
Opening Ceremony Gulf 26 Dazzling Artistic Show Reflecting Gulf Past, FutureDALLAS , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. AHT ("Ashford Trust" or the "Company") announced today the conversion of its 226-room Le Pavillon Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana to a Tribute Portfolio property. Marriott's Tribute Portfolio is a growing global family of characterful, independent hotels drawn together by their passion for captivating design and their drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike. The property recently completed a $19 million renovation which included extensive exterior work, upgrading the restaurant, guestrooms, guest bathrooms, corridors as well as a reimagined hotel lobby bar. The new lobby bar, Bar 1803 , draws inspiration from the rich history of Le Pavillon and New Orleans , honoring the year Emperor Napoleon signed the Louisiana Purchase. Legend has it Napoleon conceived the idea while soaking in a marble bathtub filled with rose water – one of which (perhaps the very one) resides in one of our suites. The bar's design showcases this heritage with a striking image of Napoleon and a lenticular art piece capturing two sides of the French icon: a 'serious' Napoleon and a 'spirited' one. This playful nod reflects New Orleans' French roots and vibrant culture. Inspired by the amber hues of iconic NOLA cocktails, Bar 1803 blends history, elegance, and the unmistakable spirit of New Orleans into an unforgettable experience, paying tribute to the city's enduring legacy and the hotel's storied past. Located in the heart of downtown New Orleans on historic Poydras Street, the 226-room Le Pavillon Hotel is known as the "Belle of New Orleans ." It sits adjacent to the historic French Quarter, is located only four blocks from the celebrated music clubs of Bourbon Street and is close to the famous restaurants and antique shops of Royal Street. Originally the site of one of the area's first great plantation homes, the Le Pavillon Hotel was built in 1907 and is a member of Historic Hotels of America. "We are thrilled to announce the successful conversion of this iconic property to Marriott's Tribute Portfolio ," said Stephen Zsigray , President and Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Trust. "With its prime location near key demand drivers in downtown New Orleans , this transformation positions the hotel to stand out as a premier destination in the vibrant New Orleans market. We expect that completing this conversion ahead of Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras will position the property for an exceptional start to 2025. This milestone reflects our commitment to maximizing asset value, and we are confident it will drive enhanced financial performance for this property." Tribute Portfolio hotels participate in Marriott BonvoyTM, 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. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com. Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing predominantly in upper upscale, full-service hotels. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon "forward-looking" information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "potential," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "approximately," "believe," "could," "project," "predict," or other similar words or expressions. Additionally, statements regarding the following subjects are forward-looking by their nature: our business and investment strategy; anticipated or expected purchases, sales or dispositions of assets; our projected operating results; completion of any pending transactions; our plan to pay off strategic financing; our ability to restructure existing property-level indebtedness; our ability to secure additional financing to enable us to operate our business; our understanding of our competition; projected capital expenditures; and the impact of technology on our operations and business. Such forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of our future performance taking into account all information currently known to us. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations can change as a result of many potential events or factors, not all of which are known to us. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans, and other objectives may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider this risk when you make an investment decision concerning our securities. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We will not publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise except to the extent required by law. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ashford-hospitality-trust-announces-conversion-of-le-pavillon-new-orleans-to-marriotts-tribute-portfolio-302313626.html SOURCE Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Luke Bailey threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns with only five incompletions and Drake eased by Stetson 49-10 on Saturday to secure a second straight outright Pioneer Football League title. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Luke Bailey threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns with only five incompletions and Drake eased by Stetson 49-10 on Saturday to secure a second straight outright Pioneer Football League title. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Luke Bailey threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns with only five incompletions and Drake eased by Stetson 49-10 on Saturday to secure a second straight outright Pioneer Football League title. Davion Cherwin rushed for 161 yards on 11 carries and scored two times for Drake. Jun Ahn and Luke Woodson also had rushing scores. Cherwin scored a 91-yard touchdown, the longest run in the PFL this season, to make it 21-7 early in the second quarter. Kemani Wilson made a diving interception at the Drake 25-yard line with just over two minutes left in the first half and seven plays later, Bailey found Hunter Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown to make it 28-10 at halftime. Drake defensive lineman Finn Claypool forced a fumble on the third play of the second half and his teammate recovered it. Then Bailey lofted a pass to Jaxon Laminack for a touchdown and a 35-10 lead. Drake (8-2, 7-1) was coming off a 29-20 loss to Morehead State to end a 17-game PFL winning streak — the longest active conference winning streak in the FCS. Stetson (2-9, 0-7) quarterback Brady Meitz was intercepted three times and Matt O’Connor had one of his four pass attempts intercepted. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football AdvertisementYakima County’s future in ag innovation: Connecting farms with cutting-edge technology
Trump's candidate picks include some firsts, but diversity down from BidenBitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries The NFL has issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets. Penn State wins trademark case over retailer's use of vintage logos, images WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages earlier this week over products made and sold by the firms Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc. Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories without the university’s permission, while the defendants argued that the vintage images were in the public domain. At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, but the Penn State case was the first to go to trial. Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum? NEW YORK (AP) — A previously unknown musical work written by composer Frederic Chopin appears to have been found in a library in New York City. The Morgan Library & Museum says the untitled and unsigned piece is the first new manuscript of the Romantic era virtuoso to be discovered in nearly a century. Robinson McClellan, the museum’s curator, says he stumbled across the work in May while going through a collection brought to the Manhattan museum years earlier. He worked with outside experts to verify the document's authenticity. But there’s debate whether the waltz is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand. Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland is spewing lava from a fissure in its seventh eruption since December. Iceland's seismic monitors said the eruption started with little warning late Wednesday and created a long fissure but looked to be smaller than eruptions in August and May. Around 50 houses were evacuated after the Civil Protection agency issued the alert, along with guests at the famous Blue Lagoon resort, according to the national broadcaster. The repeated eruptions over the past year have caused damage to the town of Grindavík and forced people to relocate. Australian teen and British woman who drank tainted alcohol in Laos have died, bringing toll to 5 VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — An Australian teenager and a British woman have died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos in what Australia’s prime minister said was every parent’s nightmare. Officials earlier said an American and two Danish tourists also had died following reports that multiple people had been sickened in town popular with backpackers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament that 19-year-old Bianca Jones had died after being evacuated from Vang Vieng, Laos, for treatment in a Thai hospital. Her friend, also 19, remains hospitalized in Thailand. Later Thursday, Britain said a British woman also died and the media in the U.K. identified her as 28-year-old Simone White. US ahead in AI innovation, easily surpassing China in Stanford's new ranking The U.S. leads the world in developing artificial intelligence technology, surpassing China in research and other important measures of AI innovation, according to a newly released Stanford University index. There’s no surefire way to rank global AI leadership but Stanford researchers have made an attempt by measuring the “vibrancy” of the AI industry across a variety of dimensions, from how much research and investment is happening to how responsibly the technology is being pursued to prevent harm. Following the U.S. and China were the United Kingdom, India and the United Arab Emirates. Pop star Ed Sheeran helps favorite soccer team sign player before getting on stage with Taylor Swift It turns out British pop star Ed Sheeran is also good at recruiting soccer players. Sheeran is a minority shareholder at English soccer team Ipswich Town and it needed his help over the summer to get a player to join the club. Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton tells a Soccerex industry event in Miami: “Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift. Hopefully that was a key part in getting the player across the line.” Ashton didn’t disclose the player in question, saying only: “He’s certainly scoring a few goals.” Chris Stapleton wins 4 CMA Awards, but Morgan Wallen gets entertainer of the year It was mostly Chris Stapleton’s night at the Country Music Association Awards. Stapleton won four times and took the stage to perform three times Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. But an absent Morgan Wallen won the biggest award, entertainer of the year. Stapleton's wins included single of the year and song of the year for “White Horse,” and his eighth trophy as male vocalist of the year. Best female vocalist of the year went to Laney Johnson. An all-star ensemble including both Stapleton and Johnson performed in tribute to George Strait, who won the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal take Cy Young Awards after both were pitching triple crown winners Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal have each won their first Cy Young Award. The left-handers were honored Wednesday night after sharing the MLB lead with 18 wins while leading their respective leagues in strikeouts and ERA. Sale went 18-3 and topped the National League with 225 strikeouts, while his 2.38 ERA in 29 starts was the best among all major league qualifiers in his first season with the Braves. The 35-year-old was an All-Star for the eighth time and won his first Gold Glove this year. Skubal, who turned 28 on Wednesday, went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and a big league-best 228 strikeouts in 31 starts to take the American League prize in a unanimous vote.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Kylian Mbappe hoped his move to Real Madrid would finally see him end his wait to win the Champions League. Instead, the France international and defending champion Madrid are in danger of being eliminated from European club soccer's elite tournament at the first stage after Wednesday's 2-0 loss to Liverpool leaves them in a fight just to make the playoffs for the next round. And if Madrid does make an early exit, Mbappe may look back on a miserable night at Anfield where he was humbled by a young defender and then missed a penalty that would have leveled the score. World Cup winner Mbappe looked a shadow of himself against a Liverpool team that leads the way in the Premier League and the Champions League this season. He was brought crashing down by a crunching tackle from 21-year-old right back Conor Bradley when threatening to burst through on goal in the first half — sparking a huge cheer from the home crowd. It got worse for Mbappe after the break when he had the chance to make it 1-1 from the penalty spot after Alexis Mac Allister had given six-time European champion Liverpool the lead. But with Caoimhin Kelleher to beat, he saw his effort pushed away by Liverpool's back-up goalkeeper. Mohamed Salah also missed a spot kick of his own, but substitute Cody Gakpo doubled the home team's advantage. Record 15-time European Cup winner Madrid is 24th in the new-look 36-team league phase of the Champions League. The top eight teams advance to the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a playoff. Victory saw new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot manage something his predecessor Jurgen Klopp never could by beating Real in the Champions League. His team extended its perfect record in the competition and is top of the standings after five games. Each team plays eight games in the opening phase. Madrid plays Atalanta next month and Liverpool faces Girona. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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