Analysis-Companies Boost Social and Climate Reporting Amid ESG Backlash
November 4th, 2024
Cornell's Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Names Charles Mund, Bruce Reinstein and Larry Reinstein as Recipients of the 2006 Hospitalit
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  Cornell's Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Names Charles Mund, Bruce Reinstein and Larry Reinstein as Recipients of the 2006 Hospitality Innovator Award Ithaca, NY, April 25, 2006— The Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration has named Charles Mund ‘51, Bruce Reinstein ’79 and Larry Reinstein ’77 as recipients of the 2006 Hospitality Innovator Award. The award, launched this year, honors entrepreneurs who have created and built distinctly successful ventures in the hospitality field. “The Cornell Hotel School is...
Choice Hotels Reports First Quarter Net Income Grew 47% to $17.7 million Compared to the Same Period Last Year; Domestic Hotel Franchise Contracts Up
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Choice Hotels Reports First Quarter Net Income Grew 47% to $17.7 million Compared to the Same Period Last Year; Domestic Hotel Franchise Contracts Up 17% / Brand Operating Data Company Raises 2006 Earnings Guidance SILVER SPRING, Md., April 25, 2006 - Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for the first quarter of 2006:    * Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 44% to $0.26, compared to       $0.18 for first quarter 2005.    * Net income grew 47% from $12.0 million in first quarter 2005 to $17.7  Â...
Lufthansa and BusinessJet Class Sign Private Jet Agreement / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Lufthansa and BusinessJet Class Sign Private Jet Agreement New York, April 4, 2006- BusinessJet Class, the first marketing and automated distribution system for private jet charter, has signed an agreement with Lufthansa, the first commercial carrier to offer its own private jet service, Lufthansa Private Jet. This agreement now gives travel agents the ability to book Lufthansa scheduled flights in conjunction with Lufthansa Private Jet flights, seamlessly and exclusively on the BusinessJet Class reservation system. “We are very excited to be working with BusinessJet Class to provide our tr...
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 59 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 59 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Chicago, IL. April 3, 2006 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have added or updated 59 hotel projects in the last two weeks to the New Hotel Construction Projects database. Notable projects entered in the last two weeks include: North End Beachfront Redevelopment, Ocean Grove NJ Resort & Casino, Massillon OH 401 Hotel and Residences, Minneapolis MN Marriott Residence Inn, Roanoke VA New Hotel, Indianapolis IN Nickelodeon Hotel, New York NY Hotel ...
Developer Sam Savarino Calls Off Purchase, Possible $70 million Rehab of Buffalo's Historic Statler Hotel / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Sharon Linstedt, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News April 20, 2006 - Owner Gerald Buchheit says there are other parties interested in buying the 73-year-old landmark Statler Towers. A local developer who was eyeing downtown Buffalo's Statler Towers for conversion to a hotel/office/condominium complex has decided against buying the landmark. Samuel J. Savarino, president and CEO of Buffalo-based Savarino Companies, confirmed Wednesday that he let a $7.5 million purchase c...
Pet Friendly Travel Statistics Reported for First Quarter of 2006 / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Pet Friendly Travel Statistics Reported for First Quarter of 2006 Knoxville, TN -- April 17, 2006 - -- BringYourPet.com, a leading pet friendly hotel and lodging directory continuously polls thousands of its Web site visitors, newsletter subscribers, and random households regarding their travel and purchase habits. All who participate in the surveys own at least one pet. A portion of the 2006 results are as follows: 83% stay at designated pet-friendly hotels or lodging each year. 75% take their pets with them when leaving town. 63% would be more likely to lengthen their stay if give...
BringYourPet.com Helps Pet-Friendly Hotels Reach Niche Market and Create Incremental Revenues/ April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report BringYourPet.com Helps Pet-Friendly Hotels Reach Niche Market and Create Incremental Revenues Knoxville, TN---April 12, 2006--- For the millions of pet owners, who prefer to travel with their pets, the hassle of finding places that will accept them is over. The staff at BringYourPet.com (www.bringyourpet.com) does all the scouting around necessary to find the best pet-friendly places in the USA and abroad, thus creating an excellent travel resource for pet owners. Pet-friendly hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, condos, cabins and resorts are able to better generate incremental revenues. Brin...
Mere Battles in the War for Brand Awareness / John R. Hendrie / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  Mere Battles in the War for Brand Awareness John R. Hendrie, April 2006 Our terminology has become more bellicose and contentious as we compose, frame and wage our efforts for Consumer Awareness and recognition of our various Brands. In the last several years, we have had the “Bed Wars”, then we moved into the “Amenities War”, ever ramping up our escalation of strategies and tactics to remain competitive or take the lead. Now, we are even looking at the “experiential”, surely a stealth movement.  We denounce the “guerilla” tendencies of Organized Labor; we pour millions into “re...
Boston Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union and the New InterContinental Boston Reach Labor Agreement / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Boston Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union and the New InterContinental Boston Reach Labor Agreement By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News April 11, 2006 - The Boston hotel workers union and the new InterContinental Boston hotel on Atlantic Avenue have reached a labor agreement after months of negotiations. The hotel is scheduled to open on Nov. 1, and Janice Loux, president of the Boston Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union, Local 26, had declared a ''boycott" to force the operator to hire union employees. Under the agreement, betwee...
Developer David Hale and Hotelier Elizabeth Tullis Renovating the 48 unit GuestLodge Motel in Boise, Idaho; Spending $2 million for Retro Theme and
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Joe Estrella, The Idaho Statesman, Boise Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Apr. 18, 2006 - The Linen District near Downtown Boise will add a hotel component later this year, developer David Hale said Monday. Hale is partnering with long-time hotelier Elizabeth Tullis -- a former partner in the Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley -- to acquire the Boise GuestLodge, a two-story, 48-unit travel lodge at the northeast corner of 14th and Grove. The facility will undergo a $2 million renovation before reopening in late 2006 as...
Blue Square Studios Partners with Microsoft for Hospitality Toolkit 3.0 Release / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Phoenix AZ (April 5, 2006) -- Blue Square Studios is preparing for a major upgrade to its popular Hospitality ToolkitTM 2.2 product and has partnered with Microsoft to help with the plan. The new version of the Hospitality Toolkit leverages the Microsoft Net 2.0 and SQL Server 2005 architecture and will continue to use the Windows Server 2003 platform for the foundation of its web server “farm” – helping to provide a reliable ASP solution to the hospitality industry. Hospitality ToolkitTM 3.0 is slated for release in Q1 2007. Hospitality ToolkitTM is Blue Square Studios' proprietary, signature...
The Financially Troubled Sheraton Billings Hotel Attracting Interest from Several Investor Groups / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Tom Howard, Billings Gazette, Mont. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News April 4, 2006 - Representatives of a Denver-based real estate company are in Billings this week to take a look at the financially troubled Sheraton Billings Hotel. Alan Elliott, general manager of the Sheraton, wouldn't disclose the name of the potential buyers, saying only that the Sheraton has attracted interest from investor groups inside and outside Billings. However, the Denver headquarters of J.R. Herzog & Sons Inc. confirmed that company representatives were in Billings. But company...
With the U.S. Hotel Industry Facing Labor Shortages, Especially at the Entry Level, Bill Marriott Presses Congress for Comprehensive Immigration Refor
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  With the U.S. Hotel Industry Facing Labor Shortages, Especially at the Entry Level, Bill Marriott Presses Congress for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Also Calls for a More 'Open Door' Policy for Visitors to the U.S. WASHINGTON, April 11, 2006 - Calling for "good, comprehensive immigration reform," J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), today said he hopes Congress "works out their differences," to do "what is right for our industry, our economy and our nation of immigrants." Speaking at a global tourism and trav...
Noble Investment Group Names Susan E. Benshoff Corporate Director of Revenue Management and Nelson F. Garrido Vice President of Information Technology
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Noble Investment Group Names Susan E. Benshoff Corporate Director of Revenue Management and Nelson F. Garrido Vice President of Information Technology ATLANTA, Ga., April 25, 2006—Officials of Noble Investment Group, one of the hospitality industry’s leading owner/operators of upscale and premium branded hotels, today announced that it has named Susan E. Benshoff corporate director of revenue management and Nelson F. Garrido vice president of information technology. “As Noble continues to expand its resort and lodging portfolio, it becomes increasingly important to further strengthen our ma...
Cendant Hotel Group Completes Baymont Inn & Suites Acquisition; Brand Will be Led by Keith Pierce / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Cendant Hotel Group Completes Baymont Inn & Suites Acquisition; Brand Will be Led by Keith Pierce PARSIPPANY, N.J. (April 7, 2006) - Cendant Hotel Group today said it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the Baymont Inn & Suites(r) brand and system of 115 franchised properties.  The acquisition from affiliates of The Blackstone Group, a private investment firm based in New York, includes worldwide rights to the Baymont Inn & Suites brand but no real estate.  "We bought Baymont Inn & Suites because of its strategic importance in the growing midscale lodgin...
Managed by the German Company, Bavaria Hotels International, The Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai with 2,100 Suites in Two 40 storey Towers, Prepares fo
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  Managed by the German Company, Bavaria Hotels International, The Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai with 2,100 Suites in Two 40 storey Towers, Prepares for Late 2006 Opening  Dubai, April 2006: Finding hotel and meetings space for medium to large size groups has long been a challenge in the rapidly developing Dubai. This challenge will soon be overcome when Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai opens late 2006 with 2,100 designer suites in two 40-storey towers connected by an air-conditioned pedestrian walkway, located within the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone in the heart of the city’s ...
Reig Capital Group Selects Mandarin Oriental to Operate 144 room Hotel in Spain's Second Largest City, Barcelona / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Reig Capital Group Selects Mandarin Oriental to Operate 144 room Hotel in Spain's Second Largest City, Barcelona HONG KONG, April 5, 2006 -- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has today announced that it will manage a new, luxurious hotel currently under development in Barcelona. The project provides the Group with a unique opportunity to expand its luxury brand in Europe and in particular, into one of Europe’s foremost travel destinations. Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona will be a stylish, 144-room hotel, ideally located on Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona’s most prestigious address, at the very centre o...
Visitors to Barcelona Continue to Rise but Hotel Performance Heads South / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Visitors to Barcelona Continue to Rise But Hotel Performance Heads South April 2006 - Barcelona is the ideal all round destination with sand, sea and sunshine on the doorstep of a city rich in culture and tradition. Over recent years the number of visitors to the city has risen significantly. However, despite this hotel performance has been struggling. Figures from the HotelBenchmark™ Survey by Deloitte show that in 2005 revenue per available room (revPAR) fell to its lowest level in five years. Hotel performance falters The graph below shows the performance of a consistent sam...
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February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Hotel Common Sense . “A Bakers Dozen” of Ideas for Hotel Management Company Executives by John Hogan, MBA CHA MHS CHE, April 2006 . The front page of the December 26, 2005 Chicago Tribune offered a most interesting headline: DOES ANYONE HAVE TIME TO THINK ANYMORE? In a period of cell phones, text messaging, palm pilots and blackberry hand held devices that keep many people accessible and responding well beyond the ten hour workday, one wonders about the value of free “think” time any longer. We often see a top ten list of ideas.    The term "bakers dozen" arose when bakers starte...
Benchmark's Brendan Slaven, Executive Chef at Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, Wins Global Copper Skillet Culinary Competition / Ap
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report  Benchmark's Brendan Slaven, Executive Chef at Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, Wins Global Copper Skillet Culinary Competition The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, April 13, 2006 - Benchmark Hospitality International has formally announced that Brendan Slaven, executive chef at the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, has won the global Copper Skillet culinary competition held recently at the 25th Anniversary Annual Conference of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). Slaven had previously won the United States' title of the competition. He competed...
Benchmark Hospitality Appoints Bryan Forsythe General Manager at Berry Hill Plantation Resort in South Boston, Virginia / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Benchmark Hospitality Appoints Bryan Forsythe General Manager at Berry Hill Plantation Resort in South Boston, Virginia The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, April 6, 2006 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the appointment of Bryan Forsythe as general manager for Berry Hill Plantation Resort, located in South Boston, Virginia. Ellen Sinclair, vice president, made the announcement. "It is with great pleasure that I announce the promotion of Bryan Forsythe to the position of general manager for Benchmark at the historic Berry Hill Plantation Resort," stated Ms. Sincl...
Atlanta Marriott Marquis Completes $38 million Renovation to all 1,675 rooms / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Atlanta Marriott Marquis Completes $38 million Renovation to all 1,675 rooms ATLANTA, GA., – April 13, 2006 – Atlanta’s largest, premier convention hotel, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis recently unveiled a cutting-edge, $38 million renovation to all 1,675-guest rooms and suites. Exceptionally located in the heart of Peachtree Center, the award-winning and legendary hotel, owned by Host Marriott, is a leader in the city’s emerging trend to continue the revitalization and refurbishment of one of the most popular convention destinations in the country, Atlanta. “With the integration of the...
Andrew J Wood Has Been in the Hotel Business for Three Decades, Now Enjoyably Stuck as the GM of Chaophya Park Hotel & Resort in Thailand He Talks A
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Kanokporn Chanasongkram, Bangkok Post, Thailand Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Apr. 14, 2006 - His first Songkran in Chiang Mai years ago got him soaking wet as well as giggling with fun. Andrew J Wood laughed and smiled so much that he felt that he was completely a child again. From that time on the Englishman from Yorkshire considered Thailand's Water Festival to be a potent stress neutraliser. When one can't have a Songkran splash everyday to diminish daily tension, Andrew, who is now the general manager of Ch...
Amstar Completes Sale of the Repositioned Doubletree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to Thayer Lodging Group / April 2006...
February 28, 2006
Hotel Online Special Report Amstar Completes Sale of the Repositioned Doubletree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to Thayer Lodging Group Real Estate Private Equity Firm Exits Hospitality Asset by Creating a Second Life For Former Holiday Inn in Booming South Florida Location  PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (April 26, 2006) – Amstar Group today announced the disposition of its Doubletree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to Thayer Lodging Group. During its hold, Amstar, a Denver-based real estate private equity firm, rebranded the hotel and added numerous upgrades that led to dramatically improved operating re...
