SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE, GSTC ALIGN: The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has announced a new cooperation agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The partnership will bring together the Alliance’s reach in the hospitality industry and measurement expertise with the GSTC’s experience in sustainability standards and assurance to upgrade the industry’s knowledge of sustainability criteria and the need to capture sustainability data. The collaboration will combine the GSTC Criteria, accreditation program and training opportunities with the Alliance’s industry leadership, tools and initiatives.
HILTON GROWS IN COLOMBIA: Hilton has opened Hilton Santa Marta, its second hotel in Santa Marta, Colombia. The newly built 261-room hotel features five dining venues and over 11,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Later this year, the hotel will open a children’s club, a spa with six treatment rooms, an exclusive lounge for Hilton Honors members and a beauty salon. The hotel is a recent addition to Hilton’s portfolio of over 200 hotels in 28 Caribbean and Latin American countries. Currently, Hilton operates more than 20 hotels in Colombia; In the region, the company has a pipeline of more than 100 hotels in various stages of development.
MMI HOSPITALITY ADDS TO PORTFOLIO: MMI Hospitality Group, based in Flowood, Miss., has acquired Mission Inn Resort & Club in Lake County, Central Florida. The 500-acre hotel has 176 rooms, two golf courses, three restaurants, a spa, and over 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. The property will undergo phased improvements that will begin early this year.
CHARLESTOWNE ADDS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: Charlestowne Hotels, based in Charleston, S.C., has expanded its corporate leadership team. This is part of a phased realignment plan that includes a greater emphasis on asset development and an increased focus on improving human resources and company culture. Charlestowne introduced nine new VP and director roles through 2022 to increase supervision of department-wide strategy and management. A brand new food and beverage support team was established alongside three more roles on its operations team to provide direct guidance on the property level and to stay ahead of industry trends.
NEW MIXED-USE PROJECT IN FERNLEY, NV.: LRE & Companies, the real estate development, asset manager, construction and hotel management company, has unveiled plans for Fernley Promenade, a 13-acre mixed-use development project consisting of retail, hotel and industrial in Fernley, Nev. The development will include a 98-room hotel, three quick-service restaurants, three large junior anchors and 16,000 square feet of shop space. The four-story, extended-stay lodging facility, Home2 Suites at Fernley Promenade, will include a pool, fitness center, and other amenities. The project will be finished by the end of 2024.