A-1 Hospitality breaks ground on AC Hotels by Marriott property in Kennewick, Washington
KENNEWICK, WA – A-1 Hospitality Group, a family owned and operated hotel management and development company based in Kennewick, Washington announce the groundbreaking for the new 163-room AC Hotels by Marriott in Kennewick, Washington. Located at the Three Rivers Convention Center, the hotel will operate as a franchise owned by A-1 Three Rivers Hotel, LLC and managed by A-1 Hospitality Group.
'We are thrilled to bring the AC Hotels brand to the Three Rivers Convention Center Campus as part of a dynamic public-private partnership,' said Taran Patel, Managing Principal, A-1 Hospitality Group. 'This transformative project will serve as a catalyst for economic growth in our community. We are proud to collaborate with the city of Kennewick and Fowler General Construction to bring this vision to life.'
The AC Hotels brand creates an atmosphere with European soul, Spanish roots and artfully crafted local touches. The signature AC Lounge offers expertly made cocktails, local craft beers, and an elevated wine program. Tapas-style small bites complete the food menu in a comfortable and elegant atmosphere. The open, light-filled AC Kitchen is open for breakfast daily, featuring freshly sliced prosciutto, specialty cheeses and croissants imported from France.
The new five-story property will include such amenities as an indoor swimming pool, a well-equipped fitness center, a rooftop restaurant and bar and six meeting rooms with a combined 12,000 square feet of functional meeting space to accommodate functions of up to 450 people.
A-1 Hospitality Group is a family owned and operated management company whose corporate headquarters is located in Tri-Cities, Washington. The company was founded in 1997 and has become a leading management company in the Northwest United States, the portfolio consists of 20 select-service, boutique, and extended-stay hotels located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico and Texas.
AC Hotels includes over 225 hotels in 33 countries and territories. At AC Hotels, every moment has been designed, refined, crafted, and considered to create a seamless guest experience. Each AC Hotel features purposefully designed signature spaces that strike the perfect balance of form and function. Most notably, the AC Lounge invites guests and locals alike to collaborate during the day, or to enjoy signature cocktails and tapas in the evening. The AC Kitchen offers a European-inspired breakfast each morning. All AC guest rooms and public spaces evoke a particular sophistication, featuring sleek furnishings, curated artwork, and intuitive technology. The brand is dedicated to the details that matter most to guests during their travels with a mission to deliver The Perfectly Precise Hotel experience. AC Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments, and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Travel Daily News
2 days ago
- Travel Daily News
Sonesta executes 31 franchise agreements in H1 2025
Sonesta adds 31 new franchise deals and opens 10 hotels in H1 2025, reinforcing its strategic growth and global brand expansion. NEWTON, MA – Sonesta International Hotels (Sonesta), the 8th largest hotel company in the US, announced the execution of 31 new franchise agreements during the first half of 2025 as well as 10 openings that showcase Sonesta's global expansion and continued growth strategy. 'The continued growth in the first half of 2025, with 31 new franchise agreements, highlights Sonesta's sustained momentum and our attractive value proposition for owners,' said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's EVP and President of Franchise & Development. 'We're seeing continued demand across our diverse portfolio, which speaks to our ability to meet the needs of various markets and strengthens our existing owner relationships.' Sonesta's ongoing franchise expansion, in spite of the macroeconomic and political headwinds that started the year, highlights its success in growing its footprint. This growth is bolstered by its fast, friendly, and flexible model, which especially appeals to hotel owners during times of uncertainty. 'Our tailored brand offerings and flexible standards are clearly resonating with developers looking for strategic growth,' said Brian Quinn, Sonesta's Chief Development Officer. 'These 31 new agreements, spanning our distinct brands, along with the 10 recent openings, demonstrate our continued commitment to providing solutions that drive success for our franchisees and expand Sonesta's footprint in key locations.' Sonesta had 10 new hotels add nearly 1000 new rooms to the portfolio in the first six months of 2025. They include (in order of opening): Sonesta Essential Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge, LA – Baton Rouge, LA Red Lion Hotel Charlotte – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte, NC Signature Inn Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – Berkeley, CA Americas Best Value Inn Donaldsonville – Donaldsonville, LA – Donaldsonville, LA Americas Best Value Inn Fredonia – Fredonia, NY – Fredonia, NY Sonesta Essentia Blue Springs – Blue Springs, MO – Blue Springs, MO Sonesta Essential Overland Park – Overland Park, KS – Overland Park, KS Signature Inn Miami – Miami, FL – Miami, FL Americas Best Value Inn/Knights Inn Pilot Mountain (dual brand) – Pilot Mountain, NC In late 2021, Sonesta RL Hotels Franchising Inc. launched four Sonesta-branded hotel concepts in the U.S., complete with a comprehensive platform of franchise services, hotel operations, and franchise support. Building on this momentum, 2023 marked another milestone with the introduction of four new brands: The James, Sonesta Essential Hotels, and two soft brands – Classico Collection by Sonesta and MOD Collection by Sonesta. In 2024, Sonesta expanded its reach by introducing the 'by Sonesta' endorser branding to the Red Lion portfolio, further reinforcing its commitment to strategic growth and innovation. Sonesta's diverse portfolio of 13 distinct brands provides owners and developers with a wide range of options across the upper-upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay, and economy segments. With a focus on strategic growth, an owner-first approach, available market opportunities, and direct access to its leadership team, Sonesta stands out as an attractive partner for developers seeking flexibility and innovation in hospitality. Guests of these new locations can earn or redeem points as members of the award-winning Sonesta Travel Pass guest loyalty program.
Travel Daily News
14-07-2025
- Travel Daily News
Google 's AI Mode to transform travel search
Google's AI Mode will soon dominate search, urging travel brands to adapt for AI mentions over clicks or risk losing visibility entirely. Google is moving closer to making AI-first search the default experience – and travel brands must respond now or risk becoming irrelevant. At the core of this shift is AI Mode, a conversational interface that is already live in a separate tab and poised for full integration into Google's main search engine within the next 12 months. Unveiled by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, AI Mode enables dynamic, multi-turn conversations. Instead of presenting a list of links, it delivers personalized, contextual responses – for example, refining results based on follow-up questions like 'Which family tours in Costa Rica are best for kids under 8?' or 'Do they include wildlife experiences?' 'This goes far beyond AI Overview snippets,' says Brennen Bliss, CEO of Propellic, a digital agency specializing in AI-driven strategies for travel brands. 'It's the equivalent of speaking to a personal travel advisor. And it's going to redefine search faster than most anticipate.' The end of top-of-funnel dominance? For years, travel companies have built their marketing around top-of-funnel content such as blogs, guides, and itineraries. These assets fueled SEO rankings, website traffic, and retargeting. AI Mode threatens to upend this model by keeping users within Google's ecosystem through continuous conversation. 'Users won't need to visit multiple websites to compare experiences,' Bliss notes. 'Instead, they'll consult Google's AI, which may surface your brand – or not. In this new model, your content might not drive traffic at all; it may simply train the AI.' Despite the shift, key decisions in travel still require context and trust – areas where conversational AI excels. Users often ask about accessibility, age-appropriateness, weather, or what to pack. AI Mode is tailored for such nuanced journeys. And while the AI may recommend a product – such as a sunset cruise in Santorini – it still cannot complete the booking (yet), though Google's commerce-focused Project Mariner may soon change that. Mentions replace clicks- The industry's focus must now shift from rankings to relevance. 'The goal is no longer to rank #1 – it's to be mentioned and trusted by Google's AI,' explains Bliss. 'Mentions are the new clicks.' For travel brands, this means adapting content and brand positioning to become part of the AI's trusted memory – the internal database of reliable, high-quality references the model repeatedly recommends. Google's cautious but inevitable rollout To mitigate risks to its ad business – which still accounts for nearly 80% of Alphabet's revenue – Google is integrating AI Mode features gradually, only when they show better engagement and monetization. Once the business case is proven, full-scale deployment will accelerate. 'Brands waiting for clarity may be left behind,' warns Bliss. 'Those acting now have a window to establish trust, fine-tune messaging for AI consumption, and position themselves for long-term visibility.' A clear call to action for travel marketers With over 15 million global travel queries per day on Google, the shift to conversational search is already underway. For travel and tourism brands, the priority is clear: adapt strategies, audit content for conversational relevance, and optimize for trust and AI visibility – or risk fading from the discovery journey altogether. In the age of AI-first search, discovery doesn't begin with a click – it begins with a mention.
Travel Daily News
30-06-2025
- Travel Daily News
Ten game-changing e-commerce tools to skyrocket your sales in 2025
Running an e-commerce business today takes more than just uploading products and hoping for sales. With the right tools, you can automate repetitive tasks, gain valuable insights, deliver better customer experiences and most importantly, grow your revenue. The e-commerce world is moving faster than ever. With more competition and smarter consumers, having the right tools in your corner can make all the difference. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your online store, the tools you use can help you work smarter, not harder. In this blog, we'll walk you through ten powerful e-commerce tools that are helping online sellers boost sales, improve efficiency and stay ahead in 2025. 1. Shopify – Build and Run Your Store with Ease Shopify remains one of the most popular platforms for setting up an online store. Its ease of use, powerful integrations and range of templates make it ideal for beginners and pros alike. Shopify also supports plugins for inventory, payments, marketing and shipping, so you can manage everything in one place. 2. Klaviyo – Email and SMS Marketing Automation Klaviyo helps you send personalised emails and SMS messages based on customer behaviour. It integrates with your e-commerce platform to track user activity and send targeted campaigns automatically. This kind of automation can significantly improve your conversion rate and keep customers coming back. 3. Jungle Scout – Product Research for Amazon Sellers If you're selling on Amazon, Jungle Scout is a must. It helps you find high-demand, low-competition products by analysing sales data and trends. Jungle Scout also offers supplier sourcing and keyword tools that can save you hours of research. It's especially useful for sellers looking to launch new products or expand into new categories. 4. RepricerExpress – Stay Competitive with Amazon Repricing Staying competitive on Amazon often comes down to price. An intuitive Amazon repricer helps you automatically adjust your prices to stay ahead of the competition. It reacts to changes in the market and updates prices in real time while still protecting your margins. For high-volume sellers, this tool can mean the difference between staying visible and getting buried. 5. Canva – Create Stunning Visuals Without a Designer High-quality visuals can make or break a product listing or ad. Canva is a free, user-friendly tool that lets you design graphics, social media posts, ads and more without needing design experience. With thousands of templates and drag-and-drop features, you can create professional content in minutes. 6. Oberlo (or DSers) – Automate Your Dropshipping Business If you run a dropshipping store, tools like Oberlo or DSers can streamline everything from importing products to fulfilling orders. These tools connect your store to suppliers, allowing you to add products directly and automate the order process. This means fewer errors and more time to focus on marketing and sales. 7. SEMrush – Optimise SEO and Track Your Competitors SEMrush is a powerful tool for anyone serious about SEO. It lets you find the best keywords for your products, track your search rankings and monitor your competitors. By improving your store's visibility in search engines, you'll attract more organic traffic and reduce your reliance on paid ads. 8. Zendesk – Support Your Customers Like a Pro Customer service is critical in building trust and repeat sales. Zendesk helps you manage customer enquiries across email, chat and social media in one place. It also allows you to set up help centres and automate responses to common questions. Faster, better support equals happier customers and more positive reviews. 9. Loox – Boost Trust with Photo Reviews Social proof is one of the most effective ways to convince new visitors to buy. Loox allows customers to leave reviews with photos, giving new buyers a realistic view of what to expect. These photo reviews not only build trust but also provide fresh content that boosts SEO and conversions. 10. Google Analytics 4 – Understand and Optimise Customer Behaviour Data is the key to growth. Google Analytics 4 offers a deep look into how people use your website or app. You can track everything from traffic sources and bounce rates to conversion paths. Knowing where users drop off or what's working well allows you to make smarter business decisions. Running an e-commerce business today takes more than just uploading products and hoping for sales. With the right tools, you can automate repetitive tasks, gain valuable insights, deliver better customer experiences and most importantly, grow your revenue. Tools like a smart Amazon repricer, email automation platforms and product research software aren't just nice to have—they're essential for staying competitive in 2025. Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash
