Aqua Hotels & Resorts Restructures Operations Group; Albert Roque Promoted to Director of Operations / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Aqua Hotels & Resorts Restructures Operations Group;  Albert Roque Promoted to Director of Operations WAIKIKI BEACH, Hawaii – August 15, 2006 - Aqua Hotels & Resorts recently announced several promotions within its operations group. “In the spirit of Ohana and recognizing capable and hardworking employees, we reorganized and promoted qualified staff to accommodate Aqua’s recent brand transition and prepare for growth.” commented Guy Underkoffler, Aqua’s Vice President of Operations and Finance.  “The newly-promoted employees have been given oversight of areas where they ha...

GenaRes to Offer Competitive Rate Shopping Tools Via Interface with AnyRate Software; Leading-Edge Rate Intelligence Software Now Available to all Gen

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  GenaRes to Offer Competitive Rate Shopping Tools Via Interface with AnyRate Software Leading-Edge Rate Intelligence Software Now Available to all GenaRes Customers Dallas, Texas & Germantown, Tennessee – August  29, 2006 – GenaRes Worldwide Reservation ServicesSM Ltd., the global hotel industry’s newest representation and reservations company, announced that it is the first central reservations system (CRS) to be fully integrated with the AnyRate Software NG competitive rate intelligence software.  The integration will allow GenaRes customers to seamlessly access AnyRate competitive rat...

The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau: Grassroots Marketing Marks New Direction / Sandi Cain / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau:  Grassroots Marketing Marks New Direction By Sandi Cain, Orange County Business Journal Staff August 2006 The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau has a mission: to be the cheerleader that encourages people to visit Orange County for business or pleasure. They’re a meeting and convention planner’s right arm. and these days that arm needs to be as creative as possible to convince potential attendees to come to an event. “If (planners) don’t have good attendance and warm and fuzzy feelings about the destinatio...

Sree Hotels LLC and LTD Management Co. Partner with Starwood to Build a $15 million 140 room aloft Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Kyle Stock, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.McClatchy-Tribune Business News Aug. 29, 2006 --Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the lodging giant that owns the Westin, Sheraton and W brands, announced Monday that it will build a trendy 140-room property near Charleston International Airport with two Southeastern developers. The hotel is set to open in summer 2008 as one of the first in Starwood's new "aloft" brand. The company said those properties that will "carry the DNA" of W hotels, an upscale Starwood offerin...

GoldenTree InSite Partners, Aimbridge Hospitality and JF Capital Advisors Form Partnership to Acquire Doubletree Hotel Dallas-Campbell Centre and th

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive August 21, 2006 - GoldenTree InSite Partners, Aimbridge Hospitality and JF Capital Advisors announced today that they have formed a partnership to acquire, renovate and manage two Doubletree(R) hotels located in the Denver and Dallas areas. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The two properties are the 300-room Doubletree Hotel Dallas-Campbell Centre in Dallas, Texas and the 248-room Doubletree Hotel Denver-Southeast in Aurora, Colorado. Under terms of the agreement, Aimbridge Hospitality will operate and manage the hotels on ...

Industry Veteran Brian Cunningham Launches ActivityTec, a Technology, Revenue Management and Distribution Best Practices Consultancy to Resort Centric

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Industry Veteran Brian Cunningham Launches ActivityTec, a Technology, Revenue Management and Distribution Best Practices Consultancy to Resort Centric Activity Providers Roswell GA (August 16, 2006) -- Resort operators and independent activity providers looking to improve the financial performance of their Golf, Spa, Dining, Fitness Center, Child Program, Adventure tour and other guest activity service offerings will be interested in the advisory services offered by my new firm, ActivityTec.  Over the past 16 years I have worked extensively with systems focused on managing guest activity s...

Tucson-area Hotels and Resorts Ended June with a 73% Occupancy Rate; Reflective of Tucson's Growth as a Destination Market / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Levi J. Long, The Arizona Daily Star, TucsonMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Aug. 10, 2006 - In the normally sluggish summer, local hoteliers and tourism officials say it has been a solid season, though a new occupancy report won't confirm that assessment for a couple of weeks. Tucson-area hotels and resorts ended June with a 73 percent occupancy rate, according to Smith Travel Research, a Hendersonville, Tenn.-based company that tracks hospitality trends. That rate is up from 70.8 percent for the same month in 2005, ...

Loews Annapolis Hotel Names Allison Trinkle Executive Chef and Andrew Saba to Director of Food and Beverage / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Loews Annapolis Hotel Names Allison Trinkle Executive Chef and Andrew Saba to Director of Food and Beverage   . ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 9, 2006) – Loews Annapolis Hotel is pleased to announce the hiring of Allison Trinkle as executive chef and the promotion of Andrew Saba to director of food and beverage.                                      As the new executive chef at Loews Annapolis, Chef Trinkle will be responsible for creating seasonal menus for Breeze, Annapolis’ newest fine dining experience, as well as the hotel’s additional food and beverage outle...

The City of Boston Expecting More than $1.4 billion in Future Convention Business After Hosting the American Society of Association Executives Convent

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  The City of Boston Expecting More than $1.4 billion in Future Convention Business After Hosting the American Society of Association Executives Annual Meeting & Exposition Boston, MA: Aug 22, 2006 The American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership held their Annual Meeting & Exposition in Boston August 19 – 22. ASAE & The Center estimate that during their Annual Meeting & Exposition, attendance was over 6,000. This translates into more than $6.6 million spent by the delegates during their stay. Add to this the estimated $7.5 million spent by A...

Benchmark Hospitality Appoints Andrew Christie Director of Operations for North Maple Inn / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Benchmark Hospitality Appoints Andrew Christie Director of Operations for North Maple Inn .  The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 15, 2006 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the appointment of Andrew Christie as director of operations for North Maple Inn, a 171-guestroom property located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.  Dan Santiago, general manager for the Four Diamond hotel, made the announcement.   "I am pleased to announce the addition of Andrew to the team at North Maple Inn" said Mr. Santiago.  "He brings vast food & beverage knowledge to his new role, in addition ...

Even With the 3 day Government Shut Down in July, Atlantic City's 12 Casinos Had the Second-highest Gross-Revenue Month Ever / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Suzette Parmley, The Philadelphia InquirerMcClatchy-Tribune Business News Aug. 11, 2006 - ATLANTIC CITY -- The state-government shutdown that closed the city's 12 casinos for three days last month cost the industry here about $51 million in gambling revenue. Total revenue was down 4.8 percent for July, from the same month last year, according to figures released yesterday by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. But even with the industry shut down for three days, Atlantic City's gambling halls still had t...

Adam M. Aron, Former Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, Appointed to Starwood Hotels' Board of Directors / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Adam M. Aron, Former Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts,  Appointed to Starwood Hotels' Board of Directors WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Aug. 1, 2006 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), one of the world's largest hotel and leisure companies, today announced the election of Adam M. Aron, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of World Leisure Partners, Inc., to the Company's Board of Directors. Aron, 51, is also a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts, Inc. and former President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd., and served in senior marketin...

AAA Now Assessing an Application Fee to First-time Lodging Applicants and Repeat Applicants that Previously Failed an Evaluation / August 2006

March 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  AAA Now Assessing an Application Fee to First-time Lodging Applicants and Repeat Applicants that Previously Failed an Evaluation ORLANDO, FL  August 1, 2006  AAA, which evaluates hospitality establishments across North America as a service to members, will now charge an application fee for lodging properties that request an evaluation. “This is a necessary step to help offset the rising costs of processing thousands of applications each year,” says Michael Petrone, director of AAA’s Diamond Rating Process. “Payment will have no bearing on the outcome of evaluations; AAA does not guarant...

Vagabond Franchise System, Inc Gains New Franchise in Rancho Cordova, California; The former 116-room Fairfield Inn by Marriott Re-branded Vagabond I

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Vagabond Franchise System, Inc Gains New Franchise in Rancho Cordova, California;  The former 116-room Fairfield Inn by Marriott Re-branded Vagabond Inn Executive Sacramento (Rancho Cordova) LOS ANGELES, CA – May 26, 2006 - Vagabond Franchise System, Inc, announces the opening of its newest property, a Vagabond Inn Executivesm, in Rancho Cordova, CA.  This mid-market limited-service 116-room property is located in the City of Rancho Cordova in Sacramento County at the Zinfandel exit from Highway 50.  The re-branded hotel was built and previously operated as a Fairfield Inn by Marriott...

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Undergoing $40 million Renovation / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Undergoing $40 million Renovation ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas will begin an extensive $40 million renovation and enhancement project this summer, to be completed in time for the December 2006 holiday season. The plan reflects a return to the more intimate, casually elegant feel of the resort, which has made it one of the Caribbean's favorite retreats for the sophisticated traveler.      "The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas has always been an acclaimed retreat, appreciated for its Caribbean views...

Hotel Business Centers by Uniguest Make Airline Check-In Easy / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Hotel Business Centers by Uniguest Make Airline Check-In Easy April 17, 2006 - Uniguest, a national provider of hotel business center computer systems, makes airline check-in even easier by providing a “Print Boarding Pass” feature as part of its hotel business center application. The company has been providing this feature for over year with installations in over 400 hotels nationwide ranging from full service to limited service properties. By polling over 1,000 Uniguest business center users in ” real time”, Uniguest discovered that travelers were not only using the free to guest “b...

Hilton Hotels Corporation and Star Estates Company Ltd Sign Management Agreement for Hilton Ulaanbaatar, the Capital of Mongolia / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Hilton Hotels Corporation and Star Estates Company Ltd Sign Management Agreement for Hilton Ulaanbaatar, the Capital of Mongolia  Singapore, 11 May 2006 – Hilton Hotels Corporation, the world’s leading hospitality company, and  real estate developer Star Estates Company Ltd announced the signing of an agreement for Hilton to manage Hilton Ulaanbaatar, the newest and most lavish hotel development in the heart of Mongolia’s capital.   Scheduled to open in May 2008, Hilton Ulaanbaatar is ideally situated in the central area of downtown Ulaanbaatar, adjoined to Ulaanbaatar’s premier resid...

Not Allowed to Advertise, The117 room Inn at USC in Columbia, South Carolina Exceeding Occupancy Goals / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By James T. Hammond, The State, Columbia, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 4, 2006 - After a slow start late last year, The Inn at USC has met or exceeded its financial and occupancy goals every month since Jan. 1, general manager Ron Glancy says. The first room was rented July 27, and every room was available by September. But restrictions on advertising -- agreed to by the University of South Carolina Development Foundation and hotelier Bert Pooser because of opposition by other hotel owners -- slowed the ...

The New UK Hotel Grading System Explained / Barry Napier / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The New UK Hotel Grading System Explained - Stars in Their Eyes by Barry Napier, May 2006 Previously, each country within the UK had its own method for rating hotels, guesthouses, and B & B’s. From the New Year, 2006, this changed as standards were harmonised, to make choice of where to stay easier for customers. It has always been hit-and-miss…go from England to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and descriptions (and reality) of facilities could change dramatically. What you thought from the description was a high-class hotel, turned out to be a tired and inefficient bed and breakfast!...

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 9 . Blang, Bathtubs, Best Green, Arbitration, Best Western,  AAHOA, State Franchising Laws, VFR by Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC May 23, 2006 1.  Here’s a wonderful American immigrant success story!  In the past 25 years, members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) have acquired more than 20,000 hotels with more than one million rooms or 40% of all U.S. hotel properties.  If you bear in mind that Indian Americans constitute less than one percent of America’s population, their achievement is all the more extraordinary.  These hotels (many ups...

Golden Tulip Takes Over the Management of Golden Tulip Accra – Ghana's Capital and Largest City / May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Golden Tulip Takes Over the Management of Golden Tulip Accra - Ghana's Capital and Largest City Amersfoort (NL)/Lausanne (CH), 17 May 2006 – Golden Tulip Hospitality is proud to announce the signing of a management agreement for Golden Tulip Accra effective as per July 2006.  The Golden Tulip Accra is owned by GLAHCO Hotels & Tourism Development Company Ltd. and has been with Golden Tulip under a franchise agreement since 1992. Golden Tulip Accra is a first class African Style Business Hotel with 234 superior guestrooms and centrally located in the developing business district of Accra. ...

A Collaboration Between The Trump Organization and Nakheel Hotels & Resorts, The Trump International Hotel and Tower, The Palm Jumeirah Expected to

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Middle East and North Africa Business Report, Amman, Jordan Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 2, 2006 - Nakheel, the UAE's premier property developer and Donald J. Trump Jr. today revealed further details of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the centerpiece of The Palm Jumeirah. The new design -- a collaboration between The Trump Organization and Nakheel Hotels & Resorts, Nakheel's hotel and resort investment company -- was unveiled earlier this week. Speaking on Nakheel's stand at the Arabian Travel Market, t...

The House of Blues Hotel Turns to TravelCLICK iHotelier CRS for Fast Implementation and Impressive Results /May 2006

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The House of Blues Hotel Turns to TravelCLICK iHotelier CRS for Fast Implementation and Impressive Results Boutique Chicago Hotel Drives New Business through GDS and Award-Winning Online Booking Engine  CHICAGO (May 25, 2006) – TravelCLICK Inc., a leading provider of hotel business process management (BPM) solutions, announced today that the House of Blues Hotel selected TravelCLICK’s iHotelier Central Reservation System (CRS) for its GDS connectivity and online booking engine.  iHotelier’s award-wining booking engine was implemented in record time and the hotel started driving Inte...

February 28, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Turning a Transaction into a Relationship –  Creating the Memorable Experience John R. Hendrie and Brecca Loh, May 2006 The Check-in at the Front Desk: a mechanical, soulless interaction, prompted by computer inquiry, dictated by robotic responses, and final direction down that dark corridor.  Food Service: bland presentation, perfunctory placement of entrée, and perhaps a disinterested, “Bon Appetite”.  Retail Store:  languid associate, movement an effort, haughty sales techniques, an insincere, “My, that looks fabulous on you”.  Ticket Taker: a sullen, “next”.  These are the o...