Sean McCracken

Cleveland, Rocky River

News Editor at Hotel News Now

I write for @Hotel_News_Now for a living. I worked at a couple newspapers before that.

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Articles

Aimbridge focuses on hotel quality, partnerships as part of revised strategy

5 days ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

NEW YORK — With a "clean balance sheet" and a shift in strategy, Aimbridge Hospitality Chief Global Growth Officer Eric Jacobs said his company is moving forward from a rocky period with a focus on quality.
Aimbridge focuses on quality hotels, partnerships as part of revised strategy

5 days ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

NEW YORK — With a "clean balance sheet" and a shift in strategy, Aimbridge Hospitality Chief Global Growth Officer Eric Jacobs said his company is moving forward from a rocky period with a focus on quality.
Consistency across marketing key for hotels in age of AI

1 week ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

INDIANAPOLIS — While many hoteliers are still wondering what they need to do to adapt to a new era of artificial intelligence, two experts speaking at the 2025 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference said AI-related success will boil down to consistency and efficiency. Milestone Inc. founder and President Benu Aggarwal said one of the top focuses for hoteliers worried about how their properties will show up in AI-driven searches is to make sure their content is consistent across digital channels.
Cali Roots 2025: Day Two

1 week ago | topshelfmusicmag.com | Sean McCracken

On Saturday, May 24th, Day of Two of Cali Roots Festival in Monterey came alive — and the fans were ready for it. It was going to be yet another day with a stacked lineup across reggae genres. The day started with an explosion of energy from Florida artist Surfer Girl at the Bowl Stage, entertaining early-risers to the max. With a lot of playful charisma, Surfer Girl was then followed by Monterey locals Estrella across the way on the Cali Roots Stage before Fia lit up the Bowl once more.
Hoteliers hope AI can lead to renaissance for commercial strategy

1 week ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

INDIANAPOLIS — The idea that commercial strategy in hotels needs to evolve through better collaboration between revenue management, sales and marketing is not new, but the hope that artificial intelligence can help bring that dream closer to reality is. Ankur Randev, principal and chief commercial officer for Highgate Hotels, said most worries about AI replacing jobs are misplaced because the technology will create more opportunities than it takes away.
Hotel owners, operators look to align to control costs

1 week ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

NEW YORK — In an era of creeping costs and shrinking profits, the various stakeholders across the hotel industry need to do a better job aligning their interests, said a panel of experts speaking at the 2025 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum. The top thing any hotel company can do in a period of uncertainty like the current environment is control their own costs and continue to find ways to drive demand, said Remington Hospitality CEO Ben Perelmuter.
Hotel development execs see opportunities for investors willing to weather the near-term storm

2 weeks ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

NEW YORK — Marriott International's Noah Silverman believes that 2025, so far, is best described as a "story of two quarters" when it comes to investor sentiment in hotels. "In the first quarter, there were lots of reasons for optimism, lots of trends that felt — both from a customer demand and development demand perspective — pretty positive, overall," said Silverman, Marriott's global development officer for the U.S. and Canada. "The second quarter [went] a little bit differently," he said.
Hoteliers are feeling pessimistic, but they don't want to admit it

2 weeks ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

I wouldn't blame you for not noticing, but it's been three and a half months since my last blog about the hotel industry. And when I sat down to write that piece at the end of February, I asked what the tone of the industry would be when I came back for the 2025 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum. We now have the answer to that question and it seems to be "somewhat dreary" — especially in comparison to the more optimistic Americas Lodging Investment Summit back in January.
AHLA leader outlines US hotel industry's legislative priorities

2 weeks ago | costar.com | Sean McCracken

NEW YORK — Maintaining tax cuts for small businesses at the federal level and continuing to push back on wage hikes at the local level are among the top priorities for the American Hotel & Lodging Association this year.
Cali Roots 2025: Day One

3 weeks ago | topshelfmusicmag.com | Sean McCracken

Day One of the California Roots Festival kicked off at the historical Monterey Fairgrounds once again on May 23rd, 2025. Reggae fans from all over the country traveled to Monterey to see friends and the stacked reggae-meets-hip hop lineup — with Day One leaning heavily into the former. The day was nice… not too cold, but a little overcast. East coast favorites Bumpin Uglies got things going for the day ahead.

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