Front Office Executive

Marriott executive wins Asia-Pacific revenue award. Award recognises commercial strategies driving hotel performance. Thursday 02 July 2026 | 17:00 Tourists enjoy their time at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, Nadi. Inset: Marriott International's Cluster Director of Revenue Management - Pacific Islands, Juan Munoz. Photo: Katherine Naidu A Fiji-based Marriott executive has been recognised for outstanding revenue performance across the Asia-Pacific region. Marriott International's Cluster Director of Revenue Management - Pacific Islands, Juan Munoz, received the APEC Q1 2026 Revenue Strategy Special Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to revenue performance across the region. Mr Munoz credited his team for the achievement, describing the award as recognition of their collective effort. Originally from Murcia in southern Spain, Mr Munoz has spent about a decade in the tourism industry. He began his career with Marriott in Sydney before taking up roles in Belgium and Fiji. He said his move to Fiji came after seeking an opportunity in the Pacific. "I was applying for opportunities in Australia and Fiji. When the opportunity came here, it was a perfect match. I like fishing and going out on the boat, so it suited me," he said. Mr Munoz has worked across several Marriott properties, including Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, Sheraton Brussels in Belgium, and Marriott hotels in Fiji and Samoa. His current portfolio includes Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, Sheraton Fiji Denarau Villas, Sheraton Resort & Spa, Sheraton Tokoriki Resort, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay and Marriott properties in Samoa. The award recognises revenue management performance across Marriott hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, including commercial strategies that drive revenue growth. Mr Munoz said the recognition reflected the work of his team. "The award was really because of my team's efforts. They are the ones who have put in fantastic work over the last 12 months to get the hotels where they need to be," he said. "My role has been to make sure they have the right platform to implement their ideas and strategies, and they have done a fantastic job." He said the team remained focused on developing its skills, identifying opportunities and improving performance. "My job is really to make sure they elevate their performance. The award is really about the team putting in a fantastic effort," he said.

New York hotels sees World Cup rate spike from last-minute bookings. Today at 7:00 AM PDT Skift take. New York hotels see average daily rates rise 38% on World Cup match days. Marriott will exit W South Beach ahead of Reuben Brothers renovations. Plus, more hotel development news. The DJIA fell 45 points Friday, Nasdaq was down 61, the S&P 500 fell 3 points and the 10 year treasury yield was down .02 to 4.37%. The calm day in the market had lodging stocks somewhat mixed. New 52-week highs were scored by INN, APLE, RLJ, XHR, DRH and ABNB. Jefferies downgraded their rating on Accor to Hold from Buy. They lowered their price target to EUR52 from EUR55. The New York Post reported the World Cup has been a big benefit to NY and hotels in the NY/NJ area thanks to a rush of last-minute bookings. The newspaper reported NY hotel occupancy is over 90%, the highest level of any host city. The City Reporter cited CoStar data for that point. That report showed average daily rates were up 38% from last year. This data covers the period of the June 13th opening match between Brazil and Morocco at MetLife Stadium in NJ. CoStar said game date hotel occupancy was 88.6% with ADR of $406.01. Occupancy rose to 90.5% and a $458.64 ADR for the June 16th match between France and Senegal. Truist called this correctly, predicting the negative commentary on visitation and projected hotel occupancy would be overblown. They gave their own update, saying for the week ending 6/20, the markets on game day had RevPAR ranging from -3% to +167% year over year with the average game day RevPAR up 41%. Four matches had lower year over year RevPAR, with those matches taking place in Miami, Seattle, Boston and Houston. Service Properties Trust announced their Board of Trustees approved a five for one reverse split, expected to become effective after the close of trading around July 6, 2026. SVC's outstanding common shares will be reduced from 647.7 million shares to 129.5 million shares. Driftwood Capital has launched Driftwood Hotel Income I, DST, its Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) platform that enables eligible investors access to institutional-quality real estate. The offering is anchored by the 176-key Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Weston, acquired for a total enterprise value of $35.5 million, with equity commitments targeted at $23.9 million and approximately $17.75 million in debt at roughly 43% LTV. DST interests may qualify as like-kind replacement property for certain 1031 exchange investors, potentially deferring recognition of certain capital gains, subject to applicable tax rules and individual circumstances. W South Beach & Residences in Miami Beach, FL will drop its Marriott affiliation and lay off hundreds of employees upon closing for renovations on August 20th. The renovation and rebranding comes after Reuben Brothers acquired W South Beach in 2024. At that time, the property offered 348 managed hotel and condo units. According to planning documents submitted to the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board, the renovation is set to add a new patisserie, a private members-only club and a new beach club. Cosmetic upgrades will be made to the guestrooms and public spaces including the pool bar and deck. Marriott International confirmed to Hotel Dive that it will no longer operate the property. Henderson Park announced plans to rebrand the Salamander D.C. under the Marriott flag, according to the Washington Business Journal. The potential Marriott rebrand comes just two years after the 373-room property completed a year-long, multi-million dollar renovation. Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Parks Hospitality Holdings announced that Park Hyatt Riviera Maya and Grand Hyatt Los Cabos, both owned by PHH, are expected to open in the second half of 2026 as all-inclusive experiences. Slated to open by the end of 2026, Park Hyatt Riviera Maya will feature 148 guestrooms and suites, seven distinct venues, a beachfront pool, and indoor and outdoor event spaces. Park Hyatt Riviera Maya signals a new chapter for luxury all-inclusive. Expected to open later this year in Cabo San Lucas, Grand Hyatt Los Cabos Resort, Golf & Spa will be an all-inclusive resort boasts 301 guestrooms and suites, 20,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event space complemented by outdoor garden venues, five a la carte restaurants, five bar concepts, an expansive spa, 18-hole golf course, fitness center, and multiple ocean-view pools. Sitio El Tropicano, the re-imagining of San Antonio's 1960s-era River Walk hotel, is now accepting reservations ahead of its late 2026 opening. The 315-room urban resort also announced a culinary partnership with Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group to helm three signature culinary venues and Sitio Club. Trestle Studio is overseeing the property's transformative restoration, which also includes San Antonio's largest pool deck, a spa, and a dynamic range of indoor and outdoor event spaces. Blue Flag Capital, in partnership with Collared Martin Hospitality announced the openings of Faraway Sag Harbor and Faraway Jackson Hole. In the Hampton's, Faraway Sag Harbor introduces a thoughtful re-imagining of the iconic Baron's Cove, transforming the waterfront property into a 67-room boutique hotel with a restaurant, heated outdoor pool with cabanas, a new padel court, spa treatment rooms, a fitness center, and a collection of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. In the heart of Wyoming's Teton Village, Faraway Jackson Hole features 90 guestrooms and suites, 48 residences, and wellness amenities including an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna. HVS Brokerage & Advisory announced the sale of the 88-key Wingate by Wyndham Seminole in Seminole, Texas. The property was purchased by RKP4 Holdings LLC from WG Seminole Hospitality, Ltd. and LB Hospitality, Inc. Laurel Real Estate Co. announced the sale of the 100-room Quality Inn in Gallipolis, Ohio. Laurel Real Estate Co. represented the seller in the transaction, with financing arranged by Peachtree Group. Personnel moves. Capella Hotel Group appointed Feisal Jaffer as Chief Development Officer. In his new role, Jaffer will lead the group's worldwide development activities while helping shape hospitality-focused real estate platforms as Capella Hotel Group continues to expand its international footprint. The appointment marks a return to Capella Hotel Group for Jaffer. Between 2014 and 2019, he served as senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development at Pontiac Land Group, where he worked closely with Capella Hotel Group on several landmark developments. Most recently, Jaffer served as Global Head of LXR Hotels & Resorts at Hilton Worldwide. European highlights. IHG Hotels & Resorts signed four new hotels in Italy, increasing its portfolio in the country to more than 50 open and pipeline properties as of March 31, 2026. The new signings are located in Milan, Alberobello, and Turin. The dual-branded Crowne Plaza Milan NoLo and Staybridge Suites Milan NoLo will be located in Milan's NoLo district. The project will convert and rebrand an existing hotel into a combined upper-upscale and extended-stay property, with 167 Crowne Plaza rooms and 96 Staybridge Suites apartments. Both hotels are scheduled to open in January 2027. Owned by Reinvest, the development marks the debut of the Staybridge Suites brand in Milan and will feature multiple restaurants and bars, a pool, fitness facilities, and eight meeting rooms covering 1,000 square meters. IHG has also signed Hotel Indigo Apulia Alberobello, the first Hotel Indigo in the Apulia region. The 129-key new-build hotel is owned by AG Group and is scheduled to open in 2028. Planned facilities include a spa, gym and congress center. In Turin, IHG will introduce the Garner brand by converting a 57-room hotel, marking the second Garner signing in Italy. The hotel is scheduled to open in mid-2027 under a franchise agreement with Gruppo Stay, marking IHG's first partnership with the Italian hotel group. AMTD Group Inc. and its affiliated entities announced the completion of four hotel acquisitions totaling approximately $207 million. The acquired properties are The Ritz-Carlton Perth, AMTD IDEA Tribeca Hotel in New York, AMTD Dao by Dorsett Hornsey in London, and AMTD IDEA KL Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Combined with two previously held properties, the group's hotel portfolio now totals close to 1,000 rooms across major cities on four continents, operating under the AMTD Hotels Group segment.