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Company founder H.P. Rama launched the first family-named scholarship in 1998
Auro Hotels launched its $2 million Rama Legacy Scholarship endowment for employees' children, with several students receiving support in the first year.
Vishnu Rageev R is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience in business journalism. Before joining Asian Media Group in 2022, he worked with BW Businessworld, IMAGES Group, exchange4media Group, DC Books, and Dhanam Publications in India. His coverage includes industry analysis, market trends and corporate developments, focusing on retail, real estate and hospitality. As a senior journalist with Asian Hospitality, he covers the U.S. hospitality industry. He is from Kerala, a state in South India.
AURO HOTELS LAUNCHED its $2 million Rama Legacy Scholarship endowment for employees' children, continuing a tradition started by company co-founder H.P. Rama. Several students received scholarships in this inaugural year, reflecting the company’s view that its success depends on its people.
As founding chairman of AAHOA and past chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Rama believes the hospitality industry’s strength lies in developing its people, Auro said in a statement. He established the first scholarship under his family’s name in 1998.
The Rama Scholarship for the American Dream began through AHLA, where a $1 million commitment has supported more than 700 hospitality students, the statement said. In 2008, the Rama Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Greenville City Fire Department was established and has provided over $110,000 to more than 120 students.
Rama established AURO University in Surat, Gujarat, India, in 2011. Since then, the university has graduated more than 2,200 students across over 30 undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. Through industry engagement and practical training, AURO prepares students for careers in hospitality and other fields.
“The Rama Legacy Scholarship is more than financial assistance—it is an investment in the future of the hospitality industry,” the company’s statement said. “By supporting employees' children, Auro Hotels is creating opportunities for the next generation to achieve their educational and career aspirations.”
For Rama, these scholarships link his company’s success to its responsibility to the community that made it possible. As the hospitality industry changes, he shows that success includes supporting others and helping secure their futures.
Based in Greenville, South Carolina, with offices in Atlanta and Surat, Auro Hotels has developed, owned, and operated hotels for more than 50 years. It runs 37 hotels with over 6,700 guestrooms in the United States and India under brands including Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.
H.P. Rama, with brothers M.P. and J.P. Rama, founded JHM Hotels that later became Auro Hotels in Greenville. Both M.P. and J.P. Rama have passed on. D.J. Rama serves as Auro’s president and CEO.
In August, Auro Hotels completed the renovation of the 132-room Hilton Garden Inn Orlando Airport in Florida.
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PHILADELPHIA LEADS THE list of the 50 most bed bug-infested U.S. cities for the second year in a row, followed by New York City and Cleveland-Akron, according to Terminix. The results show a rise in bed bug activity, with cities in Ohio, Texas, Florida, California and Pennsylvania making up much of the list, driven by travel, urban density and housing conditions.
Terminix's list of the 50 most bed bug-infested U.S. cities is based on 2024 service data from more than 300 branches nationwide.
“We have seen a consistent increase in bed bug control services performed since the onset of the ‘new normal’ following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Eric Braun, Terminix's technical service manager. “As travel, social gatherings and public activity resumed, so did the opportunities for bed bugs to spread, prompting a rise in both awareness and demand for professional pest control services.”
U.S. hospitality businesses recorded a 109.1 percent year-over-year health rating in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Cendyn-Amadeus Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index, with St. Louis, Philadelphia and New Orleans leading the top 10 cities.
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THE FINANCIAL HEALTH of hospitality assets, especially in the northeast and central regions, is improving, driven by leisure travel and the return of conferences and events, according to Colliers. U.S. hotels saw RevPAR rise 2.4 percent, ADR 1.9 percent and a slight uptick in occupancy from April 2024 to March 2025.
Colliers' 2025 Hospitality Outlook report found that some regions are still returning to pre-pandemic demand levels, while others are reaching prior cyclical peaks.
“We’re seeing performance diverge by region and asset type, which is creating targeted opportunities for investors who understand how to navigate today’s complexity and capitalize on long-term fundamentals,” said Mark Owens, Colliers’ vice chair for capital markets.
The northeast and central regions led the country in occupancy growth at 1.3 percent, as cities like New York, Chicago and Nashville saw gains from both leisure and business travel, the report found. The South accounts for over 51 percent of all rooms under construction, driven by travel and investor demand in the Sunbelt. In the West, ADR is nearly 20 percent above pre-pandemic levels, with hoteliers focusing on rate growth over occupancy gains.
However, the report found a decline in consumer travel spending, with lodging down 2.5 percent and airfare down 6 percent year-over-year.
International travel may face short-term challenges tied to economic conditions, particularly in gateway markets, but domestic demand, especially for leisure and group travel, continues to support sector performance, the report found. While new supply remains active in some regions, rising costs and selective lending are slowing development elsewhere, helping align supply and demand.
Investors, developers and operators will need to balance near-term dynamics with long-term opportunity as the hospitality sector evolves, the report said. From shifting traveler behavior to roles in mixed-use environments, hotels are shaping the future of real estate.
Separately, the Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index by Cendyn and Amadeus showed U.S. hospitality businesses recorded a 109.1 percent year-over-year increase in their health index for the first quarter of 2025, the highest in four quarters.
EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPERFORM vacation rentals and apartments in comfort, value and sense of home, according to a survey by Extended Stay America. About 79 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels are like a home away from home, while 82 percent said they offer a stronger sense of home than vacation rentals or apartments.
In the national survey by ESA and Wakefield Research, respondents preferred extended-stay hotels over other options, citing amenities at 34 percent, comfort and familiarity at 33 percent and personalization at 30 percent.
About 43 percent said extended-stay hotels are more affordable and offer better value than rentals or apartments.
About 89 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels meet a need for people in transition, according to the report. The survey found that 66 percent view them as a temporary replacement for home, often during renovation, relocation, or financial hardship.
“For more than 30 years, Extended Stay America has remained exclusively focused on meeting the needs of long-term guests,” said Greg Juceam, ESA president and CEO. “As a pioneer of the extended-stay segment, we’re proud to see these survey findings confirm that our guests value what sets us apart—affordability, the comforts of home and genuine care.”
Having a full-size kitchen is a plus, the survey said. Nearly 49 percent of respondents said it is the main advantage over traditional hotels and 61 percent said having a kitchen saves them more than $75 per week.
About 85 percent of respondents said they would choose an extended-stay hotel for future lodging, while 64 percent cited the sense of community they provide.
ESA operates more than 700 extended-stay hotels in the U.S. under the Premier Suites, Suites and Select Suites brands.
The Highland Group reported that U.S. extended-stay and overall hotel RevPAR declined in April, reflecting their long-term correlation.
HOTELS SHOULD USE an updated competitive set to maximize revenue, control costs and maintain market position, according to HotStats. Those that fine-tune their comp sets consistently outperform others by using real-time insights to guide pricing, labor and revenue strategies.
The comp set should be reviewed at least once a year, HotStats wrote in a recent blog post.
Hotels must identify true competitors, as not every nearby hotel qualifies, the analytics company said. They should first identify their guests—business travelers, leisure guests, or groups—and select competitors with a similar customer base. Performance data should then confirm the comp set reflects the competitive landscape.
If a hotel generates significant revenue from F&B, events or wellness services, it should benchmark against hotels with similar operations. Market conditions such as seasonal trends, demand patterns and pricing also affect performance, so the comp set should include hotels facing similar scenarios.
A common mistake is relying on the same comp set for years, HotStats said. When a hotel’s positioning or market changes, the comp set should be reassessed and updated.
Hotels should compare ADR trends to understand how others price rooms, HotStats said. Labor cost efficiency should be reviewed to assess alignment with similar hotels. If F&B is a key revenue stream, the comp set should include hotels with comparable operations.
A comp set must include at least four hotels, excluding the subject property, to ensure effective external benchmarking and prevent any single property from disproportionately influencing performance comparisons.
It must also include hotels operated by at least three different companies and representing at least three different brands, excluding the subject hotel, to ensure confidentiality. These requirements protect the anonymity of financial data and maintain benchmarking integrity.
No single operator or brand should represent more than 50 percent of the total room count in the comp set and no brand parent or franchisor can exceed 70 percent, HotStats said. This prevents any one entity from disproportionately influencing results. Hotels from the same data provider are excluded to ensure a valid comparison.
A comp set should evolve as new competitors emerge, guest preferences shift and industry trends change, HotStats said. Regular updates maintain competitiveness in pricing, labor management and revenue strategies. Maintaining these standards ensures hotels can confidently analyze financial and operational performance to optimize their strategies, according to blog.
In a recent blog post, HotStats said hotels should look beyond RevPAR to include TRevPAR and GOPPAR for a fuller performance view.
WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS’ Days Inn brand is launching a nationwide search to reunite five pairs of long-distance friends as brand ambassadors. The pairs, named “Days Inn-siders,” will spend a weekend highlighting a destination on the brand’s social media and receive $10,000, accommodations, flights and a daily stipend.
The initiative aligns with National Best Friends Day on June 8, and applications are open online through July 1, Wyndham said in a statement.
“In a world where group chats fade and schedules clash, Days Inn is helping keep one thing strong — connection,” said John Henderson, Days Inn vice president for brand operations. “With locations that support everything from beach trips to city stays, our hotels give friends a place to reconnect — and that’s what our Days Inn-siders will help show.”
Entrants may fit categories such as Nature Nomads hiking from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest; Taste Makers exploring food in cities like Chicago, Austin and Portland; Adrenaline Junkies seeking coasters, zip lines and desert rides; Wave Watchers drawn to surf and boardwalks; and Culture Cravers visiting music venues, museums and art walks, the statement said.
Selected pairs must be available for a two-night trip between August and December, with travel coordinated by Days Inn. Responsibilities include creating photo and video content for the brand’s social media and encouraging others to reconnect through personal stories.
Each pair will receive $10,000, a two-night hotel stay, a $2,000 travel stipend, Wyndham Rewards DIAMOND status and branded gear. Most importantly, they’ll reunite in person, the company said. Applicants must be social media–savvy duos, 18 or older, fluent in English and legal residents of the U.S., D.C., Guam or Puerto Rico with valid ID.
Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham president and CEO, announced new initiatives in technology, sourcing, loyalty and marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ 2025 Global Conference at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. In March, Wyndham launched the Wyndham Rewards Debit Card, which lets users earn points on purchases and redeem them for stays at participating hotels.
