Erol Miftahittin Appointed General Manager of the Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa, Nago, Okinawa / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Erol Miftahittin Appointed General Manager of the Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa, Nago, Okinawa (Tokyo – 9, July 2007) Effective from June 15, 2007, Erol Miftahittin has been appointed General Manager of the Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa, located in Nago, Okinawa.  Since beginning his career in 1983 at the Holiday Inn Yokohama, presently Rose Hotel Yokohama, Mr. Miftahittin brings more than 23 years of hotel industry experience from his roles as Regional Vice President Micronesia at the Castle Resorts & Hotels, Senior Vice President at the Rose Hotels Internation...

Educational Institute Introduces Four New Professional Certification Designations / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Educational Institute Introduces Four New Professional Certification Designations   ORLANDO, Fla., July 2007—The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute has introduced four new professional certification designations. The new certifications provide professional development opportunities for hospitality employees at the managerial level, bridging the gap between EI’s supervisory level certifications and department head level certifications.    The new designations are:  Certified Restaurant Manager (CRM): This program certifies the restaurant or food service manag...

Elaine Gamer Named Director of Sales and Marketing for NYLO Hotel in Plano, Texas / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Elaine Gamer Named Director of Sales and Marketing for NYLO Hotel in Plano, Texas DALLAS, Texas (July 11, 2007) - NYLO Hotels, creator of a new class of hotels in the lodging category of lifestyle hotels with loft accommodations, announced the appointment of Elaine Gamer as Director of Sales and Marketing for its inaugural property situated in the heart of Plano's thriving Legacy community.  "Elaine's comprehensive knowledge and expertise of the Dallas hospitality industry coupled with her invaluable experience as a Director of Sales in multiple hotel concepts gives us a...

Thai Hotel Chain, Dusit, Partners with Le Cordon Bleu to Operate Culinary School Adjacent to The Dusit Thani, Bangkok / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Thai Hotel Chain, Dusit, Partners with Le Cordon Bleu to Operate Culinary School Adjacent to The Dusit Thani, Bangkok  BANGKOK - July 10, 2007 - The partnership of Dusit Thani Public Company and Le Cordon Bleu marks the beginning of a new era in training for the hospitality industry in Thailand. Choosing Le Cordon Bleu as its international partner, Dusit has selected the world’s foremost culinary school with an unsurpassed centuries old tradition.    Dusit Thani PLC proudly announces the grand opening [on July 6] of Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School, which was gra...

Doubtful Accounts and the Use of Credit Cards in U.S. Hotels – Provision for Bad Debt Falls as Credit Card Commission Expense Rises / Robert Man

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Bad Debt and the Use of Credit Cards in U.S. Hotels - Provision for Doubtful Accounts Falls as Credit Card Commission Expense Rises by: Robert Mandelbaum and Alvin Minsk, July 2007 Like other industries, lodging operations often extend credit to customers in order to gain their business.  For hotels, permission to pay after services have been provided is most often granted to large groups and preferred corporate accounts.  For transient guests and non-preferred groups and companies, credit must be established up front either by paying a cash deposit or using a credit ca...

Italian Hotel Company G&W Hotels Srl. Signs Franchise Agreement with Hilton for a New Build 240 room Doubletree Hotel in Milan / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Italian Hotel Company G&W Hotels Srl. Signs Franchise Agreement with Hilton for a New Build 240 room Doubletree Hotel in Milan London and Beverly Hills, Calif., USA (July 25, 2007) - Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE: HLT) continues the expansion of its upscale Doubletree® hotel collection in Europe following the signing of a franchise agreement with G&W Hotel Invest Srl. to introduce the Doubletree by Hilton™ Milan, which is set to open in October 2008. Welcoming the announcement, Wolfgang Neumann, President of Hilton Hotels - Europe, said: “Today marks a historic occasion f...

Former Las Vegas Bellmen Build a Better Doorstop / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jul. 24, 2007 - Brian Agster and William Hengler, two Mandalay Bay bellmen, spent two years designing and developing a doorstop that was easy to use, decreased property damage and was safer than the old-fashioned models. Getting Strip hotel purchasing departments interested in their product was another challenge. Today, bellmen, maids and guest room service personnel in thousands of Strip hotel rooms, including resorts operated by MGM Mirage and Harr...

Dometic® Becomes Sole AutoClassic Distributor / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report ELKHART, Ind. - Dometic Corporation and Minibar Systems have ended their joint venture designed to dually distribute the Dometic AutoClassic fully automated refreshment center. Dometic is now the sole distributor of the AutoClassic worldwide. As the manufacturer, Dometic will continue to service the AutoClassic and its customers, regardless of who installed the system. “We appreciate the partnership we had with Minibar Systems,” said Hans Disch, Dometic’s vice president and general manager of the lodging division. “As the industry leader in refreshment center innovation and support, we look for...

The Inn at Valley Forge, Formerly the Hilton Valley Forge, Receiving a $17 million Makeover and a New Name; Owner Capital Hospitality Group Appoints D

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Inn at Valley Forge, Formerly the Hilton Valley Forge,  Receiving a $17 million Makeover and a New Name Owner Capital Hospitality Group Appoints Dolce International to Manage the Dolce Valley Forge, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Montvale, NJ (July 2, 2007) – Dolce International will welcome Dolce Valley Forge, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania as the 26th property in its portfolio of Hotel, Resort & Conference Destinations.  Dolce will officially take over management on July 2nd. Located just outside Philadelphia, Dolce Valley Forge is the newest addition to ...

Dolce International's New Mission to Create a Memorable Experience for Hotel Guests and Employees Alike / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Dolce International's New Mission to Create a Memorable Experience for Hotel Guests and Employees Alike Montvale, NJ (June 29, 2007) – Dolce International has launched the Great Guest Experience initiative, a new company-wide service program for its portfolio of 25 Hotel, Resort & Conference Destinations.  The mission of the new program is to create a memorable and emotionally satisfying experience for hotel guests and associates (employees) alike. Each of Dolce's properties will dedicate team members to oversee associate participation in the new service program.Â...

Principals of Broadreach Capital Partners and Maritz, Wolff & Co. Acquire 85% of Dolce International; Intends to Rapidly Expand the Dolce Brand Within

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Principals of Broadreach Capital Partners and Maritz, Wolff & Co. Acquire 85% of Dolce International . Intends to Rapidly Expand the Dolce Brand Within the Conference Center Industry MONTVALE, N.J.- July 18, 2007 - Dolce International, the world’s leading conference center and hospitality group, with 26 Hotel, Resort & Conference Destinations in North America and Europe, today announced a major recapitalization that will allow for rapid expansion in the U.S., Europe and potentially also Asia.  Through the company’s recapitalization, Dolce is taking significant steps to ...

The French Quarter Group Betting $100 million to Turn Ailing Del Lago Resort on Lake Conroe, Texas Into a Destination Hotel and Conference Center /

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Nancy Sarnoff, Houston ChronicleMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jul. 1, 2007 - An Atlanta hospitality firm is betting $100 million that it can turn the ailing Del Lago Resort on Lake Conroe into a destination hotel and conference center. An affiliate of the French Quarter Group recently bought the 175-acre property, which had fallen into disrepair in the years since it opened in the mid-1980s. "We believe this was an opportunity to take a property which was badly neglected and give it the attention it needs," said Ronnie ...

The 370 room Decatur Conference Center and Hotel Goes to Auction; Central Illinois Bank Hopes to Recover $12 million Owed on Mortgage / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Tony Reid, Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jul. 29, 2007 - DECATUR -- Bidders getting ready to fight it out at auction for the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel know what they are getting in excruciating detail. The hotel is being sold Aug. 16 as a going concern, and the bidder's information packet lists everything that will go right along with it, even down to the number of butter warmer stands (21) and the number of dinner forks (2,240), which, perhaps disconcertingly, doesn't match the number...

Thierry Debailleul Appointed Executive Chef at Foxwoods Resort Casino; Formerly Executive Chef of the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, Arizona

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Thierry Debailleul Appointed Executive Chef at Foxwoods Resort Casino;  Formerly Executive Chef of the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, Arizona MASHANTUCKET, CT (July 19, 2007) – Foxwoods Resort Casino, the world’s largest casino, has appointed veteran chef Thierry Debailleul as the property’s new executive chef.  He oversees the culinary team operating the multiple restaurants on property including Paragon, Al Dente, Cedars Steak House, Golden Dragon and more.  Debailleul formally joined the Foxwoods team on June 30, 2007.     “Chef Thierry’s worldl...

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Are the Best Days Behind UsÂ…or Just Ahead? Hoteliers Need to Take Full Advantage of New Technology By: Neil Salerno July 2007 Once upon a time, the hotel industry was much different than it is today. Gone are the days of random cold sales calls, bulging paper sales files, trips to the library for lead research, and front desks deluged with information calls with phones busy or ringing endlessly. It took forty years to see these changes. Major innovations such as the personal computer, facsimiles, mobile phones, and of course, the Internet, have influenced us to make many ...

Hotel Online News – Email Archive – Day by Day / July – September 2007

March 30, 2007

Day by Day Index July - September 2007 Links to archives Top 25 Viewed Articles - September 2007 Global Update: Who’s Where and Doing What / September 2007 The Top 10 Quirkiest Hotels from Around the World A New Jersey Hotel Guest Details His Experience Concerning the Loss of a Laptop from His Hotel Room The Mail Rooms of Three Hotels in Palm Beach, The Breakers, Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons, Used as Shipping Drop Locations in Marijuana Trafficking Scheme Benchmark Hospitality's Top Five Dining Trends for 2007  Top Five Most Bizarre Meeting Planner Complaints about Group Events; Drif...

Starwood Opens 390 room Sheraton Dameisha Resort Near Shenzhen, China; Philip Kang the General Manager / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Starwood Opens 390 room Sheraton Dameisha Resort Near Shenzhen, China; Philip Kang the General Manager  Shenzhen welcomes its first new international beach resort, Sheraton Dameisha Resort, positioned as the upcoming icon of Dameisha Beach July 12, 2007 - Sheraton Dameisha Resort announces its opening as the first international beach resort in Shenzhen – China’s ‘international garden city’.   The upscale resort, with 390 rooms and suites (which 368 rooms in resort main building and 22 rooms in villas)all offering views of the South China Sea, is positioned as the ...

The Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center Signs Letter of Understanding with John Q. Hammons to Develop $50 million 220-240 room Embassy Sui

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Erin Fuchs, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jun. 28, 2007 - DALTON, Ga. -- Trade Center Executive Director Rick Tanner said he has been striving to bring a hotel to the city's meeting facility for more than three years. "When I got here three and a half years ago, it was clear that you can't have a convention center without a hotel," he said. His objective is finally coming to fruition. The Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center Authority p...

First Ritz-Carlton Hotel Opening in the United States in Four Years – The 218 room Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Includes Fearing's Restaurant Opera

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   First Ritz-Carlton Hotel Opening in the United States in Four Years -  The 218 room Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Includes Fearing's Restaurant Operated by Celebrity Chef Dean Fearing  DALLAS - July 12, 2007 -  The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas and Fearing’s Restaurant are scheduled to open August 15, 2007 in the heart of stylish Uptown, bringing a new level of luxury and guest service to the sophisticated and fast-growing Dallas market.  The 218-room Ritz-Carlton is set in a new 21-story Regency-style building designed by renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects and located on ...

Tog Hotels Acquires the 309 room Hampton Inn in Downtown Dallas; Will Invest $15 million on Renovations and Rebrand as Crowne Plaza / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning NewsMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jul. 9, 2007 - Downtown Dallas' Hampton Inn is about to get a makeover. The 309-room hotel has been sold, and the new owners plan to spend up to $15 million on renovations and turn it into an upscale Crowne Plaza next year. Terms of the sale to Tog Hotels Downtown Dallas LLC were not disclosed. Irving-based FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. sold the property along with 44 others as part of a plan to focus on higher-end properties and key markets. FelCor had ...

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Douglas Wood, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel, Recipient of the Charles ‘Russ’ Stark Leadership Award (Denver, CO)—July 9, 2007  - Providence Hospitality Partners (PHP) has named the General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel, Douglas Wood, the premier recipient of its Charles ‘Russ’ Stark Leadership Award. Wood was recognized, according to David Storm, President of Providence Hospitality Partners, “for his exceptional wisdom, strength of character, steadfast integrity, sound leadership, compassion and an uncompromised commitmen...

Dani Stern Named General Manager of the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   Dani Stern Named General Manager of the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek     DENVER, Colo. – July 9, 2007 -- The JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek, Denver’s leading hotel, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Dani Stern as General Manager.  Mr. Stern most recently served as General Manager at the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.   A seasoned veteran in the hospitality business, Mr. Stern graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management....

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Napa Restaurateur Donna Scala to Develop Signature Casual Dining Restaurant Concepts for Hilton's Full Service Hotel Brands Scala’s First Project Will be the Urban Tavern at the Landmark Hilton San Francisco  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - July 13, 2007 - The Hilton Family of Hotels announced today that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with critically acclaimed restaurateur Donna Scala to develop signature casual dining concepts for its full service hotel brands. Scala, owner of Napa Valley’s renowned Bistro Don Giovanni, will design and concept the new casual...

Dominic Provenzano Appointed Assistant General Manager at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza / July 2007

March 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Dominic Provenzano Appointed Assistant General Manager at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza Tampa, FL (July 23 2007) – Dominic Provenzano recently returned to the Tampa Bay area to become the assistant general manager at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza.  Prior to joining the four-diamond rated hotel, Provenzano was the food and beverage director at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel.  The job opening enabled the Michigan native to return to Florida where, earlier in his career, he worked at the Stouffer Hotel near Sea World in Orlando as well at the...