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 property sales in New York and Florida, with Ashford Hospitality Trust offloading the Hyatt Regency Long Island for $26.5 million and Trinity Investments selling the Grand Lakes Orlando Resort for $1.38 billion in what it claims is the largest non-gaming U.S. resort transaction on record. 

Second-quarter earnings season is nearing its end after IHG Hotels & Resorts posted systemwide RevPAR gains in the first half of the year. Additionally, a new report from KPMG explored why hospitality buyers are pursuing “bigger, higher-conviction” deals, and a senior director at an insurance research company shared his tips on how hotels can prepare their facilities for the upcoming hurricane season.  

Here are some other headlines from the week that hoteliers should keep in mind: 

Radisson Hotel Group launches B2B extended stay solution

Radisson Hotel Group has launched a new extended stay platform called Long Stays by Radisson Hotels, designed to capture growing demand by corporate clients across global markets, according to a Monday news release. 

The B2B offering aims to make “long stay bookings easier to buy, manage, and experience,” per the release, with standardized rates, booking conditions and commission structures, “removing the need to negotiate individual agreements.”

With Long Stays by Radisson Hotels, “we're making it easier to win and service long-stay business at scale, while strengthening customer loyalty,” Gianni Di Fede, chief commercial officer at Radisson, said in a statement. 

Extended Stay America leader to retire at year’s end

Mark Williams, managing director of franchise development at Extended Stay America, will retire at the end of this year, according to a news release. 

Upon retirement, Williams will conclude a hospitality career spanning four decades across several hotel companies, per the release. He joined Extended Stay America in 2020, playing an "instrumental role” in expanding the brand family and driving growth across its Extended Stay America Premier Suites, Suites and Select Suites brands. 

“Extended Stay America has built a platform defined by strong brands, talented people, and a clear focus on creating value for our owners and franchisees,” Williams said in a statement. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together and am confident the company is well positioned for continued franchise growth in the years ahead.” 

The company has not yet announced a successor and said it is currently interviewing candidates to fill the role. 

Reuben Brothers, Three Rules Capital to move forward on $2B luxury Puerto Rico resort

Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital have received approval to move forward with plans to build Esencia, a $2 billion master-planned resort in Puerto Rico featuring two luxury hotels, according to a Wednesday news release. 

Situated across more than 2,000 acres on the southwest coast of the island, the resort will include Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood hotels, per the release. Esencia will feature 500 luxury hotel rooms and 1,200 private residences in total, serving as a “catalyst for economic growth” for the island. 

“Our ambition has always been to create a destination that celebrates the island's extraordinary natural beauty and heritage, preserve it for the local community and strengthen its presence as one of the world's most compelling destinations,” Jamie Reuben, principal of Reuben Brothers, said in a statement. 

Slated to open by late 2029, Esencia will be a “self-reliant community” powered entirely by renewable energy and use infrastructure that aims to generate surplus power to support the island’s local grid. 

Highgate appoints new chief commercial officer to oversee European growth

Highgate has appointed Siim Karu as chief commercial officer, tasked with overseeing the hospitality management company’s European commercial strategy, according to a Monday news release. 

In addition to strengthening its commercial platform, Karu will work to enhance Highgate’s portfolio performance and support its continued expansion across Europe. 

With more than 15 years of hospitality and leadership experience, Karu joins Highgate after four years with Generator and Freehand Hotels, where he served as chief commercial officer.