Selling Off the Indebted Williamsburg, Virginia Ramada Inn & Suites Provides a Look at Old-Fashioned Auctioneering / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Victor Reklaitis, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Mar. 9, 2007 JAMES CITY -- With a strategic pause and a little cajoling, auctioneer Mark Motley tried to draw a bigger bid from the crowd. "Are we all done?" Motley asked, slowing his bid calling as the sale price hit $2.5 million for a Ramada hotel on Richmond Road. "Everybody think about it before you walk away. Don't be mad at us because you didn't bid." His approach worked. Motley's patter then tracked the price as it climbed higher,...

Image Hospitality, LLC, Will Develop and Operate its Second Hampton Inn & Suites® in Waco, Texas / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Image Hospitality, LLC,  Will Develop and Operate its Second Hampton Inn & Suites® in Waco, Texas March 26, 2007 - Hilton Hotels Corporation will bring one of its best known hotel brands to South Waco with the development of a Hampton Inn & Suites® at the Central Texas Marketplace, the outdoor mall and regional power center on I-35 at the intersection of Loop 340 (State Highway 6) in Waco’s fastest-growing business district.  Ground breaking and site preparation is scheduled to begin on March 26, 2007 at the hotel’s three-acre development tract. The four-story, 124-room hotel de...

Largest New-build Crowne Plaza in the U.S. with 300 rooms Planned for the Campus of The Grand Isle Resort Near Baltimore Washington Airport / March 20

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Largest New-build Crowne Plaza in the U.S. with 300 rooms Planned for the Campus of The Grand Isle Resort Near Baltimore Washington Airport  ATLANTA (March 12, 2007) – IHG (Intercontinental Group Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced plans for the largest new-build Crowne Plaza in the U.S. with 300 deluxe guest rooms and suites.  Located just two miles from Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI), the property will be part of a $350 million resort complex, attached to a 90,000 sq. ft. state of the art confe...

The Repositioning of the Flagship ANA Hotel Tokyo to ANA InterContinental Tokyo the First of 13 ANA Hotels Scheduled for Rebranding / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report The Repositioning of the Flagship ANA Hotel Tokyo to ANA InterContinental Tokyo the First of 13 ANA Hotels Scheduled for Rebranding Tokyo, 19 March 2007 – IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, the hotel operating joint venture formed by IHG and ANA, today announced plans to co-brand and enhance 13 hotels in Japan currently trading under the ANA brand. All hotels will undergo product, service and operational enhancements and will be progressively co-branded as either ANA InterContinental, ANA Crowne Plaza or ANA Holiday Inn hotels. IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan is committed to ensuring that the co-...

IDeaS V5 ASP Solution Revolutionizes Hotel Revenue Optimization throughout the Caribbean / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report IDeaS V5 ASP Solution Revolutionizes Hotel Revenue Optimization throughout the Caribbean Minneapolis, Minnesota - March 27, 2007 – IDeaS, the leading provider of revenue management solutions and one of the industry’s fastest growing technology companies today announced that its IDeaS V5i ASP solution is transforming how revenue management is conducted in the Caribbean. “For efficiency, Caribbean hotel operators often keep their sales and revenue teams stateside, leaving only operations and service delivery on property,” notes Bernard Ellis, Managing Director – Americas for IDeaS.  “One...

International Association of Conference Centers Taps Chef Leonard Elias of Aberdeen Woods Conference Center for International Chef of the Year Competi

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  International Association of Conference Centers Taps Chef Leonard Elias of Aberdeen Woods Conference Center for International Chef of the Year Competition St. Louis, MO - 1 March 2007  - Chef Leonard Elias of Aberdeen Woods Conference Center in Peachtree City, GA came one step closer to claiming the coveted Copper Skillet award by edging out four other American chef finalists at the USA Cook-off competition at the James L. Allen Center in Evanston, IL.     The International Association of Conference Centers is gearing up for its fourth annual Copper Skillet competition which recog...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Global Hyatt's New Brand - Hyatt Place™ to Appeal to a Newly Identified Target Audience - Those Travelers Who Merge Personal and Professional Activities;  . Expect to Open 120 Locations by Year-end 2007 CHICAGO - March 20, 2007 - Inspired by the changing landscape of contemporary, multi-tasking business travelers, Global Hyatt Corporation today unveiled Hyatt Place™, an innovative hotel concept with a strong appeal to a newly identified target audience who has successfully adapted to today’s “24/7 lifestyle.” This group of travelers shares a mindset and way of life that revolv...

How I Do It: Hotelier Mark Hamister's Strategies For Getting Through The Day Efficiently / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  How I Do It: Hotelier Mark Hamister's Strategies For Getting Through The Day Efficiently by Mark Hamister, March 2007 My pledge to personal communication with all of my co-workers and business partners forces me use my time as effectively as possible. Here's how I manage to find time for everyone and still stay on top of the game:  Mornings I am in the office by 6.30 or 7 am, before most of my co-workers arrive.  The first thing I do is to spend half-an-hour preparing for the day’s meetings.  I study their subjects so that I can ask important questions of people who know more about those...

Pegasus Solutions' hotelbook® Receives Prestigious HSMAI Award of Excellence; Trade Association Recognizes Independent Travel Web Site with S

January 30, 2007

Pegasus Solutions’ hotelbook® Receives Prestigious HSMAI Award of Excellence; Trade Association Recognizes Independent Travel Web Site with Silver Award . NEW YORK (March 7, 2007) – Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) annual Adrian Awards Competition honored Pegasus Solutions’ independent travel Web site, www.hotelbook.com , with a Silver Award for Web Marketing Excellence for the site’s 2006 integrated Web marketing campaign. “I’m pleased hotelbook.com has been recognized as a leader in Web marketing,” said Wendy Chamier, senior director of eCommerce for Pegasus. “This Web campaign was ...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Revenue Management is Not Rocket Science . So, Why Aren’t You Using It? By: Neil Salerno March 2007 Now, I never claimed to be the requisite authority on revenue management, but I get very frustrated with revenue management insiders who make the process sound much more complicated and tedious than it need be for most hotels. Some simple revenue management tactics can make a significant improvement in a hotel’s bottom-line, especially for smaller independent hotels.  Several years ago, there was a subtle shift in thinking; hoteliers began to realize that the old standar...

Hotel Plus Mixes with High Society / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Plus Mixes with High Society . February 15 2007, Vienna Austria - Senior management from Hotel Plus LLC recently attended the world-famous Vienna Opera Ball, [known in German as the OpernBall] the European social event of the year is televised all over the world, with dignitaries, celebrities and even the occasional royal in attendance. This years’ Vienna Opera Ball, which has taken place in the Vienna State Opera since 1877, saw the Hilton family, including TV personality Paris Hilton, in attendance, alongside the Austrian President and his cabinet.  Previous stars att...

Hotel Investment Market Still Strong, Only Fear Is Over Development / PKF Consulting / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Investment Market Still Strong,  Only Fear Is Over Development ATLANTA, GA., March 16, 2007 – Sound industry fundamentals continued to drive U.S. hotel transaction market activity in 2006.  Not only did the one-off and portfolio sales continue to occur thanks to an avalanche of money from private equity funds, some well-known public companies, such as Four Seasons and La Quinta, changed jerseys in response to “can’t refuse” offers from previously unfamiliar names in the hotel industry.  These observations come from an analysis of data collected in connection with the ...

A Candlewood Suites Hotel Under Construction in Omaha Red-tagged by City for Structural Problems; One Engineer Suggests Structure Should be Torn Dow

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Stacie Hamel, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 28, 2007 - Construction work has stopped temporarily on a hotel near Eppley Airfield, and the architect for the structure is working to save it from being torn down due to problems. "The city red-tagged the thing," said Leon Lauver, the architect for a Candlewood Suites Hotel under construction at 2601 Abbott Plaza. The four-story, 82-suite hotel is being built with insulating concrete forms, which are hollow, foam blocks that are stacked like ...

Hotel Financial Strategies Opens New York Office / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Financial Strategies Opens New York Office March 19, 2007 - Hotel Financial Strategies is pleased to announce the opening of their New York office. The office will be under the direction of Shawn Campbell as the managing director.  Prior to this assignment, Mr. Campbell was an executive with HFS in the Los Angeles office.  Prior to joining HFS, he was involved with several investment banking firms including Salomon Smith Barney and with Arthur Anderson.  Mr. Campbell holds a masters degree in economics from Stanford as well as an MBA from UCLA.   Joining him will be...

How Good Is the Hotel Business and How Good Can it Get? / Jim Butler / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive How Good Is the Hotel Business and How Good Can it Get? By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com March 5, 2007 We are enjoying great times in the hospitality industry and the prospects are excellent that the good times will continue for at least several more years. But how good is it, and how good can it get? Let’s take a look! Record industry profits being set and likely to continue In recent postings on www.HotelLawBlog.com, I have talked about the state of the hotel industry. To get another perspective on how good things are, let’s examine industry prof...

PAR Springer-Miller Announces HTNG Certification; SMS|Host V16.0 with SMS|Diplomat certified under the HTNG Certification Program / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report PAR Springer-Miller Announces HTNG Certification . SMS|Host V16.0 with SMS|Diplomat certified under the HTNG Certification Program NEW HARTFORD, NY — MARCH 21, 2007 — PAR Springer-Miller Systems, Inc. (PSMS) a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PTC) --- and the leading provider of guest-centric hospitality management systems --- is pleased to announce that SMS|Host V16.0 with SMS|Diplomat v2.3 is certified under the Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) Certification Program.   In an industry where so many systems must work in concert, the proven ability to com...

Homewood Suites by Hilton Names Top Hotel for 2006 – Homewood Suites by Hilton District of Columbia, Falls Church, Virginia / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Homewood Suites by Hilton Names Top Hotel for 2006 - Homewood Suites by Hilton District of Columbia, Falls Church, Virginia MEMPHIS, Tenn.- March 26, 2007 - Homewood Suites by Hilton recognized its top hotels during an awards ceremony at the brand’s annual General Manager and Directors of Sales conference, held in Memphis, Tenn. March 19-21. More than 75 awards were presented to hotels chosen from the brand’s portfolio of more than 196 hotels throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Each honored hotel received a trophy, monetary prize and individual recognition during the conf...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Hilton Garden Inn Brand Names Top Hotel Performance Winners for 2006 . The Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach – Calif.,  Recognized as the 2006 Hotel of the Year BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., March 15, 2007 – Hilton Garden Inn®, the award-winning upscale mid-priced brand that’s part of the Hilton Family of Hotels proudly saluted its top hotel performance award winners for 2006 on Feb. 28, 2007 in La Quinta, Calif., during the Focused Service Owners’ Conference.   Awards were presented based on year-end scores and results from the Hilton Garden Inn Balanced Scorecard, a tool used by the...

Hilton Hotels Corp. Creates $3 million College Scholarship Fund for Baltimore Hospitality Students; Makes Good on Pledge After Chosen to Operate the

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Brent Jones, The Baltimore SunMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Mar. 8, 2007 - To encourage Baltimore high school students to pursue careers in the hospitality and tourism industry, the Hilton Hotels Corp. has created a $3 million college scholarship fund, making good on a pledge it made in 2005 after it was chosen to operate the city-owned convention center hotel. The scholarship aid has been earmarked for students at the National Academy Foundation -- in the Digital Harbor High School complex. They will be eligible for the s...

Hilton Hotels Corporation Anticipates Adding 1,000 Hotels within North America in the next Five Years, and 1,000 Hotels Internationally Within the Nex

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Hilton Hotels Corporation Anticipates Adding 1,000 Hotels within North America in the next Five Years, and 1,000 Hotels Internationally Within the Next 10 Years ITB, Berlin, March 5, 2007 - Hilton Hotels Corporation  (HLT:NYSE) anticipates adding 1,000 hotels within North America in the next five years, and 1,000 hotels to its portfolio outside of North America, or internationally, within the next 10 years.  Currently with the industry's largest development pipeline for any U.S.-based company -- and the strongest in the company's history -- Hilton Hotels Corporation has more than 775 ho...

Hilton Hotels Names Top Developers for Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Brands / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Hilton Hotels Names Top Developers for Hampton,  Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Brands BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., March 12, 2007 – Hilton Hotels Corporation recognized top developers and hotels during its Focused Service Brand Owners’ Conference for Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton®, held in La Quinta, Calif., February 26-28, 2007. The conference was attended by more than 1,100 guests, including owners, brand teams and Hilton Hotels Corporation team members.   Each brand recognized a Developer of the Year, Best Conversion, ...

City's Ownership of 3 Year Old Austin Hilton Hotel Is Paying Off; City Attracting Larger Conventions, Able to Favorably Restructure Convention Ce

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  City's Ownership of 3 Year Old Austin Hilton Hotel Is Paying Off;  City Attracting Larger Conventions, Able to Favorably Restructure Convention Center Hotel Revenue Bonds AUSTIN, Texas - March 21, 2007 - Taking a line from the movie “Field of Dreams” city visionaries in 2001 believed “If you build it they will come.” And, they have been coming to Austin by the hundreds of thousands to have their meetings and conventions because now, with the three-year-old Hilton Austin Hotel, the city has the capacity to host them.  As a result of the success of the hotel, Austin Conv...

Dunavant Enterprises, Inc. Reopening the 35-room Henderson Park Inn, Destin, Florida; The Sterling Companies Selected to Manage the Landmark Bed & Bre

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Dunavant Enterprises, Inc. Reopening the 35-room Henderson Park Inn, Destin, Florida; The Sterling Companies Selected to Manage the Landmark Bed & Breakfast              DESTIN, Fla. – March 23, 2007 – Everything old will soon be new again at the Henderson Park Inn Bed & Breakfast, thanks to The Sterling Companies ( www.TheSterlingCo.com ). The company, one of northwest Florida’s leading full-service resort, development, sales and management firms, was recently selected by Dunavant Gulf LLC, the owners of the Henderson Park Inn, to handle renovations and resort management fo...

Benchmark Hospitality Hosts Ribbon Cutting Celebration for The Heldrich / March 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Benchmark Hospitality Hosts Ribbon Cutting Celebration for The Heldrich New Brunswick, New Jersey, March 1, 2007 ... Benchmark Hospitality International, the operator of the hotel and conference center at The Heldrich, the new $120 million mixed use property located at 10 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey, hosted a ribbon cutting celebration today.   The event was followed by tours of the public spaces, including the sophisticated reception lobby, elegant ballrooms, state-of-the-art conference center with an 80-seat amphitheater and 21 meeting rooms, luxurious gue...