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Newport News · Issue No. 9 · September 2026
Thirty-Six Years In
Thirty-six years of Newport, seen through a lender partnership, a university pipeline, a Maryland renovation, and one Jacksonville Beach GM’s second act.
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Andrew Carey and Blair Bunting of Live Oak Bank on why the best lender relationships start before they’re needed. Whitney Altizer on what happens when a college student discovers there is a sales team in a hotel. A major reinvestment in the Hilton Garden Inn Frederick. And what a father and daughter learned when they walked into an audition together.
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The Best Time to Build a Lender Relationship is Before You Need One
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ANDREW CAREY · CEO
A conversation with Blair Bunting of Live Oak Bank
Andrew Carey and Blair Bunting, Associate Director, Hospitality at Live Oak Bank, on why a lender belongs on the capital and operating team from day one. Transparency over surprises. DSCR and the story behind the number. PIPs done right. And why the conversation about refinancing should start 12 to 18 months out.
“Bad news rarely improves with age.”
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From Classroom to Career
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WHITNEY ALTIZER · SVP, CCO
Building Hospitality’s Next Generation
Part I of a three-part editorial series on why meaningful internships belong at the center of hospitality’s talent strategy. Whitney Altizer on Newport’s partnership with Virginia Tech, the classroom-to-hotel handoff led by James Landrum, Sarah Riggs, and Kenny Rodgers in Blacksburg, and what happens when a student discovers there is a sales department in a hotel.
“Students aren’t merely observing hospitality. They are practicing it.”
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Reimagining the Hilton Garden Inn Frederick
HGI FREDERICK · MAJOR RENOVATION
The Hilton Garden Inn Frederick, owned by Roch Capital and managed by Newport since 2013, has embarked on a property-wide reimagination scheduled for completion in early spring 2027. Guestrooms, corridors, public spaces, food and beverage, and event facilities will all be touched by the renovation. ZDS Architecture & Interiors developed the concept, Where Landscape and Community Converge, rooted in Frederick’s wineries, greenspaces, historic architecture, and creative community. A new relocated bar, elevated food and beverage program, outdoor fire feature, and updated event spaces will strengthen the hotel’s distinctive position in a growing Maryland market.
“We didn’t want to create a beautiful hotel that could just as easily be located somewhere else. Frederick has a tremendous personality of its own.” — Brendan McCoy, SVP, COO
Read the announcement
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Two Newport Wins
AHLA GM OF THE YEAR NOMINATION
James Childress on the AHLA GM of the Year shortlist
James Childress has been nominated for an American Hotel & Lodging Association General Manager of the Year Award. Winners will be announced November 3 at The Hospitality Show in Miami Beach. A well-earned nomination for a leader who shows up for his team and his guests every day. Congratulations, James.
HYATT AI OPERATIONS BETA
Piloting Hyatt’s AI future in Blacksburg
Hyatt Place Blacksburg has been selected as one of Hyatt’s beta hotels for AI operations. GM Sarah Riggs and Area Director of Sales James Landrum are working alongside Trina Fine, Hyatt’s Sr. Manager of Innovation & Technology Enablement, and the AI Operations team, sharing real-world feedback on how AI can support hotel operations. Congratulations to Sarah, James, and the entire Blacksburg team on the invitation.
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| HOUSEKEEPING APPRECIATION WEEK |
A week for the hardest-working teams in the building
From Connecticut to Florida, Newport hotels dedicated the week of September 14 to celebrating the teams that make every guest room feel like home. Pajama Mondays and Mismatched Tuesdays. Superhero Wednesdays and Tacky Thursdays. Games about how well the team really knows their general manager. Food and treats, small giveaways, and larger acts of gratitude. Community donations and quiet appreciations. Different themes, different games. One message across every property. The hardest-working teams in the building deserve more than one week.
LIVING HOSPITALITY VIDEO
Andrew Carey on Living Hospitality
CEO Andrew Carey on what Living Hospitality means to him. What Newport looks for in its people. What owners see when the philosophy is working. And why great hospitality is finally, always, a business of relationships that last.
Watch Andrew on Living Hospitality
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The role he never expected
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HAMPTON INN JACKSONVILLE BEACH OCEANFRONT · GM
Policeman 1, then everything after
Three years ago, Michael Gale walked into a community theater audition with his ten-year-old daughter Amelia. She was cast as Gloria. He got two minutes as Policeman 1. Eight productions later he is directing It’s a Wonderful Life, and thirteen-year-old Amelia is playing Officer Beth. What theater has taught him about patience, about listening, and about being a general manager.
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Fall Finds: Three places where autumn feels personal
A fairground glowing at dusk. A train rounding a mountainside as the leaves begin to turn. Bluegrass history preserved in the place where the music was born. Three Newport-managed hotels invite you to take the scenic way.
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Fair lights and foothill color
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Rails, ridgelines, and downtown evenings
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Music in the mountain air
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Newport in the News
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