The Procaccianti Group Acquires 8 Hotels in 2005; Portfolio Now at 40 Hotels in 15 States / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report   The Procaccianti Group Acquires 8 Hotels in 2005;  Portfolio Now at 40 Hotels in 15 States Robert Leven Promoted to Chief Investment Officer CRANSTON, R.I., January 26, 2006 — Officials of The Procaccianti Group (TPG), a New England-based, full-service, privately owned hotel ownership, management and construction company, today announced that it completed more than $600 million in hotel acquisitions during 2005.  The acquisition pace was a record for the company, making it one of the largest private acquirers of hotel real estate last year.   In conjunction with the ...

Resorts as Private Clubs Business Trend / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Resorts as Private Clubs Business Trend FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, January 6, 2006 – Whether it’s a beach resort in the Caribbean, a cruise ship to Alaska or an adventure or spa retreat, affluent baby boomers are expecting the newest and latest when it comes to their leisure time and are willing to pay for it. Multiple signature golf courses, luxurious spas, tennis and fitness centers, wellness centers, hiking, skeet and clay shooting, climbing walls, ropes courses, water sports, nature tours, private air-strip and multiple gourmet dining choices at resorts are now de rigueur for the boomer.  Resor...

Presidio Hotel Group Planning Acquisition, Renovation and Rebranding of the 434 room Fort Worth Plaza Hotel; Originally Opened in 1974 as the Fort Wor

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Sandra Baker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  FORT WORTH — January 18, 2006 - Presidio Hotel Group in California is buying the Fort Worth Plaza Hotel at 1601 Commerce St. and plans to upgrade the property to gain the Sheraton Hotel flag.  Guneet Bajwa, Presidio’s executive vice president, said Tuesday that the company is completing its due diligence review of the 434-room property and expects to close the deal in mid-February. The project, though, got a big boost Tuesday when the company received approval from Sheraton, ...

The Plasencia Group Expands Sun Hospitality Advisors Division With San Francisco Office / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The Plasencia Group Expands Sun Hospitality Advisors Division With San Francisco Office Combines a "Full Service Approach to Marketing Limited Service and Mid-Market Hotels" SAN FRANCISCO, January 23, 2006 -- The Plasencia Group, Inc., the leading national hospitality transaction and consulting services firm representing owners of hotels, resorts, and golf courses, has expanded its Sun Hospitality Advisors division capabilities on the West Coast with an office in San Francisco.  Scott Griemsmann has been appointed Vice President, Western Region of the expanding Sun Hospitality division and...

Plasencia Group, Inc. Offers Aggressive Lodging Investment Roadmap for 2006 / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Plasencia Group, Inc. Offers Aggressive Lodging Investment Roadmap for 2006 TAMPA, FLORIDA- January 18, 2006- According to The Plasencia Group, Inc., the leading hospitality transaction and consulting services firm representing owners of hotels, resorts and golf courses, there will be a continued upward growth of transaction activity throughout 2006 and possibly longer.  This is due, in part, to a number of major property owners who will need to shed assets in the beginning of 2006 and because of the quality of hotels hitting the markets this year, which are expected to be an improvement from ...

The Plasencia Group, Inc. Advises Islandia Associates, LTD in sale of Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The Plasencia Group, Inc. Advises Islandia Associates, LTD in Sale of Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel TAMPA, FLORIDA-January 10, 2006 - The Plasencia Group, Inc., the leading hospitality transaction and consulting services firm representing owners of hotels, resorts, and golf courses, served as exclusive investment advisor to Islandia Associates, LTD in the sale of the 421-room Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel in San Diego, California. The Hyatt Regency sits in a spectacular resort-like setting with panoramic views of Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.  Hyatt Corporation will continue to manage the h...

Passkey Hires Top Hospitality Industry Professionals; Key Additions to Sales Team Broadens National Coverage / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Passkey Hires Top Hospitality Industry Professionals - Key Additions to Sales Team Broadens National Coverage Quincy, MA - Jan 25, 2006 - Passkey, the worldwide leader in online group reservations, today announced the addition of Rodd Herron as vice president of business development, and Courtney Marsh and David Leitner as regional directors of business development to its U.S. sales team. With over 40 years of combined industry experience, Herron, Marsh and Leitner will be fundamental to the company's rapid growth, and further establish Passkey as the industry standard for online group reser...

Amstar Group Acquires the 296 room Hilton Pasadena for $65 million / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Kevin Smith, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 5, 2006 - PASADENA -- Amstar Group, a Denver-based real estate private-equity firm, announced Wednesday that it has acquired the Hilton Pasadena hotel. Amstar purchased the 296-room facility for $65 million in an all-cash transaction from The Carlyle Group, another private-equity firm, and Davidson Hotel Co. The hotel will retain the Hilton flag and Davidson will stay on as an equity investor to manage the property, officials said. ...

Shangri-La Asia Acquires Historic Palais In Prime Paris Location For Its First European Hotel / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Shangri-La Asia Acquires Historic Palais In Prime Paris Location For Its First European Hotel Shangri-La Asia, parent company of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, has acquired the historic palais of Prince Roland Bonaparte with plans to convert it to the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris in late 2008, marking the group's European debut. The Bonaparte family mansion in Paris' 16th arrondissement will be converted into the capital's first luxury hotel fully owned and operated by an Asian hotel group. Located at 10, avenue d'Iena, near the Trocadero, the building offer...

Paramount Hotel Group Appoints Peter N. Valenzuela General Manager at the Sheraton at Maitland Center, Orlando / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Paramount Hotel Group Appoints Peter N. Valenzuela General Manager at the Sheraton at Maitland Center, Orlando ORLANDO, Fla., (Jan. 5, 2006) -- Peter N. Valenzuela joins the new Sheraton hotel at Maitland Center as general manager.  He heads a team of hospitality veterans on a mission to build North Orlando's premier upscale conference and lodging facility.  Valenzuela brings to his new position great depth of experience, having worked with many of the world's leading brands for the past 25 years.  "Pete's leadership skills, combined with his expertise in operations, marketi...

Patrick Kozuma Appointed General Manager of the ResortQuest Paki Maui in Lahaina, Maui / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Patrick Kozuma Appointed General Manager of the ResortQuest Paki Maui in Lahaina, Maui HONOLULU - ResortQuest® Hawaii, formerly Aston Hotels & Resorts, has named Patrick Kozuma general manager of the ResortQuest Paki Maui, a 73-unit condominium resort featuring studios and one- and two-bedroom suites. In his new position Kozuma will be responsible for the management of the property and guest services.  Kozuma, a 29-year Hawaii travel industry veteran, was previously the hotel manager at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. He began his career in 1977 as a steward at the Sheraton Waikiki and ...

Optimum Hotel Brokerage Brokers Sale of Southbury Hilton in Southbury, Connecticut / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Optimum Hotel Brokerage Brokers Sale of Southbury Hilton in Southbury, Connecticut Elkins Park, PA, January 24, 2006  – Optimum Hotel Brokerage announced today that the firm has closed on the sale of the 200-room Southbury Hilton in Southbury, Connecticut.  Joe McCann, president of Optimum Hotel Brokerage, represented the seller in the transaction.  The full service hotel was purchased by Northstar Hotels, who have changed the property’s franchise affiliation to the Crowne Plaza brand.  Northstar plans to renovate the property’s guest rooms and extensive ballroom and meeting space. “Th...

Guidelines to Opening a Hotel from a Financial Controller's Perspective / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Guidelines to Opening a Hotel from a Financial Controller's Perspective by NP Chandrashekhar CHA,MHCIMA,  January 2006 Anything that has to be started afresh requires a “little more effort” than that is already existing and running.  It is very true in case of a hotel.  Opening of any hotel requires that “little more” as this involves the needs of operational expertise, systems expertise, back office expertise and marketing expertise before starting of operations.  Coordinated efforts of all these expertises make it easier to the opening of a hotel.  Many non-hotelier owners do not u...

Nine Months after Winning and Signing Deal with City of Fort Worth, Omni Hotels Seeks Additional $18 million in Tax Rebates and Cash for 600 room Co

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Mitchell Schnurman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 22, 2006 - Is Fort Worth an easy mark or what? City leaders have spent years trying to land a convention hotel, and last April, they finally signed a deal with Omni Hotels of Irving. Fort Worth agreed to kick in $31 million toward a $90 million project, with an additional $19 million in tax breaks to come from the state and county. When government covers more than half your expenses, that's pretty rich. But nine month...

Bray & Gillespie announces new company name: Ocean Waters / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  Bray & Gillespie Announces New Company Name:  Ocean Waters - Daytona’s Oceans Resorts becomes Ocean Waters Management Daytona Beach, FL (January 4, 2004) – Oceans Resorts, the largest private hospitality company in the Daytona Beach area, is changing names to Ocean Waters to reflect its parent company’s growing brand. With the dawn of 2006 Oceans Resorts, which runs a portfolio of 27 hotels and resorts along Florida’s east coast, became Ocean Waters Management. The name change puts the hospitality company in line with its sister company, Ocean Waters Development. Charles Bray, Ocean ...

RLJ Development LLC Secures Deal with the City of Norfolk, Virginia for a Proposed 240 room Hilton / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  RLJ Development LLC Secures Deal with the City of Norfolk, Virginia for a Proposed 240 room Hilton  NORFOLK, VA, January 09, 2006 – The City of Norfolk, Virginia has announced that the burgeoning seaside city will see its fleet of hotel accommodations supplemented by a new, 240-room Hilton Hotel in 2008, backed by billionaire and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), Robert L. Johnson.   Johnson secured the deal with The City of Norfolk and locally-based Fulco Development through his real estate company RLJ Development LLC, the largest African-American hotel investment company ...

Noble Investment Group Adds Depth to Development Division, Formerly Known as Stormont Noble Development; Currently Has More than $600 million in Proje

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Noble Investment Group Adds Depth to Development Division,  Formerly Known as Stormont Noble Development - Currently Has More than $600 million in Projects Under Design and Development Mark Rafuse Named Chief Development Officer; John Cooper Named EVP of Development;  Kevin Grass Named SVP of Design and Construction ATLANTA, Ga., January 18, 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 added significant depth to its development division, formerly known as Stormo...

Makeover Transforms the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel; Location Dictated a $67.5 million Renovation of 30 Year Old Hotel / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Michele Himmelberg, The Orange County Register, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 7, 2006 - The landmark fountain survived, but just about everything else at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel got tossed, moved or overhauled in the past 18 months as part of a makeover that transformed the hotel and repositioned it as a competitor in Orange County's upscale lodging market. Marriott's $67.5 million investment is the biggest renovation in the county and part of a remodeling trend that has touched more than half a dozen othe...

FelCor Identifies 38 Hotels for Sale, Expects Proceeds of Between $500 million and $550 million; The New FelCor Will Own 90 Hotels / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report  FelCor Identifies 38 Hotels for Sale, Expects Proceeds of Between $500 million and $550 million; The New FelCor Will Own 90 Hotels IRVING, Texas, | FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH), one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs), today announced that it has executed an agreement modifying the current management agreements covering all FelCor-owned hotels managed by InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG"). This agreement will enable the Company to complete its repositioning program and create the "New FelCor." Agreement Highlights: FelCor wi...

2006 Convention Year Off to a Big Start in San Francisco – MacWorld and Fancy Food Show To Bring 46,500 People, $44.3 Million Economic Impact /

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report 2006 Convention Year Off to a Big Start in San Francisco - MacWorld and Fancy Food Show To Bring 46,500 People, $44.3 Million Economic Impact  January 6, 2006 - Two large events - MacWorld Conference and Expo and the Winter Fancy Food Show -  will bring a combined  46,500 people and $44.3 million in economic impact to San Francisco in January, according to the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB). "These groups consistently provide a strong kick-off to the new year," said SFCVB Vice President Conventions Mark Theis.  "We feel fortunate to host these prestigious ...

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report The 150 room Luna di Lusso, Italian for “Moon of Luxury,” Opening in MonteLago Village on Lake Las Vegas Lake Las Vegas, Nev. (Winter 2006) – In spring 2006 MonteLago Village Resort, Lake Las Vegas will see its biggest expansion yet when the opening of Luna di Lusso nearly doubles the number of guest rooms offered, and new boutiques and restaurants build on the Village’s already vibrant experience.  MonteLago Village Resort provides a unique setting unlike any other in Southern Nevada, with winding cobblestone walkways and waterfront promenades, open-air cafes, restaurants...

Mintek Mobile Data Solutions Returns to Hasek Communications for 2006; Ohio-Based Firm Will Provide Full Slate of Public Relations Services / January

January 30, 2006

Mintek Mobile Data Solutions Returns to Hasek Communications for 2006;  Ohio-Based Firm Will Provide Full Slate of Public Relations Services DUNEDIN, FLA .— January 24, 2005 — Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, the lodging industry’s leading provider of automated solutions for preventive maintenance and asset management, has selected Hasek Communications as its public relations representative for 2006. Cleveland, Ohio-based Hasek Communications is led by Glenn Hasek, president, who has more than 12 years of lodging industry experience. Hasek Communications has represented Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek since September 2003. The com...

MeriStar Hospitality Corporation Sells Five Hotels In Separate Transactions for $58.5 million / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report MeriStar Hospitality Corporation Sells Five Hotels In Separate Transactions for $58.5 million BETHESDA, Md., January 3, 2005 — MeriStar Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: MHX), one of the nation’s largest hotel real estate investment trusts (REIT), today announced that it has sold five hotels, in separate transactions, for $58.5 million in gross proceeds during the 2005 fourth quarter.    The properties include: • Hilton Salt Lake City Airport (287 rooms)  • Doubletree Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn. (200 rooms) • Hilton in Durham, N.C.  (194 rooms) • Cro...

Stability Returns to the Meetings Market / Robert Mandelbaum / January 2006

January 30, 2006

Hotel Online  Special Report Stability Returns to the Meetings Market by Robert Mandelbaum, January 2006 Like other businesses, the meetings industry operates over time on a cyclical basis.  There are years of industry recession when the number of events and attendees decline.  Conversely, there are years of recovery and expansion when both attendance and event counts rise. The U.S. meetings market, like the domestic hotel industry, has just completed all the phases of a business cycle.  From peak performance in the late 1990s, to contraction from 2001 to 2003, to recovery and growth in 2004 and 2005, the ...