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 Choice Hotels International make a play in the outdoor hospitality market, acquiring Harvest Hosts for approximately $130 million.

Choice also expanded its upscale portfolio, with the opening of two Cambria Hotels and four Ascend Collection properties across a “diverse mix of markets.” 

Meanwhile, Hyatt appointed Amar Lalvani to the newly created role of chief creative officer, and Expedia Group is expected to lay off 58 corporate employees later this year, according to a federal WARN notice. 

Also this week, our monthly Hotel Tech-in feature highlighted TrayAway, a company that aims to make room service tray retrieval more efficient while enhancing the guest experience and cutting labor costs. 

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

Nobu Hospitality expands to Puerto Rico

Nobu Hospitality is expanding with a luxury 50-room hotel and restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, marking its first venture on the island, according to a news release. 

Slated to open in 2028, Nobu Hotel and Restaurant San Juan will feature a signature Nobu restaurant and bar on the street level, along with a rooftop lounge and bar, per the release. It aims to provide guests “an opportunity to experience the culture and character of the island” as travelers increasingly seek culturally immersive experiences.

The upcoming San Juan property allows Nobu to introduce its “distinctive approach to hospitality” to a place “celebrated for its rich history, vibrant culture, and exceptional hospitality,” Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said in a statement. 

Aimbridge Hospitality adds 10 hotels to management portfolio

Aimbridge Hospitality has added 10 hotels, owned by a joint venture involving Prospect Ridge and Fulcrum Hospitality, to its management portfolio, according to a news release. 

Located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Texas and West Virginia, the hotels extend Aimbridge’s footprint in “several of its core operating markets,” per the release. The properties include select-service hotels under Marriott International, Hilton and Hyatt brands.

Several of the hotels are located in or near university markets, while others have undergone renovations or are expected to within the next few years, per Aimbridge.

“Being selected to manage this portfolio on behalf of these highly respected institutional partners speaks to the strength of our platform and the results our team delivers every day,” Eric Jacobs, chief global growth officer for Aimbridge, said in a statement. 

Accor taps Mews to elevate its F&B technology

French hotel giant Accor has tapped hospitality software platform Mews to standardize and modernize its food and beverage technology across its Premium, Midscale and Economy portfolio, according to a news release. 

“For our hotels, F&B is a fantastic revenue driver and a powerful engine to drive guest loyalty," Jean Noel Lau Keng Lun, chief distribution officer at Accor, said in a statement. As part of this strategy, the new F&B Technology helps properties “maximize total revenue and integrate dining experiences deeper into our Loyalty ecosystem,” the executive added. 

With Mews’ POS system, property teams refer to one system for ordering, menu management, inventory and real-time reporting, with an average support response time of under one hour, per the release. The POS currently operates across 850 Accor properties in more than 20 countries. 

Choice Hotels launches loyalty points-sharing feature

Choice Hotels International launched a new points-sharing feature within its Choice Privileges loyalty program, giving members the ability to transfer points to friends and family, according to a Thursday news release. 

The loyalty perk allows members to share points “seamlessly and for free,” per the release. Members are able to combine smaller points balances to redeem rewards faster and avoid waiting to earn points individually, Choice said.

The launch comes as Choice focuses on making rewards more flexible and accessible for “value-minded” members, per the company.