Lark Appoints Amber Asher to Board of Directors
NEW YORK, June 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lark, the premium development and management company encompassing multiple boutique hospitality brands, announces the appointment of boundary-pushing hospitality leader, Amber Asher, to its board of directors. A recognized force in lifestyle hospitality, Asher brings decades of experience scaling bold, design-driven hotel brands and leading transformative growth strategies. Asher joins Lark's Founder and Chairman, Rob Blood; CEO, Peter Twachtman; and Creative Director, Megan Kennedy; as well as Mike Scott, Managing Partner at Thayer Investment Partners, on the board.
Asher served as CEO of Standard International, where she oversaw the global expansion of The Standard, Bunkhouse, The StandardX, and Peri hotel brands, growing the company from four U.S. hotels to a portfolio of 24 properties worldwide with over 30 hotels and 7 branded residences in development. Under her leadership, the company achieved 400% topline revenue growth from 2019 to 2024, resulting in a landmark sale to Hyatt Hotels Corporation for up to $335 million.
Recognized among the 50 Most Important Women in Travel (Wonderlust), 100 Most Influential in Global Hospitality (IHI), and Skift's Women Shaping the Future of Travel, Amber received the 2022 Independent Lodging Congress "Start Something Award." She has been featured in publications including Forbes, Elle, Skift, Business Insider, HOTELS, and Condé Nast Traveler.
"I have long admired Amber Asher as a visionary in our field," said Lark Founder and Chairman, Rob Blood. "It's an honor to join forces with her, especially at this pivotal moment in our company's lifespan. After nearly doubling our portfolio in the last 12 months, we're eager now more than ever to pull knowledge and inspiration from one of the hospitality industry's most innovative thinkers."
Founded in 2012, Lark's branded hotel collections include its signature Lark Hotels, Bluebird by Lark, Blind Tiger Guest House, AWOL, and Life House. The group also manages independent hotels throughout the country and across a diverse range of markets. Lark combines a tech-forward ethos, hands-on development expertise, and people-first culture to maximize profitability for small to mid-sized hotels.
"I've been extremely impressed with Lark's ability to blend thoughtful design, operational excellence, and local storytelling at scale," said Asher. "I'm excited to support their next chapter of growth."
In 2024, seven Lark properties were awarded prestigious Michelin Keys from Michelin Guide, a coveted honor that recognizes the country's most outstanding hotels. Lark's most recent openings were The Bow Hotel, a reimagined hotel tucked within a historic warehouse in Portsmouth, and AWOL Stowe, the third location of its emerging AWOL brand in the heart of Stowe, Vermont, complete with an outdoor Nordic spa deck and free-standing A-frame cabins. Most recently, the brand's growth accelerated rapidly in late 2024 upon forming a joint venture with contextual hotel brand and operator, Life House.
About Lark:
Lark is a leading operator of boutique hotels under 150 keys in North America. Lark combines a tech-forward ethos, hands-on development expertise, and people-first culture to maximize profitability for small to mid-sized hotels. Their portfolio of approximately 75 independent spirited properties delivers compelling guest experiences through distinctive branding, local storytelling, and thoughtful, place-based design. Lark's branded hotel collections include its signature Lark Hotels, Bluebird by Lark, Blind Tiger Guest Houses, AWOL, and Life House. The group also manages independent hotels across a diverse range of markets. For additional information about Lark, visit larkhospitality.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250604325863/en/
Contacts
Mary DiLeoAll Heart PRmary@allheartpr.com 978.998.0240
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
8 hours ago
- Skift
Sri Lanka Bets on Visa Fee Waiver for 40 Nations to Hit 3 Million Tourists
First things first: Sri Lanka isn't going visa‑free, it's just scrapping the fee. Free visas could help close the gap for Sri Lanka, but the country needs a consistent campaign and a story that goes beyond price. Sri Lanka is finally moving closer to extend free visas for visitors from 40 countries, including the seven that already enjoy visa fee waiver and 33 newly-added markets. Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said Friday that tourists from countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia will soon be able to enter the island without paying visa fees. The move, he said, aims to attract more tourists, cut red tape, and send a message that Sri Lanka is open for business. Herath acknowledged the waiver could cost the government about $66 million in visa fees but said the broader economic gains from higher tourist arrivals would more than make up for it. But before the plan can go live, it needs clearance from the Attorney General's office. Industry stakeholders told Skift they expect that approval to be quick and straightforward. Skift has also reached out to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for comment. The Visa Fee Waiver The visa fee waiver expands on a smaller program rolled out in March 2023 that offered free 30-day visas on arrival for seven countries, including India, China, and Russia, provided travelers applied for electronic travel authorization in advance. Until now, most tourists outside South Asia have paid $50-$60 for a short stay visa. It's not yet clear whether travelers from the 33 newly-included countries will need an electronic travel authorization. Sri Lanka ha set an ambitious goal of attracting 3 million visitors and earning $5 billion in tourism revenue in 2025. That's a sharp rise from 2.05 million tourists and roughly $3 billion in 2024. 'The initiative is a strong step forward in making Sri Lanka more accessible and competitive as a destination,' said Amrit Rajarathnam, Managing Director of hospitality company Island Life, Sri Lanka. 'While it may not fully close the gap to the 3 million visitor target for 2025, it's expected to generate a meaningful boost in arrivals. Globally, the current trend in tourism-driven countries is to adapt the visa-free format.' What More Is Needed to Boost Arrivals? While industry leaders support the visa fee waiver, they warn it cannot stand alone. 'For most visitors, what truly matters is an efficient online visa process, which Sri Lanka already offers,' said Malik J. Fernando, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance. 'The visa initiative should not serve as a smokescreen for the ongoing absence of a coherent international marketing campaign. Despite repeated proclamations, no meaningful effort has materialized, even though funds have long been available.' Fernando said cutting visa costs is not enough to solve deeper problems in the sector. The failure to properly position Sri Lanka is doing 'real harm' he said. 'It contributes to depressed room rates across all categories of accommodation and deters foreign direct investment, which remains significantly below that of regional competitors due to weak margins. Ask any hotelier.' He also dismissed comparisons to high-volume tourist destinations. 'If a traveler chooses Sri Lanka primarily because of a waived visa fee, that reflects a deeper failure: we haven't communicated why the destination is truly special. The decision to visit should be inspired by the country's extraordinary offerings, not driven by a minor cost saving.' A Full Visitor Experience In March, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) launched a new promotional campaign: Sri Lanka, A Story for Every Season. The campaign aimed to address seasonality and position the country as a year-round destination. The government hosted 12 travel influencers from India, the U.K., Hong Kong, Australia, and Portugal in Colombo. SLTPB Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam acknowledged the uphill task ahead, emphasizing the need for international collaboration and long-term strategy. He also pointed to the potential of digital influencers to shape global perception of Sri Lanka. The campaign aims to generate $110,000 worth of media exposure and engage a wide variety of travel segments. But for industry insiders, that's not enough. While the visa fee waiver removes an important barrier, lasting growth will depend on how well Sri Lanka invests in the full visitor experience, Island Life's Rajarathnam said. 'We need to improve both how we promote Sri Lanka and how travellers experience it. That means focused marketing in key markets, better transport between regions, consistent, high-quality service across the country and support for experience-driven hospitality. It's about making sure people don't just visit – but want to come back.' Tourism Numbers So Far… So far, the tourism arrival in the country has been uneven. As of July 23, Sri Lanka recorded 1.3 million tourist arrivals for the year, a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. But July's numbers, which were expected to be strong due to the Kandy Esala Perahera festival, fell short as only 145,188 arrivals were logged in the first 23 days of the month. This was far below the expected 277,195. 'The decline in arrivals during June and July is unsurprising,' said Fernando. 'These months have traditionally been seen as off-season. Without a consistent marketing campaign that establishes Sri Lanka as a year-round destination, such dips in visitation are inevitable.' To reach the annual target, Sri Lanka now needs to attract nearly 1.7 million additional tourists before the end of the year. That would require more than 281,000 monthly arrivals—well above the current average. Since January's peak of 252,761 visitors, monthly arrivals have steadily declined, with June posting just 138,241. India continues to lead as the top source market with 269,780 visitors so far this year, followed by U.K. and Russia. As Fernando put it, 'Sri Lanka remains an extraordinary destination… but it continues to undersell itself due to weak, fragmented communication. This must change if we are to realise the country's full potential.'
Bloomberg
10 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Nordic Bank Leads Europe IPO Arrangers as Local Listings Boom
A regional investment bank has become Europe's most prolific underwriter of initial public offerings, tapping a rich vein of listings in the continent's northernmost corner. Nordic-focused DNB Carnegie worked on five IPOs so far this year that raised roughly $2 billion in proceeds, accounting for about a third of all European volumes for the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The deals have catapulted the bank to the number one spot for European IPOs thus far in 2025, and number two for the wider Europe, Middle East and Africa region after Citigroup Inc.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Philip Morris International Shares Tumble: Time to Run for the Hills or Buy the Dip?
Key Points Philip Morris International shares fell after the company's second-quarter report, despite strong earnings and increased EPS guidance. The company is expecting to see cigarette sales volumes decline in the second half. The real story at Philip Morris is about the continued strong growth of Zyn and Iqos. 10 stocks we like better than Philip Morris International › Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) stock has had a strong 2025 so far, but the shares pulled back after the company reported its second-quarter results. That dip left the stock up about 36% on the year, as of this writing. Is the recent slide a buying opportunity or should investors be running for the hills? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Strong volume growth The Zyn brand remains the driving force behind Philip Morris' robust sales growth. Shipments of the popular nicotine pouches jumped 40% in the U.S. to 190 million cans in Q2, while retail sales volumes (offtake) grew by 26% in the quarter and by 36% in June. Outside of the U.S. and Nordic countries, Zyn shipments more than doubled, and it is now available in 44 markets. Overall oral product shipments climbed 23.8% on a pouch basis. The company said Zyn restocking in the U.S. is now effectively complete. It continues to expect U.S. Zyn shipments to be between 800 million and 840 million cans for the year. Image source: Getty Images The rest of Philip Morris' smokeless portfolio also performed well. Sales volumes of its heated tobacco units (HTUs), including the Iqos system, jumped nearly 9.2% to 38.8 billion units. The company said in-market sales (to end users) jumped 11.4%. Iqos continues to perform well in Japan and Europe and is seeing strong growth in other major cities outside its two main markets. Philip Morris also once again saw shipment growth more than double for its e-vapor product, Veev, driven by pod growth in Europe. Veev is now in 42 markets and holds the No. 1 market share in six European markets. Traditional cigarette volumes, meanwhile, fell by 1.5% to 155.2 billion units. Segment organic revenue, however, grew 2% to $6 billion, and gross profits for the category climbed 5% to $4 billion, as the company's price hikes more than compensated for those volume declines. Overall, organic revenue, which excludes currency effects, acquisitions, and dispositions, rose 6.8% year over year to $10.1 billion. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed 20% to $1.91. Oral Products (Zyn) HTUs Cigarettes Smoke-Free Total Volume growth 23.8% 9.2% (1.5%) N/A 1.2% Organic revenue growth N/A N/A 2% 14.5% 6.8% HTUs = heated tobacco units. Management maintained its full-year guidance for organic revenue while upping its adjusted EPS forecast. It continues to expect strong results from both Zyn and Iqos, but expects a 3% to 4% decline in traditional cigarette volumes due to ongoing issues in Turkey and Indonesia. The headwind in Turkey is related to supply chain issues following a change in regulatory requirements, while in Indonesia, it's battling to keep market share in the face of growing sales of illicit cigarettes. However, it's still expecting solid gross profit growth from its combustible tobacco business due to its pricing power and cost efficiencies. Metric Prior Guidance Updated Guidance Organic revenue growth 6% to 8% 6% to 8% Adjusted EPS $7.01 to $7.14 $7.43 to $7.56 Adjusted EPS growth* 10.5% to 12.5% $7.33 to $7.46 Volume growth 2% 1% Data source: Philip Morris International. *Adjusted EPS growth excludes currency exchange impacts. EPS = earnings per share. Should investors buy the dip? While investors may have been disappointed by Philip Morris' forecast for steeper declines in cigarette sales volumes in the second half, about half of that is due to a temporary issue around its Turkish supply chain. Meanwhile, the big reason to own the stock is its smoke-free portfolio, led by Zyn and Iqos. Both products continue to demonstrate strong growth and have better unit economics than Philip Morris' traditional cigarette business. It's also expanding these products to new markets, with early signs of success. Importantly, the company is hoping that the FDA will approve the Iqos Iluma for sale in the U.S. later this year, which would set it up to enter this market now that it has reacquired its U.S. rights from Altria. From a valuation perspective, the stock got cheaper when management raised its EPS guidance and its share price fell. The stock now trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of under 22, based on the analyst consensus for 2025, with a PEG (price/earnings-to-growth) ratio of under 0.35. Stocks with positive PEG ratios below 1 are generally viewed as undervalued. While at the current share price, Philip Morris' dividend has a nice 3.3% forward yield, that's not as high a yield as other tobacco stocks. However, what it lacks in yield, it makes up for by being a unique growth stock in a defensive industry. This is a stock you'll want to own over the long haul, and the dip in the stock price offers a nice buying opportunity. Should you invest $1,000 in Philip Morris International right now? Before you buy stock in Philip Morris International, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Philip Morris International wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool recommends Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
