White Lodging to lay off 50 workers in Merrillville as it ends management of 82 hotels

The hospitality company said in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or WARN notice to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that the layoffs would take place around Jan. 31 and continue until April 1.

"The action is the result of the anticipated sale of a portion of the Company’s business line," White Lodging Human Resources Director Stephen Siler wrote in a letter to the state. "At present, it is expected that approximately 50 employees will be affected by the layoff."

The hotel development and management company is looking to sell contracts to operate Marriott, IHG, Hilton and Hyatt hotels across the country to Virginia-based Interstate Hotels and Resorts for an undisclosed sum. White Lodging plans to reinvest the proceeds during a period of rapid nationwide expansion, as it adds 25 more hotels and restaurant/bar concepts across the country over a three-year span.

Once the sales goes through and those construction projects are complete, White Lodging will have 100 hotels under 26 different brands, including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, and InterContinental Hotel Group. It also operates 40 restaurants, eight rooftop bars and luxury ranches in Wyoming.