Uncommon Hospitality to Open Boutique Hotel in Portland, Maine’s Historic West End District
Post Company | December 13, 2022
5 Telltale Signs It’s Time to Change Your S&C System and Why It’s Quicker and Easier Than You Might Think
Ryan Hamilton | July 6, 2022
All Things Independent
Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire Opens Through Conversion as Sofitel’s New Flagship in West Africa
Sofitel, World Class Hotels & French Elegance | February 28, 2014
Paris, February 28, 2014 - Sofitel Luxury Hotels is pleased to announce the launch of its new flagship in West Africa, the iconic Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire. Located in the chic Cocody district and blending French luxury with African culture, Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire is a legendary oasis in perpetual motion. Overlooking the Ebrie lagoon and the Plateau, this 5-star hotel rises majestically over an idyllic setting of water and flora. Emblematic across the entire African continent, the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire also reinforces the Accor Group's presence in the region, and is geared towards a business clientele. This prestigiou...
The 107-suite TownePlace Suites San Jose/Santa Clara Opens in California
TownePlace Suites by Marriott | February 28, 2014
Owned by Santa Clara Suites Partners and Managed by TMH Hotels Santa Clara, California - February 28, 2014 - The 107-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Santa Clara, California is now open for business. Located at 2877 Lakeside Drive, the TownePlace Suites San Jose/Santa Clara will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Santa Clara Suites Partners LP and managed by TMH Hotels Inc. of Wichita, Kansas. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley and six miles from San Jose International Airport, the hotel offers guests convenient access to California's Great American Theme Park and Levi's Stadium. Rates vary depending on length of stay. ...
Ryman Hospitality Properties Reports Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2013 Results
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. | February 28, 2014
– Gross Advanced Group Bookings for all Future Periods Increased 20.5 Percent Over Fourth Quarter 2012 – – Full Year 2013 Net Income at $118.4 million – – Full Year 2013 Adjusted Funds From Operations excluding REIT conversion costs at $190.2 million – – Gaylord Texan initiates and accelerates room renovation project in December 2013 – – Declares First Quarter 2014 dividend of $0.55 per share an increase of 10% over prior quarter dividend – – Issues 2014 Guidance – NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Feb. 28, 2014-- Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE:RHP), a lodging real estate investment trust ("REIT") specializing in group...
Hotel Equities to Manage the 107-room Home2 Suites by Hilton to be Built in St. Louis, Missouri
Hotel Equities (HE) | February 28, 2014
Atlanta, GA - March 4, 2014 - Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) has been selected to manage the 107-room Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. The Above All Development group of St. Louis, Missouri will develop the property in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Principals of the Above All Development group include Stan McCurdy, Bryan Aston, Jeff McCurdy and Tom Behle. The property is set to break ground in May 2014 and open in 2015. Hotel Equities will partner in a supportive role during the construction phase and take over hotel operations during the pre-opening stage. This marks Hotel Equities' s...
The Lucerne Hotel in New York City Signs with Pegasus Connect+
Pegasus Solutions | February 28, 2014
DALLAS (February 28, 2014) – The Lucerne Hotel in New York City has signed to add Pegasus Connect+ services. A landmark Manhattan destination, the luxury boutique hotel will now be available in the global distribution systems (GDSs) under Pegasus Solutions' "UI" chain code. "Visitors from all over the world expect the storybook New York experience when they come to the city, and The Lucerne Hotel fits perfectly with that expectation," said Douglas Brookman, director of operations for Empire Hospitality Group, which operates The Lucerne Hotel. "With distribution and global sales support through Pegasus, we're able to present that idyll...
Do You Have a Failure to Communicate?
Steve DiGioia | February 27, 2014
by Steve DiGioia "I didn't know about that", "why isn't there enough staff working today to take care of this rush?", "she never said anything about it" or "why didn't they tell me to do it that way?" How many times have you heard comments like these from your staff? Do they sound familiar? And if so, why? What are you doing wrong in your business that prevents the sharing of necessary information to your team? Here are two reasons why: Changing of Policy or Procedure Did you recently change a company or departmental policy or procedure? How was this change put into action? Was it sent out in a memo? Was it told to just the departmen...
FIU Shares White Paper for Hospitality Leaders on Revenue Management & Growth Opportunities
February 27, 2014
This month, Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality& Tourism Management (CSHTM) and its Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research (IHTER) released a white paper titled Revenue management 2020: talent, tools & technology. The paper provides the hospitality industry with ideas on what can be done to shift the perception on the integration of revenue management and to best capitalize on growth opportunities. The best practices analysis was authored by Gregory T. Bohan, assistant professor at CSHTM; Simone Champagnie, executive director at IHTER; and Christine Toguchi, managing director at...
Does My Hotel Website Even Need to Run PPC? In Short, Yes.
February 27, 2014
Our cannibalization between SEO & PPC explains why. When running a paid campaign (as in pay-per-click advertising, or PPC), Vizergy often bids on terms that we rank well for naturally (from our search engine optimization, or SEO, efforts), and we may lose some natural traffic to paid traffic. This phenomenon is referred to as "cannibalization." Because of this, some of our clients feel strongly that bidding on brand terms and terms they already rank naturally for is unnecessary. But we'd like to dispel this notion. What We Wanted to Know Assumption: We don't need to bid on brand terms (my hotel name) because someone looking for my h...
Completing $12M Conversion & Redesign, 230-suite Embassy Suites Anaheim-Orange Opens in California
Embassy Suites Hotels | February 27, 2014
ORANGE, Calif. and MCLEAN, Va. - February 27, 2014 - Embassy Suites Hotels, the Hilton Worldwide brand of upscale all-suite hotels, opened Embassy Suites Anaheim-Orange today after a $12 million renovation including a complete makeover of suites, meeting space and indoor and outdoor pool facilities. The hotel, formerly a Hilton Suites, is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, and it will serve as a hub for both business and leisure travelers due to its proximity to major airports, convention centers, stadiums and theme parks. "We are excited to welcome this Anaheim hotel as we grow our portfolio in Southern California," said John Ro...
Hilton Worldwide Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013 Results
Hilton Worldwide | February 27, 2014
February 27, 2014 - MCLEAN, Va.--Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton," "Hilton Worldwide" or the "Company") (NYSE: HLT) today reported its fourth quarter and full year 2013 results, including the following highlights: Earnings per share ("EPS"), adjusted for special items, for the fourth quarter increased 10 percent from the prior year to $0.11 and full year adjusted EPS increased 18 percent from 2012 to $0.53; without adjustments, EPS was $0.03 for the fourth quarter and $0.45 for the full year. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter increased 16 percent from the prior year to $603 million and increased 13 percent to $2,210 mill...
Interstate Opens Seven Hotels and Resorts; 4 in Sochi, Russia, 2 in NYC and 1 in Florida
Interstate Hotels & Resorts | February 27, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 27, 2014 -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts – the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company – announces the opening of seven new leading hotels around the world expanding the Company's portfolio by nearly 2,000 rooms, including the four top hotels in the dynamic Olympic city of Sochi, Russia; the award-winning combined Residence Inn and Courtyard New York Manhattan/Central Park, renowned as the tallest hotel in North America; and the new contemporary designed Streamsong® Resort, a critically-acclaimed Florida golf resort and conference center featuring two top-ranked signature golf courses and world cl...
RLJ Lodging Trust Q4 & Full Year 2013 Results Report Net Income $27.4M & Pro Forma RevPar Up 7.2%
RLJ Lodging Trust | February 27, 2014
- Full year Pro forma RevPAR increased 7.2% - Acquired more than $200 million of assets in high-growth markets in 2013 February 26, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md.--RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") (NYSE: RLJ) today reported results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2013. Full Year Highlights Pro forma RevPAR increased 7.2%, Pro forma ADR increased 4.4% and Pro forma Occupancy increased 2.6% Pro forma Hotel EBITDA Margin increased 47 basis points to 34.5%, adjusted for the non-comparable Courtyard Waikiki Beach ground rent Pro forma Consolidated Hotel EBITDA increased 8.2% to $339.3 million Adjusted FFO increased 32.9% to $246.6 mi...
Denihan Names Steve Sasso General Manager of The Benjamin in NYC Following its $10M Renovation
The Benjamin | February 27, 2014
New York, NY - February 27, 2014 - Denihan Hospitality Group has named Steve Sasso general manager of The Benjamin, the highly-regarded, luxury hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. In his new role Sasso is responsible for overseeing all of the operations, finance, sales and marketing efforts for the 209-room property that recently unveiled a $10 million renovation. The hotel is widely known for its innovative sleep offerings, having recently expanded the program and appointed author and sleep expert Rebecca Robbins as its Official Sleep Consultant. The popular hotel is also home to The National Bar & Dining Rooms, the chic, awar...
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Honors Top Award Winners for 2013
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | February 27, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS (February 27, 2014) - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, honored its top-performing hotels, general managers and employees at the company's 2014 Radisson & Radisson Blu Americas Business Conference held recently at the Radisson Blu Mall of America, Bloomington. Following are highlights of the top award winners for Radisson® and Radisson Blu®. Top-Performing Hotels 2013 Radisson Blu Hotel of the Year Radisson Blu Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., was named Radisson Blu's 2013 Hotel of the Year. This 500-room hotel opened in March 2013 and has redefined the Minneapol...
Investor Interest in Europe’s Hotels Improves as Economic Recovery Boosts Demand, Says HVS London
HVS | February 27, 2014
27 February 2014 - Hotel values for the majority of the key European cities have grown during 2013, according to the 2014 European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) published this week by global hotel consultancy HVS London. Hotel values are expected to continue to increase as the lending environment becomes more favourable and the economic recovery improves demand. The European Hotel Valuation Index monitors annual percentage changes in the values of typically four- and five-star hotels in 33 European cities. An index is calculated ranking each market relative to a European average, as well as an average value per room for each market. Most ...
Owned and Managed by Fibra Inn, 198-key Holiday Inn Monterrey Valle Hotel Opens in Monterrey, Mexico
February 27, 2014
Monterrey, N.L. (Feb 27, 2014) - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] today announced the opening of the Holiday Inn® Monterrey Valle hotel, the 10th IHG hotel in Monterrey, including two Crowne Plaza® hotels, three Holiday Inn® hotels, three Holiday Inn Express® hotels and one Staybridge Suites® hotel. "This is a beautiful property, conveniently located for both business and leisure travelers who are looking for a an enhanced guest experience," said Gerardo Murray, vice president of distribution and commercial marketing, Mexico, Latin America & Caribbean, IHG. "Monterrey is a prominent city in Mexic...
Newmarket Service Optimization Solutions Deliver A Better Guest Experience
Newmarket International, Inc. | February 27, 2014
Join Complimentary Webinar To Be Presented March 26, 2014 Portsmouth, New Hampshire - February 27, 2014 - Is providing a clean room and complimentary newspaper enough today? For some, it may be a good start, but guests today are discerning, sophisticated, and have more choices than ever for their lodging needs. In addition to the fundamentals that every guest expects as a minimum, hospitality organizations need to be smarter about their execution by delivering an exceptional experience. According to the J.D. Power 2013 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, the number of interactions guests have with hotel staff may have an...
Completing Conversion of an Historic San Francisco Property, the 153-key Hotel G to Open Q2 2014
Hotel G SAN FRANCISCO | February 27, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (February 27, 2014) - This spring, downtown San Francisco will debut a bit of something old and something very new with the opening of Hotel G. Located on the corner of Geary and Mason Street near the city's Union Square neighborhood, the historic hotel will open after an extensive redesign to all 13 floors and 153 guest rooms. "San Francisco is an intellectual city with history and modern-day sophistication and our end goal is for Hotel G to channel each of those qualities," said Steve Rizzo, General Manager. "The guest experience will emphasize a comfortable lifestyle with a design that is simple yet functional a...
The New-Build 167-key Aloft Louisville Downtown to Open in Kentucky in April 2015
Aloft Hotels | February 27, 2014
Owned by REI Real Estate Services and Poe Companies and Managed by White Lodging February 27, 2014 - STAMFORD, Conn. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) today announced that its leading-edge Aloft brand will soon arrive in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by REI Real Estate Services, LLC and Poe Companies, LLC and managed by White Lodging Services Corporation, Aloft Louisville Downtown is scheduled to open in April 2015 in the city's central business district. The new-build Aloft hotel will meet the needs of the next generation of travelers, featuring 167 spacious, loft-like rooms, forward-thinking technology and a v...
Hotel Franchise Lawyer: 8 Things to Negotiate in Your Next Franchise Agreement
JMBM | February 27, 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 27 February 2014 The ascendancy of hotel franchise agreements. Branded hotel franchise agreements continue their rise to dominance in the hotel landscape. Hotel management agreements are not dead, but the advantages of having a hotel operator independent of the brand have been widely recognized and continue to propel the franchise model. (The considerations of branding and using branded (versus independent) management are discussed at length in "When should you choose a brand for your hote...
Owned & Managed by Kana H.G., 99-key Homewood Suites Mobile I-65/Airport Blvd. Opens in Mobile, AL
February 27, 2014
MOBILE, Ala. and MCLEAN, Va. - February 27, 2014 - Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide's international brand of upscale, all-suite, extended-stay hotels, announced today the opening of its newest property in Mobile, Alabama. Creating 30 permanent jobs, the four-story, 99-suite Homewood Suites Mobile I-65/ Airport Blvd. is owned and managed by Kana Hotel Group. "The hotel's convenient location in the heart of Mobile makes it ideal for both business and leisure guests," said Laura Sigler, general manager, Homewood Suites Mobile I-65/ Airport Blvd. "Homewood Suites offers guests spacious, all-suite accommodations and a variety of a...
The 97-suite DoubleTree by Hilton Savannah Airport Opens in Georgia
DoubleTree By Hilton | February 27, 2014
February 27, 2014 - SAVANNAH, Ga. and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Savannah Airport, an all-suite property located at the Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport and convenient to Historic Savannah and the area's many beautiful golf courses. The four-story hotel, formerly the Cambria Suites Savannah Airport, debuts 97 fully-updated one- and two-bedroom suites all featuring expansive living and sleeping areas with all-new amenities. DoubleTree by Hilton Savannah Airport is owned and operated by Pooler Financing LLC and managed by Image Hotels. Following t...
InnLink Strengthens Executive Team, Names Corso CEO
InnLink CRS | February 27, 2014
HENDERSONVILLE, TN February 27, 2014 - InnLink Central Reservation Services, a leading representation company for independent lodging facilities, announced today the appointment of industry veteran Richard Corso to Chief Executive Officer. Hired by InnLink in 2011 as CFO, Corso previously held the position of CEO for the luxury Caribbean resort chain Royal Resorts. "As part of our strategy and commitment to deliver world class service and value to our clients, Corso was the natural choice," said Kristin Intress, President & Board Chairman for InnLink. "This move enables us to maintain exceptional client satisfaction while increasing...
Cenium Begins Deployment at MGM Chengdu
Cenium | February 27, 2014
Las Vegas, NV February 27, 2014: CENIUM is pleased to announce today that it has begun deployment on MGM's Chengdu China property. The Chengdu property marks the third installation of Cenium's Enterprise Solution being deployed into MGM's worldwide luxury properties. The Chengdu property is a boutique property located in the famous cultural landmark and scenic spot known as Kuanzhai Alley. Cenium will deploy its ERP solution at the property which is scheduled for go- live in March. Cenium deployed its first property with MGM in Sanya, China in 2011. The Sanya location launched MGM's new brand of international properties. The property, l...
