GuestWare Going Mobile with Microsoft at HITEC; CRM Leader to Showcase Mobile Guest Response, Housekeeping Work Inspection Applications / June 2007

February 28, 2007

GuestWare Going Mobile with Microsoft at HITEC   -. CRM Leader to Showcase Mobile Guest Response,  Housekeeping Work Inspection Applications SEATTLE—June 20, 2007—Diversified Computer Corp., maker of GuestWare, announced that it will showcase its guest response and housekeeping work inspection applications for Windows Mobile-powered handheld devices at HITEC. The demo will take place at the Microsoft Corp. booth (#409) and also at the GuestWare booth (#1024). HITEC, the lodging industry’s annual technology exposition and conference, will be held June 25 to 28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. “We ...

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Growth Properties Hospitality Management Signs Seven New Properties . A commitment to owners’ profitability has led to a booming portfolio in 2007 April 18, 2007 – Growth Properties Hospitality Management, a Pennsylvania based management company, announced today the 2007 additions to an already booming portfolio.  As of April 1, seven new properties have been added to an already impressive portfolio.  These properties include: the Holiday Inn in Fishkill NY, the Ramada Inn in Reading PA, the America’s Best Value Inn in Beaumont TX, the Comfort Inn in Port Jervis NY, the H...

Greystone Hospitality Chooses EZ Yield for Their Channel Management Needs / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Greystone Hospitality Chooses EZ Yield for Their Channel Management Needs June 12, 2007 - Greystone Hospitality, managers of a small collection of distinctive properties along the West Coast of the United States, has chosen EZ Yield for their channel management needs. “We utilize EZ Yield for all our independent properties.  Independent hotels need to maximize their online exposure.  However, it is a challenge to manage all the websites we wish to work with.  With EZ Yield we are able to save valuable time, increase our online exposure, and maximize revenue.  EZ Yield’s cu...

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report . fresh ideas for hospitality The Pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality for centuries. According to legend, captains of New England would mount a pineapple on their fence posts when they had a safe return from sea.  This served as an invitation for family and friends to visit and share a meal together.  Today, the pineapple serves as a symbol for the highest quality in hospitality . . Another “Green” Tool For Hotels’ Eco Toolboxes . Guests and hoteliers alike rave about the quality of Environmentally Sensitive Amenities™from Pineapple Hospitality Saint Charles, M...

GRAY OUT, NON-SKID SURFACE CLEANER, a New Product for an Old Problem for Fiberglass or Porcelain Hotel Bathtub and Showers! / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive   "GRAY OUT, NON-SKID SURFACE CLEANER, a New Product for an Old Problem for Fiberglass or Porcelain Hotel Bathtub and Showers!" June 1, 2007 - "GRAY OUT, NON-SKID SURFACE CLEANER" is a revolutionary new product designed for that age old problem of discolored non skid surfaces of bathtubs and showers, a problem that has plagued the Hospitality Industry for years.  This patent approved new product cleans without any abrasives, works on any surface, and is 100% Organic, Biodegradable, Non Toxic, Environmentally Safe and best of all saves you money.  For just pennies a day y...

Italian Real Estate Company, Statuto Group, Transforming Milan's Grand Hotel Duomo Hotel to the InterContinental Milan Grand Hotel Duomo / June 2

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Italian Real Estate Company, Statuto Group, Transforming Milan's Grand Hotel Duomo Hotel to the InterContinental Milan Grand Hotel Duomo   MILAN, Italy, June 1, 2007 -- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the owner of the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand, announced today the signing of a management agreement with Statuto Group for the new InterContinental Milan Grand Hotel Duomo.   Set on Milan’s spectacular Piazza Duomo, in a building dating back to 1860 that was originally built entirely from marble, the InterContinental Milan Grand Hotel Duomo is scheduled to open in 2008 after ...

Three Service Rules: The Golden Rule, Platinum Rule, and Double Platinum Rule / Byran K Williams / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Three Service Rules: The Golden Rule, Platinum Rule and Double Platinum Rule   by: Bryan K. Williams, June 2007  Whenever I deliver a keynote, training workshop, or explain my company’s service philosophy, I begin with an in-depth discussion on the three service rules.  They are the Golden Rule, Platinum Rule, and Double Platinum Rule.  Surely, you’ve heard of the Golden Rule, which basically states that you should treat others the way YOU want to be treated.  Not everyone has heard of the Platinum Rule, which focuses on treating people the way THEY want to be treated.  If you haven’t...

Capella Hotels & Resorts Selects The Concierge Assistant ® Software for All Properties; New Ultra Luxury Chain uses Concierge Assistant system to

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Capella Hotels & Resorts Selects The Concierge Assistant ® Software for All Properties  .> New Ultra Luxury Chain uses Concierge Assistant system to support matchless service at Schloss Velden, a Capella Hotel  Agoura Hills, California – June 18, 2007 – Gold Key Solutions, developers of The Concierge Assistant® software system, announced it was selected by Capella Hotels & Resorts for use at all of the chain’s new ultra-luxury properties throughout the world.  Capella will use The Concierge Assistant hotel system software to standardize and streamline the highest quality guest serv...

GoConcierge.net Set to Debut Newest Features at HITEC; OPERA Interface, Inventory Tracking, Digital Signature Storage Highlight Enhancements / June 2

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report GoConcierge.net Set to Debut Newest Features at HITEC .. OPERA Interface, Inventory Tracking, Digital Signature Storage Highlight Enhancements LOS ANGELES — June 20, 2007 — GoConcierge.net, maker of GoConcierge, the lodging industry’s leading Web-based guest service operations system, will introduce an advanced version of its application at HITEC on June 25-28 (booth 931). The event will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Enhancements include an interface with MICROS Systems Inc.’s OPERA Property Management System (PMS), an inventory tracking tool, and the ability ...

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report GoConcierge Makes it Easy for Joie de Vivre Hotels to Create Special Experiences .. Web-based System Powers Company’s Dream Maker Program LOS ANGELES — June 13, 2007 — Since its creation 20 years ago, Joie de Vivre Hotels, the largest boutique hotel company in California, has developed a reputation for creating unique, memorable experiences for its guests. In fact, the aim of its Dream Maker program is to capture guest information—anniversary dates, birthdays, etc.— to help associates create special experiences. GoConcierge, the lodging industry’s leading Web-based guest service operat...

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online Special Report Global Update: Who’s Where and Doing What June 2007 Heads Above the Rest The Newsletter of The Boutique Search Firm   The Americas Matthew Hart has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Corporation, taking over for the retiring Stephen Bollenbach. Hart joined Hilton in 1996. Previously, he has held various senior level positions with the Walt Disney Company, Host Marriott and Bankers Trust.   Stephen Ast has joined the Boca Raton Resort and Club as President. He was previously the Executive Vice President Hospitality for Loretto Bay. Ast also served as Vice President ...

With City Incentives in Place, a 151 room Hyatt Place Breaks Ground Adjacent to the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Richard Abshire, The Dallas Morning NewsMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News May 31, 2007 - Garland is preparing to tick yet another item off its development wish list: a full-service, convention-quality hotel. "It's a real feather in our cap," Mayor Bob Day said of the Hyatt Place that's due to open in late 2008 on the Bush Turnpike next to the Garland school district's Special Events Center. Mr. Day and other Garland officials broke ground this month on the project, which will have 151 suites and nearly 15,000 square feet ...

Glenn Lee Appointed Director of Golf at Horseshoe Bay Resort, Texas / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Glenn Lee Appointed Director of Golf at Horseshoe Bay Resort, Texas   Horseshoe Bay, Texas – June 12, 2007 – Horseshoe Bay Resort today announced the appointment of Glenn Lee as director of golf. Lee’s responsibilities include managing overall golf operations at the resort for the three existing Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf courses, Apple Rock, Ram Rock and Slick Rock, as well as the future Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, Summit Rock. He will also oversee all practice areas, golf pro shops and Whitewater Putting Course, the 18-hole, par 72 Dwarf Bermuda Grass putting facility. Lee’s fo...

Geoff Lawson Appointed General Manager of Dolce Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Also Serves as Dolce Regional Area Director / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Geoff Lawson Appointed General Manager of Dolce Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Also Serves as Dolce Regional Area Director Montvale, NJ (June 12, 2007) – Steve Giblin, President and COO Dolce International announced that Geoff Lawson has been appointed the new General Manager of Dolce Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the 24th property in Dolce's growing portfolio of Hotel, Resort & Conference Destinations.   This new role is in addition to Lawson's current responsibilities as Regional Area Director where he oversees five first-class Dolce properties in New York, Connecticut and Toronto, Canada.  In a...

Strategic Hotels & Resorts Enters Into a $450 Million Joint Venture on the Intercontinental Chicago and the Hyatt Regency La Jolla / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Strategic Hotels & Resorts Enters Into a $450 Million Joint Venture on the Intercontinental Chicago and the Hyatt Regency La Jolla  CHICAGO, May 31, 2007 - Strategic Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: BEE) announced today that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd (GIC RE), the real estate investment company of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, GIC RE's affiliate will acquire a 49 percent interest in the company's InterContinental Chicago and Hyatt Regency La Jolla hotels and the joint venture will enter int...

Stan Oken, New President of the Fresno Convention and Visitors Bureau, Looks Beyond Bureau's Recent Troubles – Wants to Reinvent a Fragme

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Denny Boyles, The Fresno Bee, Calif.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jun. 27, 2007 --Looking beyond the recent troubles of the Fresno Convention and Visitors Bureau, the new president of the organization sees Fresno County as a region rich with assets that no one knows how to promote. The answer, according to Stan Oken, is simple: If you tell tourists and visitors what Fresno County has to offer, they will come see for themselves whether it's true. It's a vision for the future that the res...

Will Reopening of Two Historic Resorts Take French Lick Back to the Good Old Days? / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Toni Salama, Chicago TribuneMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jun. 24, 2007--FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- Turn the Colosseum inside-out, so that its classic facade faces inward. Make it so that its inner diameter forms a rotunda 200 feet across. Now pave the entire floor in patterns made with mosaic tiles. Let there be tier upon tier of windows and balconies, six courses in all, where the niches would have been. Crown it with a 100-foot-high domed roof untethered by any central support. And, oh yes, build...

Q&A with John B. Rooney – Foxwoods Resort Casino Vice President of Resort Development / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Mark Peters, The Hartford Courant, Conn.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jun. 1, 2007 --LEDYARD -- John B. Rooney arrived in Connecticut as the lowliest architect on a project to build a casino in the middle of the woods. Fifteen years later, he's in charge of planning the future of Foxwoods Resort Casino in the newly created position of vice president of resort development. Rooney, 48, remembers the "Wild West days" when Foxwoods built rapidly, and sometimes haphazardly. But as the gambling market in the Northeast matur...

The Fort Shelby DoubleTree Guest Suites to Be Hilton Hotel's First Full Service Branded Property in Downtown Detroit in 33 Years / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report The Fort Shelby DoubleTree Guest Suites to Be Hilton Hotel's First Full Service Branded Property in Downtown Detroit in 33 Years DETROIT, June 26, 2007 - Executives for the Hilton Hotel Corporation detailed their vision for the Fort Shelby Hotel as part of an event held Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Sandi Denton, Area Vice President for Hilton Hotels Corporation and Dennis Skiba, Director of Brand Performance, DoubleTree Hotels, were on hand for the 8:15 a.m. media event at 2211 Woodward, which included officially naming the hotel the Fort Shelby DoubleTree Guest Suites...

Florida Attorney General's Office Maintains Vigilance Over Hotel Surcharges and Additional Hotel Resort Fees / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Diane C. Lade, South Florida Sun-SentinelMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Jun. 22, 2007 -- Summer travelers who don't check out hotel charges before they check in might get an unpleasant surprise at the end of their stay. The hotel industry is finding new ways to slip automatic surcharges, along with other additional fees, onto the bill. They range from $1 or $2 for a room safe to a $40 daily resort fee covering poolside towels, golf courses or tennis courts -- whether you use these amenities or not. "You truly have to ...

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report June 18, 2007 - As EyeforTravel’s largest and most senior conference, the Travel Distribution Summit North America, consistently attracts the crème de la crème of the travel industry.  For over decade now, this event has been the annual meeting place for hundreds of marketing, technology and distribution executives and it just keeps on growing – nearly 1000 people are expected in 2007.  With such a huge number of travel industry executives in attendance, the networking opportunities are unparalleled.  Being held on the 9-10 October in Las Vegas the agendas for the three conferences that make...

Equity Inns Inc. Enters Into a Definitive Agreement to Be Acquired by Whitehall Street Global Real Estate in a Transaction Worth $2.2 billion; Equity

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Equity Inns Inc. Enters Into a Definitive Agreement to Be Acquired by Whitehall Street Global Real Estate in a Transaction Worth $2.2 billion . Equity Inns Currently Owns 132 Hotels GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - June 21, 2007 - Equity Inns, Inc. (NYSE: ENN), the third largest hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) based on the number of hotels owned, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which an affiliate of Whitehall Street Global Real Estate Limited Partnership 2007 (“Whitehall”) will acquire Equity Inns, Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $2.2...

Elfiq Networks Launches New Major Firmware Release with Enhanced Functionality for Hospitality / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Elfiq Networks Launches New Major Firmware Release with Enhanced Functionality for Hospitality June 21, 2007 - Elfiq launches a new firmware release with a very special feature called a trigger. This trigger enables to track any IP session and ensure alternate sessions with same destination IP will use the same link. Primary usage of this functionality is to fully load balance VPN sessions on different links with all Elfiq advanced algorithms.  “Hospitality now has the possibility to redirect guest business type traffic to selected links and isolate it from peer to peer applic...

Eleven® Wireless Named Preferred Partner for Sheraton Broadband Initiative / June 2007

February 28, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Eleven® Wireless Named Preferred Partner for Sheraton Broadband Initiative Portland, Ore. -- June 25, 2007 – As part of a global Internet initiative by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Eleven Wireless, a leader in on-demand software and technology services for hotel broadband networks, has been selected as a preferred technology provider for the Link @ Sheraton. Currently rolling out to Sheraton hotels worldwide, the Link @ Sheraton creates a “connection destination” or communal technology lounge in the lobby where guests can meet, work and play.  “We are commited to making sure guests can st...