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Newport News · Issue No. 6 · June 2026
What We're Building
A renovation on the coast, a long view from Philadelphia, and what AI is asking us to rebuild.
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This month, three threads run through the issue. What the industry is rebuilding around right now. What we are physically rebuilding on the coast. And the longer view, from the steady hands at Newport's front office to the city where the country itself began.
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Newport at Marriott CONNECT 2026
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ANDREW CAREY · CEO
Marriott's CONNECT 2026: Resilience, Revenue, and a Renewed Focus on Owners
Newport leadership returned from CONNECT 2026, Marriott's Select Brands Owner and Franchisee Conference, with a single overarching impression: resilience. Andrew Carey shares what Marriott is doing to support owners as margin pressure, AI, and summer demand collide.
Read on Hospitality Net
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A First Look in Jacksonville
Newport is sharing a first look at the coastal-inspired transformation underway at the Hampton Inn Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront, a strategic investment by Roch Capital. The renovation runs March through August. The hotel remains open throughout.
Read the press release on Hospitality Net
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Two Newport Wins
2026 AVID CULTURE COUNCIL
Portsia Smith, in the brand's top ten
Portsia Smith, General Manager of Avid Hotel Richmond North-Ashland, has been selected as one of just 10 General Managers across the avid hotels brand to serve on the 2026 avid Culture Council. The Council collaborates with high-performing GMs, celebrates property milestones, shares operational best practices, and helps shape the family-centered culture avid is known for.
"This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team."
Q2 CHAMPION CHALLENGE
Q2 Sales Blitz Champions
The Q2 Champion Challenge Call-A-Thon delivered. Twenty-four participants, 206 connections made, and 50 pieces of new business secured. The Q3 Champion Challenge runs August 17 to 21.
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50
NEW BUSINESS BOOKED
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47
APPOINTMENTS BOOKED
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A two-way tie for first place.
1st Place, tied · Kristin Boyd
Hampton Inn Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront
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1st Place, tied · Monasia Kabuya
Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Matthews
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3rd Place · Tesa Picart-Pollard
Fairfield Inn & Suites Fayetteville North
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From Strategy to Execution
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KIRSTEN MOSCO · VP MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
What HSMAI and HITEC Revealed About Hospitality’s Next Chapter
Kirsten Mosco’s biggest takeaway from a week in San Antonio: AI is not changing what makes hotels successful; it is accelerating how quickly travelers, teams, and owners can see who is doing the fundamentals well. Trust, reputation, communication, and guest experience still matter. What is changing is visibility.
Read on Hospitality Net
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Hilary Eason, in Her Own Words
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SEVEN YEARS · EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
The calm behind the calendar
Hilary Eason has become one of the steady hands at Newport, quietly aligning the calendar, the priorities, and the people behind every meeting that goes well.
Read the Peer Perspective on the Newport blog
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Where It Began
America at 250. Valley Forge at 50. FIFA World Cup matches through July 4. The First Bank of the United States reopening for the first time since 1976. Philadelphia is having a once-in-a-generation summer, and Newport has three properties placing you within easy reach of every layer of the story.
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Where Washington’s army endured
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Where history meets the countryside
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Your gateway to America’s birthplace
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Read Where It Began on the Newport blog
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LIVING HOSPITALITY
Restoring the Faith
A long-time Home2 guest, Joann Filliben, recently traveled with her family to clear out the home of her mother-in-law, who passed away at 99. Out of all the Home2 properties she could have stayed at, the two that stood out, the two she said had restored her faith in the brand, were both ours. Two Newport-managed teams made a grieving family feel at home during one of the hardest weeks of their lives.
Western Theme, Newport Heart
Courtyard West Orange joined the West Orange Police Department’s Western-themed Annual Senior Event on June 11. Across the portfolio, two Philadelphia Courtyards packaged 600 meals at the Chester County food bank. Home2 Brunswick worked 2nd Harvest’s mobile pantry. Avid Richmond ran a St. Jude silent auction. Quiet, meaningful work that adds up.
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Newport in the News
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