Trending Stories
The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Centerâ„¢ | October 2, 2024
CATEGORY NAME
New York State Voters Say Yes to Las Vegas-Style Casinos
November 6, 2013
Nov. 06--NEW YORK -- New York voters have approved an amendment to the state's constitution allowing the state to build seven full-scale, Las Vegas-style casinos, including one in New York City. The amendment, which passed by a 57-43 margin in Tuesday's statewide election, is aimed at helping revive the state economy by bringing jobs to the economically distressed upstate regions. Governor Andrew M Cuomo, a Democrat, said Wednesday passage of the legislation was "a big win for local governments, school districts, and taxpayers across New York State." The "vote will further pave the way for the creation of new jobs, construction, and inc
Hankyu Hanshin Hotels Admits to Serving Sub-Par Food for Years; Japanese Hospitality Under Scrutiny
November 5, 2013
Nov. 05--TOKYO (The Straits Times/ANN) -- Thousands of Japanese diners could not tell the difference. Even inspectors for Michelin Guide, which awards its highly-coveted stars to only a select few restaurants, were apparently duped. There have been red faces across Japan since Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Hotels (HHH) admitted last month that eight directly-managed hotels in Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hyogo prefecture had been serving sub-par food for years. Hankyu, which also runs a profitable railway, department store and the all-women Takarazuka Revue, is a respected brand name in western Japan. Hanshin, which has similar operations, merg
LodgeWell Fully Financed on Proposed Enid, OK Hotel; Failure by City to Complete Tasks Delays Start
November 5, 2013
Nov. 05--ENID, Okla. -- LodgeWell, developer of a proposed downtown hotel and parking garage, is fully financed and ready to begin, Enid City Manager Eric Benson said Tuesday. The only thing holding LodgeWell up is uncompleted title work, a survey and actual demolition of the current structures at Maine and Independence -- all of which are a responsibility of the city to complete. It could delay closing the deal by another two months. "LodgeWell is far more disturbed about this than we are," Benson said, "and we're very disturbed." Demolition on the Kress building and Cherokee Strip Conference Center is estimated to begin around Nov. 22
Brazil Hotel Sector Builds Itself up for the World Cup; 173,000 New Hotel Rooms Expected by Q2 2014
November 4, 2013
Nov. 04--With millions of fans following around the teams that will play in next summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil, lodging will be a challenge. The soccer matches will be played in 12 cities, and to accommodate the travelers, Brazil is on a hotel-building spree. The government said it expects 173,000 new hotel rooms will be ready for the Cup, which will be held June 12 -- July 13. Host city Belo Horizonte is expecting a 48 percent increase in hotel rooms. The other two host cities that will see the largest percent increase in accommodations are Fortaleza, where the stock of hotel rooms is expected to increase by 38 percent, and Recife,
Malcolm Bryant Corp Nears Completion of The Waterfront Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel in Owensboro, KY
November 2, 2013
Nov. 02--The Waterfront Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel, which is nearing completion in downtown Owensboro, is working on getting a number of certifications approved in December that would clear the way for the hotel to open earlier than the Owensboro Convention Center, its next-door neighbor, a hotel official said Friday. Malcolm Bryant, president of the Malcolm Bryant Corp., the company that is building and will own and operate the $20 million hotel, said the hotel will still have an official grand opening with the convention center after both are open. The convention center is scheduled to be finished on Jan. 27 and be open for busine
Negotiations Ongoing for Possible Renovation & Re-branding of 165-room McKinley Grand in Canton, OH
November 2, 2013
Nov. 02--Canton's only full-service downtown hotel, the McKinley Grand, is poised to get a roughly $5 million renovation and an affiliation with a national brand. Owner Michael Gallegos of San Diego said Friday that negotiations are ongoing with a possible buyer of a majority stake in the 165-room hotel and the purchase would allow for the upgrade and affiliation with DoubleTree by Hilton. Currently, the hotel is independent, meaning it has no affiliation with a hotel chain. Gallegos stressed that any sale would allow his company to retain a minority interest and continue to operate the hotel at 320 Market Ave. S. "We've been proud owne
Former Fed Building in Pittsburgh, PA to Become 180-room Drury Inn & Suites with Q4 2014 Completion
November 2, 2013
Nov. 02--There is an answer to whether the former Federal Reserve Bank building Downtown will be turned into offices or a hotel. Crews will begin remodeling the Downtown building mid-month into a Drury Inn & Suites with 180 rooms and the work should be complete by next November, Joe Pereles, vice president of Drury Hotel Co. said on Friday. The subsidiary of Drury Southwest Inc. will operate the hotel when its sale by M&J Wilkow of Chicago closes in a couple of weeks, Pereles said. No price was disclosed. The estimated $30 million project will mark Drury's entrance into the Pittsburgh market, an area the company has eyed for som
Pinnacle Group Holdings Plans Summer 2014 Construction Start for 380-key Hotel in Tampa, Florida
November 1, 2013
Nov. 01--TAMPA -- A Tampa firm is moving forward with plans for a mixed-use hotel, residential and retail project on the Encore site just northeast of downtown, starting with a 380-unit hotel contingent on a deal in the works with a major company. Frank DeBose, president of Pinnacle Group Holdings, said he could break ground on the hotel by next summer and start on the residential building sometime later. The hotel likely would house two separate brands -- whose identities have not been disclosed -- each with a different price point and target audience, Pinnacle Group will pay the Tampa Housing Authority $7.8 million for the site. "For