H-1B Visas + Development Stalls + Renovations + Investment Strategies + Sustainability + Disaster-Response Plan

September 2025 / View this email in your browser.

Via HL Blog image: a passport on top of a US Flag. There is money in the passport. TEXT: Feds to charge $100k for H-1B Visas: Employer FAQs + Action Plan

The Trump administration upended the immigration and workforce strategy for many tech employers and other businesses late Friday when it announced that it would begin charging a $100,000 entry fee for each H-1B visa recipient. After a few hours of confusion, the administration clarified that, beginning September 21, employers must submit the $100K payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions only for new applications. While there is still some confusion around the specifics of President Trump’s proclamation and those affected, the good news is that this move will not impact existing H-1B visa holders and should not force all foreign national workers to immediately rush back to the US. Here are the answers to the key Frequently Asked Questions about this development and an employer’s action plan in response.

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Hotel Development Stalls Amid Growing Financial Pressure: Report

via Hotel Dive

Rising costs and demand challenges are causing strain on hotel owners nationwide, leading a significant portion to delay or cancel development and renovation projects, according to an August survey of nearly 400 hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Interior of a hotel lobby with reception desks

How to Plot a Renovation of Your Hotel's Public Space

via CoStar

When it comes time to renovate a hotel, guestrooms are always top of mind, but should they be? Guestroom updates attract the lion’s share of attention because they are the primary revenue driver behind any hotel’s success. But a hotel’s public areas can affect its curb appeal, public perception and overall guest experience.

Businessman, digital tablet or strategy planning in hotel conference lobby or airport travel lounge. Happy smile, corporate worker or technology app to budget company finance or schedule target goals

Hotel Investment Strategies: Weighing Buy vs. Build in Dynamic Markets

via Hotel News Resource

The decision to develop a new hotel involves a complex evaluation of various factors, including market conditions, population growth, and supply-demand dynamics. Investors must carefully weigh the pros and cons of buying versus building, as well as the financial implications of each option.

A city-shaped lake in the middle of a lush forest as a metaphor for eco-friendly urbanism and modern green living in general

Beyond The Checklist: Embedding Sustainability Into Hotel Strategy for Lasting Impact

via Hospitality Net

In a rapidly changing and increasingly unpredictable global landscape, hotels must find ways to remain competitive and resilient in the long term, even when the realities of tomorrow - let alone five years from now - are far from guaranteed.

Hospitality Legal, Risk, Safety and Security Coalition

Via Hotel Management image: Businessman Stop Domino Effect. Risk Management and Insurance ConceptTEXT: "Why Hoteliers Need a Disaster-Response Plan"

When disasters strike, having a response plan in place can mean the difference between a hotel's rapid recovery and long-term operational losses.

As noted last year, between 1980 and 2023, an average of 8.5 climate-related disasters that exceeded $1 billion in damages have occurred annually. From 2019 to 2023, the annual number of events was more than 20. And between 2017-2024, 137 separate $1 billion disasters have killed at least 5,500 people and cost more than $1 trillion in damages, according to Climate.gov.

Deanne Brand—senior vice president for strategy, analytics, risk and treasurer at Maryland-based lodging REIT Host Hotels & Resorts—told Hotel Management sister site Hospitality Investor that a best-in-class risk-management program encompasses design and construction and a competent legal team. “It really needs to be part of your ethos,” she said, noting that when looking for ways to mitigate fallout from disasters, hotel operators need to be proactive, hardening assets to ensure roofs, facades, windows and other exposed asset areas can withstand hurricane-force winds, for example.

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