Kim Westhoff Appointed to Director of Luxury Accounts for Hilton Hotels Corporation's Waldorf=Astoria Collection and Conrad Hotels / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Kim Westhoff Appointed to Director of Luxury Accounts for Hilton Hotels Corporation's Waldorf=Astoria Collection and Conrad Hotels July 10, 2007 - Kim Westhoff, who has been with the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa  in Phoenix since 1993, has been appointed to the newly created position of director of luxury accounts for Hilton Hotels Corporation's Waldorf=Astoria Collection and Conrad Hotels.  Westhoff will continue to be based at the Arizona Biltmore, which is a member of the Waldorf=Astoria Collection.  In her new role, Westhoff will be handling luxury accounts such ...

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Light Group Hires Kelley Jones as President of the Company’s Expanding Food & Beverage Division LAS VEGAS, NV – July 17, 2007 - Las Vegas based company, The Light Group is pleased to announce the addition of Kelley Jones, former Vice President of Restaurant Operations for the Starr Restaurant Organization in Philadelphia, as the new President of the company’s rapidly expanding Food & Beverage Division.     In his new role, Jones will oversee the operations of the company’s restaurant and nightlife properties which currently include Fix Restaurant & Bar, Caramel Ba...

Kansas City's Recently Renovated Downtown Hotels Proving to be Too Small to Help the Refurbished Bartle Hall Attract Big Conventions / July 200

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Rick Alm, The Kansas City Star, Mo.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News July 17, 2007 - Kansas City has a hotel problem: too many that are too small, and most with too many empty rooms any given evening. What the visitor industry needs, according to some local experts, is another stylish convention-headquarters hotel of 1,000 rooms or more very close to recently refurbished Bartle Hall. The goal is to attract and accommodate big convention groups that also will be drawn to the Power & Light entertainment district when it opens next...

The Department of Justice Reaches Settlement Agreement with the 946 room Kansas City Marriott for Improved Facilities Accessible to Individuals With D

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Department of Justice Reaches Settlement Agreement with the 946 room Kansas City Marriott for Improved Facilities Accessible to Individuals With Disabilities WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 -  The Department of Justice today reached a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Kansas City Downtown Hotel Group LLC that will ensure the facilities of the Kansas City Marriott are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The agreement resolves a lawsuit against the Kansas City Marriott in Downtown Kansas City, Mo. - a large, two...

Johnson Capital Creates Strategic Alliance with Hospitium; Firm to Provide Hospitality Research and Consulting for High-End Resorts and Mixed-Use Hosp

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Johnson Capital Creates Strategic Alliance with Hospitium . Firm to Provide Hospitality Research and Consulting for High-End Resorts and Mixed-Use Hospitality Projects  . July 9, 2007 - Hospitality industry veteran Dr. Donald W. Wise is pleased to announce that Stephen R. Hennis, CHA, Managing Director of Hospitium, has executed a definitive hospitality research and consulting engagement to provide Johnson Capital with ongoing real time knowledge of the various lodging markets for high-end resorts and mixed-use lodging projects. “We are extremely pleased to have created ...

Jonathan Wright Appointed Executive Chef for The Setai, South Beach, Miami / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Jonathan Wright Appointed Executive Chef for The Setai, South Beach, Miami   MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA – June 29, 2007 -- The Setai management is pleased to announce the appointment of executive chef Jonathan Wright.  Chef Wright brings to the position over twenty years of award-winning culinary experience; including the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, Raffles Hotel in Singapore and Sir Terrance Conran’s Great Eastern Hotel in London. In addition, Chef Wright’s prior employment includes Raymond Blanc’s two-star Michelin restaurant Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons in ...

Joe Uhl Appointed General Manager of the 521 room Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Joe Uhl Appointed General Manager of the 521 room Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia   ATLANTA (June 29, 2007) – The Renaissance Waverly Hotel, northwest Atlanta’s only AAA Four-Diamond convention hotel, has named Joseph “Joe” Uhl as its new general manager. In this role, Uhl is responsible for a team of more than 400 full-time associates and the success of the hotels day to day operations.  For more than 20 years, the Waverly Hotel has been known as Cobb County’s crown jewel and offers a balance of functionality and service that combines traditional ...

Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association President Jorge Pesquera Top Choice to lead the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Mike Clary, South Florida Sun-SentinelMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jul. 10, 2007 - A committee searching for a candidate to lead the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau as it emerges from financial scandal on Monday recommended a veteran tourism chief familiar with public relations challenges. Two years ago, Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association president Jorge Pesquera faced international calls for a tourism boycott following the disappearance of American high school student Natalee Holloway. The case of the mis...

Joshua Nowak Named Director of Sales and Marketing of the Lancaster County Convention Center and the 300 room Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square, Lanca

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Joshua Nowak Named Director of Sales and Marketing of the Lancaster County Convention Center and the 300 room Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square, Lancaster, Pennsylvania LANCASTER, Pa. - July 19, 2007 - Interstate Hotels & Resorts (IHR) announces the hiring of Joshua Nowak as director of sales and marketing of the Lancaster County Convention Center and Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square, effective immediately.  Nowak will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day marketing as well as the group sales of the Lancaster County Convention Center and Marriott Lancaste...

Judson Hawk Selected as the General Manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Judson Hawk Selected as the General Manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado  BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- July 17, 2007 – RockResorts announced that Judson Hawk has been selected as the new general manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado.  Hawk brings years of experience working with the Aspen community to his new appointment. For the past seven years, he has been the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Club Aspen Highlands. Hawk and his wife, Carol, are actively involved in the community and look forward to continuing to be long-term residents of the area. “Over the years,...

Drury Inn, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Microtel Inns and The Ritz-Carlton Top J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Hot

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Drury Inn, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites,  Microtel Inns and The Ritz-Carlton Top J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., July 24, 2007 - Although nearly three-fourths of hotel guests in North America willingly participate in environmentally friendly programs offered during their hotel stays, many guests remain unaware of whether these programs are offered at the hotel property, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM) released today. In...

Hotel Industry Executives Chart Future of Demand Forecasting at JDA Leadership Dinner; Hospitality Chain Stakeholders Discuss Innovations to Boost Re

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Industry Executives Chart Future of Demand Forecasting at JDA Leadership Dinner . Hospitality Chain Stakeholders Discuss Innovations to Boost Revenue Optimization Scottsdale, Ariz. – July 18, 2007 – JDA® Software Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: JDAS) the leading provider of hospitality revenue management solutions, today shared the results of discussions conducted at its executive dinner meeting held in conjunction with the HSMAI and HITEC conferences June 24 to 28 in Orlando, Florida.  The meeting was held to gather top hospitality industry revenue management professionals to...

Johnny Caruso Named Director of Rooms for The Heldrich, New Brunswick, New Jersey / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Johnny Caruso Named Director of Rooms for The Heldrich,  New Brunswick, New Jersey The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, July 2007 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the promotion of Johnny Caruso as director of rooms for The Heldrich, the recently opened property in downtown, New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Michael Taylor, Benchmark's general manager for The Heldrich, made the announcement.   "I am pleased to announce Johnny's promotion to director of rooms," said Mr. Taylor.  "He joined Benchmark in the pre-opening phase of The Heldrich and played a significant ...

Istrian Golf Course Development Targeted by Environmentalists; Ten Year Plan Allowed for 23 Golf Courses May Not Reach Goal / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Istrian Golf Course Development Targeted by Environmentalists , Ten Year Plan Allowed for 23 Golf Courses May Not Reach Goal  by Barry Napier, July 2007 In 2006 I wrote about the Ten Year Plan implemented by Istria, a region of Croatia that brings in almost half of Croatian tourism revenue. The Plan is daring in concept and is already well on the way to finalisation. Part of the Plan was to build up to 23 golf courses, but, an in the opinion of one official, there will probably be no more than about 10-11. However, environmentalists in this beautiful country are fighting...

Top 10 Challenging Questions to Ask Your Internet Marketing Vendor; Important considerations before hiring an Internet marketing company in hospitalit

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Top 10 Challenging Questions to Ask Your Internet Marketing Vendor . Important considerations before hiring an Internet marketing company in hospitality . by Jason Price and Max Starkov, July 2007 The Internet has become the main distribution channel in hospitality—over 2/3 of all hotel bookings in the US will be directly influenced by the Internet this year.  Understandably, Internet marketing has become a priority for many hoteliers who are shifting advertising dollars to the online world from traditional media and GDS advertising.  This rush forward may have come at a cost to...

The Dollars & Sense of Hotel Internet Marketing / Neil Salerno / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Dollars & Sense of Hotel Internet Marketing  By: Neil Salerno July 2007 It seems to me that many hoteliers are missing the proverbial “boat” when it comes to marketing their hotels on the Internet. We all know that the Internet presents many opportunities to produce business, so let’s put all those extravagant web statistics aside and look at the Internet with our god-given common-sense.   The Popularity of the Internet  There are many superlatives that can be applied to the Internet; the biggest, the best, and the most cost-effective medium ever, somehow, these ju...

InterContinental Tampa Appoints Executive Team; Charles Naberhaus Named Managing Director / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive InterContinental Tampa Appoints Executive Team . Charles Naberhaus Named Managing Director TAMPA (July 24, 2007) - InterContinental Tampa - - the newest luxury hotel in Tampa - - welcomes executives to its opening team. With a new managing director, director of learning & development, chef concierge, executive chef and rooms director, the hotel is poised for success. With an $18 million investment within Florida's largest business district, InterContinental Tampa heralds the emergence of a long awaited luxury offering in one of Florida's most loved destinations. New Manag...

Sheila C. Johnson's Salamander Hospitality Signs Purchase Agreement to Buy Innisbrook Golf Resort for Approximately $35 million / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Sheila C. Johnson's Salamander Hospitality Signs Purchase Agreement to Buy Innisbrook Golf Resort for Approximately $35 million TAMPA BAY, FL, July 16, 2007 --- Salamander Hospitality, LLC, today announced the purchase of the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, a 900-acre destination resort featuring four championship golf courses including the famed Copperhead, site of the PGA TOUR’s PODS Championship played in March. Innisbrook becomes the newest addition to Salamander Hospitality’s growing portfolio of premier properties owned by Sheila C. Johnson.  “We are very exc...

InterContinental Hotels Group Building a New 135-room Hotel Indigo in the East Liberty Area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive InterContinental Hotels Group Building a New 135-room Hotel Indigo in the East Liberty Area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ATLANTA (July 25, 2007) – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announces plans to build a new 135-room Hotel Indigo in the East Liberty area of Pittsburgh.  Construction is anticipated to begin in second quarter 2008, with an expected opening date of fourth quarter 2009.   The five-story new build property will be owned by Governors Hotel Inc., under a license agreeme...

Hart Hotels, Inc. Opens the Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst Following a $6 million Renovation and Rebranding of a Former Hampton Inn / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Hart Hotels, Inc. Opens the Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst Following a $6 million Renovation and Rebranding of a Former Hampton Inn ATLANTA (July 18, 2007) – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced today that its ninth Hotel Indigo will open this summer in Amherst, N.Y. Situated in suburban Buffalo just 20 miles from Niagara Falls, this 187-room hotel is Hotel Indigo’s first property to open in New York.    “We look forward to welcoming New York State’s first Hotel Indigo to the Buffalo area with the Hart family, a prominent IHG franchisee and developer for ne...

Hospitality Upgrade Magazine Announces the Launch of a Ground-breaking Hospitality Industry IT Benchmarking Survey / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hospitality Upgrade Magazine Announces the Launch of a Ground-breaking Hospitality Industry IT Benchmarking Survey Survey results will initially be released exclusively to the attendees of The 2007 CIO Summit on September 6, 2007   ATLANTA – July 11, 2007 – Hospitality Upgrade, the leading technology magazine published for hotel, travel and foodservice professionals, announces the successful launch of the first-ever Hospitality Industry IT Benchmarking Survey. Results of this ground-breaking survey will be released exclusively to the attendees of The CIO Summit on ...

Ian Coughlan Named President of Wynn Macau / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Ian Coughlan Named President of Wynn Macau LAS VEGAS - Wynn Resorts, Limited (Nasdaq:WYNN) announced today that Grant R. Bowie, President of Wynn Macau, will leave the Company, effective July 6, 2007. Ian Coughlan has been named the new President of Wynn Macau.  Mr. Coughlan joined Wynn Macau in January 2007 from the Peninsula Group where he served as General Manager of the Peninsula Hong Kong. Mr. Coughlan has extensive experience in Asia, serving as General Manager at the Peninsula Bangkok and in various capacities with Ritz Carlton and the Mandarin Oriental Group prio...

Ocean Properties Selects ICE Portal to Produce and Deliver Internet Content / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Ocean Properties Selects ICE Portal to Produce and Deliver Internet Content MIAMI – July 27, 2007 – Ocean Properties, Ltd. has selected ICE Portal (ICE) to produce, manage, host, and deliver rich content for the chain’s hotels and resorts.  ICE Portal (ICE) will work with Ocean Properties to produce, manage, and distribute rich media via ICE’s to 1,000s of travel websites. ICE Portal has already filmed 360-degree hi-resolution virtual tours and photos for several of Ocean Properties’ hotels & resorts in the Southeastern United States, including the Westin Key West Resort and Marina, Four...

Landmark San Diego Hotel Hyatt Regency Islandia Gets New Name and $65 Million Coastal Chic Makeover / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Landmark San Diego Hotel Hyatt Regency Islandia Gets New Name and $65 Million Coastal Chic Makeover SAN DIEGO, July 3, 2007 - Effective today, Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina becomes the official name of the former Hyatt Regency Islandia. The $65 million renovation of San Diego Mission Bay's landmark 17-story waterfront hotel is underway, signaling the much anticipated resurgence of the seaside community. The transformation of the hotel to the coastally chic Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina promises to bring a fresh feeling of luxury and excitement to ...