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All Things Independent
New Castle Names New Sales Execs in Upstate NY; Promotes Rachel Alcaro & Appoints Bernadette Donohue
New Castle Hotels & Resorts | February 11, 2014
SHELTON, Conn. - February 11, 2014 - Officials of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the promotion of Rachel Alcaro, CMP, to senior sales manager at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square and the appointment of Bernadette Donohue, CMP, to director sales at the Craftsman Inn and Conference Center in nearby Fayetteville, NY. Alcaro previously was the director of sales at the 90-room Craftsman Inn and Conference Center, a Stickley-furnished, boutique-style suburban inn. While there, her direct sales efforts generated nearly 50 percent of the ho...
Marti Istanbul Hotel Welcomes Gokhan Aykan and Feyza Yucefer as New Executive Team
Marti Istanbul Hotel | February 11, 2014
February 11, 2014 (Istanbul, Turkey) - Marti Istanbul Hotel has announced the appointment of a new executive team. The glamorous, Five Star Diamond address located in Taksim in the heart of the city has named Gokhan Aykan as General Manager and Feyza Yucefer as Deputy General Manager of Marketing & Sales. Both arrive with impressive luxury hotel experience as Marti Istanbul Hotel anticipates an intensive and dynamic year ahead. Gokhan Aykan As General Manager, Gokhan Aykan has ultimate responsibility for all operations of Marti Istanbul Hotel, including food and beverage, sales and marketing, and assuring a quality guest experience....
Bruce Grosbety Appointed Managing Director of the 218-room Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona
Enchantment Resort | February 11, 2014
February 11, 2014 (SEDONA, AZ.) - Enchantment Resort in Sedona, AZ, has announced the appointment of Bruce Grosbety as Managing Director. A hospitality professional with extensive experience in luxury and independent hotels and resorts, Grosbety is responsible for operations of the newly renovated Enchantment Resort, which includes Mii amo spa and Seven Canyons golf club. "We are pleased to welcome Bruce to Enchantment Resort and begin a promising partnership in the New Year," said Mark Grenoble, President and CEO of Enchantment Group. "Bruce's experience and knowledge of the hospitality industry with both small and large resorts will p...
Educational Institute Signs Agreement with Hotel Association of the Riviera Maya
the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | February 11, 2014
Orlando, Florida, February 2014-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hotel Association of the Riviera Maya (AHRM), Mexico. The signing took place in late January during the Feria Internacional de Turismo (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain. This joint venture will assist AHRM initiatives to promote and implement strategies and programs for training and continuing education of this organization to identify and adopt best practices in human resources. The project, funded by the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank, is part of the framework of the ...
Tools & Training Offered to Help Hotels Take the Guest Work Out of Saving Water; EPA’s WaterSense
WaterSense | February 11, 2014
February 11, 2014 - Hotels and other lodging businesses account for approximately 15 percent of all water used in commercial and institutional facilities in the United States. To help hotels check into the benefits of saving water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense program and its partners are encouraging hotels to take the H2Otel Challenge. WaterSense will provide hotels with tools and training on best management practices to save water, energy, and money. Hotels need only to visit the WaterSense website and sign a pledge to "ACT": assess water use and savings opportunities; change water-wasting products or ...
AH&LA Commends Latest Delay of Affordable Care Act Employer Mandate
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) | February 11, 2014
Washington, D.C. - February 11, 2014 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, issued the following statement following the announcement of the delay in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer mandate for mid-sized businesses of fewer than 100 employees, as well as modifications to the mandate for larger employers: "Today's announcement by the Treasury Department that the ACA's employer mandate will be delayed until 2016 for businesses with fewer than 100 employees is very welcome news," said Katherine Lugar, AH&L...
A Year in Travel: Fodor’s Reveals 2013’s Most Popular Destinations and Emerging Hotspots
Fodor's Travel | February 11, 2014
NEW YORK, NY (February 11, 2014) - Which destinations continued to be favorites among American travelers in 2013 and where are the new tourism hotspots? Fodors.com reveals the answers with their first annual list of the year's most popular travel destinations according to the more than 4.5 million unique monthly visitors to the brand's website. Of the 7,500 destinations Fodors.com covers around the world, the leading travel publisher has identified 2013's top 50 worldwide travel locales as well as the 50 destinations that have grown most in popularity over 2012 based on destination-guide page views from natural search by American visito...
BLLA’s International Leadership Symposium Set for September 2014 at SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) | February 11, 2014
sbe Founder, Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian to Keynote Los Angeles, CA, February 11, 2014 - BLLA continues its leadership in bringing the industry together who belong to the boutique lifestyle hospitality sector by announcing the third annual Boutique Lifestyle International Leadership Symposium at the SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino being held September 17-19, 2014. This conference, organized and powered by BLLA, was established to focus squarely on conversations surrounding the successful operation, design, development and empowerment of this niche hotel sector. The program includes a hotel owner's private session and Think Tank and a...
Portrait Firenze, Lungarno Collection’s New Florence, Italy Hotel, Prepares to Open in May 2014
Lungarno Collection | February 11, 2014
February 11, 2014 (Florence, Italy) - Travelers will soon have a new stylish address to call home while visiting Florence this spring. Lungarno Collection's Portrait Firenze is set to open in May 2014, and the Ferragamo family-owned hospitality group is unveiling design details that will draw guests to celebrate the fashionable heritage for which the city is known. Located along the Ponte Vecchio, the hotel is exclusively designed by Florentine architect Michele Bonan, who also designed the other properties in the collection. Portrait Firenze's lavish style and bespoke designs evoke a historic experience for every traveler. Bonan descri...
It’s ‘Engagement’ Season: Give Guests Mobile Offers They LOVE via RoamingAround
RoamingAround | February 11, 2014
Hoteliers can now build lasting, one-on-one relationships with their guests through creative and targeted mobile offers that establish differentiation, build loyalty and increase revenues BOSTON, MASS. - FEBRUARY 11, 2014 - LOVE is in the air, especially between guests and their mobile devices. Today, 75% of all people on earth have a mobile phone, and 56% of Americans own a smartphone. The average person checks his or her phone 110 times a day. With so much passion for one-on-one mobile interaction at consumers' fingertips, it's time that hoteliers share in the romance. RoamingAround's "Mobile Engagement" service is a true matchmaker f...
Owned by GF Properties & Managed by Sage Hospitality, Springhill Suites Hotel Opens in Oceanside, CA
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | February 11, 2014
Oceanside, California - February 11, 2014 - The 149-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Oceanside, California is oficially open for business. Located at 110 North Myers Street, the SpringHill Suites San Diego Oceanside/Downtown will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by GF Properties Group, LLC and managed by Sage Hospitality of Denver, Colorado. The SpringHill Suites San Diego Oceanside/Downtown is a stylish retreat where the coastal casual vibe of the beach is wrapped inside a low-key all-suite hotel. Located in downtown Oceanside the hotel offers guests convenient access to Camp Pendleton, Oceanside Pier, Mission San Luis Rey ...
Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Partners with TrustYou
TrustYou | February 11, 2014
The global leader in Online Reputation Management to Provide an Innovative Solution for its Members to Manage Online Presence Dallas, USA & Munich, Germany - February 11, 2014 -Good or bad, the online opinions expressed by hotel guests are rich in data and trends that help to drive strategy and underscore the importance of delivering exceptional service. The Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has partnered with TrustYou, the global leader in online reputation management (ORM) and travel-technology company, to provide detailed sentiment analysis to over 800 hotels in Alberta. TrustYou will enable the AHLA to see how its m...
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Selects Agilysys DataMagine™ Solution
Agilysys | February 11, 2014
Document Management System Improves Efficiency at California Luxury Hotel ALPHARETTA, GA. - Feb. 11, 2014 - Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading provider of innovative hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, Calif., has selected the Agilysys DataMagine™ document management system to increase efficiency and improve operations at the 238-room luxury property. "We selected the DataMagine solution because it is truly a full-function document management system that handles everything from scanning to email," said Robert Galvin, director of information technology at...
Aloft Al Ain, UAE to Open in 2016 as Part of City’s Haaza Bin Zayed Stadium Mixed-Use Development
Aloft Hotels | February 11, 2014
February 11, 2014 - ABU DHABI, UAE - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced it has signed an agreement to open a new 172-room Aloft hotel in Al Ain, the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Scheduled to debut in 2016, Aloft Al Ain will be the first Starwood property to open in Al Ain and the second Aloft hotel in the UAE joining Aloft Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2009. Catering to the next generation of travelers, Aloft delivers urban-inspired design, innovative technologies and a lively social atmosphere featuring live music performances. "I would like to thank Al Ain Club Investment Co...
The 119-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott Opens this Week in Corpus Christi, Texas
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | February 11, 2014
Corpus Christi - February 11, 2014 - The 119-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Corpus Christi, Texas is scheduled to open this Friday, February 14, 2014. Located at 4331 South Padre Island Drive, the SpringHill Suites Corpus Christi will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Vishal Hotels, LP and managed by RGB Hospitality of Corpus Christi, Texas. Located 13 miles from Corpus Christi International Airport and 10 minutes from downtown, the hotel offers guests convenient access to North Padre Island National Seashore, LaPalmera Mall and Schlitterbahn Waterpark. "We're delighted that the SpringHill Suites Corpus Christi is the la...
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc to Acquire Novotel New York Times Square for $273.6 Million
Millennium Hotels and Resorts North America | February 11, 2014
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2014 - Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc ("M&C"), a dynamic, global hotel company, which owns, asset manages and/or operates a worldwide portfolio of over 100 hotels, has announced that it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the 34-story Novotel New York Times Square [for $273.6 million]. Completion of the acquisition is expected to occur during the second quarter of 2014. Located in the heart of the city's vibrant theatre district, the four-star property offers 480 guest rooms and will continue to be managed by the Accor Group under the Novotel brand. Built in 1981, extensive renovations of al...
At Year-End 2013 Total Investment in the Lodging Industry Reached an Estimated 21.8B
Lodging Econometrics | February 10, 2014
The lodging industry reached an estimated total investment of 21.8 billion in 2013. This is the highest level since 2009 and is expected to accelerate higher in 2014 and into late decade. For 2013, 1,171 Hotels were sold or transferred, a decrease of 19% Year-Over-Year (YOY). Previously, Total Transactions and Property Transfers had peaked at 3,218 Hotels/ 441,613 Rooms in 2007, then precipitously fell to a bottom of 528 Hotels/ 60,804 Rooms in 2009, a decrease of 84% by Hotels. After rebounding a bit in 2010 to 1,358 hotels, Transaction volume has since been locked in a bottoming formation with little M&A activity. Of the 1,171 Pr...
Commonwealth Names Alen Saric, GM & Deborah Roberts, DOS for Hyatt Place Portland Old Port, Maine
Commonwealth Hotels, LLC. | February 10, 2014
PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 10, 2014 -- Commonwealth Hotels LLC today announced that Alen Saric has been appointed General Manager and Deborah Roberts the Director of Sales for the new Hyatt Place Portland Old Port. The Hyatt Place is 130 rooms and is owned by Cow Plaza LLC, an affiliate of East Brown Cow. As General Manager, Saric will direct all areas of the hotel's operations. "We are confident that Alen will be instrumental in ensuring the success of our Hyatt Place Portland Old Port," said Dan Fay, President of Commonwealth Hotels. Prior to joining the Hyatt Place, Saric has served in the Hotel Industry for over 10 years, most recently w...
Al Khorayef & Sons & IHG to Develop 189-key Staybridge Suites in Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | February 10, 2014
Dubai, UAE, 10 February, 2014: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a 20-year management agreement with Al Khorayef & Sons Co for a 189-key Staybridge Suites hotel in Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will be the first Staybridge Suites property in Al Khobar and the third to be announced in Saudi Arabia. Al Khorayef & Sons Co is a group of companies established over 50 years ago in the Kingdom with an International presence. The group is diversified into several industries including real estate development, petroleum solutions, manufacturing, trading and government contracting. IHG is the largest international h...
Ashford Hospitality Prime to Acquire the 415-room Sofitel Chicago Water Tower for $153 million
Ashford Hospitality Prime | February 10, 2014
DALLAS, Feb. 10, 2014 Acquisition Highlights: Acquired at a trailing 12-month cap rate of 6.0% and trailing 12-month EBITDA multiple of 14.1x Purchase price equates to a forward 12-month cap rate of 6.8% and forward 12-month EBITDA multiple of 12.7x Minimal CapEx needs after receiving $6 million of capital expenditures over the last few years Chicago market forecasted by PKF to have 4th highest RevPAR growth CAGR in the country from 2013-2015 Purchase price equates to approximately 20% below replacement cost Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. (NYSE: AHP) ("Ashford Prime" or the "Company") today announced that it has signed a definit...
Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Tobago Hires Denis Jaricot as Executive Chef
| February 10, 2014
SCARBOROUGH, Tobago (Feb. 10, 2014) - Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort (http://www.MagdalenaGrand.com) in Tobago has hired Denis Jaricot as its new executive chef. Chef Jaricot brings nearly 40 years of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry to the Magdalena Grand. Chef Jaricot was raised and educated in Lyon, France and began his career as an apprentice at PLM Hotel Terminus - Perrache in his hometown. Chef Jaricot moved up the ranks in the restaurant industry, from apprentice to executive chef, at esteemed resorts and hotels including the Four Seasons Montreal; Grand Lido - SuperClubs Resorts in Negril, Jamaica; Sandal...
Amanresorts Founder & Peak Hotels & Resorts Group Partner to Acquire Amanresorts for $358 million
Amanresorts | February 10, 2014
Group Plans to Expand International Luxury Hotel Brand SINGAPORE--(February 9, 2014)--A private investor group led by Peak Hotels & Resorts Group Ltd. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Amanresorts, the world's premier international luxury hotel group, from DLF Global Hospitality Ltd. Under the terms of the transaction, Aman Resorts Group Ltd., a joint venture between Peak Hotels & Resorts and Amanresorts founder Adrian Zecha, has acquired 100% of the equity of Silverlink Resorts Ltd., the owner of Amanresorts, for an enterprise value of approximately US $358 million. Zecha will continue as Chairman of Aman...
Jenni Gaherty Returns to Colorado’s JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek as Director of Sales & Marketing
JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek | February 10, 2014
Denver, Colo. (Feb. 10, 2014) - The JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek is pleased to announce that Jenni Gaherty has returned to the award-winning hotel to once again serve as the Director of Sales & Marketing. With more than 15 years of luxury hotel experience, Gaherty was the Director of Sales & Marketing at the JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek from its opening in 2003 through mid-2011, when she took a break to spend more time with her young children. A graduate of Illinois State University, Gaherty previously served as the Director of Sales at the Hotel Monaco Seattle and the Associate Director of Sales at the Hotel Monaco Denver...
USA Winter 2014 US Lodging Real Estate Trends Show Construction Pipeline Spurts to the Upside
Lodging Econometrics | February 10, 2014
Marriott Delivers Big Gains After being locked in a bottoming formation for nine quarters, the Construction Pipeline increased in 2013 to 3,020 Projects/382,958 rooms, a Year-Over-Year (YOY) increase of 10% by projects and 12% by rooms. It's the first YOY double-digit increase since before the recession. The volume bounce from the 2Q11 bottom is significant because it starts the second leg of the new real estate cycle where Pipeline growth is expected to steadily increase as single asset and portfolio selling prices are now at record highs, signaling the point where it will be cheaper to build new hotels than to buy existing ones. The ...
