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Controversial Sonoma Hotel Limitation Measure Appears Headed for Defeat
November 20, 2013
Nov. 20--A controversial ballot measure that would limit hotel growth in Sonoma appeared headed for defeat Tuesday night, deflating proponents who argued that without such restrictions the city of 10,000 is in danger of being overrun by development and tourists. What election officials called semifinal official results showed Measure B losing by just 92 votes, with 51.3 percent of ballots cast rejecting the measure. Of the 3,623 ballots cast, 1,853 went against Measure B, according to Sonoma County's Registrar of Voters. Supporting the Hotel Limitation Measure were 1,761 Sonoma voters, or 48.7 percent. An unknown number of provisional b
Richard Solomons, CEO of IHG, Warns Impact of Downturn Could Slow Hotel Growth
November 20, 2013
Nov. 20--The boss of the world's biggest hotels group has warned growth could slow due to the impact the downturn is having on both business and leisure travellers. Richard Solomons, chief executive of InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza chains, said: 'The economic travails are not behind us and short-term growth could be more muted'. He was giving an update on strategy yesterday a few weeks after reporting a sharper than expected fall in growth in the United States. The firm, which has more than 679,000 rooms in over 4,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries, was affected by the US government shutdown
AAA Predicts a 1.5% National Decline in Thanksgiving Travel Despite Lowest Gas Prices in Years
November 20, 2013
Nov. 20--Fewer Americans are expected to travel long distances for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday than last year, despite the lowest gas prices in years, AAA predicted Wednesday. The driver advocacy organization, which tracks travel across the country, expects about 43.4 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend, a 1.5 percent decline from last year. That's despite gas prices falling to below $3 a gallon in many parts of the country. "Although the economy continues to improve, the sluggish pace of the recovery is dampening the confidence of many consumers," said Christine Delise, a AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesw
Culinary & Bartenders Unions Reach Agreement with MGM Resorts for New Five-Year Contract
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--Leaders of the Culinary Union and Bartenders Union Local 165 have agreed on terms for a new five-year contract with MGM Resorts International. Union members will vote on the agreement Wednesday. If they accept the contract, MGM will be the first company to reach an agreement since signing an extension on June 1. Caesars Entertainment is still in the middle of talks. Covering more than 21,000 union positions at MGM's 12 Strip properties, the new contracts include beverage workers, guest room attendants, bellmen and porters. The last contract meeting between casino bosses and union officials happened on Nov. 5 and lasted more tha
Dubai’s Atlantis Hotel to be Sold to Pay Down Debt; Raising Cash Ahead of the Soon Due $5.5 billion
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--JEDDAH -- Atlantis Hotel, the flagship resort on the emirate's Palm Island, and one utility provider are set to be sold by Dubai World's investment arm, Istithmar, to raise cash ahead of a $5.5 billion repayment due to the conglomerate's lenders in September 2015, the Financial Times has reported. The deals mark another statement of intent to pay down debts, the FT report said, adding that the IMF estimates that Dubai has $85 billion of debt that will mature by 2017. Dubai's Water & Electricity Authority is expected to sign a deal to buy Palm Utilities in the coming days, which includes the district cooling company for Palm
Benefits and Challenges of Taking Over the Sahara; Will the SLS Change the Game for the North Strip?
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--Robert Oseland remembers the excitement he felt opening the Mirage as a blackjack dealer. He was part of something big and cutting edge, part of the future envisioned by Steve Wynn. Oseland, a Chicago native who came to Las Vegas to study at UNLV, has chased that feeling throughout his career. In the years since, he has worked as a slot executive at the Bellagio, chief operating officer at the Wynn and Encore, and now president of SLS Las Vegas. The brainchild of SBE Entertainment CEO Sam Nazarian, the $415 million, 1,600-room resort budding on the former grounds of the Sahara has been considered a key factor in the recovery of
Movers & Shakers Take Note: Miami’s 19 Story Dancing Lady to Retire, Hotel to Audition New Dancers
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--The 19-story dancing lady still has her moves, but after adorning the side of the InterContinental Miami for the last year -- and earning plenty of second glances -- she's ready to retire. Thursday, the downtown hotel will hold auditions to find its next "mover and shaker." But unlike the current dancer, whose style is more stripper than salsa, the new generation will likely shake a little less suggestively. "We won't rule anything out," said Robert Hill, the hotel's general manager. "But yes, I would expect that these dancers would dance more to their genre." The 31-year-old hotel installed the digital canvas last year as part
Erawan Group Ventures into Budget Hotel Segment; Will Open 11 New Budget Hotels by Q4 2014
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--Erawan Group, a SET-listed hotel developer, plans to open 11 new budget hotels and a mid-scale option this year as part of its move into the budget hotel segment. The company, which operates 16 hotels under the Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott, Renaissance, and Ibis brands, will open with the expansion of Holiday Inn Pattaya next year. Erawan allotted 2.5 billion baht in investment from 2013 to 2014 to finance hotel construction and expansion. The 10 two-star hotels will operate under the Hop Inn brand, Erawan's own brand, with half opened in the second quarter next year and the others in the final quarter of 2014, said Kanyarat Krisna