How Concord Hospitality has grown for 40 years (with Mark Laport and Will Loughran)

The Waldorf Astoria New York has been closed since 2017 to make way for a massive renovation and reimagining of the historic property. Managing Director Luigi Romaniello joins the podcast to talk about how that process has gone and what he believes will get guests most excited after reopening in Spring 2025.

Mark Laport founded Concord Hospitality Enterprises in 1985, making 2025 their upcoming 40th anniversary. He and Concord Chief Operating Officer Will Loughran join the podcast to discuss how the Raleigh, North Carolina-based company has grown incrementally over four decades to roughly 150 hotels.

Highlights from across the Hotel News Now podcast network in November.

In HNN's monthly check-in on the Asia Pacific region, STR's Jesper Palmqvist highlights some of the markets that are currently exciting hoteliers, and some that are generating more concern.

On the eve of Thanksgiving in the U.S., CoStar's Emmy Hise joins the show to talk about what hoteliers can be thankful for.

In this episode, labor attorney Andria Ryan outlines the likely changes to U.S. labor laws and rules under the incoming Trump administraiton.

Truist Securities' C. Patrick Scholes joined the HNN podcast to recap third-quarter earnings calls from hotel brands and publicly traded real estate investment trusts.

Prism Hotels & Resorts founder Steve Van discusses the ins and outs of his former company's acquisition by Aimbridge Hospitality in 2021 and how that decision was more emotionally charged than he expected.

Former Chesapeake Hospitality and Remington Hospitality executive W. Chris Green joins the podcast to talk about the recent wave of mergers and acquisitions involving hotel management company and how he navigated a deal himself.

News editor Sean McCracken recaps some of Hotel News Now and CoStar News' top stories and podcasts from October.Stories featured in this podcast include:Six months in, Aimbridge's CEO focuses on hotel owners and building relationshipsTell Me More: Data fuels '25 travel trends around hotel restaurants, off-the-beaten-path destinations and set-jettingDallas developer opens two new luxury hotels in Texas, CaliforniaThe Upgrade: Serviced apartments attract hotel developer, brand attentionJoint venture will buy former Hôtel Saint-James & Albany in Paris