Mastering The Lost Art of Check-In / Doug Kennedy / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Mastering The Lost Art of Check-In . by Doug Kennedy, Februrary 2007 With all of the advances in property management systems and other front desk technology, from a service-efficiency perspective the check-in process at most of today’s hotels is running smoother than ever.  Newer systems make it easer and faster then ever before for a front office associate to find an available room; credit card approval happens almost instantaneously, and I can’t remember the last time my reservation was lost or misfiled.  Yet as much technical skills and front office systems have improved,...

Marshall Management Signs 11 New Management Contracts in 2006 / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Marshall Management Signs 11 New Management Contracts in 2006 . SALISBURY, Md.,  February 5, 2007— Marshall Management announced that it has signed contracts to operate four hotels in the 2006 fourth quarter, bringing to 11 the number of new management contracts or new hotels opened for the 12-month period. “This was the company’s strongest year in terms of revenue in our history,” said Michael Marshall, president.  “We added new resorts, upper upscale hotels and mid-market properties with and without food and beverage.  We also oversaw construction and opened three new h...

Marriott Vacation Club International Promotes Victoria Dolan To Executive Vice President Finance / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive ORLANDO, Fla., - February 7, 2007 – Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) – the vacation ownership division of Marriott International, Inc. has promoted Victoria Dolan to executive vice president of finance.  In addition to her new role, Dolan will continue her ongoing responsibilities as MVCI’s chief financial officer. As executive vice president, Dolan’s responsibilities will include global finance and accounting, as well as MVCI’s new asset management organization that oversees the division’s portfolio of resorts and spe...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive D.C. Judge Denies Marriott International, Inc.’s Attempt to Dismiss a Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Marriott Misrepresents Room Rates at Hotels in Moscow, Russia Washington, D.C., February 22, 2007 – The Cullen Law Firm, PLLC, announces that the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., Judge Gladys Kessler presiding, denied Marriott International, Inc.’s attempt to dismiss a class action lawsuit alleging that Marriott misrepresents its room rates at its hotels in Moscow, Russia.  The complaint, filed as Shaw v. Marriott International, Inc., Civil Action No. 05-1138, alleg...

Market Metrix Announces 2006 Hospitality Index Results; Drury Inns, JetBlue Airlines and Enterprise Rent-A-Car Win First Place 2006 Awards / February

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Market Metrix Announces 2006 Hospitality Index Results ... Drury Inns, JetBlue Airlines and Enterprise Rent-A-Car Win First Place 2006 Awards -- Hotel web sites now score higher in satisfaction than popular travel sites -- SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – February 8, 2007 -- Market Metrix, LLC, the leading provider of market research services for the hospitality industry, today announced the 2006 annual results of the Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI).  Based on 140,000 consumer interviews conducted from January through December 2006, Drury Inns, JetBlue Airways and Enterprise Rent-a-Car ra...

Marcus Selected to Manage an Under-construction $49 million Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Marcus Selected to Manage an Under-construction $49 million Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota MILWAUKEE & MINNEAPOLIS - February 12, 2007 - Marcus Hotels and Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), today announced that it has been selected to manage an under-construction Hilton Hotel in Bloomington, Minn., an upscale suburb of Minneapolis. Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global, an affiliate of W.P. Carey & Co., LLC, is funding construction and will own the 256-room hotel which is expected to open in January 2008. In addition to managing the property,...

Malibu Beach Inn on Billionaire's Beach in Malibu, California Undergoing Multi-million Dollar Renovation / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Malibu Beach Inn on Billionaire's Beach in Malibu, California Undergoing Multi-million Dollar Renovation Complete redesign includes new dining room, expanded meeting space and exclusive beach club MALIBU, Calif. -February 14, 2007 - The celebrated Malibu Beach Inn will re-open in May 2007 after undergoing a multi-million dollar, head-to-toe remodel that will make it the only luxury hotel destination in Malibu. The renovation, which began in October 2006, includes completely refinished interiors and exteriors, as well as the addition of a new dining room, expanded meeting space and a ...

Mark Wilson Adds Sales and Marketing Responsibilities for the Chateau Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Mark Wilson Adds Sales and Marketing Responsibilities for the Chateau Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS . . . January 15, 2007 — Mark Wilson, Director of Marketing at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, at 300 Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, has been appointed to manage marketing for the hotel’s sister property, the Chateau Sonesta, at 800 Iberville Street, also in the French Quarter. The announcement of Wilson’s new role was made today by Alfred I. Groos, Vice President and General Manager of the Royal Sonesta. “We are pleased to announce the addition of Mark Wilson’s new...

Michael M. Trosin Named General Manager at the 295 room Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport Hotel / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Michael M. Trosin Named General Manager at the 295 room Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport Hotel Cincinnati, OH., February 22, 2007 - Winegardner & Hammons, Inc's., Senior Vice President of Operations and Human Resources, Kent Bruggeman, recently announced the appointment of Michael M. Trosin to General Manager at the 295 room Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport hotel. Located in Windsor, Connecticut, just north of Hartford and six miles south of Bradley International Airport, the property is managed by Cincinnati, OH based, Winegardner & Hammons, Inc.  A 22-year hospitality veter...

MTECH's QIC Provides Quick, Efficient Way to Conduct Quality Inspections; Quality Inspection Console streamlines inspection process, leading to i

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report MTECH’s QIC Provides Quick, Efficient Way to Conduct Quality Inspections , Quality Inspection Console streamlines inspection process, leading to improved employee performance, cleaner rooms, and enhanced guest satisfaction MIAMI —FEBRUARY 13, 2007 — Done regularly and conscientiously, quality inspections can have a significant impact on how well room attendants do their job—and the better job they do, the higher guest satisfaction will be, and the more likely a guest will return for repeat business. The eventual outcome of that scenario, of course, is a better bottom line in terms of rev...

MTech's HIP Software Helps HotSOS Users Easily Control Inventory, Stay on Budget; Hotel Inventory and Purchasing module eliminates major portion

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report MTech’s HIP Software Helps HotSOS Users Easily Control Inventory, Stay on Budget , Hotel Inventory and Purchasing module eliminates major portion of purchasing paperwork that can turn inventory recordkeeping into an operational nightmare MIAMI —FEBRUARY 27, 2007 — Hotel operators who maintain a perpetual inventory and the purchasing process that feeds it face a time-consuming task. To help expedite and streamline the process, MTech has created the Hotel Inventory and Purchasing module, or HIP.  MTech—a leader in providing software solutions to help hotels improve communications, increas...

Multi-Systems, Inc. Announces Key Management Changes / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Multi-Systems, Inc. Announces Key Management Changes PHOENIX – February 13, 2007 – Multi-Systems, Inc. (MSI) is committed to serving the hospitality industry by providing innovative technology and superior service that enhances guest loyalty and promotes profitability.  To help achieve this mission, MSI announces several key changes in the company’s senior management.  MSI President Tim Tiller, MSW said, “Multi-Systems, Inc. is continuously growing and these management changes represent some great steps for the company. We have put together a very dynamic and talented team to take MSI’s...

The 583 room Marriott City Center in Downtown Minneapolis Getting a $20 million Renovation; Opened 25 Years Ago as the Amfac Hotel / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Susan Feyder, Star Tribune, MinneapolisMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 16, 2007 - Twenty-five years after opening as the Amfac Hotel, the Marriott City Center hotel still holds a decent share of the downtown Minneapolis hotel business and earns good marks from guests who post reviews on travel websites such as Orbitz. But the favorable remarks dwell on the hotel's great location in the heart of downtown and its friendly service. Comments about the 1980s-era design, on the other hand, are far less kind. "A major...

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Signs Management Contracts for Luxury Hotels to be Developed in Paris, Taipei and Guangzhou / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Signs Management Contracts for Luxury Hotels to be Developed in Paris, Taipei and Guangzhou HONG KONG, February 8, 2007 -- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group today announced three new management contracts for luxury hotels to be developed in Paris, Taipei and Guangzhou. All three hotels are planned to open in 2010.  “The announcement of three new Mandarin Oriental hotels is an exciting development for our Group and reflects the strength of our brand today. We are moving closer to our goal of building the Group to at least 10,000 rooms worldwide while consolid...

Marge O'Connor, GM of the Best Western Chelmsford Inn, Awarded General Manager of the Year by the Massachusetts Lodging Association / February

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Dan O'Brien, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 20, 2007 - CHELMSFORD -- Marge O'Connor got into the hospitality business almost by accident. "I was raising four kids and needed some work on the weekends," she recalled years after landing a job as a banquet waitress. O'Connor took that experience, along with a high school education and an initial career in banking, to rise among the ranks until becoming a general manager at the Best Western Chelmsford Inn 10 years ago. Last month, she ...

Solare Hotels & Resorts Appoints Mark Lind to Head its Japan Operations as Senior Vice President, National Director of Operations / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Solare Hotels & Resorts Appoints Mark Lind to Head its Japan Operations as Senior Vice President, National Director of Operations (Tokyo – 1, February 2007) As part of the Solare Hotels & Resorts Co. Ltd. (www.solarehotels.com/english) ambitious push to achieve 18,000 rooms in Japan by 2010, Solare has appointed a senior hotel professional from Australia, Mark Lind, to head its Japan operations as Senior Vice President, National Director of Operations. Joining Solare Hotels & Resorts in January 2007, Mark Lind brings with him more than 27 years of experience in the hotel industry, inc...

Accused of Running a $400 million Pyramid Scheme, Hotelier Michael E. Kelly Denied Bail / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Jeff Coen, Chicago TribuneMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 21, 2007 - Promises to post a private jet and other assets as bond were not enough Tuesday to persuade a federal judge to free an American businessman accused of bilking millions from investors in his Mexican properties. Michael E. Kelly, accused of running a $400 million pyramid scheme, has three passports, four boats, five houses and at least a dozen cars, prosecutors told U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason at Kelly's detention hearing. Those homes are in Mexi...

Molinaro Koger Advises Hotelinvest Kalvebod A/S on Sale of Copenhagen Marriott Hotel / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report   Molinaro Koger Advises Hotelinvest Kalvebod A/S on Sale of Copenhagen Marriott Hotel London, United Kingdom – 20 February 2007 – Molinaro Koger (MK) announced today that the firm managed the sale of the 395-room Copenhagen Marriott Hotel to an affiliate of certain real estate funds managed by the Blackstone Group (“Blackstone”), acting on behalf of Danish joint venture company Hotelinvest Kalvebod A/S, which is owned 49 percent by Nykredit and 51 percent by Marriott International. Built as a new five-star property, the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel was opened in early September 2001. Foll...

MHI Hospitality Corporation Selects the Sheraton Flag for its Jeffersonville, Indiana Hotel Asset; Former Ramada Inn Expected to Reopen in 2008 as the

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  MHI Hospitality Corporation Selects the Sheraton Flag for its Jeffersonville, Indiana Hotel Asset; Former Ramada Inn Expected to Reopen in 2008 as the The Sheraton Riverside Louisville North Hotel WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Feb. 26, 2007 - MHI Hospitality Corporation (Amex: MDH) announced today that it has entered into a 15-year franchise license agreement with Starwood Hotels and Resorts to brand its 186-room Louisville asset as a Sheraton hotel. The Sheraton Riverside Louisville North Hotel is located at 700 West Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville, Indiana, directly across the Oh...

Benchmark Appoints Melanie Bowman Director of Operations at The Founders Inn / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Benchmark Appoints Melanie Bowman Director of Operations at The Founders Inn The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 2007 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the promotion of Melanie Bowman to director of operations for The Founders Inn.  Ellen Ruane, Benchmark's general manager at the property, made the announcement.   "I am so pleased to welcome Melanie to her new role at The Founders Inn," said Ms. Ruane.  "She brings broad experience in several operational departments within a hotel, which will serve her well in her new executive position here."   In...

Matt Adams Named Vice President and Managing Director for the Grand Hyatt New York / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Matt Adams Named Vice President and Managing Director for the Grand Hyatt New York NEW YORK — FEBRUARY 9, 2007— Matt Adams has recently been named vice president and managing director for the Grand Hyatt New York. In this role, he will oversee operations, sales, engineering and food and beverage for the 1,311-room midtown Manhattan hotel. Adams replaces former Grand Hyatt New York general manager, Jerry Gibson, who is now the vice president and managing director at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.  A 24-year Hyatt veteran, Adams was most recently vice president of operations for Hy...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Luxury Link Announces First Luxury Travel “Community” . Feature Allows Sophisticated Travelers to Share Thoughts, Insight into the World of High-End Travel Los Angeles, CA – January 30, 2007 – In an effort to bring like-minded luxury travelers together to share thoughts, tips and recommendations on everything from this year’s hot destinations and little known luxury resort properties to trends in high-end travel, Luxury Link (www.LuxuryLink.com) has created the first peer-to-peer social community.  Purely consumer driven, the community features topics ranging from general travel questi...

Luxe Worldwide Hotels Signs the Newly Renovated Scottsdale Thunderbird Suites / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Luxe Worldwide Hotels Signs the Newly Renovated Scottsdale Thunderbird Suites Los Angeles, CA, February 20, 2007 - Luxe Worldwide Hotels (www.luxehotels.com), a leading provider of marketing services within the hospitality industry, proudly announces its exclusive representation of the Scottsdale Thunderbird Suites. This hotel, formerly Best Western Scottsdale Airpark Suites, recently underwent an extensive renovation, name change and revamped branding campaign. “The Scottsdale Thunderbird Suites is an exceptional value in an undeniably strategic location, positioned near the center of the Sco...

Across Long Island, New York, the Lodging Industry Began to Stabilize in 2006 as it Finally Absorbed the 20 Hotels Built Since 1999 / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Daniel Wagner, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 5, 2007 - -If you want to book a night in a Riverhead hotel, you have two choices: You can get a room at the Holiday Inn Express on Route 58, or stay at a nearby Best Western. But if developers and town officials have their way, visitors in a few years' time could find a multiplicity of options. Developer Lee Browning Sr. has started building a 114-room Hilton Garden Inn across from the Tanger Outlet Center and has plans for a 140-room Marriott Reside...