Travel & Tourism
Oxygen Hospitality’s Welwood Hotel Draws Inspiration from Palm Springs’ History and Design
Rebranding reveal with name and logo taps into pioneering spirit of city’s founding father and first hotelier, Dr. Welwood Murray
Palm Springs, CA (June 3, 2019) – Oxygen Hospitality’s new vision for the Ivy Palm Resort near downtown Palm Springs today began to emerge as property renovations officially commenced. Repositioning of the 100-room hotel also took a step forward with the announcement of the hotel’s new name, logo and identity: Welwood Hotel. Its name, Welwood Hotel, taps the rich history of this iconic city and from Palm Springs’ first hotelier and important philanthropic founders, Dr. Welwood Murray. The words ‘Wel’ also suggests wellness, an ever-growing lifestyle choice and ‘Wood’ describing the natural design elements within the hotel.
Renovations at the four building, two-story, 3-acre hotel include new guest rooms and suites, relocation of lobby and redesign of entrance with exterior circular entry, two remodeled pools with cabanas and new restaurant/bar concept. Guests will enter the newly designed hotel lobby and sit down to check-in with front desk associates at conversational tables. Reservations open November 2019. Renovations are scheduled for completion winter 2019.
Inspired by the pioneering spirit and vision that led Dr. Welwood Murray to plan an oasis and open the Palm Spring’s first hotel in 1886, Oxygen Hospitality presented the hotel concept to the Murray family.
Dr. Murray’s great grandson Philip Welwood Murray II said, “Our family was amazed when asked to have the Welwood name associated with a new generation hotel recognizing our great grandfather. Welwood Murray roots run deep in this area, especially Palm Springs, a city near and dear to our hearts. I personally have always dreamed of opening up a restaurant, and now, Oxygen Hospitality is opening up a hotel in our family’s honor.”
‘Powered by Oxygen’ brand. The rebranding heralds in the next step in Oxygen Hospitality’s strategic growth, building a brand of mid- to-upper scale hotels in excellent U.S. Sunbelt locations that embrace the local spirit of the city. Branded and independent hotels owned and managed within Oxygen Hospitality’s portfolio, such the Welwood Hotel, will earn the distinction and brand standard ‘Powered by Oxygen’. ‘Powered by Oxygen’ instills warmth and amenities of American hospitality and celebrate local influences for a first-class guest experience.
“The elevated rebranding of this Palm Springs hotel is our entre’ into the local hotel scene where guests will experience our brand of service and how we differentiate for loyalty and operational success,” said Yaron Ashkenazi, chief executive officer of Oxygen Hospitality.
Mid-century modern architecture redesign. The Welwood Hotel redesign is inspired by mid-twentieth century modernism architecture. Redesign is described as angular and artistic with colorful motif for the outside pool area ranging from royal blues, white and yellow. Guest room design offers a palette of clean, neutral white and cream colors — paired with shades of aqua and complemented with sleek, rich modern wood furnishings for a desert climate.
The architecture firm for the Welwood Hotel is MDR Architects, Inc. Hotel designer is Amsterdam-based SZ Design.
Visit www.welwoodhotel.com for renderings and to sign up for updates on the Welwood Hotel.
About Dr. Welwood Murray
Dr. Welwood Murray, a Scottish pioneer, horticulturist, philanthropist, and a founding father of Palm Springs. In 1876, Murray moved from Scotland to Banning, California in order to improve his health with the dry desert air. Ten years later in 1886, he purchased five acres of land in nearby Palm Valley (which would later become Palm Springs), and built the city’s first hotel, the Palm Springs Hotel. Murray planted 22 varieties of fruit trees and shrubs surrounding the hotel, creating a veritable oasis. Today, Dr. Murray’s name graces the city’s first cemetery, the Welwood Murray Library and Murray Canyon.
About Oxygen Hospitality Group
Oxygen Hospitality Group, Inc., is an owner-operator hospitality company that acquires, renovates and manages a portfolio of mid- to upper scale branded and independent hotel assets in the U.S. Sunbelt and other advantageous destinations. The Company works with accredited investors, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and family offices looking to direct invest in capital appreciation and income-producing hotel real estate projects. These assets undergo a ‘Revive and Thrive’ value creation turnaround strategy that includes proprietary software technology to drive bottom-line results and gain positive guest experience reviews for proven return-to-profitability management. Founded in 2017, Oxygen Hospitality is privately held and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, please visit: http://www.oxygenhospitality.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Offers to sell or the solicitations of offers to buy securities may only be made through official offering documents that contain important information about risks, fees and expenses. Renderings, reservations and booking dates subject to change.
Southern California gateway broke marks for both total passengers and international travelers
Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) set a record in June for passenger volume, welcoming more than 559,000 travelers and breaking a record set just a month earlier, officials announced.
The aviation gateway also recorded more than 37,000 international travelers, which was the most in a single month ever at ONT.
The total passenger count for June was 8.7% higher than June last year. The number of domestic passengers grew by 5% to 522,000, while international air travel more than doubled to 37,000.
The previous high for total passengers in one month since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016 was recorded in May 2023, when 557,000 traveled through ONT.
Over the year’s first six months, total passenger volume was nearly 3 million, 12.4% greater than the first half of 2022. The passenger count included 2.8 million domestic travelers and 176,000 international passengers, increases of 9.5% and 94.4%, respectively.
“Since taking ownership of the airport our goal has been to create an international gateway for Southern California with the amenities, facilities and services befitting the region,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, of Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “We couldn’t be more pleased that demand for air travel through Ontario remains strong, outpacing other California airports, driven by large increases in population and jobs across our region.”
Ten million Southern Californians live or work closer to ONT than any other airport, and eight of the 10 fastest-growing California cities with over 100,000 population are in ONT’s primary service area.
| Passenger
Totals |
Jun 2023 |
Jun 2022 |
Change |
YTD 2023 |
YTD 2022 |
Change |
| Domestic |
522,088 |
496,950 |
5.06% |
2,813,917 |
2,570,272 |
9.5% |
| International |
37,359 |
17,534 |
113.07% |
176,238 |
90,677 |
94.4% |
| Total |
559,447 |
514,484 |
8.74% |
2,990,155 |
2,660,949 |
12.4% |
Volumes of commercial freight and mail declined by 14% in June and 10% on a year-to-date basis, consistent with lower cargo volume globally which has been anticipated by industry analysts.
| Air cargo
(tonnage) |
Jun 2023 |
Jun 2022 |
Change |
YTD 2023 |
YTD 2022 |
Change |
| Freight |
57,410 |
67,525 |
-14.98% |
338,431 |
380,612 |
-11.1% |
|
4,260 |
4,479 |
-4.89% |
27,725 |
28,107 |
-1.4% |
|
| Total |
61,670 |
72,004 |
-14.35% |
366,156 |
408,720 |
-10.4% |
“Despite the slow-down in freight movement worldwide, Ontario International is a vital cog in the U.S. supply chain,” Elkadi said. “Our modernized and expanded cargo facilities remain key components for shippers serving Sothern California.”
Airline resumes flights at pre-pandemic frequency with larger aircraft
China Airlines will fully restore daily round-trip service between Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Taipei beginning March 26, 2023, ONT officials announced.
The return of daily service connecting ONT and Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) marks a major milestone in Ontario’s recovery of international air service, all of which was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.
“We have eagerly awaited the resumption of daily service between Ontario and Taiwan,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “This exciting development is a testament to the demand for long-haul international travel from the Inland Empire and the exceptional service provided by our global gateway.”
After suspending service in March 2020, China Airlines resumed ONT-TPE flights in June 2021, gradually increasing service levels as demand returned. The resumption of daily service occurs at the same time that China Airlines marks its five-year anniversary at ONT.
The first carrier to offer nonstop, transoceanic passenger service to ONT after its transition to local ownership, China Airlines will upgrade the aircraft operating the route from an Airbus A350-900 to a larger Boeing 777-300ER, increasing seat capacity from 306 to 358 across premium business, premium economy and economy classes. The service is also scheduled to provide customers with seamless one-stop connections to additional destinations throughout Asia.
TPE is the primary international gateway to northern Taiwan’s more than 9 million residents, while ONT is the closest and most convenient international gateway airport for more than 10 million Southern California residents in San Bernardino, Riverside, northern Orange and eastern Los Angeles counties.
Domestic air travel through ONT surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, a milestone achieved by few other airports in California.
Program will highlight what’s next for high-speed rail in the Inland Empire
High-Impact Event Alert
Brightline West will be featured during the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “High-Speed Rail is Headed to the Inland Empire” event on Wednesday, January 11, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Jessie Turner Community Center in Fontana, CA, which the County of San Bernardino is a title sponsor. The program will feature an update on Brightline West, including the project’s role in regional and statewide connectivity, its benefits to the community, what to expect in 2023, and how the public can stay engaged.
Featured panelists for the program are:
- Fiona Ma, Treasurer, State of California
- Ray Wolfe, Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
- Sarah Watterson, President, Brightline West
- Edward Ornelas, Jr., President/CEO, Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Matt Burris, Deputy City Manager of Community Development, City of Rancho Cucamonga
Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America. The company currently serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach in Florida, with its Orlando station beginning service in 2023. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel, Brightline offers a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too close to fly and too long to drive. Brightline West will build on this award-winning service by connecting Las Vegas and Southern California, with stations in Las Vegas, Victor Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga, and connectivity to Metrolink’s regional rail network.
“This will transform transportation in Southern California and Las Vegas for generations by providing a fast and efficient connection that gets people out of their cars, reduces traffic congestion and decreases air pollution.” -Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
KEY FACTS:
- Expected travel time is approx. 2 ¼ hours
- Our route is 2x faster than driving
- Zero-emission, electric train sets
- Expected top speed is 180 mph
- 400,000 tons of CO2 removed annually by reducing 3 million vehicles
- Connections to Metrolink and planned future connection to California High-Speed Rail in Palmdale
- Convenient station location on the Vegas strip (I-15)
For more information and to register for the event, click here.
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