January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Celebrate HTNG and It’s On-going Successes, the Story Could Have Played Out Quite Differently By Brian Cunningham, January 4, 2007  This past fall I was at Eye4Travel where I spent part of my time doing an informal survey to gage the depth of participation in HTNG by hoteliers and vendors. I was also looking to identify the drivers that motivate vendors and operators to invest their time and money in HTNG. This exercise was not just idle curiosity on my part.  Over the past few months I have been promoting a technology joint venture with some similar “for the greater good” concepts. Ent...

HSMAI's Comprehensive Schedule of Events Planned for 2007; Chock Full of Educational and Business-to-Business Forums / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive HSMAI's Comprehensive Schedule of Events Planned for 2007  Chock Full of Educational and Business-to-Business Forums MCLEAN, VA (Jan. 12, 2007) – From strategy conferences, educational sessions, and webinars, to an extensive line-up of business-to-business forums for buyers and suppliers of hospitality, travel and tourism, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has on tap a comprehensive line-up planned for 2007.  HSMAI’s calendar of events is invaluable for sales and marketing professionals looking to hone their skills, network with customers, ...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive HSMAI Names “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing” for 2006  MCLEAN, VA (Jan. 8, 2007) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recognizes and salutes the greatest minds in hospitality, travel and tourism sales and marketing with the release of its “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing” for 2006.  The “hot list” pays tribute to outstanding individuals who define innovation, vision and achievement.   “We see such outstanding campaigns and smart strategies all year long, and this is our opportunity to shine t...

Hilton Hotels Posts a 97% Increase in 2006 4th Qtr Profit Compared with Prior Year; RevPAR from Hilton Owned Hotels in North America Up 10.2%, Led by

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Hilton Hotels Posts a 97% Increase in 2006 4th Qtr Profit Compared with Prior Year;  RevPAR from Hilton Owned Hotels in North America Up 10.2%, Led by  Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Phoenix Hotel Operating Statistics BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Fourth quarter highlights compared to fourth quarter 2005 are as follows:  • Diluted EPS of $.50 vs. $.26 in 2005, an increase of 92%. • Total company Adjusted EBITDA of $485 million, up 78%. • Pr...

HLC Hotels Selects AnyRate Software to Provide Competitive Rate Intelligence; HLC to Utilize AnyRate Tools to Advance Pricing Methodology in 2007 / Ja

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  HLC Hotels Selects AnyRate Software to Provide Competitive Rate Intelligence  . HLC to Utilize AnyRate Tools to Advance Pricing Methodology in 2007 Savannah, Georgia & Germantown, Tennessee – January 24, 2007 – HLC Hotels today announced it has selected AnyRate Software to provide competitive rate shopping reports and tools to all of its properties.  The agreement will allow AnyRate’s leading-edge competitive rate shopping tools to become an immediate part of HLC’s enhanced revenue management and pricing focus for 2007. Cindy Roberts, Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing for HLC H...

Out-of-work hotel workers confront the new owner of the Holiday Inn Express City Centre, Rochester, Minnesota;Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho. Greedy bosses got to

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Bob Freund, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Jan. 5, 2007 - Out-of-work hotel workers and their supporters confronted the new owner of the Holiday Inn Express City Centre at his office Thursday afternoon, but failed to win their jobs back. A small group of pickets were back in front of the downtown Rochester hotel early today. Among them, 14-year hotel housekeeper Janice Danielson held a sign reading "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho. Greedy bosses got to go!" Danielson and about 30 supporters delivere...

HEI Hospitality Combines Ownership Division with Management Subsidiary, Merritt Hospitality, Under New Name, HEI Hotels and Resorts; May Invest Up to

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report HEI Hospitality Combines Ownership Division with Management Subsidiary,  Merritt Hospitality, Under New Name, HEI Hotels and Resorts; May Invest Up to $1 billion in Hotel Real Estate in 2007  NORWALK, Conn., January 29, 2007 — HEI Hospitality, one of the nation’s fastest growing hospitality investment companies, today announced plans to acquire and/or develop between $500 million and $1 billion in hotel real estate in 2007.  Concurrently, officials said that the company has combined the ownership division with its wholly owned management subsidiary, Merritt Hospitality, unde...

HEI Hotels and Resorts Acquires 365-Room Marriott Austin in Texas; Will Invest $18 Million in Upgrades and Converts Hotel to Sheraton Flag / January 2

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  HEI Hotels and Resorts Acquires 365-Room Marriott Austin in Texas;  Will Invest $18 Million in Upgrades and Converts Hotel to Sheraton Flag NORWALK, Conn., January 30, 2007 — HEI Hotels and Resorts, a rapidly growing hospitality investment and operating company, today announced that it has acquired the 365-room Marriott Austin in Texas for an undisclosed amount.  HEI will invest approximately $18 million in upgrades to significantly enhance all areas of the hotel. The process will take place in two phases to minimize guest disruption.  The first stage will encompass all guest ro...

Guest at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Minneapolis Falls 16 Stories, Survives

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Emily Gurnon, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Jan. 21, 2007 - --A Wisconsin man somehow survived crashing through a double-paned hallway window at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Minneapolis and falling 16 stories early Saturday morning. The victim was identified in media reports as Joshua S. Hanson, 29, of Blair, Wis., between Eau Claire and La Crosse. Hanson -- visiting the city with two friends to attend a dart tournament -- was conscious when rescue personnel reached him on top of a roof o...

The City of Key West Shuts 210-room Doubletree Grand Resort; Unpermitted Work Possible Cause for Deadly Gas / December 2006

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Alyson Crean, Florida Keys Keynoter, MarathonMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Dec. 30, 2006 - -The city of Key West on Friday pulled the operating licenses for the Doubletree Grand Resort following the Wednesday death of a guest by carbon monoxide poisoning. City Manager Julio Avael said the hotel's certificate of occupancy and occupational license were pulled due to early findings that the fourth floor was tainted with the odorless but deadly gas. A state investigator said it could be due to unpermitted repairs and alteratio...

The Shuttered Grand Beach Palace (Formerly the Renaissance Grand Hotel) on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands Acquired by Wyndham Vacation Ownershi

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Shuttered Grand Beach Palace (Formerly the Renaissance Grand Hotel) on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands Acquired by Wyndham Vacation Ownership - Will Under Go $40 million Conversion from Hotel to Timeshare Resort      ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 25, 2007 - Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world's largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced that it has acquired the Grand Beach Palace resort (formerly the Renaissance Grand Hotel) located on the northeast side of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, wit...

Opportunities in Istria for Golf Courses Combined with Hotels / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Opportunities in Istria for Golf Courses Combined with Hotels  by Barry Napier, January 2007 The prestigious Jack Nicklaus golf course at Porto Mariccio (west coast, above Pula) is currently being built. The Croatian government was interested not just because of the prestige, but because the course was a major part of a whole new development, including classy hotel, executive holiday apartments, and other facilities. In other words, it is a village in its own right.  Croatia is particularly interested in hearing from investors with a multiple-approach, such as golf courses combined wi...

GoConcierge Helps Luxurious InterContinental Boston Deliver Five-Star Service; Hotel on Historic Waterfront Adds Multiple Efficiencies to Operations /

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report GoConcierge Helps Luxurious InterContinental Boston Deliver Five-Star Service .. Hotel on Historic Waterfront Adds Multiple Efficiencies to Operations BOSTON — January 3, 2006 — The InterContinental Boston, a new luxury hotel located on Boston’s historic waterfront, is delivering a five-star level of guest service to its guests with the help of GoConcierge, the lodging industry’s leading Web-based guest service operations system. GoConcierge, which was implemented at the 424-room property when it opened in November, is produced by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net. “We are pleased that ...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online Special Report Global Update: Who’s Where and Doing What January 2007 Heads Above the Rest The Newsletter of The Boutique Search Firm   The Americas Ted Kleisner has been named Chief Executive Officer of Hershey Entertainment & Resort replacing Scott Newkam who has announced plans to retire. Kleisner spent the past two decades at The Greenbrier from where he retired recently as President and Chief Executive Officer.  C. Robert McEleney has been promoted to President of Callaway Gardens in Georgia from his current position of Vice President/Managing Director. He has held senior leadership positi...

Trendy Restaurant Where Patrons Dined in Bed Closes at Atlanta's Glenn Hotel / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Jan. 23, 2007 - A year after its much-ballyhooed opening, B.E.D., the trendy downtown restaurant that took eating in repose literally, has closed. The restaurant, housed on two floors of the boutique Glenn Hotel at the corner of Marietta and Spring streets, made headlines in early 2006 by asking Atlanta diners to eat while in bed -- a design that made it distinctive among the city's hot spots. It joined sister restaurants in Miami and Manha...

National Interior Design Firm Gettys Responds To Industry Momentum; Design Portfolio Continues to Expand With Landmark Project Awards / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive National Interior Design Firm Gettys Responds To Industry Momentum . Design Portfolio Continues to Expand With Landmark Project Awards CHICAGO – January 23, 2007 -  At Gettys, one of the country’s leading hospitality design and fulfillment firms, 2006 represented a year of exciting project awards, and 2007 is shaping up to be another landmark year. Reflective of the hospitality industry’s upward momentum for the last 12 months, Gettys has seen a significant expansion in both the amount of projects they’re working on right now, and the diverse nature and scope of those pr...

Gettys Opens New Office in Irvine, California; Leading Hospitality Design Firm Celebrates Second New Office in Two Years / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Gettys Opens New Office in Irvine, California . Leading Hospitality Design Firm Celebrates Second New Office in Two Years CHICAGO – January 22, 2007 – Award-winning design and fulfillment firm Gettys celebrated the opening of a new office this month in Irvine, Calif.  This is the second expansion office for Gettys in the last two years, adding to their resources headquartered in Chicago and their newly expanded offices in Miami, which opened in 2005. Continued growth and activity in the lodging industry kept Gettys busy this year, with a diverse portfolio of projects includ...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hospitality Design Firm Gettys Demonstrates Success in Fulfillment . Innovative Integrated Solutions™ Model Streamlines Projects CHICAGO – January 24, 2007 - Renovations of hotels, resorts and conference centers come complete with tight timelines, strict budgets, and an eye on both a refreshed guest experience and a return on investment.  Hospitality design firm Gettys decided that the entire renovation process, from design to fulfillment, could use a streamlined approach that allowed them to partner with clients and deliver a single source that saved clients time, money, a...

Joie de Vivre Hospitality Completes $7.1 million Renovation of the 95-year-old Landmark Galleria Park Hotel, San Francisco / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Joie de Vivre Hospitality Completes $7.1 million Renovation of the 95-year-old Landmark Galleria Park Hotel, San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 10, 2007 - San Francisco-based boutique hotelier Joie de Vivre Hospitality is set to reveal the results of a $7.1 million renovation of the 95-year-old landmark Galleria Park Hotel. Showcasing vibrant tones and upscale, eclectic finishings as well as a host of unique business traveler amenities, the "new" contemporary Art Deco Galleria Park will offer guests traveling for business or pleasure one of the only boutique alternatives in the h...

Illinois Hotelier Gene Rupnik Appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2007 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Illinois Hotelier Gene Rupnik Appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2007 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show WHITE PLAINS, NY, January 22, 2007…Gene Rupnik, president of Rupnik Hospitality Management and owner of a Days Inn, Microtel Inn & Suites and IHOP restaurant in Springfield, IL, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2007 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show® (IH/M&RS). Throughout the coming year, Rupnik will lead the nine-member Board in developing the 92nd annual IH/M&RS, taking place November 10-13, 2007, at New Yor...

Gene Riley Appointed Controller and Raymond Stiehl Appointed Director of Food and Beverage for the Sorrento Hotel, Seattle / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Gene Riley Appointed Controller and Raymond Stiehl Appointed Director of Food and Beverage for the Sorrento Hotel, Seattle SEATTLE – Jan 12, 2007 — Gene Riley has been appointed Controller of the Sorrento Hotel and Raymond Stiehl has joined the Sorrento Hotel as the newly appointed Director of Food and Beverage according to Michael Rawson, the hotel’s Managing Director. Riley will be responsible for directing the financial operations of the renowned Seattle hotel. Stiehl will lead all hotel restaurant, catering and banquet operations.  Riley’s hotel background spans experie...

Built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, Death Valley's Furnace Creek Inn Turns 80 / January 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, Death Valley's Furnace Creek Inn Turns 80 DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, January 24, 2007 – The elegant Furnace Creek Inn has received the prestigious AAA Four-Diamond Award for the 25th consecutive year. The award recognizes the quality of the facilities and the level of service that Inn guests have come to appreciate over the years.        With 66 rooms and two suites, the resort has long been considered a desert oasis for guests seeking a comfortable getaway in California’s ruggedly beautiful Death Valley National Park. The Furnace Creek I...

Columbia Sussex Corporation Rebrands the The Wyndham Fort Lauderdale Hotel to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport Following Multimillion Dollar Renovat

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Columbia Sussex Corporation Rebrands the The Wyndham Fort Lauderdale Hotel to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport Following Multimillion Dollar Renovation    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.- Hilton Hotels (NYSE:HLT) announced today the opening of the newly converted 388-room Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport (formerly the Wyndham Fort Lauderdale Hotel), which blends beautifully appointed features and airport-adjacent convenience with the Hilton philosophy that travel should enhance relaxation and comfort while inspiring productivity. Complimentary airport transportation makes getting to the hotel fr...

The Triple Bottomline: Fresh BulbTM Eliminates Odors, Cuts Energy Costs and Reduces Global Warming; Pineapple Hospitality announces its Winter Light S

January 30, 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 . .\\\\\ . The Triple Bottomline: Fresh BulbTM Eliminates Odors, Cuts Energy Costs and Reduces Global Warming Pineapple Hospitality announces its Winter Light Sale  SAINT CHARLES, MISSOURI —...