Newport Hospitality Group is expanding its Midwest footprint with the addition of the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus Easton and Homewood Suites Columbus Easton, marking a strategic return to Ohio for the Williamsburg, Virginia-based hospitality company. The dual-branded properties, owned by Har and Rani Bhatnagar, are located at 3600 Morse Road, adjacent to Easton Town Center—one of Central Ohio’s most active hubs for shopping, dining, entertainment, and business activity.
“We are excited to be back in Ohio,” says Wayne West III, President of Newport Hospitality Group. “Columbus is a high-growth market with strong fundamentals and year-round demand. These hotels are ideally located, and we’re excited to bring Newport’s proven operating discipline and service culture to elevate performance and deliver an outstanding guest experience.”
Opened in December 2021, the properties total 240 guestrooms, including 144 rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus Easton and 96 suites at the Homewood Suites Columbus Easton. Designed to serve both business and leisure travelers, the hotels offer more than 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, supporting corporate meetings, group travel, and local events.
“Our hotels are built upon the principles of high-quality hospitality, strong morals, and a dedicated work ethic,” says Rani Bhatnagar. “We believe these core values align perfectly with those of Newport, and we trust them to lead these hotels toward success and ensure they remain positive contributors to the local community.”
Strategic Entry Into a Dynamic Hotel Market
The new management contract represents a key milestone in Newport’s continued growth strategy and further strengthens its partnership with Hilton, bringing Newport’s Hilton-managed portfolio to 14 hotels. Drawing on its experience operating dual-branded assets, Newport will apply a unified commercial and operational approach across both properties to maximize performance.
As the capital of Ohio, Columbus benefits from a diverse economic base spanning government and education, healthcare and research, technology and innovation, and major retail and entertainment districts. The city’s steady development and expanding employer footprint create consistent demand for well-operated select-service and extended-stay hotels.
The Easton submarket, in particular, offers strong appeal for travelers seeking convenience and connectivity. The dual-brand format provides flexibility for short-stay business guests, extended-stay professionals, families, and project teams, while the on-site meeting space adds incremental value for corporate and group demand.
“This addition to our portfolio reflects a strong alignment between two outstanding Hilton brands, a premier location, and the operational opportunity we know how to unlock,” West says. “Newport has deep experience across select-service and extended-stay hotels, and our team is focused on executing consistently at the highest level.”
West says Newport is honored to have been selected by Middletown Hotel Management and the Bhatnagar family to operate the hotels. Newport will support the properties through disciplined revenue management and pricing strategy, direct sales leadership, and targeted digital marketing initiatives designed to grow corporate, group, and extended-stay demand across both brands.f
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