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Best Western Plus Mobile Inn & Suites Now Open in Alabama
BWH Hotels | October 18, 2023
Mobile, Alabama (October 18, 2023) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the Best Western Plus Mobile Inn & Suites, located at 600 West I-65 Service Road South in Mobile, Alabama. The hotel is owned by Hiral Patel and features 65 standard rooms in addition to 17 suites. The property recently completed a top-to-bottom renovation and rebrand that includes a reimagined design as well as several hotel amenity upgrades and new features. Guest rooms and suites have a reconceptualized design infused with a new color scheme and come equipped with a 50-inch flatscreen television in standard rooms and 55-inch in suite...
Terry Bechtold Joins Camelback Resort as Vice President of Operations
Camelback Resort | October 18, 2023
TANNERSVILLE, Penn. – Camelback Resort, a year-round recreational destination nestled in the Pocono Mountains, has named Terry Bechtold its new vice president of operations. In his new position, Bechtold will oversee and direct all resort departments, including its lodge, housekeeping, front desk, retail, Camelbeach and all recreational activities, including skiing, snowtubing, mountain coaster, summer tubing, ziplines and more. According to David Makarsky, managing director of Camelback Resort, Bechtold is an enthusiastic hospitality industry leader with more than three decades of industry experience. “We are thrilled to have Terry joi...
Travel Industry Applauds Senate Committee Approval of Michael Whitaker to Lead FAA
U.S. Travel Association | October 18, 2023
WASHINGTON (October 18, 2023)—U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approval of Mike Whitaker to serve as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): “The committee’s strong bipartisan vote to advance Mike Whitaker as FAA administrator is proof positive that a decision is finally within reach for this critical position, which has remained vacant for more than 18 months. “Given the breadth of his credentials, his deep support across aviation and travel indu...
Crexendo and Nomadix Sign Strategic Distribution Agreement
Nomadix | October 18, 2023
Expanding Hospitality-Ready Telephony Solutions to Market PHOENIX, AZ and LOS ANGELES, CA / October 18, 2023 / Crexendo, Inc. (NASDAQ:CXDO) (“Crexendo” or the “Company”), an award-winning premier provider of cloud communication platform and services, video collaboration, and managed IT services, and Nomadix® Inc., bringing connected experiences to life, today announced the signing of a strategic distribution agreement. This new partnership will combine Crexendo’s more than 200 service provider partners with the expertise and solutions from Nomadix, including PMS integration - a module of its portfolio of internet gat...
Mews Demonstrates Outstanding Growth in the Ten Years Since First Customer
Mews | October 18, 2023
The innovative hotel tech company continues to see a huge uptake in their guest-centric vision of hospitality [PRAGUE, 18 October] – Mews, the industry-leading hospitality cloud, is celebrating 10 years since the very first hotel went live on its platform. The Emblem Prague Hotel was the first to embrace the new generation of hospitality and remains a Mews customer to this day. “It’s amazing how much Mews has changed in the decade since we onboarded with them,” said Helena Valtrova, General and Sales Manager at The Emblem Prague Hotel. “The platform is now even more sophisticated, with more features that save us time and prior...
Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index by Knowland and Amadeus Shows Tampa, Las Vegas, and San Diego Leading U.S. Group Revenue Recovery in
Knowland | October 18, 2023
Group business maintains its upward trajectory, with the Q3 Group Performance Index now at 103 percent, demonstrating a sustained recovery compared to the same period in 2019 ARLINGTON, Va. — Oct. 18, 2023 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a global leader in hospitality technology, today present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index. The third quarter of this year shows the top 25 U.S. markets have recovered 99.1 percent for group business compared to the same time in 2019. Group bookings are calcu...
Agility in Pricing Enables Brera Apartments to React Swiftly to Market Changes
IDeaS | October 18, 2023
Founded with the mission to provide long‐stay guests with a home away from home, Brera Apartments has consistently delivered high‐quality stays for business travellers, new job holders, and relocators. Every Brera apartment is equipped with a kitchen and strategically located near employers to facilitate convenience for guests, whose average stay lasts around 30 nights. However, with a continuously growing number of apartments, the manual pricing and setting restrictions became challenging. The company needed a solution to optimize operations and maintain profitability amid their expansion. Integrating SIHOT + IDeaS Brera was a...
Hotel Development: Pencils Down
Jon Peck | October 17, 2023
By Jon Peck Hotel supply grew a meager 0.5% in 2022 and is forecasted to grow just 1% on average for the next three years, according to a CBRE June report. Meanwhile, demand is expected to exceed supply with some projections showing demand increased as high as 2%. Hotel Supply and Demand Historically, supply and demand have maintained a closer balance. This imbalance bodes well for existing hotel owners but not for hotel developers and the ecosystem that supports them (architects, construction firms, Interior designers, etc.). The reason for the imbalance is straightforward: the math doesn’t work for most new hotel projects, w...
Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot Launch First Global Coalition for Trusted Reviews
Tripadvisor | October 17, 2023
The cross-industry companies are united by a shared commitment to protecting access to trustworthy reviews worldwide, ensuring consumers can make informed purchase decisions NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 17, 2023 -- Today, Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot announced they have teamed up to launch the global Coalition for Trusted Reviews, a cross-industry collaboration committed to protecting access to trustworthy consumer reviews worldwide. Together, members will define best practices for hosting online reviews and sharing methods of fake review detection, aiming to stop fake reviews at the source. The Coal...
Despite Ubiquity, Travel Apps and Websites Deliver Substandard User Experience, J.D. Power Finds
J.D. Power | October 17, 2023
TROY, Mich.: 17 Oct. 2023 — Travel apps and websites are heavily relied-upon digital tools used by travelers, containing everything from the QR codes used to board the plane to rental car location and digital hotel keys. Despite this critical role, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction StudySM and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Study,SM released today, travel industry apps and websites lag behind their counterparts in other industries1 where J.D. Power measures the digital user experience. The studies, which have been redesigned since J.D. Power’s last evaluation of travel industry apps...
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Debuts Expansive Multimillion-Dollar Renovation
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas | October 17, 2023
DALLAS, Oct. 17, 2023 -- Discover an unparalleled experience of iconic splendor as The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas proudly announces the completion of a multi-million dollar renovation. Masterfully crafted by Texas-based design firm, Rottet Studio, every detail exudes luxury, warmth, tradition, and monumental grandeur. Poised to redefine the standards of opulence, the hotel's reimagination includes enhanced comforts to all 218 guest rooms and suites, refinements to the lobby, public areas, and corridors as well as to The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge. Drawing inspiration from Dallas' storied past, the Forbes Five-Star hotel aims to create a captiva...
Wyndham Board of Directors Rejects Unsolicited Proposal From Choice
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | October 17, 2023
PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 17, 2023 -- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) ("Wyndham" or the "Company"), the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels spanning more than 95 countries, announced that its Board of Directors unanimously rejected a highly conditional, unsolicited stock-and-cash proposal by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) ("Choice") to acquire all outstanding shares of Wyndham. Wyndham's Board of Directors, together with its financial and legal advisors, closely reviewed Choice's latest proposal with a nominal value of $90 per share, comprised of 45 percent in stock and 55 percent...
Giampaolo Ottazzi Appointed as General Manager for the First Orient Express Hotels in Rome & Venice
ORIENT EXPRESS, PART OF ACCOR | October 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE (OCTOBER 17, 2023) – Orient Express has appointed Giampaolo Ottazzi as General Manager of the first two Orient Express Hotels in Italy: Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. Ottazzi will be responsible for the strategic positioning, development, and operations management of both hotels, which are set to open in 2025. With over forty years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, Ottazzi began his career in sales and marketing management roles in Venice at the CIGA Hotel, in Portofino at Hotel Splendido, in Florence at Villa San Michele, in Como at Villa d'Este, an...
Deutsche Hospitality Expands in Switzerland With Opening of IntercityHotel Geneva
Deutsche Hospitality | October 17, 2023
Frankfurt am Main, 17 October 2023 - Bienvenue à Genève: The new IntercityHotel in Geneva is urban and modern, a well-connected, vibrant hub for meeting, working, eating, and just experiencing. On the pulse of the city, always "on the move": This is IntercityHotel. It is Deutsche Hospitality's first hotel in French-speaking Switzerland. With 270 rooms, a conference area with five meeting rooms as well as a restaurant and a bar, the IntercityHotel is a social hub and smart place of retreat at the same time. Switching off from everyday life is easy in the wellness and fitness area with sauna and steam bath. Flexibility and mobility t...
Choice Hotels Proposes to Acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for Almost $10B
Choice Hotels | October 17, 2023
Represents 26% Premium to 30-Day VWAP ending on October 16, 2023, 11% Premium to 52-WeekHigh, and 30% Premium to Latest Closing Price Significantly Enhances the Return on Investment for Choice and Wyndham Franchisees Provides a Compelling Range of Lodging Options and Price Points Well-Positioned to Serve Evolving Needs of the Value-Driven Traveler Annual Run-Rate Synergies of Approximately $150 Million Anticipated While Accelerating Opportunities for Sustained Long-Term Growth ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 17, 2023 – Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) (the “Company” or “Choice”), today announced a proposal to acquire a...
Shiji Signs Global MSA With Marriott International for Infrasys Cloud POS
Shiji | October 17, 2023
Marriott International has signed a global contract with Shiji that will enable the expansion of Shiji’s Infrasys Cloud POS to Marriott hotels all over the world. CHEVY CHASE, Maryland, USA, October 17, 2023 - Shiji, the global hospitality technology innovator, announced today that a Master Service Agreement has been signed which will allow for expanded use of Infrasys Cloud Point-of-Sale (POS) in Marriott International hotels in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Infrasys Cloud POS is Shiji’s flagship POS, built for enterprise hotel companies as a cloud-based POS. Infrasys Clo...
Spire Hospitality Welcomes Michael Hogan as New General Manager of Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter
Marriott Hotels | October 17, 2023
COVINGTON, KY — October 17, 2023 – Michael Hogan has been named as the new general manager of Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter. Located at 10 West RiverCenter Blvd in Covington, Kentucky, the 321-room hotel is managed by Spire Hospitality. After graduating with a degree in Hospitality Management from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, Hogan started his career with Hyatt Hotels as an assistant executive housekeeper at Hyatt Regency Atlanta. He then spent the next nine years with Hyatt in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and San Antonio, TX. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Michael as the general manager...
Grand Hyatt Vail Appoints Kevin Shields as New General Manager
Grand Hyatt Vail | October 17, 2023
Vail, CO. (October 17, 2023) – Grand Hyatt Vail, a 285-room all-seasons resort at the base of Vail Mountain, announces the appointment of Kevin Shields to General Manager. Shields will be responsible for overseeing daily operations and maintaining the property’s reputation for five-star hospitality and personalized service. Boasting an impressive 30-year tenure, Shields is a high-energy hospitality leader with a special skillset and passion for building strong internal cultures to support and enrich the overall guest experience. Shields joins the team most recently from All Points North Lodge in Edwards, CO where he was the Director o...
Best Western Glenview – Chicagoland Inn & Suites Now Open in Illinois
BWH Hotels | October 17, 2023
Glenview, Illinois (October 17, 2023) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the Best Western Glenview - Chicagoland Inn & Suites, located at 4514 West Lake Avenue in Glenview, Illinois. The hotel is owned by Lal Patel and features 107 guestrooms, including 20 suites. The Best Western Glenview - Chicagoland Inn and Suites has undergone a complete renovation that introduced modern colors throughout and spacious suites with living areas and bedrooms. Additionally, each guestroom has been updated with new furniture including beds and chairs. Guests may also enjoy a renovated heated outdoor swimming pool and dai...
Tourism Tidbits: Dealing With Legal Issues
Dr. Peter Tarlow | October 16, 2023
By Dr. Peter Tarlow The Tourism/Visitor industry is one of the world's great industries. Large industries also mean that great deals of money can be involved. The tourism industry spends a great deal of money on promotions and marketing campaigns. Because many people assume that large tourism businesses also have deep pockets, in litigious societies such as the United States, there are also multiple lawsuits and/or other legal problems. Often local convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) or tourism offices are unaware of their own nation's laws and obligations. This ignorance of the law can be very costly. It is for this reas...
The Economic Rollercoaster
Aaron Szyf | October 16, 2023
By Aaron Szyf It seems like we’re on an economic rollercoaster right now and the big question is when we get off. When does inflation cool? We dig into the latest data to help determine if a soft landing really is where we’re heading. After renewed expectations of a recession in recent weeks, as summarized in our earlier blog, it now seems like the prospects of a “soft landing” have increased. Shocking jobs data: Last Friday, BLS surprised economists when it announced that the economy added 336,000 jobs in September, way above the 170,000 increase that was expected and above the monthly average of 267,000 over the past ye...
Travel and Tourism Sector Deal Activity Down by 33% YoY in Q1-Q3 2023, Finds GlobalData
GlobalData | October 16, 2023
A total of 558 deals* were announced in the travel and tourism sector globally during the first three quarters of 2023, which was a decline of 33% compared to the announcement of 833 deals during the same period in 2022, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database also revealed all the deal types under coverage, and most of the key markets recorded a considerable year-on-year decline in the announcement of deals during Q1-Q3 2023 compared to Q1-Q3 2022. For instance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals volume for the travel and tourism sector declined by...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Executes Contract to Sell 221-Room Hotel Zoe Fisherman’s Wharf for $68.5M
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | October 16, 2023
BETHESDA, Md. -- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) (the “Company”) announced today that it executed a contract to sell the 221-room Hotel Zoe Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California for $68.5 million to a third party. The property sale is subject to normal closing conditions. The Company offers no assurances that the sale will be completed on these terms or at all. The sale is targeted to be completed later in the fourth quarter of 2023. For the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2023, the hotel’s net loss is estimated at ($1.2) million, its net operating income is estimated at $2.2 million, and its earnings before...
Hotel del Coronado Plans More Than $160 Million Restoration and Revitalization of Historic Victorian Building
Hilton | October 16, 2023
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The legendary Hotel del Coronado, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, has announced plans to restore and revitalize the hotel’s historic Victorian building with a more than $160 million investment, marking the next and final phase of Blackstone Real Estate’s more than $550 million development plan to preserve and enhance the National Historic Landmark property for the enjoyment of guests, visitors and the community alike. The upgrades will encompass all Victorian guest rooms, suites and event spaces such as the iconic Crown Room, with a targeted completion date of Spring 2025. "We are thrilled to embark on t...
