AH_224_Dec-Jan-2024
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December/January 2024 Volume 23 #221
Hotel companies in the news include:
CitizenM, KB Hotels, Highrock Hospitality LLC, WOW Resorts, Hersha Hospitality
Where it all began
Book chronicles the Patels’
quest for the American Dream
Tech offers independents
a helping hand
All-in-one software offers cost savings and
efficiency close to level of branded hotels
Hospitality highlights
from 2023
Choice's bid for Wyndham and AAHOA's
push for fair franchising and gender diversity
made headlines during the past year
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Contents
Contents
COVER STORY
18 Tech offers independents a helping hand
All-in-one software offers cost savings and
efficiency close to level of branded hotels
NEWS
5 Choice continues its pursuit of Wyndham,
launches exchange offer
Wyndham board says offer isn’t in
shareholders’ best interests
6 L.A. homelessness ballot measure
withdrawn, new ordinance passed
AAHOA, local hoteliers opposed to new
permit’s requirement of a police permit for
hotels
8 Supreme Court vacates ‘tester lawsuit’ case
The court ruling said the subject of standing
for ADA lawsuits filed by plaintiffs who had no
intention of staying at the hotel being sued
remains open
9 AHLA, others sue Biden Administration over
NLRB joint-employer definition
Also, a group of mostly Republican Congress
members have introduced a resolution to
overturn the recent ruling
10 Hersha, KSL Capital finalize acquisition
The REIT has now gone private, delisted from
the NYSE
Asian Americans to develop $1.3 billion resort
in Dubai, UAE
The JW Marriott resort, featuring residences
and 300 hotel rooms, is scheduled to open
in 2026
12 Former AAHOA chairwoman Panwala
testifies against proposed overtime rules
change
Speaking on behalf of AHLA, she told a
Congressional committee the proposed
increase in the overtime threshold could raise
costs, limiting employee options
2023 RECAP
13 Hospitality highlights from 2023
Choice's bid for Wyndham and AAHOA's push
for fair franchising and gender diversity made
headlines during the past year
DESIGN
16 Freestyling in Flagstaff
Aiden by Best Western boutique hotel opens
in Arizona city
LITERATURE
23 Where it all began
Book chronicles the Patels’ quest for the
American Dream
Gujarati translation of top stories begins on
page 26
On The Cover
Timesh Patel, hospitality director for Paloma
Realty Partners in Venice Beach, California,
and owner of the independent boutique
Los Angeles Inn & Suites (shown in a 2019
photo) says technology today offers all-in-run
property management capabilities equal to
what a branded hotel may have.
CONTENTS
ISSUE 221
DEC/JANUARY 2024
18
COMING
NEXT ISSUE:
NEW YEAR, NEW
DEBATE ON FAIR
FRANCHISING
Contents
Contents
12
10
16
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 ASIAN HOSPITALITY
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It rhymes with more
’m not necessarily one for signs and omens, but I
do find it encouraging that this new year rhymes with “more.” Anyway, I guess
it’s really a matter of what comes after the “more,” good things or bad.
If you’ll indulge me, I’m going to begin with some self-promotion of one
of the good things. The second printing of my novel “Pale in Death” is now
available from Down & Out Books. You can look it up on the publisher’s site
or Amazon.
And yes, it’s the second printing. My first publisher went belly up five or six
years ago so I’m hoping for a better outcome this time.
But, enough about me.
What are the good things for the hotel business that we need more of over the
next 12 months?
Well, more travel would be good, and that seems to be the case. By September,
travel spending in the U.S. had reached $104 billion, according to the U.S. Travel
Association. It is projected to exceed $198 billion this year according to the website
Statista.
So that’s good, but we all know that the travel industry only thrives in good
economic times, so will those continue? Hard to say. That recession that was
supposed to hit last year seems to be looming still, but not as much. Economist
David Rosenberg said in an interview on the Wealthion webcast that he expects a
soft landing with meager growth, with positive results for the stock market.
At the same time, he warned that this could still “morph into that recession that
miraculously didn’t happen last year” as earnings expectations come down. In
another interview on CNBC, Rosenberg again said it was “premature to throw in
the recession towel” as 2024 rolls out.
Well, ok, then.
In the “more bad” category, this is an election year.
No, I’m not going to give predictions or predilections on the outcome of that
election. But elections in general tend to rile things up, and it’s no secret that
our political process has verged toward chaos in recent years. The presidential
candidates haven’t officially been decided yet, but almost certainly we’re looking
at a replay of 2020 and we all know how that went.
Well, some of us seem a bit deluded about how that went, actually, but I’ll
go no further in that direction. That way madness lies.
In the end, for now, I’m keeping on the sunny side and saying this year will be,
as Spike Lee once put it, “mo better.” Be sure, I’m wishing that for all of you.
Edward J. Brock, Senior Editor
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Editor's Letter
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4 ASIAN HOSPITALITY DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 ASIAN HOSPITALITY
hoice Hotels International in
December continued its bid
to acquire Wyndham Hotels
& Resorts after twice being rejected
by Wyndham’s board of directors.
Choice launched an exchange offer
“to present its compelling proposal
directly to Wyndham shareholders”
and plans to nominate its own
candidates for Wyndham’s board.
However, Wyndham’s board
continues its refusal to accept the
offer, saying it remains substantially
the same as the last bid it rejected
and does not address the board’s
concerns about the deal’s
regulatory viability and benefits
to stockholders. It also said in a
statement that Choice currently owns less
than 1.7 percent of Wyndham common
stock and is “restricted from further
purchases without antitrust approval.”
Pressing its case
In its own statement released in
December, Choice said it had decided to its
“compelling proposal” was too important
for both companies to let go.
“Choice continues to believe that
a transaction with Wyndham is pro-
competitive and would generate value for
both Wyndham and Choice shareholders
as well as deliver significant benefits to
franchisees, guests and associates of both
companies,” the company said.
In its original proposal, made public in
October, Choice said it sought to acquire
all the outstanding shares of Wyndham at
a price of $90 per share and shareholders
would have received $49.50 in cash and
0.324 shares of Choice common stock for
each Wyndham share they own. Choice
claimed that is a 30 percent premium to
Wyndham’s 30-day volume-weighted
average closing price ending on Oct. 16,
an 11 percent premium to Wyndham’s 52-
week high, and a 30 percent premium to
Wyndham’s latest closing price.
Wyndham’s board unanimously
rejected Choice’s proposal, calling it
unsolicited, “highly conditional” and not
in the best interest of shareholders. On
Nov. 14, however, Choice sent a letter to
the Wyndham board with an “enhanced
proposal” intended to address Wyndham’s
concerns about clearing federal regulations.
Among the changes proposed are:
Reverse termination fee of $435 million,
or approximately 6 percent of the total
equity purchase price.
A regulatory ticking fee of 0.5 percent of
the total equity purchase price per month.
Choice agrees to an outside date 12
months post-signing of a definitive
agreement, with two 6-month extensions
exercisable by either party, if regulatory
approvals have not been obtained by such
date.
“While we would have preferred to
come to a negotiated agreement, the
Wyndham board’s refusal to explore a
transaction has left us with no choice but
to take our proposal directly to Wyndham’s
shareholders,” said Patrick Pacious, Choice’s
president and CEO.
Choice also announced that it currently
holds approximately 1.5 million shares
of Wyndham common stock, valued at
more than $110 million. The company has
filed forms under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with
the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to
begin the approval process, and it is taking
another step aimed at changing Wyndham’s
position on the merger.
Choice intends to nominate a slate of
directors to Wyndham’s board at that
company’s 2024 Annual Shareholder
Meeting. In late December, Choice released
another statement saying Wyndham was
mischaracterizing its offer.
“Wyndham’s comments call into
question their ability to properly
support franchisees while also
generating shareholder value through
M&A,” the Choice statement said.
“The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
will come to its own independent
assessment of the proposed
transaction’s competitive merits based
on the specific facts, like it does on
every M&A transaction. Attempting
to use the FTC to prevent Wyndham
shareholders from even accessing
the option of a merger with Choice
robs them of meaningful upside from
the combination or, at a minimum,
the substantial break-fee Choice
has offered in the unlikely event the
transaction were not to receive the requisite
regulatory clearance.”
The answer is still no
Wyndham’s board acknowledged Choice’s
latest offer but it remains unmoved in its
opposition to it.
“Choice has, once again, failed to address
the major value gap and risks of their
offer – which remains virtually unchanged
from the terms outlined in their previous
unsolicited proposal,” said Stephen Holmes,
chairman of the board. “The core issues we
have articulated remain the same: a likely
prolonged regulatory review period of up to
24 months with an uncertain outcome; the
pure inadequacy of the offer from a valuation
standpoint, including the significant equity
component of Choice stock; and the lack
of consideration for Wyndham’s superior,
standalone growth prospects.”
Those concerns include the risk
to Wyndham shareholders given the
uncertainty around antitrust approval
withing a 24-month timeline; he
undervaluation of Wyndham’s standalone
growth prospects; and he value of Choice
shares relative to its growth prospects.
Wyndham’s board said it would advise
shareholders of its recommendation
regarding the offer within 10 business days
from Choice’s last offer.
“Wyndham shareholders are urged
not to take any action with respect to
the offer until the board announces its
recommendation,” the board said.
Choice continues its pursuit of
Wyndham, launches exchange offer
Wyndham board says offer isn’t in shareholders’ best interests
Choice Hotels International is continuing its bid to acquire Wyndham
Hotels & Resorts despite two rejections by the latter’s board of
directors. Choice has launched an exchange offer and plans to
nominate candidates for Wyndham’s board.
News
News
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6 ASIAN HOSPITALITY DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
A
ballot measure in Los Angeles that
would have required hotels in the
city to house the homeless along
with paying guests has been officially
withdrawn from consideration. However,
the Los Angeles City Council also passed
an ordinance to replace the ballot measure
that some local hoteliers also protest.
The ballot measure, sponsored by
Unite Here Local 11 hospitality workers
union, would have required hotels to
house homeless voucher holders with
regular guests, spurring protests by
AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging
Association and others. On Dec. 5, Unite
Here agreed to withdraw that ballot
measure, which was going to go before
voters in March.
At the same meeting, the council
approved the Responsible Hotel Ordinance
to replace the ballot measure and that
would allow hotels to voluntarily make
vacant rooms available for interim housing
for the homeless. It also would require
developers of new hotel properties to obtain
a conditional use permit through a public
review of the proposed development’s
impact on the existing housing supply
and to replace any housing that would
be demolished or otherwise lost in the
neighborhood.
Also, hotel developers and owners of
existing hotels, as well as owners of short-
term rental properties, would be required
to obtain a police permit that would screen
owners and operators of those properties
for prior criminal activity or any history of
creating a public nuisance. The ordinance is
now awaiting the signature of Los Angeles
Mayor Karen Bass.
Several hoteliers and short-term rental
property owners attended the meeting in
early November during which the new
ordinance was introduced and took issue
during public comments, particularly with
requirement for a police permit. Ray Patel,
president of the Northeast Los Angeles
Hotel Owners Association, was among
them.
“I am not happy with the new ordinance,”
Patel said. “The association will continue to
fight the new ordinance which imposes a
police hotel permit section.”
The protest continues
AHLA and AAHOA both praised the
withdrawal of the Unite Here ballot
measure.
“[The] vote by the council removes
Unite Here’s ridiculous homeless-in-hotels
proposal from the ballot, and the union’s
consent to this vote makes clear that its
irresponsible demand was just a bargaining
chip, rather than a serious attempt to
address the homelessness crisis gripping
L.A.,” said Chip Rogers, AHLA president
and CEO.
AAHOA said in its statement the
voluntary housing component of the new
ordinance is an improvement over the
previous ballot measure. At the same time,
the association said it also thinks some
changes should be made to the police
permitting section of the ordinance are
recommended.
The police permitting requirement also
would lead to uncertainty for hoteliers
because they will not know each year if
they will receive the permit or not, AAHOA
said. Banks might avoid renewing hotel
loans and demand immediate full payment
of loans from hoteliers and hoteliers may
be discouraged from investing in their
properties due to the uncertainty.
“This section imposes an onerous
process that, among other things, could
potentially lead to the denial of a hotel
permit for up to five years with no rights to
appeal if a hotel is ‘found’ by an unspecified
adjudicator to have violated any federal,
state, or local employment laws,” AAHOA
said. “It also generally references prohibited
activities that are broadly worded and
nonspecific and might arise because of
unruly guests’ activities that a hotel owner
has worked hard to prevent.”
AAHOA is asking that the Los Angeles
Planning and Land Use Management
Committee consider the impact the police
hotel permit on the local hotels, especially
the limited-service hotels owned by
minority and immigrant hoteliers.
Paul Krekorian, L.A. Council president
responded to concerns about the police
permit requirement during the first meeting
in November. Specifically, he addressed his
response to short-term rental hosts who
were concerned that police would inspect
their properties.
“The draft ordinance that's before us
today would already provide for automatic
acceptance of an application for the police
permit. All you have to do is apply and
unless there is opposition presented by
someone that application will automatically
be approved,” Krekorian said.
L.A. homelessness ballot measure
withdrawn, new ordinance passed
AAHOA, local hoteliers opposed to new permit’s requirement of a police permit for hotels
The Los Angeles City Council accepted the withdrawal of a ballot measure proposed by hospitality
labor union Unite Here Local 11 that would have required hotels in the city to house the homeless
alongside paying guests. AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association protested the ballot
measure, and AAHOA remains concerned about a requirement in the city’s new Responsible Hotel
Ordinance that requires hotels to receive a permit from the police department to operate.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 ASIAN HOSPITALITY
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8 ASIAN HOSPITALITY DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
he U.S. Supreme Court in
December “vacated as moot” a
case that experts in the hospitality
industry said could have set a precedent
making it harder to file a “tester lawsuit”
against hotels for alleged violations of
the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990. However, in its decision the court
said it may still in the future address the
core issue of the case, whether a person
can file an ADA lawsuit against a hotel
even if they have no intention of staying
at that hotel.
The case, Acheson Hotels, LLC v.
Laufer, was originally filed by Deborah
Laufer against Acheson Hotels in Maine.
Laufer had sued saying the hotels in the
case had failed to state on their websites
whether they had accessible rooms for
the disabled.
“After a lower court sanctioned her
lawyer, Laufer voluntarily dismissed
her pending suits, including her case
against Acheson Hotels, LLC, and filed
a suggestion of mootness in this court,”
the court said. “Though Laufer’s case
is moot, the circuit split on the issue
briefed and argued in this court is very
much alive.”
In her summary of the court’s decision,
Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Laufer
had established a pattern of filing similar
lawsuits.
“Deborah Laufer has sued hundreds
of hotels whose websites failed to state
whether they have rooms accessible to
the disabled. As the sheer number of
lawsuits suggests, she does not focus
her efforts on hotels where she has any
thought of staying, much less booking a
room,” Barrett said.
In the end, though, Laufer voluntarily
dismissed her pending suits but still
asked the court to rule on the idea of the
lawsuit’s standing in the courts, Barrett
said. However, the justice said the court
chose not to do so.
“We are sensitive to Acheson’s
concern about litigants manipulating
the jurisdiction of this Court. We are
not convinced, however, that Laufer
abandoned her case in an effort to evade
our review,” Barrett said. “She voluntarily
dismissed her pending ADA cases after
a lower court sanctioned her lawyer. She
represented to this court that she will
not file any others. Laufer’s case against
Acheson is moot, and we dismiss it on
that ground. We emphasize, however,
that we might exercise our discretion
differently in a future case.”
All eyes were on this case
In a statement following the Supreme
Court’s decision to declare the case
moot, Chip Rogers, president and CEO
of the American Hotel & Lodging
Association, said the decision still sends
a message to serial ADA lawsuit filers.
“Tester lawsuits, in which plaintiffs
file hundreds of legal complaints against
hotels seeking quick settlements, have
become a cottage industry in the United
States. In this case, a hotel decided to
fight this scheme and in doing so shed
light on the extortive practice,” Rogers
said. “The Americans with Disabilities
Act is a critical civil rights law, but this
case was never about legal compliance.
It was about whether serial litigants
with no intention of becoming hotel
guests have standing to sue hotels. While
we would have welcomed a broader
ruling, the Supreme Court today sent a
message to other serial litigants against
‘manipulating the jurisdiction of the
[Supreme Court],’ and revealed how
the court ‘might exercise its discretion
differently in a future case.’ Because
Acheson and the hotel industry fought
back, the plaintiff dismissed hundreds
of suits against hotels and vowed to the
court she would never again bring these
types of claims. This will bring some
solace to small business hoteliers who
for years have been victimized by drive-
by and click-by tester lawsuits.”
Supreme Court vacates
‘tester lawsuit’ case
The court ruling said the subject of standing for ADA lawsuits filed by plaintiffs who had
no intention of staying at the hotel being sued remains open
The U.S. Supreme Court has “vacated as moot” a case that experts in the hospitality industry said could
have set a precedent making it harder to file a “tester” lawsuit against hotels for alleged violations of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The court said the core issue of the case, whether a person can
file an ADA lawsuit against a hotel even if they have no intention of staying at that hotel, remains open.
News
News
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 ASIAN HOSPITALITY
orces are aligning to push back
against the National Labor
Relations Board’s recently issued
final ruling on the definition of joint-
employer status. The American Hotel
& Lodging Association has filed a
lawsuit against President Biden’s
administration to reverse the ruling and
a bipartisan group of House and Senate
lawmakers have proposed a resolution
to overturn it.
Opponents to the ruling, issued Oct.
26, say it could damage the current
franchise business model. The new
standard defines a joint employer
to be any company that shares or
codetermines one or more essential
terms and conditions of employment.
Those include:
Wages, benefits, and other
compensation.
Hours of work and scheduling.
The assignment of duties to be
performed.
The supervision of the performance of
duties.
Work rules and directions governing
the manner, means, and methods of the
performance of duties and the grounds
for discipline.
The tenure of employment, including
hiring and discharge.
Working conditions related to the
safety and health of employees.
The final rule rescinds the 2020 rule
that was promulgated by the prior
board and applies the new definition
of joint employer to any entity that
can control the essential terms of
employment whether or not such
control is exercised and without regard
to whether any such exercise of control
is direct or indirect.
Taking it to court
In November, AHLA along with the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other
plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District
of Texas challenging the legality of the
NLRB definition of joint-employer.
The change will make hotel
franchisers, who traditionally have
no control over their franchisees’
employees, liable for workplace policies,
AHLA said in a statement, and would
force unions on hotel franchisees and
their employees.
“The NLRB’s joint-employer regulation
is all about coercing businesses to the
bargaining table with workers they
do not actually employ to increase
unionization. To achieve this, the NLRB
is intentionally taking a wrecking ball to
one of America’s great economic engines
– the franchise model – and jeopardizing
millions of small-business jobs,” said
Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO.
“The goal of this lawsuit is to reestablish
the rule of law that has governed joint-
employment designation for nearly
four decades. It will also prevent the
destruction of the franchise business
model that has provided prosperity for
tens of thousands of American small
business hoteliers.”
The legislative approach
AHLA also supports a Congressional
Review Act resolution introduced in
Congress by several, mostly Republican
representatives and Senators in the
House Education and the Workforce
Committee opposing the NLRb ruling.
The resolution’s sponsors say the new
joint-employer definition is a threat to
small businesses, including hotels.
“The franchise system has been a
vital driver of entrepreneurship and
economic growth across the country,
however, the Biden Administration
has once again failed to prioritize
America’s best interests by inflicting
more regulations and red tape on our
small businesses,” said Sen. Joe Manchin
of West Virginia, the only Democrat
among the resolution’s sponsors. “I urge
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
to join this commonsense resolution to
remove this impediment to the American
Dream.”
The resolution’s other co-sponsors are
Reps. John James of Michigan; Virginia
Foxx of North Carlina who chairs the
committee; and recently elected Speaker
of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
Sponsors on the Senate side along with
Manchin include Sens. Bill Cassidy
of Louisiana and Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky, Senate minority leader.
AHLA’s Rogers issued a separate
statement supporting the resolution.
“AHLA welcomes this Congressional
Review Act resolution to overturn the
NLRB’s disastrous joint-employer rule,”
Rogers said. “The NLRB is intentionally
taking a wrecking ball to one of
America’s great economic engines – the
franchise model – and jeopardizing
millions of small business jobs.”
AHLA, others sue Biden administration
over NLRB joint-employer definition
Also, a group of mostly Republican Congress members have introduced a resolution to
overturn the recent ruling
The American Hotel &
Lodging Association
has filed a lawsuit
against President
Biden’s administration
to reverse the National
Labor Relations Board’s
recently issued final
ruling on the definition
of joint-employer status.
Also, a group of House
and Senate lawmakers
have proposed a
resolution to overturn it.
ersha Hospitality Trust and KSL
Capital Partners, LLC, have finalized
KSL’s acquisition of the REIT for
approximately $1.4 billion. As of Nov. 28,
Hersha became a private company and
was delisted from the New York Stock
Exchange.
The companies entered a definitive
merger agreement on Aug. 27 under
which affiliates of KSL acquired all of the
outstanding common shares of Hersha for
$10 per share in an all-cash transaction.
The companies filed paperwork with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on
Nov. 28 to make it official.
The independent transaction committee
of Hersha’s board of trustees recommended
the merger and the board unanimously
approved it, according to Hersha. A special
meeting of shareholders was held Nov. 8 to
give final approval to the deal.
The purchase price represents a
premium of approximately 60 percent
over Hersha’s closing share price on Aug.
25, the last full trading day prior to the
initial announcement, according to Hersha.
Hersha shareholders will receive $10 in
cash for each common share they own, and
holders of Hersha’s 6.875 percent Series
C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred
Shares, 6.50 percent Series D Cumulative
Redeemable Preferred Shares and 6.50
percent Series E Cumulative Redeemable
Preferred Shares will receive $25 in cash,
plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to
which they are entitled, for each preferred
share they own.
“This transaction provides our
shareholders with immediate and
certain value at a substantial premium
to our public valuation,” said Jay Shah,
Hersha’s executive chairman. “Following
a multi-year comprehensive review by
the independent transaction committee
of Hersha’s board of trustees, the board
and management team are confident this
step will allow us to deliver value for our
shareholders while refocusing on growing
the business over a longer period of time.”
Hersha owns and operates luxury and
lifestyle hotels in coastal gateway and resort
markets. Its portfolio includes 25 hotels with
3,811 rooms in New York, Washington D.C.,
Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida and
California.
“We are proud of the work our team
has done to build on Hersha’s culture
and capabilities and make the company
what it is today,” Neil Shah, Hersha’s
CEO, said. “This transaction is a result
of our deliberate actions to focus on key
gateway markets and lifestyle and leisure
properties, as well as our work to create
a concentrated portfolio consisting of
some of the highest quality hotels in their
respective markets.”
Hasu Shah, Hersha’s chairman emeritus,
founded the company in 1984 with the
purchase of a single hotel in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. In 1998, the company went
public as a REIT.
Hersha, KSL Capital finalize acquisition
The REIT has now gone private, delisted from the NYSE
Hersha Hospitality Trust and KSL Capital Partners,
LLC, have finalized KSL’s acquisition of the REIT
for approximately $1.4 billion. From left are Hersha
Hospitality Trust’s Jay Shah, executive chairman; Neil
Shah, CEO; and Marty Newburger, a partner at KSL
Capital Partners.
wo U.S.-based Asian American hoteliers
are planning to develop a $1.3 billion
luxury J. W. Marriott International resort
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The JW Marriott
Al Marjan Island Resort & JW Marriott Residenc-
es Al Marjan Island, which is being developed
by WOW Resorts founded by Bhupender 'Bruce'
Patel and Anwar Ali Aman, is scheduled to open
in 2026.
Patel and Aman held an unveiling ceremony
for the project on Nov. 15 along with Abdulla Al
Abdouli, CEO for Marjan, master-developer of
freehold property in Ras Al Khaimah including
Al Marjan Island, and representatives of JW
Marriot. Designed by Beverly Hills Architect
Tony Ashai with Dubai-based Lead Consultants
Architecture Design Unit, the project will include
524 residences with one to four bedrooms as
well as penthouses, along with 300 guest rooms.
It will have seven dining venues, pools and a
fitness center.
The new WOW Resorts property is near Ras
Al Khaimah International Airport and Dubai
International Airport. Marjan Island Resort in-
cludes four man-made islands with more than 7
kilometers of beaches and several large hotels,
spas and golf courses. The resort expects to
see 5 million visitors annually.
“Our collaboration with JW Marriott and our
venture on Al Marjan Island represents a new
chapter in our journey,” Patel said. “With the
demand for waterfront living on the rise, we
are committed to optimizing and elevating the
experiences of all our cherished guests and resi-
dents as we embark on this remarkable project in
the UAE, set on the enchanting Al Marjan Island,
a prime investment destination in the region.”
Patel and Aman are partners in Memphis-based
White Oak Group, with a portfolio of about 300
businesses including hotels, restaurants and gas
stations across the U.S. Patel’s parents, including
his father Ramesh Motiram Patel, come from the
Indian village of Baben in Gujarat state.
In addition, Patel is co-founder of Wealth
Hospitality, formed in December 2019 along
with his partner Chico Patel. Bruce was Tupelo,
Mississippi-based Fusion Hospitality’s CEO and
Chico was CEO at Ridgeland-based Heritage
Hospitality when the two companies merged in
December. Along with hotels, Wealth Hospi-
tality develops multi-family and assisted living
facilities.
Asian Americans to develop $1.3 billion resort in Dubai, UAE
The JW Marriott resort, featuring residences and 300
hotel rooms, is scheduled to open in 2026
WOW Resorts, founded by U.S.-based Bhupender
'Bruce' Patel, left in right hand photo, and Anwar
Ali Aman, recently unveiled plans to develop the
JW Marriott Al Marjan Island Resort & JW Marriott
Residences Al Marjan Island for $1.3 million in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
www.asianhospitality.com
10 ASIAN HOSPITALITY DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024
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