Delta variant slams door on hospitality hiring

Job growth in leisure and hospitality slowed to zero in August, pumping the brakes on an economic recovery that had been revving up all summer. Including everything from restaurants and bars to hotels and casinos, the leisure and hospitality industry had accounted for half of private-sector job growth in July, when it added 380,000 positions.

Jetty raises $23M to help give renters more payment flexibility

Jetty, a fintech company which aims to give renters flexibility when paying rent, has raised $23 million in a funding round co-led by Citi and Flourish Ventures.

The financing brings Jetty’s total raised since its 2016 inception to $78 million. Other investors participating in the latest growth round include Credit Ease and K5. Previous backers include Farmers Insurance Group, Khosla and Ribbit Capital, among others.

Covid-19 Resurgence Clouds Business Travel Rebound

Companies are delaying sending employees back on the road this fall amid another surge in coronavirus cases. Airlines and hotels had hoped that business travel—one of the most lucrative pillars of their business—would start to bounce back in the coming months. Those hopes are fading as the busy summer travel season peters out, and the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 postpones some companies’ plans to return to offices and resume in-person meetings and events….

Livly and Allegion Collaborate to Launch Livly Key Solution for Multifamily Apartments in the U.S.

Livly, Inc., the Chicago-based technology company offering the first unified operating system for multifamily residential properties, today announced the launch of a new collaboration with Allegion U.S., a leading security products and solutions provider. This collaboration resulted in the integration of the Allegion ENGAGE™ platform with Livly Key….

Why the ‘metaverse’ will prove to be more than a buzzword

The term metaverse was coined by American writer Neal Stephenson in his 1993 sci-fi hit Snow Crash. But what was far-flung fiction 30 years ago is now nearing reality. At Facebook’s most recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company’s vision to unify communities, creators, and commerce through virtual reality: “Our overarching goal across all of these initiatives is to help bring the metaverse to life.”

Green Leases Begin to Move into the Mainstream

The acceleration of ESG programs is penetrating the commercial real estate industry, and it is fueling an increase in green leases. In the 2021 Sustainability report from RICS, 40% of respondents have noted an increase in green lease adoption.

Office Owners: Here’s How To Make Money From Being Green

Retrofitting older office assets to make them more sustainable is “economically and environmentally superior to redevelopment” according to an in-depth new report into the financials behind real estate’s drive to be more green.

Buildings like Surfside condo aren’t built to withstand climate change | Commentary

Until this summer, there was no reason to know what “batophobia” was. Now, unfortunately, we must. Batophobia is the fear that the building you are in will crumble and you will be trapped in the rubble. With the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside — and the nearly 100 people it killed — we all now have a legitimate reason to worry the floor will fall from beneath us….

How to Evolve Hospitality with Technology, Part 3

Crystal Fisher, Managing Director of the Commercial Portfolio at Fisher Brothers, discusses her focus on continuing to enhance properties with building automation, bridging the gap between home and work, and her philosophy on keeping New York City strong.

Why You Might Not Be Returning to the Office Until Next Year

After the Delta variant disrupted plans to reopen after Labor Day, many businesses pushed their targets further out or left them open-ended.