and brand-new café.   

Hotel Ventures is proposing a new hotel at an office park in Huntersville, North Carolina. The developer is seeking a new zoning to allow a three-story, 121-room hotel at the Birkdale Point office park.   

Medical Mutual’s longtime headquarters, an office complex in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is set to become a hotel, apartments and retail. Spark GHC and Cleveland Construction are set to buy the office property. Medical Mutual had already moved out and put the historic Rose Building up for sale last year. The joint venture did not say how many hotel rooms and apartments the 10-story building will hold or when they will open.  

Blue Flag Capital acquired an iconic Sag Harbor, New York, resort property from Cape Resorts for an undisclosed amount. Cape Resorts will continue to manage the Southampton property.   

Taicoon Property Partners LLC plans to tear down the existing building at 1501 Langston Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia and build a 94-unit condo hotel branded with a major hotel flag. The condo hotel would feature hotel services including butlers, valets, spa and high end amenities. The building would be 11 stories, including a penthouse and over three levels of structured parking with 205 spaces.  

In response to the evolving needs of modern professionals, hotel and lifestyle brand citizenM is expanding its innovative membership program to include co-working benefits across its portfolio. Co-working the citizenM way includes: Inspiring spaces thoughtfully designed for comfort and functionality. Premium amenities include discounts on food & beverage and societyM meeting rooms and more. Global locations: citizenM hotels are based in prime locations in the world’s business, tech, and creative hubs, with a growing portfolio of 34 hotels (17 in Europe, 14 in the USA, two in Asia) and more to come. citizenM’s membership offers incredible value for money, with benefits such as working, sleeping, and playing in hubs around the world. Co-working at citizenM can be accessed by becoming a mycitizenM+ member.   

Europe Highlights

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of the luxurious Dolce by Wyndham Versailles – Domiane du Montcel. Nestled in the outskirts of Paris, the 178-room resort offers 14 hectares of gardens, two top-quality restaurants, a bar, Spa du Montcel by Sothys, a conference centre with 18 meeting rooms and the 550 square meter Baccarat ballroom, the largest in the region.   

Moxy Hotels has opened its latest hotel in the Paris region, Moxy Paris Clamart. Located in the thriving Grand Canal area and owned by EPH Clamart, Moxy Paris Clamart offers 91 guestrooms, a bar and versatile meeting spaces.  

Bespoke Hotels has carried out a comprehensive rebranding, including investing in a revamped website to boost direct bookings. It also includes the distribution of a leisure breaks brochure to promote cross-selling opportunities within the group’s hotel collection. Additionally, each property will feature a plaque to mark its inclusion in the Bespoke Hotel family. The hotel group’s collection of hotels currently includes more than 70 properties across the British Isles.