Latest news with #ComcastCorp.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Orlando Hotel Occupancy Fell on Epic Universe Debut Weekend
(Bloomberg) -- Hotel occupancy was lower than expected on the opening weekend of Comcast Corp.'s $7 billion Epic Universe theme park, according to analysis from market researcher CoStar Group Inc. Hotel demand on the park's first day, May 22, was 'especially lackluster,' as reflected in a 57.2% occupancy rate for the overall Orlando, Florida, market, analyst Chantal Wu wrote in a report on Tuesday. That was a 7.4% decline from a year earlier. Occupancy improved over the weekend, but was still down over the five days through Memorial Day, May 26, compared with the prior year period. A limited availability of single-day tickets to the new park and concern by some consumers about overcrowding may have hampered visitors, Wu wrote. A convention that ended just before the weekend led to increased check-outs. Universal sold tickets to the new theme park in phases, starting with multiday packages that included only one day at Epic. The company has been trying to manage attendance at the new park as it works through any issues with rides and other operations. 'We have seen strong demand for Epic Universe and our hotels, and we are being intentional about managing park capacity to ensure a great guest experience,' Universal said in a statement. The market added some 2,600 hotel rooms over the past year, according to Casandra Matej, chief executive officer of Visit Orlando, a nonprofit that promotes the destination. The Thursday before Memorial Day is typically a slow one, before guest counts rise over the weekend. 'Orlando had a solid Memorial Day weekend performance,' she said in a statement. Lower-priced hotels in the city saw declines in room revenue, suggesting that 'inflation-pinched consumers opted for less travel,' according to CoStar. Upper-tier hotels showed revenue gains. The new theme park, the biggest in Orlando in three decades, features attractions tied to classic Universal movie monsters, Harry Potter and Nintendo Co.'s Super Mario characters. (Updates with company and tourism office comments.) More stories like this are available on
Los Angeles Times
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
MSNBC's post-Joy Reid era begins with hiring of Politico veteran Eugene Daniels
Eugene Daniels, a White House correspondent for Politico, is joining MSNBC full-time as a host. The Comcast Corp.-owned news channel announced Monday that Daniels, 36, will join the morning edition of 'The Weekend,' a three-hour program airing Saturdays and Sundays. He will be joined by Washington Post journalist Jonathan Capehart and another co-host to be named soon. The current hosts of 'The Weekend' — Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend — are moving to the 7 p.m. Eastern weekday time period vacated by Joy Reid. The new program will begin in late April. Daniels also will be senior Washington correspondent for MSNBC, which is building its own news operation after being part of NBC News since its launch in 1996. He is the first outside hire under MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler, who is leading the news network as it becomes part of a new company spun off from Comcast. Daniels has been an MSNBC contributor since 2021, appearing regularly on 'Morning Joe.' He will leave Politico to take on his new role. Daniels joined Politico in 2018 and was co-author of its popular morning newsletter 'Politico Playbook.' He currently serves as president of the White House Correspondents Assn., a post he was elected to last year. A Texas native, Daniels is a graduate of Colorado State University, where he was a defensive end on the football team. While Reid was considered the most left-leaning of MSNBC's hosts, her departure does not portend a change in direction at the network, which has a tribal following among political progressives. Capehart is joining 'The Weekend' after having his own evening MSNBC program on Saturday and Sunday since 2020. His program will end, along with those hosted by Katie Phang and Ayman Mohyeldin, when the network's new schedule takes effect. Mohyeldin will be part of a new evening edition of 'The Weekend.' Phang will remain with MSNBC as a legal analyst.
