Benchmark Appoints Floyd R. Hunter, Jr. General Manager at Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, West Virginia / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Benchmark Appoints Floyd R. Hunter, Jr. General Manager at Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, West Virginia The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 13, 2007 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the appointment of Floyd R. Hunter, Jr. as general manager for Stonewall Resort, a 208-guestroom property with a lakeside lodge and cottages on 2000 acres in Roanoke, West Virginia.  Bill Upshaw, vice president, made the announcement.     "It is with great pleasure that I welcome Floyd to Benchmark Hospitality at Stonewall Resort," said Mr. Upshaw.  "He brings an abundance of hosp...

What Steps are Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt and Wyndham Taking to Capture and Retain their Customers? / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report February 16, 2007 - Best practices for managing web content will be the key theme at EyeforTravel’s annual Sales and Marketing in Travel USA 2007 conference.  Being held on 9-10 May in Miami, the event will look at the latest online marketing trends with an emphasis on SEO, branding and CRM.  Delegates will be able to hear how companies such as Yahoo, Starwood, SideStep, Carnival, Hilton Hhonors, Delta, Orbitz, Wydham, Sol Melia, TripAdvisor are exploiting the very latest innovations in web marketing.  Register before 2nd March to qualify for the early bird discount For more information and ...

Extended Stay Hotels Installs Aptech's Execuvue Business Intelligence for 681 Properties; Aptech BI system helps lower operating costs, boosts va

January 30, 2007

Extended Stay Hotels Installs Aptech’s Execuvue Business Intelligence for 681 Properties . Aptech BI system helps lower operating costs, boosts value PITTSBURGH, February 14, 2007 –   Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. announced today that Extended Stay Hotels implemented the Aptech Execuvue® Business Intelligence system and hospitality software to automate data gathering and operational performance management for its 681 properties. Steve Licht, vice president - controller for Extended Stay Hotels, said, “We believe in business intelligence services to keep our operating costs low while still providing high value to...

Mood of Hotel Investors and Operators is Euphoric / David Brudney / February 2007

January 30, 2007

By David M. Brudney, ISHC, February 2007 Although hotel development in China and India dominated the dialogue, speaker after speaker told the record attendance of 2,500 at The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, that both the U.S. and global economy were good and all agreed that this was a very good time to be in the lodging business.   Can you blame them?  Buyers of properties priced $10 million plus paid $204,000 a room in 2006 compared to $165,000 a room in 2005.  Smith Travel Research reported a 7.0% growth in average rates, 7.4% growth in RevPAR, aggressive pricing and higher profits. The luxury market...

E-site Marketing Partners with The Broadmoor to Expand its Internet and Technology Initiatives / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report E-site Marketing Partners with The BROADMOOR to Expand its Internet and Technology Initiatives Bethesda, MD (February 9, 2007) – E-site Marketing recently launched a new customer-friendly Website (www.broadmoor.com) for the historic BROADMOOR in Colorado Springs.  The new website integrates emerging technologies with streamlined functionality, comprehensive information and visually rich imagery.  Its design reflects the essence of the history and grandeur of the renowned property, while delivering a more modern and sophisticated online experience through engaging, interactive technology. T...

The City of San Marcos, Texas and John Q. Hammons Hotels Begin Construction of $21 million Conference Center and $50 million Embassy Suites Hotel / Fe

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  The City of San Marcos, Texas and John Q. Hammons Hotels Begin Construction of $21 million Conference Center and $50 million Embassy Suites Hotel January 31, 2007 - The City of San Marcos and John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC broke ground today on a new $21 million city conference center and $50 million Embassy Suites Hotel ® at I-35 and McCarty Lane. The hotel will be owned by Mr. John Q. Hammons and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resort...

The El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel Now a Franchise of the Holiday Inn Brand; Opened in 1962, It Was the First Hotel on San Antonio's Riverwalk / Fe

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  The El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel Now a Franchise of the Holiday Inn Brand; Opened in 1962, It Was the First Hotel on San Antonio's Riverwalk San Antonio, TX (February, 2007)– InterContinental Hotels Group announces that the 306-room El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel has become a franchise of the Holiday Inn Brand.  “We are thrilled to welcome this property to the Holiday Inn family of hotels.  Holiday Inn hotels are specifically designed for business and family oriented leisure travelers in need of a full-service lodging experience, and this property fits well within that offe...

Miami Beach's Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa Closing for 6 Months; $110 million Renovation Includes New 283 room Hotel Tower / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Niala Boodhoo, The Miami HeraldMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 20, 2007 - Miami Beach's Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa will close for at least six months for $110 million worth of renovations this April, further winnowing the pool of available hotel rooms in the area this year. The hotel notified state regulators that 293 of the hotel's 325 workers will be laid off because of the renovations, but the property's director of sales and marketing, Saun Lightbourne, said those workers will be found temporary jobs at other...

Hospitality Industry – Top 10 Thoughts for 2007/ Ernst & Young / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Hospitality Industry Top 10 Thoughts for 2007 . Ernst & Young 1. Industry Fundamentals: Supply Playing Catch-Up As Stabilization Sets In The lodging sector is anticipated to approach a stabilization phase in 2007, with accelerated supply growth and modest demand. Lodging Econometrics forecasts approximately 1,100 new projects in the U.S. in 2007 (116,000 rooms), representing a 2.5% supply increase compared to a 1.8% increase in 2006.1 The nation’s lodging markets, most of which are past their post- 9/11 recovery phase, are absorbing the additional supply. Nonetheless, the economic con...

Embassy Suites Anaheim South Wins Best in Family Hotel in the 2006 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Embassy Suites Anaheim South Wins "Best in Family Hotel" in the 2006 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - February 5, 2007 - Embassy Suites Anaheim South was chosen as a "Best in Family Hotel" by TripAdvisor(r) in its 2006 Travelers' Choice(tm) awards for the second consecutive year. Now in its fifth year, the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards honor the world's best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best - real travelers. Unlike any other hotel awards programs that survey thousands of people, the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice wi...

New Disneyland Resort Boss, Ed Grier, To Oversee Changes, Possible Third Park / Sandi Cain / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  New Disneyland Resort Boss, Ed Grier, To Oversee Changes, Possible Third Park By Sandi Cain, Orange County Business Journal Staff February 2007 Ed Grier has seen the world with Walt Disney Co., leaving his mark on parks from Florida to Paris to Tokyo.  Now he has a chance to do the same as president of the Disneyland Resort, which includes the company’s two Anaheim theme parks, three hotels and Downtown Disney shopping center. Grier, 51, was named president in summer after three-year boss Matt Ouimet left to take an executive post with White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hot...

Dusit Group Signs for Opera Enterprise Solution / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Dusit Group Signs for Opera Enterprise Solution Bangkok, Thailand (February 16, 2007) — Dusit Hotels & Resorts, ThailandÂ’s premier luxury hotel group, has selected the OPERA Central Systems Solution comprising OPERA Reservations System (ORS), OPERA Customer Information System (OCIS), OPERA Web System (OWS), and OPERA Sales Force Automation (SFA).     “Dusit Hotels & Resorts required a state-of-the-art enterprise solution in view of its rapid expansion combined with the recent merger of Asian Hotels Alliance, where Dusit was a founding partner, into Global Hotel Alliance,Â...

The New $40 million Sheraton Duluth Hotel Set for Summer Opening; Bernie Mullen Named General Manager / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Jane Brissett, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 5, 2007 - BY JANE BRISSETT NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER The carpet isn't in, the light fixtures aren't installed, there's no furniture yet and the exterior isn't complete. But the new $40 million Sheraton Duluth Hotel and 311 Superior condominium project at Third Avenue East and Superior Street is booking rooms and events for this summer. "Everything's on schedule," said George Sherman, president of Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates ...

Dubai's Hotel Show 2007 Adding New Technology & Security Sector; Many Middle East Hotels Playing Catch-up With Implementing New Technology / Fe

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Middle East and North Africa Business Report, Amman, JordanMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 27, 2007 - According to Paris-based trade publisher Cleverdis, hotels throughout the region are leading the US$ 33 billion global technology spend in hospitality, not just with the countless new developments, but also with older hotels determined to maintain their competitive edge. With management increasingly looking to invest heavily in technology, to compete effectively in the hi-tech arena, The Hotel Show 2007, which takes place at the D...

Dolce Names Cedric Fasbender GM of the Year and Susana Casado Director of Sales and Marketing of the Year / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Dolce Names Cedric Fasbender GM of the Year and Susana Casado Director of Sales and Marketing of the Year . Honors Sales Force at Annual International Sales Conference Montvale, NJ (February 06, 2007) – Dolce International recently brought together all the Sales and Marketing Associates and general managers from Europe and North America for their annual international sales conference, at Lakeway Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas. The theme of this year's conference was Dolce Rocks Austin.   The meeting began with a state of the union address presented by Andy Dolce, chairm...

Casino Resorts Tap Digital Alchemy to Enhance E-Marketing Efforts; Two Native American Casino properties in California say Web-based marketing solutio

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Casino Resorts Tap Digital Alchemy to Enhance E-Marketing Efforts . Two Native American Casino properties in California say Web-based marketing solution streamlines operations, saves costs and, perhaps most important, boosts guest satisfaction FORT WORTH, TX (FEBRUARY 15, 2007) – Two Native American gaming properties are wagering that Digital Alchemy’s unique e-marketing services and software will help them enhance customer relations, boost occupancies and drive bigger dollars to their bottom line.  The Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, near Palm Springs, and the Sycuan Resort and Casino, ...

Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Unveils New Brand Identity Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Unveils New Brand Identity Detroit

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive DETROIT, Jan. 31, 2007 - Hot cars. Leading-edge music. Vegas-style gaming. Diverse culture. Championship sports. These are the attributes that define metro Detroit and offer the most appeal as a tourism destination, according to the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) which unveiled a new "brand identity" for the region today (Wednesday, Jan. 31). The brand positioning and its graphic representation: "D. Cars, Culture, Gaming, Music, Sports," was introduced at the Bureau's annual membership meeting at the Detroit Opera ...

Survey Reveals that User-generated Content Is Nearing a Critical Mass, While Some Web 2.0 Technologies Lag in the Travel Realm / February 007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Survey Reveals that User-generated Content Is Nearing a Critical Mass, While Some Web 2.0 Technologies Lag in the Travel Realm SAN FRANCISCO—(February 7, 2006) — Destination Analysts released the findings from its bi-annual "State of the American Traveler" study today.  The wide-ranging survey queried 1,022 adult Americans about their use of technology in travel planning, while creating an in-depth map of their varied travel habits and opinions.  The survey shows how much ballyhooed user-generated content is reaching a critical mass in the travel realm, while other Web 2.0...

Finalists Selected for 2007 Deal of the Year Awards to be Presented at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Germany / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report  Finalists Selected for 2007 Deal of the Year Awards to be Presented at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Germany BERLIN, Germany: 21 February 2007 - Hosts of the 10th International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) have announced the finalists for the prestigious Deal of the Year Awards.  The Deal of the Year Awards will be presented 7 March 2007 at the InterContinental Hotel in Berlin, Germany, in the categories of Single Asset, New Development, and Portfolio. Finalists in the Single Asset category are the  Statuto Group’s purchase of the 118 room Four Seasons Milan...

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive New Days Inn Logo Unveiled Symbolizing Brand’s Renaissance LAS VEGAS (Feb. 14, 2007) – Featuring a friendly modern typeface and bright yellows contrasting with a deep blue, the first new Days Inn® logo in 37 years was unveiled to an audience of more than 1,800 Days Inn owners and managers attending their international conference here today. . New Logo Old Logo . Days Inn President Joseph Kane Jr. told franchisees that the logo’s debut symbolizes the brand’s three-year renaissance that included the introduction of new standards, the signature DayBreak® Breakfast program...

A Day in the Life of a Small South Florida Hotel; Tropi Rock Resort Owner Mick Ball / Februrary 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Tom Stieghorst, South Florida Sun-SentinelMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 26, 2007 - Buying a quaint little hotel is a dream for many people, especially in Florida where mild winters seem to guarantee guests. The reality can be long hours and precarious profits, similar to any small business. Small hotels can't afford much in the way of marketing and have to constantly put money into their rooms simply to maintain them. Bigger hotels can be formidable competitors if they choose to be. Getting time away from the ...

Benchmark Hospitality Names Dwayne Jordan Executive Chef at Eaglewood Resort, Chicago / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  Special Report Benchmark Hospitality Names Dwayne Jordan Executive Chef at Eaglewood Resort, Chicago The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 2007 "Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the appointment of Dwayne Jordan as executive chef at Eaglewood Resort, located in Itasca, Illinois, near Chicago. Greg Parsons, general manager for the resort, made the announcement. "Dwayne is an award-winning chef whose passion for the culinary arts is unsurpassed," said Mr. Parsons. "We are thrilled he has joined our team and expect that he will set a new standard of culinary excellence at the ...

Buck Freeman Launched a Business Decorating Fraternity and Sorority Parties at the University of Iowa, Now Freeman Cos. Is the North American Heavyw

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Cheryl Hall, The Dallas Morning NewsMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Feb. 11, 2007 - When it comes to conventions, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., sit in the catbird seats. New York is pretty much booked, so Washington, D.C., is landing spillover business. Boston's new convention center and hotel have spawned a Beantown comeback. Chicago needs to relax its expensive labor rules. New Orleans needs rebirth beyond the city's core. And Dallas desperately needs a convention center hotel. That's the assessment of...

Dean Chininis Named General Manager of the InterContinental Kansas City / February 2007

January 30, 2007

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Dean Chininis Named General Manager of the InterContinental Kansas City KANSAS CITY, MO. (Feb. 27, 2007) – The InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza announced the addition of respected hotel manager, Dean Chininis, to its Kansas City Plaza location. Chininis will serve as the General Manager and brings more than 20 years of experience in luxury hotel management to the position.             “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dean as part of the InterContinental family in Kansas City. His addition reinforces the InterContinental’s reputation and commitment to ...