Hotel Group Rates to Continue to Rise: Increase Likely Through 2006, Says Survey of Krisam Group Member Hotels / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Group Rates to Continue to Rise: Increase Likely Through 2006,  Says Survey of Krisam Group Member Hotels 90% of hotels responding to survey  expect a continued increase in Average Daily Rate (ADR) in 2006 -  Continued rise in rates expected in all parts of the country -  7 in10 hotels say rates are now higher than they were in the “peak” year of 2000, or will be,  before the end of 2006 - Value keeps pace with prices: 75% of respondents implement major renovations, or facilities upgrades, to meet increasing demand and evolving customer needs - Washington, DC –...

Dusit's Brand, Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts, Contracts for First Resort Property in Koh Chang, Thailand / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Dusit's Brand, Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts, Contracts for First Resort Property in Koh Chang, Thailand March 13, 2006 - The latest addition to Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts, named Princess Resort, Koh Chang, has completed nearly 70 percent of construction to date. The new resort will be the first of its kind for Royal Princess, occupying 150 metres frontage on the beachfront of Ao Bai Lan, with a total of 96 rooms and suites. Duncan Jamieson, VP-Development for both Dusit and Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts, said, “This is Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts’ first resort pro...

Joint Partnership of Kimpton and ING Clarion Investing $22 million into the Former Holiday Inn Select, Alexandria, Virginia to Transform the 227-room

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Joint Partnership of Kimpton and ING Clarion Investing $22 million into the Former Holiday Inn Select, Alexandria, Virginia to Transform the 227-room Property into The Hotel Monaco. SAN FRANCISCO (March 8, 2006) Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group, LLC, the leader in the boutique/lifestyle hotel segment, today announced plans to open the Hotel Monaco, Alexandria in historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, marking Kimpton’s ninth hotel in the Washington metropolitan region. In a joint partnership, Kimpton and ING Clarion will invest approximately $22 million into the former Holiday Inn Select, t...

Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester Carves Out a 19 Room Super Luxury International Hotel as Part of $2.8 million Remodeling Project / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Bob Freund, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 23, 2006 - The surroundings are lavish. Hand-hewn mahogany crown moldings line the ceilings; automated window drapes are adjusted electronically; 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens cover king-sized beds; the walls of the guest lounge display the rich look of brown leather; 42-inch liquid crystal display TVs hang on walls or stand atop cabinets. Yet, it's the service that will attract guests likely to gravitat...

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report March 6, 2006 - The Kahala Hotel and Resort (www.kahalaresort.com), formerly the Mandarin Oriental Kahala, a Five Diamond property, selected Blue Square Studios and its Hospitality ToolkitTM to ease its online brand transition from the hotel chain to a luxury, independent hotel. Landmark Hotels Group, the resort's management company, selected Blue Square Studios (www.bluesqstudios.com) over competitors on the basis of the functionality of their HospitalityToolkitTM product suite and its ease of use.  “Clearly our challenge in moving from brand affiliation to independence is maintaining occupancy...

Destination Resorts and Casino Operator Kerzner Agrees to Go Private in $3 billion Buyout; Total Transaction Value is About $3.6 billion / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Destination Resorts and Casino Operator Kerzner Agrees to Go Private in $3 billion Buyout;  Total Transaction Value is About $3.6 billion PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas - March 20, 2006 -- Kerzner International Limited (NYSE:KZL), through its subsidiaries a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, casinos and luxury hotels, and an investor group which is being led by the Company's Chairman, Sol Kerzner and its Chief Executive Officer, Butch Kerzner, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which the Company will be acquired by the invest...

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report KPMG’s Golf Business Forum Welcomes Golf Legend Gary Player . Gary Player to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 3rd Annual Industry Event One of golf’s true legends, Gary Player, will be the special guest of honour at the 3rd annual KPMG Golf Business Forum on 8-10 June in Cyprus. Mr. Player will be awarded the first “Golf Business Forum Lifetime Achievement Award” at the KPMG event. Considered an International sporting hero Gary Player turned professional in 1953, has won more then 163 tournaments during a career spanning five decades, and has become one of the most respected golf co...

Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City Sustains Minor Tornado Damage; Resort Remains Open Despite Damage to Skylight Area on the Roof of the Waterpark / Marc

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City Sustains Minor Tornado Damage;  Resort Remains Open Despite Damage to Skylight Area on the Roof of the Waterpark MADISON, Wis., March 14, 2006 - Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOLF), the nation's largest owner, operator and developer of drive-to family resorts featuring indoor waterparks and other family-oriented entertainment activities, today announced that, according to initial assessments, its Kansas City, Kan. Great Wolf Lodge sustained only minor tornado-wind damage following severe weather that struck the Kansas City area over the weekend. "A prelimin...

Developers of the West Edge Complex in Kansas City Select Gemstone Resorts to Manage 130 room Hotel / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Developers of the West Edge Complex in Kansas City Select Gemstone Resorts to Manage 130 room Hotel PARK CITY, Utah, March 13, 2006 — Gemstone Resorts International, LLC, a leading resort and hotel management company that specializes in managing and asset managing four- and five-diamond-quality, unique urban hotels and lifestyle resorts, today announced that it has signed a contract to manage a new 130-room boutique hotel in Kansas City, Mo., scheduled to open by early summer of 2008.   “The hotel is part of a landmark project in Kansas City that will continue the expansion of the ...

Jebel Ali International Hotels Opens 45 story Hotel Apartment Tower Adjacent to Oasis Beach Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Jebel Ali International Hotels Opens 45 story Hotel Apartment Tower Adjacent to Oasis Beach Hotel,  Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai, UAE, 5th March 2006 – Jebel Ali International Hotels, the leading hospitality company that manages several of Dubai’s most luxurious properties, has announced the addition of the Oasis Beach Tower to their product portfolio. The Oasis Beach Tower, overlooking the Oasis Beach Hotel, has been launched as a luxury hotel apartment tower that will add almost 500 rooms to the company’s inventory.  The impressive 245 metre high tower, whose shee...

Jay Rosenthal Appointed Executive Vice President Of The Harp Group / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Jay Rosenthal Appointed Executive Vice President Of The Harp Group CHICAGO—(March 15, 2006)—Hotel veteran Jay Rosenthal has been appointed executive vice president for The Harp Group, a Chicago-based real estate investment and development company specializing in hospitality and retail projects.  Rosenthal will be responsible for evaluating hotel acquisition opportunities including market and hotel assessment and due diligence as well as asset management for The Harp Group’s hotel portfolio. Previously, Rosenthal was the area managing director for Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ W Hotels in Chi...

Jackie Rhody Joins the Sheraton Orlando North at Maitland Center as Sales Manager / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Jackie Rhody Joins the Sheraton Orlando North at Maitland Center as Sales Manager  ORLANDO, Fla., (March 10, 2006) Sales Manager Jackie Rhody joins the new Sheraton Orlando North at Maitland Center.  She brings to her position 15 years of experience in the Orlando, Fla., hospitality market.    "With her extensive background in hospitality and group sales, Jackie rounds out an already strong management team," says Peter Valenzuela, general manager, Sheraton Orlando North.  "Her leadership abilities and in-depth knowledge of this market will be tremendous assets to Sheraton, it...

Executive Staff Appointments at the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Include Jeff Peller to the General Manager Post / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Executive Staff Appointments at the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Include Jeff Peller to the General Manager Post CORALVILLE, Iowa – March 7, 2006 – Executive appointments were recently announced for the new Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, which is scheduled to open August 15, 2006.  Jeff Peller, a 31-year veteran with Marriott International was named General Manager and will oversee operations for the 286-room property. Formerly, Jeff was the General Manager of the Schaumburg Marriott in Schaumburg, Illinois and the Marriott Suites O’Hare, located in Rosemo...

John Pagano Appointed President of Baha Mar Development Company LTD, Developers of a Colossal Destination Resort in the Bahamas / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  John Pagano Appointed President of Baha Mar Development Company LTD,  Developers of a Colossal Destination Resort in the Bahamas NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS (March 15, 2006) --- Baha Mar Development Company Ltd. has appointed John Pagano as President, it was announced today by Sarkis Izmirlian, CEO, Baha Mar Resorts Ltd.     Baha Mar Development Company is a subsidiary of Baha Mar Resorts Ltd. and is responsible for the oversight and execution of all development-related aspects of the Baha Mar resort project, including MHA Studio, dedicated to the architectural design and execution of Baha Mar.Â...

A Family Story: Chicago Is… President, Michael O'Connor Receives Award Named for His Mother / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  A Family Story: Chicago Is... President, Michael O'Connor Receives Award Named for His Mother Joanne O’Connor, founder of Chicago’s Leading Destination Management Company (DMC),  is Remembered at Gathering of the World’s Leading DMCs    CHICAGO, March 21, 2006 – Michael O’Connor, President of Chicago Is . . ., Chicago’s leading Destination Management Company (DMC), received the first annual Joanne O’Connor President’s Award   at the 11th annual conference of the Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME), held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The award, name...

Lodgian Names James A. MacLennan EVP and Chief Financial Officer / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Lodgian Names James A. MacLennan EVP and Chief Financial Officer ATLANTA, Ga., March 1, 2006—Lodgian, Inc. (AMEX: LGN), one of the nation’s largest independent owners and operators of full-service hotels, today announced that James A. MacLennan will be named executive vice president and chief financial officer.  Although MacLennan joined the company as vice president on March 1, 2006, the appointment to executive vice president and chief financial officer will take place upon the effectiveness of the resignation of Lodgian’s current CFO, Linda Borchert Philp, which was announ...

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Select Service Division Seeking Hotel Financing Specialist to Head New Financing Division / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Select Service Division Seeking Hotel Financing Specialist to Head New Financing Division ATLANTA – March 15, 2006 – Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, a publicly traded real estate company, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Atlanta-based operations with the addition of Select Service Division personnel.  The company is seeking a senior level hotel financing specialist to head new division focusing on the financing of select service and mid-market hotels.  Hotel financing track record is required for consideration.  Attractive salary-commission-bonus structured...

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Select Service Division Seeking Hotel Sales Professionals to Expand Operations in Los Angeles / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Select Service Division Seeking Hotel Sales Professionals to Expand Operations in Los Angeles ATLANTA – March 8, 2006 – Jones Lang LaSalle, a publicly traded real estate company, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Los Angeles operations with the addition of Select Service Division personnel.  The company is seeking qualified real estate agents specializing in hotels for all sales positions.  Hotel transaction history and experience is required for consideration.  Attractive salary-commission-bonus structured compensation with excellent benefits including...

Harrah's Raises the Ante In Bid for the Resort Project in Singapore; James Cameron to Create iPort a Sixteen Story Immersive Entertainment Exper

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Harrah's Raises the Ante In Bid for the Resort Project in Singapore;  James Cameron to Create "iPort" a Sixteen Story Immersive Entertainment Experience LAS VEGAS - March 13, 2006--Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) and Keppel Land raised the ante today in their bid for the integrated resort project at Marina Bay in Singapore, joining forces with Hollywood legend and Academy Award® winner James Cameron to create "iPort" -- an immersive indoor entertainment experience. This teaming represents an unparalleled convergence of Cameron's Hollywood creativity with Harrah's entertainment and cu...

The Newly-renamed Island Hotel Newport Beach Appoints Key Marketing Executives / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Newly-renamed Island Hotel Newport Beach Appoints Key Marketing Executives NEWPORT BEACH, CA (March 27, 2006) --  The newly-renamed Island Hotel Newport Beach has hired a talented sales and marketing team, according to Hansjoerg Maissen, general manager of the luxury 20-story, 295-room property set amidst five acres of landscaped gardens in Newport Beach.              With a combined 50 years of experience at some of the country’s finest properties, the sales and marketing team will help to reposition the hotel in the marketplace and consists of Terri Reid, director of sales...

Four Would be Buyers Hovering As the $98 million Sale of The Holiday Isle Resort in the Florida Keys Stalls / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Douglas Hanks III, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 21, 2006 - Four would-be buyers are hovering around the troubled sales talks involving Islamorada's Holiday Isle resort in hopes the deal falls through, a representative of the owner said. A federal bankruptcy-court judge on Friday granted a West Palm Beach developer an extension on its $98 million purchase contract for the famed honky-tonk resort on the ocean. An entity controlled by Ceebraid-Signal filed for bankruptcy protection in February in a ...

Owners of 2-year-old The Inn At Whittier (Alaska) In Arrears; Foreclosure Set for May 2, 2006 / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Sarana Schell, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  March 29, 2006 -  For sale, maybe: lovely high-end hotel in gorgeous setting, cheap.  Owners of 2-year-old The Inn At Whittier, a 25-room hotel and restaurant, are in default, said lender First National Bank Alaska. A foreclosure auction is set for 10:30 a.m. May 2 at the state courthouse in downtown Anchorage. "I've been told by the owners that it's not going to get to that point," said Guy Olsen, general manager of the inn, which features log beams, New England-style siding and...

InfoGenesis Las Vegas to Open in May 2006; New Worldwide Solution and Briefing Center to Showcase the Latest Products and Solutions from InfoGenesis a

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report   InfoGenesis Las Vegas to Open in May 2006 . New Worldwide Solution and Briefing Center to Showcase the Latest Products and Solutions from InfoGenesis and its Partners Las Vegas, NV (March 31, 2006) – InfoGenesis, one of the country’s leading hospitality technology companies, is launching InfoGenesis Las Vegas.  This one-of-a-kind facility, which functions as the company’s Solution Center and Executive Briefing Center, brings to life the latest products and solutions from InfoGenesis and its partners -- giving customers a unique, fully integrated look at current and future hospitality...

Le Soleil and Vitesse Striving Hard Not to Be the "Hotel Restaurant and Bar" at the Conrad Indianapolis / March 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Kelly Kendall, The Indianapolis Star Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 27, 2006 - So, you won't be reserving one of the Conrad Hotel's posh suites anytime soon -- you already live here. But staffers at the new Downtown hotel, which officially opens its doors today, still hope you won't be a stranger. They want you to dine at Le Soleil, a restaurant that just happens to be inside the hotel but is not a "hotel restaurant," thank you very much. The Conrad hopes the Parisian-style brasserie, headed by world-renowne...