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With Year Over Year Sustained Growth, Pinellas County, FL Ranked as “High Tourism Impact” County
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--The good news, long expected by tourism officials, is finally official: Pinellas County has become Florida's sixth "high tourism impact" county. Pinellas collected $31.8 million in tourist development taxes in calendar year 2013. Also known as the bed tax, it's a 5 percent surcharge added to the bill of every hotel room and accommodation rented out for less than six months. The 2013 figure makes it four consecutive years that Pinellas tourist tax collections have increased from the year before. "This is year after year of sustained growth, and deep growth," said David Downing, deputy director of the Pinellas tourism agency Visi
2014 Off to Bad Start for Williamsburg, Virginia Area Hotels; RevPAR for January Down by $1.50
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--WILLIAMSBURG -- After a flat 2013, hotel occupancy has gotten off to a worse start in 2014, according to statistics compiled by Smith Travel Research. As always, January is a slow month in the Historic Triangle. But this year, possibly due to more snow, it was even slower than 2013. Area room occupancy was 16.2 percent in January, down from 18.3 percent a year ago. That's despite the fact that the destination had fewer rooms this January than last. Other measures of hotel financial health were also bad. The average daily room rate fell from $64.41 in 2013 to $63.24 this year. And the hotels' average revenue per available room t
Treasure Island, Florida Hotels want Beach Events Curbed Citing Environmental Concerns
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--TREASURE ISLAND -- The powdery white sand is unquestionably this island community's most valuable asset. That's why an especially wide stretch of beach behind the Thunderbird Hotel and others should not be used as a stage for carnivals, concerts or event parking, says Robert Young, a coastal geologist from Western Carolina University visiting Treasure Island this weekend. Just a few yards north, he says, there are signs of health: grassy humps and sand dunes that have built up. But the stretch behind the Thunderbird remains void of vegetation because of cars, music stages and even a Ferris wheel that was set up here during a do
Ryan Cos. Plans 150-key Radisson Red Hotel/200 Apartment 27-story Tower Development in Minneapolis
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--The company behind the $400 million development near the new Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis has altered its plans to include a 150-room Radisson Red hotel to be housed in a building with apartments. For its Downtown East project, Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. has proposed two office towers housing 5,000 employees for Wells Fargo & Co., 200 apartments, retail shops and restaurants, a 1,610-space parking ramp and a nearly two-block public park. The development will encompass five city blocks near the $1 billion Vikings stadium. The space above the parking ramp has drawn proposals from both Ryan and Mortenson Developmen
Major Renovation, Costs Approaching $270M, Underway for 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach in Miami
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--A little more than a year ago, owners of the former Gansevoort-turned-Perry hotel in Miami Beach announced they would turn the property into a high-end earthy new brand by pouring more than $100 million into the project. Months after closing the hotel and buying out condo owners, they're still pouring. The cost of project, set to open this fall as 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, is now approaching $500 million, including the 2012 purchase price of $230 million. "In order to put a product in the market that was commensurate with the prices, we went into a major upscale of the investment," said Richard LeFrak, president of LeFra
Southern California Tourism a Bright Spot in Economy; 2013 a Record Breaking Year
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--Tourism was a shining star of the Southern California economy in 2013, turning in a record-breaking performance. Now the powerful sector that generates billions annually across the five-county region (Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange) is poised for an encore this year. "I think we're going to see continued demand from tourists this year and next," said Tom Mullen, LA Tourism's senior vice president for strategic alliances. "The overall economy is improving, people are traveling again and that is growing and we're getting the lion's share of that growth." Los Angeles hosted a record 42.2 million visitor
Unnamed Japanese Firm, Owners of 239 Worldwide Hotels, Plans to Construct Hotels in Iran
February 22, 2014
Feb. 22--An unnamed Japanese firm has declared its readiness to construct hotel chains in Iran, Iranian IRNA News Agency reported on Feb. 22. The Japanese firm reportedly owns some 239 hotels across the world. Iran's tourism industry is booming, with more foreign travelers visiting the country than ever before. So much so that Iran's President Hassan Rouhani hopes to attract 10 million international tourists each year. Darvish Amiri, an official of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, said on Feb. 21 that some four million foreign tourists traveled to Iran in 2013, IRIB reported. Amiri added that the figure was very small
HandHeld Hospitality Appoints Marriott International COO to its Board and Talks App Collaboration
HandHeld Hospitality, LLC | February 21, 2014
February 24, 2014 -- Chevy Chase, MD -- HandHeld Hospitality™, LLC a leading forerunner in mobile technology for hotels, announced today the board appointment and investment partnership with Bob McCarthy, COO of Marriott International, Inc.,who has announced his retirement from Marriott, effective February 2014. HandHeld Hospitality is also collaborating with AT&T to introduce its SmartGuest™ app to the hospitality industry. "Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into improved guest satisfaction and revenue optimization through mobile technology," said Elmer Coppoolse, CEO of HandHeld Hospitality. "His expertise combined