The Lodging Lowdown is a series from Hotel Dive highlighting major headlines that hospitality professionals may have missed from the week.

This week in hotel news saw Dallas-based hotel management company Dreamscape Hospitality appoint a new CEO and Sonesta debut its first meetings-focused hotel collection. 

Additionally, recent reports shed light on leisure and business travel trends for the upcoming year. Hilton’s 2027 Trends Report found that travelers are expected to ditch perfection in favor of personal growth, discovery and flexibility on their trips. Meanwhile, according to Amex GBT’s 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, global business travelers are optimistic about the health of the sector. 

And, starting in January, New York City’s 119-year-old Plaza Hotel is closing for at least four years for restoration work on its historic facade. 

Here are some other headlines from the past week that hoteliers should have on their radars:

Hotel Equities makes 3 key leadership appointments

Hospitality operator and developer Hotel Equities has made three leadership appointments, according to a news release shared with Hotel Dive. 

The appointments include Olya Brase as chief financial officer; Daniel Ben-Efraim as senior vice president of sales, supporting destination and lifestyle hotels; and Jenny Moore as vice president of revenue management for lifestyle hotels, per the release. 

With more than 20 years of finance experience, Brace most recently led a “comprehensive finance transformation” at Highgate, per Hotel Equities. As CFO, she is tasked with strengthening financial visibility and governance, advancing the company’s finance technology and developing a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 1 program.

As SVP of sales, Ben-Efraim will lead sales strategy across Hotel Equities’ Destination Collection and Springboard Hospitality divisions. He previously served as vice president of sales at EOS Hospitality. Additionally, in her role as VP, Moore leads revenue management strategy across Springboard Hospitality and is responsible for driving top-line performance and optimizing distribution. She most recently led revenue and distribution strategy for Noble House Hotels & Resorts. 

“Together, these new additions to our team strengthen the finance and commercial platform behind every owner relationship we manage,” Ben Rafter, CEO of Hotel Equities, said in a statement. 

The Indigo Road Hospitality Group appoints CMO

The Indigo Road Hospitality Group has named Catherine Woods as chief marketing officer, according to a Wednesday news release. 

In her new role, she will lead marketing efforts across IRHG’s collection of restaurants, hotels, venues and membership clubs, working to strengthen the company’s individual brands “while building greater awareness and equity for The Indigo Road itself,” per the release. Woods will report directly to the company’s founder and chief visionary officer, Steve Palmer, per the release.  

Woods brings more than 16 years of experience in corporate marketing to the role. Previously, she held marketing leadership roles with Belmond, part of LVMH, and most recently served as vice president of marketing for Beemok Hospitality Collection.

Founded in 2009 out of Charleston, South Carolina, IRHG manages hospitality concepts, including award-winning restaurants, bars and food and beverage-driven boutique hotels across the U.S. 

PM Hotel Group expands portfolio in Portland, Oregon

Chevy Chase, Maryland-based PM Hotel Group has added three hotels in the Portland area to its management portfolio, expanding its presence in the metro area from four hotels to seven, according to a Thursday news release. 

The properties include two Hilton-branded hotels, including the 73-room Hampton Inn Sherwood Portland and the 152-room Hampton Inn & Suites Portland Tigard, as well as the new-build, 115-room Caption by Hyatt Hillsboro, which is currently under development.

“This expansion reflects our long-term commitment to the Pacific Northwest and the overall West Coast market area, and our ability to operate successfully across segments nationally,” Paul Sacco, chief growth and development officer of PM Hotel Group, said in a statement. 

The management group now has more than 90 hotels across the U.S., spanning the “focused service to luxury” segments, per Sacco.