Major U.S. Airports Could Lose International Flights Under New DHS Idea
Major U.S. Airports Could Lose International Flights Under New DHS Idea
Alexandre Fagundes De Fagundes/Dreamstime
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/dhs-considers-shutting-customs-at-airports-in-sanctuary-cities-threatening-international-travel
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin suggests closing customs operations at airports in sanctuary cities, a move that could disrupt international flights, trade, and tourism across the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin questioned whether international airports in so-called “Sanctuary Cities” should continue to be allowed to process inbound international travelers in an appearance on Fox News on Monday.
“If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into — into their city?” asked Mullin. “Seriously, if they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy? Maybe we need to have a really hard look at that, because we need to focus on cities that want to work with us.”
Several U.S. cities on the Justice Department’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions have large international airports, including Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Newark, New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Boston. A cessation of international arrivals at some or all of these cities could hobble international travel to and from the United States.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of DHS, is responsible for screening inbound international passengers at all U.S. airports. CBP is separate from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A closure of CBP operations at an airport would effectively halt all international flights to or from that airport, wreaking havoc on plans for international travelers. DHS has the authority to close a point of entry for specific reasons, such as emergencies, facility failures like power outages, or security threats, but use of that authority to shutter ports of entry for political reasons is largely untested.
More than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three international airports in New York City and Newark alone last year. Any halt to international air travel could severely impact U.S. international trade and tourism, including the FIFA World Cup, due to start in cities around the country in early June.
Immigration enforcement has been at the center of a partisan standoff since February 14, when the DHS entered a partial shutdown after funding expired.
Cities, counties, and states choose whether to direct their law enforcement divisions to cooperate with federal immigration officials. Many jurisdictions have chosen not to cooperate with immigration authorities for decades, reasoning that fear of being reported to immigration officials keeps non-U.S. citizens—whether they’re in the country legally or not—from reporting crimes or cooperating with local law enforcement investigations in unrelated matters. Los Angeles has prevented local police officers from questioning individuals solely based on immigration status since 1979. Chicago has had similar restrictions since the 1980s.
Many state and city governments also point to their own laws that citizenship status and immigration enforcement are fully within the jurisdiction and budget of federal authorities, although local jurisdictions will typically honor information requests from federal immigration authorities with a judicial warrant.
In later comments to reporters, Mullin stressed no final decision had been made, and that pulling CBP officers from airports is just one of many options under consideration. “We’re going to start having those conversations. As I said, this is just something I’m thinking. This isn’t something that I’m necessarily going to do,” he said.
There is little, if any, precedent for closing customs processing at U.S. airports for political reasons. CBP agents are currently being paid during the DHS shutdown, using already appropriated funds pulled from other parts of the budget, as frontline CBP agents are considered essential.
U.S. air travelers have borne much of the brunt of the DHS shutdown. TSA workers went without pay until late March, when they were given back pay by executive order. Until then, however, large numbers of them called off sick or outright quit, leaving airports understaffed and security lines out the door. The security lines have been alleviated now that TSA workers have been paid.
A&O Hostels secures €874M to fuel growth
The financing is provided by Apollo and will fuel a €500M expansion plan for Europe’s largest hostel chain.
https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Financials/Financing/A-and-O-Hostels-secures-874M-to-fuel-growth?
BERLIN — A&O Hostels, Europe’s largest and fastest-growing hostel chain, is accelerating its expansion by completing an €874 million refinancing facility provided by funds managed by Apollo.
The refinancing facility, funded by New York City-based Apollo, is one of the largest ever in the European hostel sector and replaces an existing Apollo facility. The funds are secured against A&O’s portfolio of 44 properties and approximately 30,000 beds across 29 cities and 10 countries, and will fuel the next €500 million of the company’s growth strategy.
A&O is backed by New York City-based StepStone Group and London-based Proprium Capital Partners, who acquired the company at the end of 2023 . Since that acquisition, the company has added approximately 11,500 beds over the past 24 months through acquisitions in Manchester, London, Berlin, Brussels, Antwerp and Heidelberg, as well as the acquisition of the Schulz Hotel platform.
“A&O has executed on its accelerated growth strategy ahead of schedule whilst remaining highly disciplined,” said Ben Eppley, partner and Head of Real Estate Credit, Europe at Apollo. “This transaction, in a sector benefitting from attractive, compelling demographic and technological tailwinds, continues our track record in Europe of providing scaled financing alongside leading sponsors seeking holistic portfolio solutions.”
“Owners and the management team have built something exceptional at A&O, growing the platform at pace while maintaining real discipline,” said Josh Cleveland, head of EMEA for StepStone. “Apollo’s commitment to extending this relationship on competitive terms is a strong endorsement of the strategy, and of the partner group delivering it.”
The company said its target is to double its current 44-asset portfolio within five years, targeting families, school groups and backpackers across Europe’s leading business and leisure destinations.
“Despite its highly defensive characteristics and outperformance in recent years, underpinned by the attractive income profile, the hostels sector remains fragmented,” said Philipp Westermann, partner at Proprium. “This facility provides us with the firepower to capitalize on this opportunity and rapidly scale the platform, through both asset and corporate acquisitions, alongside a long-term financing partner with a shared conviction in the sector’s fundamentals.”
A&O said it achieved €215 million in revenue in 2025 and 6.6 million overnight stays, which surpassed 2024’s revenue of €6.2 million. The hostel sector has become an attractive alternative asset class for institutional capital, as its RevPAB (revenue per available bed) metrics and low refurbishment costs per square meter compare favorably with traditional hotels, and the European hostels market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.8% from 2025 to 2030.
The company was founded in 2000 by Oliver Winter.
Vietnam’s growth potential key to Fusion deal
SC Capital Partners founder Suchad Chiaranussati discusses his acquisition of Fusion Hotel Group and the benefits of working with CapitaLand Investment.
https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Deals/Mergers-and-Acquistions/Vietnam-growth-potential-key-to-Fusion-deal?
INTERNATIONAL REPORT — While Vietnam’s hotel industry is still relatively young, Suchad Chiaranussati sees explosive growth potential in the country.
It was that insight and potential that informed his acquisition of Fusion Hotel Group last month. Chiaranussati, founder and chairman of Singapore-based SC Capital Partners, acquired the wellness-inspired hospitality brand and company in mid-March for an undisclosed amount.
When Vietnam is compared to Japan, where SC Capital Partners has the majority of its hotel investments right now, Chiaranussati said it is still way behind the more developed market.
“Vietnam’s hotel industry is still relatively young… if you're comparing the size of the number of hotel rooms and also the maturity in terms of the business structure, sectorial diversification, various other things, Vietnam is still probably two or three steps behind,” he said. “Vietnam, in my opinion, is 10 to 20 years behind compared to Japan. But the growth will be faster in Vietnam in terms of percentage growth.”
However, Chiaranussati sees strong possibilities in the country.
“Vietnam is in its infancy but has great potential,” he said.
Fusion Hotel Group CEO Christopher Hur, who will remain CEO following the acquisition, said Fusion’s objective is to double in the next five years, both in hotel and room count. But not all growth is created equal.
“We've been doing a lot of thought about this, and we feel like our brand is quite well set up,” he said. “We were already on a very good trajectory… but now, with the backing (of Chiaranussati), we're going to continue to hopefully look for capital, talent and platform support.”
Hur said Fusion is also exploring expansion outside Vietnam.
“We're actually actively looking at something in Seoul, and we’ll hopefully decide within a month or so,” he said. “This is something even six months ago, I couldn't really dream of. It’s the power of having a sponsor like Suchad and the broader SC Capital platform. We have a very strong foothold in Vietnam, and we want to, obviously, take advantage of that abroad.”
Hur mentioned that while Fusion is primarily based in Vietnam right now, its top customers actually come from Korea, China and Japan.
“We have a strong baseline for brand recognition, and obviously, we want to try to grow that regionally — in other markets within Asia,” he said. “The key is to try to grow regionally without losing sight of the ball here (in Vietnam), because we don't want to miss the opportunity that's going on in Vietnam, which is quite strong.”
SC Capital Partners also owns Hotel Management Japan (HMJ), one of Japan’s largest hotel operators and Indonesian hotel operator Topotels Hotels & Resorts.
In November 2024, Singapore’s CapitaLand Investment Limited acquired a 40% stake in SC Capital Partners for $214 million (S$280 million) and planned to acquire the remaining stake in phases over the next five years, giving it full ownership by 2030. CapitaLand Investment said it would also invest at least $400 million to support SC Capital Partners' growth. A big reason for the acquisition was that it gave CapitaLand Investment a maiden entry into Japan’s REIT market. At the time, SC Capital Partners’ Japan Hotel REIT was the second-largest hospitality REIT listed in Japan.
Chiaranussati said CapitaLand’s investment has been positive so far.
“The way we are set up has always been very institutional,” he said. “I don't see much changing with CapitaLand coming in… I think they appreciate that we are quite entrepreneurial. So with the agreement we have in place, we continue to operate pretty much the way we've been operating.”
7 key principles that drive effective leadership and team building
https://hotelsmag.com/news/7-key-principles-that-drive-effective-leadership-and-team-building/
Matthew Mascali is the CEO and founder of The F&B Playbook and the author of the book “Service with a Side of Chaos”.
Leadership in hospitality is not a job title, or a name tag, or a corner office, or a manager logging into the POS system. Leadership in hospitality is emotional, financial, and cultural. It is a behavioral characteristic. It is performance under pressure. It shows up in the tone you use when a team member is overwhelmed and when a guest complains loudly in the dining room or at the front desk.
In today’s fast-paced hospitality environments, great leadership isn’t just about setting expectations—it’s about setting the tone. The best leaders build trust, empower their teams, and foster a culture where every team member feels valued and heard. True leadership is measured not by how many decisions you make, but by how many leaders you help develop.
Eyes Wide Open
Leadership in hospitality is different from leadership in almost any other industry. The pace is relentless. The environment is public. The results are immediate. When something goes wrong, guests feel it instantly.
Even if a guest never sees the manager, they experience the manager’s influence. Pacing, tone, service rhythm, staff confidence, and emotional stability all reflect the leader’s presence.
Strong leadership makes service feel organized, warm, and intentional. Weak leadership makes service feel reactive, rushed, and inconsistent.
A leader in the hospitality industry must manage two things at the same time: people and performance. A leader must understand labor percentages, pacing, and systems while also reading emotional cues, supporting overwhelmed staff, and guiding behavior in real time.
Leadership is not about control. It is about influence. It is the ability to create order during chaos, maintain emotional steadiness, protect brand standards, guide team behavior, and make clear decisions under pressure. Here are seven key principles that drive effective leadership and team building. Open Door Policy: True Accessibility, Not Just a Slogan
An open-door policy must be more than just a concept on paper. Leaders should actively encourage their direct reports to bring ideas, concerns, and feedback forward without fear.
Accessibility creates transparency, builds trust, and strengthens relationships. Your team needs to know that leadership is approachable—not just when things are going well, but especially when challenges arise. Skip-Level Meetings: Listening to Every Voice
One of the most valuable leadership habits is to periodically meet directly with the managers and employees who report directly to you with direct reports.
Skip-level meetings provide unfiltered insight into the culture, challenges, and opportunities within your operation.
They also show your commitment to understanding the broader team, not just the top players. Listening at all levels builds loyalty and promotes a healthier, more engaged organization. Training: The Investment That Always Pays Dividends
Training should never be viewed as a one-time event or a checkbox item. It is an ongoing investment in your team’s confidence, competence, and career growth and self-development.
Great leaders champion training as a tool to empower individuals and protect the organization. Teaching your team that training is a privilege, not a punishment, fosters a culture of continuous improvement and retains top performers who will grow with you. Communication: The Lifeline of Leadership
Clear, timely, and consistent communication is non-negotiable. A leader’s role is to clarify the vision, set expectations, celebrate successes, and course-correct when needed.
Inconsistent communication breeds confusion and distrust, while persuasive communication promotes alignment, accountability, and engagement.
Don’t assume your team knows—tell them, show them, and invite feedback to ensure mutual understanding. Lead With Presence, Not Just Authority
People don’t follow titles; they follow leaders who show up. Physical presence —walking the floor, visiting operations, attending team huddles—makes a statement.
It says: “I care about you. I want to understand your world.” Leadership isn’t built in offices, it’s built through authentic, in-person connection. Empower Decision-Making
Teach your teams to think, not just to do. When leaders empower teams to make decisions within defined guidelines, you build ownership and pride.
Mistakes may happen, but they become learning moments rather than fear-based setbacks. Empowered teams are faster, more innovative, and more resilient. Recognition and Accountability: A Balanced Approach
Recognize impressive performance openly and often. People are motivated by appreciation far more than by criticism. At the same time, do not shy away from holding people accountable.
Great leadership strikes the balance: clear standards, consistent feedback, and fair recognition create a winning environment.
Final Thought
At the heart of leadership and team building is one simple truth: people remember how you made them feel.
When you lead with transparency, accessibility, communication, and care, you do not just build better teams—you build loyalty, passion, and a culture where success is sustainable. Most importantly, you develop better humans.
DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory
We transform hospitality and tourism businesses through strategic solutions, operational efficiency, and comprehensive renovation. With over 40 years of experience working with brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, and Sonesta, we enhance asset value and profitability through:
*Operational excellence and brand standards (GSI +90%)
*Market penetration and commercial strategies
*Key partnerships and disruptive innovation
*Hotel openings and repositioning
Proven results :
✅ 48% GOP |
✅ +120% asset valuation growth
✅ Successful projects across 6 Latin American countries
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