Uncommon Hospitality to Open Boutique Hotel in Portland, Maine’s Historic West End District
Post Company | December 13, 2022
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All Things Independent
Homewood Suites by Hilton Honors Top Performing Hotels of 2013; Dallas/Allen, TX Hotel Gets Connie
March 4, 2014
March 04, 2014 - ORLANDO, Fla. & MCLEAN, Va. - Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide's international brand of upscale, all-suite, extended stay hotels announced its top performing properties in 2013, including Connie Award Winner Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas/Allen, TX. Over 100 awards were presented to hotels and team members from the brand's portfolio of more than 300 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico during an awards dinner held in Orlando, FL. Homewood Suites Dallas/Allen won for the second consecutive year; having received the Connie Award in 2012. The Connie Award, named after Hilton Worldwide's founder Conrad Hil...
Glen Cove Mansion Launches “Long Island Complete Meeting Package Rates for 2014”
Glen Cove Mansion | March 4, 2014
Special Savings for Corporate & Association Neighbors on Long Island Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, March 2014 ... The I.A.C.C.-certified Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, arguably the nation's first dedicated conference center hotel, has announced special Complete Meeting Package (CMP) rates during 2014 for companies and associations based on Long Island. During select periods in 2014, Long Island corporate & association groups can receive up to 30 % savings for meetings of 10 people or more. All the traditional value within Glen Cove Mansion's Complete Meeting Package is provided with the special Long Island p...
Adjara Group and IHG to Open the 200-room InterContinental Tbilisi in Georgia in 2016
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | March 4, 2014
4 March, 2014 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's largest hotel companies today announces the signing of InterContinental® Tbilisi. The 200-room hotel will operate under a management agreement with existing owner partner Adjara Group and is set to open in 2016. The signing of this luxury hotel marks the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand's debut in Georgia. A former printing works warehouse centrally located in the heart of the capital will be transformed into InterContinental Tbilisi. This iconic building is at home amongst Tbilisi's eclectic mix of Georgian, European and Middle Eastern architecture. T...
Hersha Hospitality Trust Acquires the Hotel Oceana in Santa Barbara, California for $41.7 Million
Hersha Hospitality | March 4, 2014
March 04, 2014 - PHILADELPHIA - Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) ("Hersha" or the "Company"), owner of upscale hotels in urban gateway markets announced that the Company has closed on the purchase of the Hotel Oceana in Santa Barbara, California for $41.7 million. "We are pleased to have successfully closed on the acquisition of the Hotel Oceana. This high quality independent oceanfront hotel is an attractive addition to our West Coast portfolio and is situated in one of the best RevPAR markets in the country," stated Mr. Jay H. Shah, Hersha's Chief Executive Officer. "In 2012 and 2013, we sold approximately $400 million of assets, w...
Inland American Real Estate Trust Acquires the 645-room Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel for $183 Million
Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc. | March 4, 2014
March 04, 2014 - OAK BROOK, Ill. - Inland American Lodging Group, Inc. ("Inland American"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Inc., today announced the purchase of the 645-room Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a purchase price of approximately $183 million. "We are thrilled to add the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel to our portfolio," said Marcel Verbaas, president and CEO of Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc. "Waikiki comprises the most vibrant lodging market not only on Oahu, but throughout all of the Hawaiian Islands, and Oahu continues to be one of the top performing hotel markets in the ...
Newmarket Offers German Language for REX
Newmarket International, Inc. | March 4, 2014
March 4, 2014 - Portsmouth, NH - Newmarket® International, Inc. ("Newmarket"), the proven business solutions provider for empowering hospitality organizations to lower costs and increase revenue while improving customer satisfaction and guest loyalty, today announced the availability of the German language for REX on supervisor and room attendant mobile apps. REX, the first solution of its kind, streamlines the entire room assignment and cleaning process to get guests into their rooms faster. It utilizes Apple's™ iPod Touch™/iPhone™ and Google Android handhelds to direct housekeeping staff to clean the right room at the right tim...
The 160-room New-Build Sheraton Istanbul Atasehir will Open in Turkey in 2015
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts | March 4, 2014
March 04, 2014 - ISTANBUL - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. [NYSE: HOT] has signed an agreement with Cevahir Yapi Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret A.S. to open a new Sheraton hotel in Istanbul. Set to open next year, Sheraton Istanbul Atasehir will reinforce the global growth of the Sheraton brand as it remains on track to open its 500th hotel by 2015. "We look forward to a long-term collaboration with Cevahir Yapi Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret as we enter into our first hotel development together, further expanding our iconic Sheraton brand in Turkey," said Michael Wale , President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Mi...
McLaren Technologies Teams with Chic Hotel Hotel Canberra and Proves it’s Politically ‘Connect’
McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. | March 4, 2014
Australia's First Live ICE Site Sydney, Monday 4 March 2014 - As the curtains part on Australia's newest luxe design project, Hotel Hotel in Canberra, a new technology era has dawned for the accommodation industry with the address revealing itself as the nation's first live Intelity ICE site. As Asia Pacific's leading hotel technology group, McLaren Technologies was commissioned last year to install a new guest service experience system and, "dissolve boundaries between nature, technology and the built environment" at the hotel. Matthew White, Managing Director for McLaren Technologies, said he is honoured that his company had the oppor...
Should Your Hotel be Managed by an Operator of Independent Hotels?
JMBM | March 4, 2014
For the most recent update on this topic, click here By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 4 March 2014 Hotel Lawyer with a guest column from an operator of independent hotels A growing number of hotel owners are facing the question of whether and how to brand their hotels, and who should operate them. The New York Times recently estimated that more than 2,500 hotels were reflagged in a single year, and that does not count the growing wave of new hotels coming on line through the development pipeline. The hotel lawyers of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® think the branding and ...
Global Hotel Prices Rise for the Fourth Year Running
Hotels.com | March 4, 2014
LONDON, March 4, 2014 - Hotel prices increased by three per cent in 2013, with one region ahead of its pre-economic crisis rates for the first time, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index The average price of a hotel room around the world rose three per cent during 2013, according to the latest The Hotels.com™ Hotel Price Index™(HPI™). This means there have now been four years of steady rises in hotel prices since the substantial falls during the financial collapse of 2008/9. Set at 100 in 2004, the HPI tracks real prices that hotel guests actually paid for their accommodation around the world. The HPI for 2013 stand...
Strand Development Company, LLC Names Robin Grazioso As Regional Director of Sales
Strand Development | March 4, 2014
(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) March 4, 2014 - Strand Development Company, LLC recently announced that Robin Grazioso has been hired as a Regional Director of Sales. Grazioso will oversee the sales efforts for several Strand properties in the southeast region. "I am very thankful to Strand Development Company for giving me this opportunity," said Grazioso. "This is a very exciting time to be a part of Strand and I look forward to being a part of their growth in 2014 and beyond." Previously, Grazioso worked in sales for IHG branded hotels before moving to Global Sales for the La Quinta Corporation, earning the "Sales Person of the Year award." Her...
Spending by International Visitors to U.S. in 2103 a Record-Breaking $180.7 Billion; Up 9% Over 2012
March 4, 2014
March 04--Spending by international visitors to the United States continues to soar, with data for 2013 showing foreign travelers spent a record-breaking $180.7 billion on food, lodging, souvenirs and hotels. The spending by foreign visitors represented a 9% jump over 2012 and is the latest example of continuous growth since the Great Recession, according to the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. The rise in spending is good news for Los Angeles County, where tourism is one of the largest industries. The county set a new record in 2013 with 42.2 million visitors, a 2.5% increase over the previous year. Commerce Secretary Penn...
New Yorker Hotel Joins Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® Brand; Rolls Out Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
The New Yorker Hotel | March 3, 2014
NEW YORK, NY (March 4, 2014) - The iconic New Yorker Hotel today announced its rebrand with worldwide Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® as it becomes the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel. Formerly a Ramada franchise; the new, New Yorker Hotel will operate under the prestigious flag of the renowned hotel brand. As the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel embraces the new partnership, it also embarks on a fresh look with the rollout of a five-year, multi-million dollar renovation that will modernize the 1,083-room property including the hotel's exterior, 114 guestrooms (additional rooms slated for 2015 and 2016), revamped ballroom facilities and meeting space as ...
Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage Three Hotels in Central Wisconsin
Aimbridge Hospitality | March 3, 2014
DALLAS, TEXAS (March 4, 2014) - Aimbridge Hospitality announces it has been awarded the management contract for three hotels in central Wisconsin - the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, both located in Stevens Point; and the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Central Wisconsin is a recreational playground offering Midwestern charm and hospitality. The area is known for its abundant outdoor life: trout fishing, nature and hiking trails, and farmers' markets. Many great local breweries and regional restaurants, and it is home of the University of Wisconsin ...
Pacific Hospitality Group and R.D. Olson Development to Build 250-key Hotel in Huntington Beach, CA
R.D. Olson Development | March 3, 2014
Irvine, Calif. (March 4, 2014) - Pacific Hospitality Group and R.D. Olson Development recently unveiled their latest hotel project, the 250-room, Pacific Ocean-facing hotel that will be part of the Pacific City development in Huntington Beach, California. The eight-story hotel will be an upscale property that is ideally designed to take advantage of all that defines the outdoor Southern California beach-inspired lifestyle. The hotel will be affiliated with Pacific Hospitality Group's Meritage Collection, and is scheduled to commence construction in June 2014 with R.D. Olson Construction as general contractor. "Every room in the hotel wi...
Is Your Hotel’s Revenue Management Strategy “Mobile-Compatible”? By Jean Francois Mourier
Jean Francois Mourier | March 3, 2014
March 4, 2014 If you have read any hotel trade publications, listened to the news or watched the average consumer book a vacation in the past year, you may already know about mobile commerce (or mCommerce). Just like the name implies, mCommerce is any purchase made via mobile device, including smartphones or tablets. While m-commerce used to be used primarily by tech-savvy Millenials, it has now gone mainstream across all industries: "mCommerce constitutes $41.68 billion of the total $262.3 billion of [retail] ecommerce sales for 2013 (an increase of 68.2% from 2012) and accounts for 16% of total ecommerce sales." Just like every other ...
Bullied by a Guest By Gay Lynn Grigas
Gay Lynn Grigas, MA Psy. | March 3, 2014
Christina, working in guest relations at a major resort hotel in the Caribbean, was toward the end of a long day checking in happy guests flying in daily to escape winter and enjoy some warm sunshine, white sand, and turquoise beaches. The steady stream of check-ins was hectic but Christina never lost her sparkle and treated every guest with enthusiasm and a great deal of care. When her next guest was a bit hostile and snarled at her, she chalked it up to a tough travel day for this weary business man and proceeded with her caring attitude and warm greeting. Her genuine enthusiasm was met with the statement, "Cut the crap, and just get ...
FindMyCarrots (FmC), the Semantic Search Engine for Online Travel, Partners with TrustYou
TrustYou | March 3, 2014
The Global Leader in Online Reputation Management to Provide Better Hotel Search and Semantics Stamford, USA & Munich, Germany - March 4, 2014 - FindMyCarrots (FmC) has partnered with TrustYou to provide semantic analysis for hotel queries in India. With TrustYou's robust database and advanced semantic analysis of millions of reviews, including categories like hotel type, bed size, bathroom cleanliness, food, bar, location, amenities, and more, users can now search and filter hotels based on specific criterion. For example, a user could search for "family friendly hotels in Mumbai with delicious seafood and clean bathrooms." "Using ...
Renovations Complete for 139-key Courtyard by Marriot Charlottesville – Univ. of VA Medical Center
Crestline Hotels & Resorts LLC | March 3, 2014
Charlottesville, VA - March 3, 2014 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts announces the completion of a major guestroom update and renovation of the Courtyard by Marriott Charlottesville- University of Virginia Medical Center. To complement the recent brand refresh of the hotel's lobby, the hotels 139 guestrooms, suites and hallways have been updated with all new soft goods and furniture. Guestrooms now feature new plush bedding, carpeting, wall coverings and draperies that include Courtyard's signature features such as functional work space, spacious bathrooms, a separate seating area and complimentary in-room high-speed Internet. In additi...
First Tower of 480-key Hilton Suites Makkah Hotel Opens in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | March 3, 2014
March 03, 2014 - DUBAI, U.A.E. and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide today announced the opening of Hilton Suites Makkah First Tower at the heartland of Saudi Arabia. The 480-room contemporary luxury hotel split into two towers, boasts a fabulous location overlooking the Kaaba and Holy Haram. Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, said, "Overlooking the Grand Holy Masjid in the centre of Makkah, the Jabal Omar development - one of the largest hotel developments in the world - meets the growing demand for a wider variety of accommodations from the rising number of travellers visiting Saudi Arabia every year. We look forwar...
Wyndham Worldwide’s Geoff Ballotti to Succeed Departing Hotel Division President & CEO Eric Danziger
Wyndham Worldwide | March 3, 2014
Parsippany, NJ (March 3, 2014) – Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) announced that Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of the global hospitality company's timeshare exchange and vacation rental division will succeed departing hotel division President and CEO Eric Danziger, who is leaving the company to pursue personal interests effective March 28, 2014. "During the past five years, and through some very challenging global economic conditions, Eric provided leadership that strengthened Wyndham Hotel Group's service to its franchisees, expanded its hotel management offerings, and significantly grew its global footprint," said Stephen P. Holmes...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation Deploys Social Tables to its North American Portfolio
Social Tables | March 3, 2014
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) has deployed Social Tables award-winning diagramming and attendee management cloud-based platform to its North American portfolio of hotels in a strategic move to provide the highest service levels to its meeting and event planners, and increase its operational efficiency at the property level. "Proud is an understatement," said Dan Berger, Chairman and CEO of Social Tables. "Time and time again, Hyatt has been an innovation leader in our industry and they truly have the meeting planner's best interest at heart. We are just thrilled to be working with them." "Working with Social Tables has been such a ...
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Undergoing Brand-Wide Renovations Across North America
Millennium Hotels and Resorts North America | March 3, 2014
NEW YORK, March 3, 2014 -- Following a $22 million refurbishment to Millennium Hotel Minneapolis in 2013 and $30 million injected into the debut of a luxury West Tower at ONE UN New York the previous year, Millennium Hotels and Resorts continues to make investments across the brand to renovate its properties in North America. Millennium hotels in Anchorage, Buffalo, Boulder and Scottsdale will each be receiving phased upgrades ranging from total rooms renovations to restaurant and public areas as well as exteriors throughout 2014. Millennium Resort and Villas Scottsdale's 125 rooms along with public spaces such as the lobby and building...
RLJ Lodging Trust Continues Capital Recycling Program – Sells Additional Hotel for $15.7 Million
RLJ Lodging Trust | March 3, 2014
March 03, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md. -- RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") (NYSE:RLJ) today announced that the Company has sold an additional hotel. The Company sold the 150-room Hilton Garden Inn St. George (the "Hotel") in St. George, Utah for approximately $15.7 million or $104,300 per key. The sale price represents approximately an 8.7% capitalization rate on the Hotel's 2013 net operating income, adjusted for approximately $2.3 million of pending capital expenditures. "We are pleased by the momentum in our capital recycling program," commented Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer. "The sale of this asset is furt...
