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Hard Hit Hotels in Bangkok Preparing for Price War Once Political Turmoil Ends
January 20, 2014
Jan. 20--A hotel price war is expected in Bangkok once the political turmoil ends. Tourism-related businesses expect to see losses from the anti-government protests that began last November at the start of the high season. However, when the political unrest ends and the hotel sector starts to bounce back, hoteliers will probably use pricing to grab a larger slice of the cake. Chanin Donavanik, the chief executive of the Thai hotel chain Dusit International, said the industry, particularly in Bangkok, cannot avoid a price war after political problems are solved. "The government will only do promotions such as grand sales to lure back tou
Dubai Leads Middle East and Africa in Active Hotel Pipeline Data; Saudi Arabia On Top 15,300 Rooms
January 19, 2014
Jan. 19--In all, more than 14,000 rooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are in active pipeline data, which includes projects in the construction, final planning and planning stages. The hospitality industry in Dubai will stay ahead in the region with record developments are in the pipeline as strong rebound in tourism pushed the occupancy levels and average room rates on higher sides, according to a latest report and industry experts. The emirate reported the largest number of rooms under construction [10,970] in Middle East and Africa while in Abu Dhabi 3,036 rooms in key developments are in the pipeline, says STR Global Construction Pipeline r
Resorts World Las Vegas Details Emerge; Megaresort will Sport Asian Theme & Cost Up to $4 billion
January 19, 2014
Jan. 19--More details have been released about Resorts World Las Vegas, the center-Strip megaresort that will be built on the site of the unfinished Echelon Place. The investment package will include a total re-branding of the property with an Asian theme, including a replica of the Great Wall of China and a panda enclosure. While there's still no specific start date, the reinvention of the partially built property on the site of the former Stardust will take place in stages, with an initial groundbreaking planned for this year and Phase I completion scheduled for 2015, with the entire resort coming on line in 2016. The price tag, which
Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Hotel Moves Up in Ranks Under New Owners Hersha Hospitality Trust
January 19, 2014
Jan. 19--Two years after they paid $42 million for the Rittenhouse Hotel and its adjoining apartments and parking and began spending $10 million on upgrades, Philadelphia-based brothers Jay and Neil Shah are offering some of the most expensive hotel rooms in the city. For $1,100 to $1,700 -- enough to rent an apartment for a month in many city neighborhoods -- you can spend the night in one of the Rittenhouse's five new Park suites. For $3,000, you can stay in the Presidential or Chairman suites. (Other rooms list as low as $299 a night.) In recent years, Hersha has sold dozens of suburban hotels and acquired midmarket and pricier ones
Hampton Inn & Suites Destin Boasts a New Look; Chartwell Hospitality Completes $16M Renovation
January 18, 2014
Jan. 18--DESTIN -- What's old is new again at the Hampton Inn and Suites Destin. The hotel, which was built 20 years ago, recently reopened after an 18-month renovation that took the building down to its shell. The $16 million project turned the former two-story hotel where guests accessed their rooms from the outside into a three-story building with inside hallways. "It is really an amazing transformation to be able to offer a higher-quality, better-caliber product to the travelers that come to Destin," said Richard Butler, general manager of the Hampton Inn. The third story includes a new fitness center with free weights, cardio machi
Bateman Partners Rebuilding Hotel on Portland’s Great Diamond Island that was Destroyed by Fire
January 18, 2014
Jan. 18--Crews have begun rebuilding a planned hotel on Great Diamond Island that was destroyed by fire last fall, according to the developer. David Bateman, president of Bateman Partners, said at a news conference Friday that crews this week began stabilizing the remaining walls of Fort McKinley. He expects the $12.3 million Inn at Diamond Cove will be ready to open in May 2015. The structure was originally built as Army barracks at the turn of the 20th century to protect Portland Harbor during the Spanish-American War. Its transformation into a 44-unit seasonal hotel was two weeks away from completion when it was destroyed by fire ear
Dr. Kiran Patel’s Long Delayed $170M Plan for Hotel on Clearwater Beach, FL to Soon Break Ground
January 18, 2014
Jan. 18--CLEARWATER -- Ten years after making one of the most expensive property buys in Pinellas County history, Dr. Kiran Patel says he will break ground in March on a $170 million hotel on Clearwater Beach. Patel, a Tampa cardiologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, said he has no buyer's remorse for spending $40 million on the almost 3-acre site south of Pier 60. "Regrets don't help. I never look at anything that way. I do believe, though, that land in front of the water cannot be created by any individual," he said. Last year, Patel paid $1 million to the city for a one-year extension of his development rights on the property, wh
From the L.A. Times Travel Show: Experts Foresee Growth in Wellness Travel
January 17, 2014
Jan. 17--Travel industry veterans say the health and wellness traveler -- whether she's looking for a dentist in Mexico or he's aching to do yoga in Bali -- has become an increasingly important figure in the travel business. One result of that is a boom in options for that kind of traveler. At a Friday morning panel discussion on this subject at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show, panelists pointed out several signs of businesses rushing to woo these travelers. Linden Schaffer, director of the New York-based wellness tour operator Pravassa, noted that airports in San Francisco, Dallas, Burlington, Vt., and Chicago have all added yoga lou