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Second Phase Completed of Full Remodel of the 485-room Holiday Inn in Burbank, California

June 11, 2013

Final Renovations Slated for Spring 2014 Completion June 11--The Holiday Inn in downtown Burbank recently completed the second phase of a $15-million renovation project that included a more modern ballroom and restaurant as well as an expanded fitness center. The full remodel of the 485-room hotel, located at 150 E. Angeleno Ave., should be completed by next April, according to Erika Hofmann, the hotel's director of operations. General Manager Chris Haven said the improvements are meant to bring the hotel up to date and compete with new rivals, such as a six-story, 210-room Hilton Garden Inn that received city approval in April and wil

Oregon Bank Takes Ownership of The Best Western Rama Inn in Ephrata, Washington

June 10, 2013

June 10--Enterprise Best Western hotel transfers ownership during public auction last week ENTERPRISE -- The Best Western Rama Inn became the property of Lewis and Clark Bank following a public auction last week at the Wallowa County Courthouse. No one offered a bid for the hotel, so Paige Sulley, acting as an agent for the trustee, Laura J. Walker of the Portland law firm Cable Huston, opened the bidding at more than $1.1 million. With no bidders, the ownership of the bank was reverted to Lewis and Clark Bank of Oregon City, which held the mortgage for the hotel's former owners, North Bend 7 LLC. It was reported last fall that North Be

Atlantic City, New Jersey Overnight Visitor Stays Up 15% Year to Date for 2013

June 10, 2013

June 10, 2013--More people are staying overnight in Atlantic City as a result of conventions, meetings and public shows held in the resort, new data released by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority show. Room nights booked as a result of the business and convention meetings at both the Atlantic City Convention Center and hotels throughout the city are up 15 percent year to date over the previous year, according to statistics released Monday. May was an especially strong month for the city. The hotel sector hosted 11 shows compared to 14 last May. Still, those 11 shows generated 9,882 room nights, an 85 percent increase

InterMountain Management to Begin Construction of TownePlace Suites in Billings, Montana

June 9, 2013

June 09--At least two more hotels are in the works for Billings, with one of them almost ready to go and the other still in negotiations. A family-owned Louisiana company has purchased land directly across from the Billings Hilton Garden Inn, behind Home Depot, for its first Montana hotel, a TownePlace Suites by Marriott. InterMountain Management, LLC, of Monroe, La., will begin construction this fall on the TownePlace project, worth $10 million to $11 million including land and furnishings. And a Stillwater, Minn., developer wants to build a luxury lodge on land south of Zoo Drive owned by Pierce RV and Diamond B Companies. "I'm just i

The 532-room Hilton Columbus Downtown in Ohio On Track to Fulfill its Mission

June 7, 2013

June 07--The new Hilton Columbus Downtown, the convention hotel built with great hopes, appears to be on track to fulfill its missions. For one, it's expected to generate sufficient revenue to pay off the $160 million in county-backed bonds that funded its construction. "It's still early and it could take several more years to know for sure, but so far they're running ahead of projections. Hotel occupancy is strong," said John Christie, chairman of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, which operates the 532-room hotel across N. High Street from the convention center. Just as important, the hotel is accomplishing the goal

GHL Hotels Opens the 172-room Sheraton in Escazu, Costa Rica

June 7, 2013

June 07--GHL Hotels announced this week the opening of the first Sheraton Hotel in Costa Rica, scheduled for June 13 in Escazu, southwest of the capital. The new hotel is located next to the Mall MultiPlaza and is part of the international consortium Starwood Hotels. GHL President Jonathan Raineau said earlier this year that the project is valued at $40 million and has 172 rooms, 3 bars, 2 restaurants and a 1,500-square-meter casino that began operating two weeks ago. The hotel will directly employ 300 people and 900 people indirectly. Sheraton has nearly 500 hotels around the world, and GHL operates franchises for hotels in Costa Rica,

Service Excellence: Four Lessons ALL Businesses Can Learn from a Five-Star Resort

Bryan K. Williams, D.M. | November 2, 2012

by: Bryan K. Williams, D.M. November 2, 2012 Have you ever experienced service so pure that you could literally feel it? Service that is unpretentious, unrestrictive, unscripted, yet seamless and professional all at the same time. Even as a service consultant, it would have been difficult for me to imagine that such a caliber of service could exist so flawlessly and naturally. I am referring to a recent memorable experience during a trip to the Ayana Resort & Spa in Bali. I wish that I could pack up a few of the staff and take them around the world with me so they can show everyone what excellence, humility and professionalism look

World-Class Service: The Double-Platinum Rule 2.0

By Dr. Bryan K. Williams, DM | April 5, 2011

By Dr. Bryan K. Williams, DM April 5, 2011 When I wrote the Double Platinum Rule years ago, my intent was to communicate the importance of exceeding customer expectations. To exceed expectations, you must not only treat people the way they want to be treated (Platinum Rule), but treat people the way they don't even know they want to be treated (Double-Platinum Rule). I even shared some examples. Then, something recently hit me. Many people may think that the double-platinum Rule is only about anticipating needs. It is not. The double-platinum rule is also about providing information that the customer may not have known otherwise. In oth







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