Sheraton Yankee Clipper Beach Hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach One of Wilma’s Biggest Casualties / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Douglas Hanks III, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 1, 2005 - The beachfront building at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper could remain closed for a significant stretch of time in the wake of a severe battering by Hurricane Wilma, but the 375 inland rooms will reopen once power returns to the Fort Lauderdale resort, the general manager said Monday. That would make the Clipper one of Wilma's biggest casualties among hotels. Broward tourism chief Nicki Grossman said 100 of Broward's 680 hotels were open Monday. But only 60 ...

Cendant Adds Wyndham Reservations and Customer Service Calls to the Aberdeen, South Dakota Call Center / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Mike Corpos, American News, Aberdeen, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 22, 2005--A recent acquisition by Cendant Corp. has the company's Aberdeen call center working to make room for additional staff. In October, Cendant completed its acquisition of the Dallas-based Wyndham hotel chain, which included worldwide franchise agreements and management contracts. Mary Job, director of customer service at the Aberdeen call center, said the acquisition means 21 new jobs in the Hub City. The call center t...

Highland Hospitality Corporation Acquiring the 294-room Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village for $53.5 million / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Highland Hospitality Corporation Acquiring the 294-room Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village for $53.5 million MCLEAN, VA, November 1, 2005 - Highland Hospitality Corporation (NYSE:HIH), a lodging real estate investment trust, or REIT, announced today the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the 294-room Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village hotel located at 201 Village Blvd., Princeton, New Jersey. The purchase price for the hotel is $53.5 million, or approximately $182,000 per room.  The Company intends to close on this acquisition within the next thirty days.  Highland has selec...

Managed Under the Westin Brand Since 1976, Owners of the Westin Philippine Plaza Plan to Discontinue the Westin Affiliation / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Managed Under the Westin Brand Since 1976, Owners of the Westin Philippine Plaza Plan to Discontinue the Westin Affiliation   November 14, 2005 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and Philippine Plaza Holdings, Incorporated announce that the management agreement of The Westin Philippine Plaza  will cease on December 31, 2005.  The hotel is owned by Philippine Plaza Holdings Incorporated and has been managed under the Westin brand since 1976.     Philippine Plaza Holdings Incorporated and Starwood/Westin have enjoyed a 29 year long, cordial relations...

HEI Hospitality Acquires the 289-room Westin Philadelphia from Starwood for $89 million / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report HEI Hospitality Acquires the 289-room Westin Philadelphia from Starwood for $89 million 29th HEI-sponsored Acquisition Since Lodging Industry Turnaround Began,  Company Invests $1.4 Billion in Hotel Acquisitions in Past Three Years   NORWALK, Conn., November 8, 2005 — HEI Hospitality, a rapidly growing hospitality investment and operating company, today announced that it has acquired the 289-room Westin Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide for $89 million.  HEI expects to invest up to an additional $10 million to completely renovate the existing gu...

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Web Site Priorities –Some Do’s, Don’ts; Why the Heck Did You Do That? By: Neil Salerno – November 2005 Don’t you just love reading about the huge numbers being produced on the Internet? But the fact is that there are still many disillusioned hoteliers, especially those with independent hotels, who have not yet realized their fair share of business from this new medium. Obviously, it’s no longer sufficient to simply have a pretty web site.  A web site, like a good hotel operation, needs to function well in order to be productive. In order to function well, it needs to be desig...

Following $5 million Renovation, the 327 room Holiday Inn Westport Rebranded the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Following $5 million Renovation, the 327 room Holiday Inn Westport Rebranded the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport ST. LOUIS, November 10, 2005 – Doubletree Hotels proudly welcomes a new addition to the St. Louis area with the opening of the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.  Located just two blocks from the impressive Westport Plaza entertainment and business district and ten minutes from St. Louis Lambert International Airport, this former Holiday Inn® is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation to transform its 327 guest rooms, 12,000 square feet of meeting space, dining...

Great Wolf Resorts Reports 3rd Qtr Net Income $7.2 million; Records $9.1 million Gain on Sale of 77 Condominiums at Wisconsin Dells Resort /Hotel Oper

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Great Wolf Resorts Reports 3rd Qtr Net Income $7.2 million; Records $9.1 million Gain on Sale of 77 Condominiums at Wisconsin Dells Resort Hotel Operating Statistics MADISON, Wis. - Nov. 2, 2005 -- 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 reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2005.  For the quarter ended September 30, 2005, the company reported (amounts in thousands, except per share data):     Net income Â...

The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association Names Officers and Directors for 2006; Lola Roeh, GM of the Osthoff Resort, Named Chairman of the Board / Novemb

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association Names Officers and Directors for 2006;  Lola Roeh, GM of the Osthoff Resort, Named Chairman of the Board Brookfield, WI (November 14, 2005) – The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association (WIA) is pleased to announce the Officers for its 2006 Board of Directors.   Elected as the 2006 Chairman of the Board is Lola Roeh.   Roeh is the General Manager of the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, and is the recipient of the 2002 WIA Innkeeper of the Year Award.  She is the current Vice-Chairman of the WIA Legislative/Tourism Committee and a past Chairman of the WIA Com...

The Visitor Experience Is Impacted Before They Get to Your Door – the Value of Customer Service / John R Hendrie / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Visitor Experience Is Impacted Before They Get to Your Door - the Value of Customer Service By John R. Hendrie Destination Marketing Organizations are tasked to promote their area and their Hospitality Community and to encourage Visitors to travel to their specific venues.  An enormous amount of time and money is expended to frame the anticipated experience for that Visitor – the web site is filled with visions of pleasure, excitement and incentives; glossy publications tout the adventure, stimulating all the senses; and, the airwaves are abuzz with the care and attention the Visitor wil...

The Related Group Developing the Viceroy Resorts and Residences on Miami's Brickell Avenue; Kor Hotel Group to Operate the 129 unit Luxury Hote

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Douglas Hanks Iii, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 10, 2005 - Jorge Perez, who has made a fortune selling condominiums in a market flooded with high-rise projects, now sees room in another crowded sector: luxury Miami hotels. Florida's biggest condo developer plans to bring a hip West Coast hotel to Brickell Avenue, where the Four Seasons, Conrad Hilton, Mandarin Oriental and JW Marriott already compete for well-heeled business travelers. But Perez sees his Viceroy at Icon Brickell creating a...

Vagabond Franchise System Reduces Royalty Fee for Existing Franchisees / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Vagabond Franchise System Reduces Royalty Fee for Existing Franchisees LOS ANGELES, CA – Vagabond Franchise System, Inc, announced a reduction in fees for existing franchisees at a recent owners meeting.  Don Johnson, President and CEO announced the reduction of one percent from royalties to be paid beginning January 1, 2006.  This reduction is being given to those franchisees whose contracts began more than 2 years ago.  This reduction rewards loyalty by long-term franchisees, and is another method by which Vagabond Franchise System, Inc. rewards its franchisees. Bruce We...

Galileo International to Add Still and Rich Media Image Content from VFM Interactive / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Galileo International to Add Still and Rich Media Image Content from VFM Interactive TORONTO, CANADA AND PARSIPPANY, NJ, November 15, 2005 - Cendant Travel Distribution Services (TDS) and VFM Interactive are working to increase the quantity of hotel visuals provided through Galileo International, Inc., a leading global distribution system (GDS), and subsidiary of Cendant Corp. (NYSE: CD).  The relationship between the two companies will provide VFM's still and rich media image content to Galileo-connected agency customers worldwide. When completed, this arrangement will expand on the existin...

Accor North America To Enhance Online Presence of Sofitel and Novotel Brands; Selects VFM Interactive as Rich Media Services Provider / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Accor North America To Enhance Online Presence of Sofitel and Novotel Brands; Selects VFM Interactive as Rich Media Services Provider Carrollton, Texas and Toronto, Canada — November 2, 2005 — Accor North America, a division of Europe’s largest hotel company, is upgrading its Sofitel and Novotel still images with more engaging visuals to help capture the attention of more online travelers.   VFM Interactive has been selected by Accor North America to produce and distribute new rich media elements that will enhance and better display the unique features and services of each of Accor’s Sof...

Visual One win Contract for CI Traders Ltd (Hospitality) Guernsey / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Visual One Win Contract for CI Traders Ltd (Hospitality) Guernsey November 10th 2005  - Visual One Systems are pleased to announce the signing of a contract with the Hospitality Division of CI Traders Limited for the supply of Visual One Systems to its three hotels. Visual One modules being supplied include the market leading, fully integrated Property Management, Sales and Catering, Web Bookings, Golf Management, Club Membership and Spa Management systems.   Green Acres Hotel St Pierre Park Hotel  La Trelade Hotel Richard Lowe, Director of Business Integration of C I ...

Visual One Systems to Demonstrate True Browser-based PMS at New York Hotel Show / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Visual One Systems to Demonstrate True Browser-based PMS at New York Hotel Show , “V1Net” is designed for limited service properties,  chains, and multi-site management companies ROCKVILLE, MD (USA) – November  9, 2005 – Visual One Systems Corporation, a leading supplier of management software to the hospitality industry since 1977, will be demonstrating their web-based PMS software, called V1Net, at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show at the Jacob Javits Center this coming week, November 13-15.  Operating within a browser, V1Net uses “dot net” technology.  Users mer...

Stromberg Aligns with UniFocus to Create a Single-Source, End-to-End Time, Work Force Management Solution for the Hospitality Industry / November 200

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  .Special Report Stromberg Aligns with UniFocus to Create a Single-Source, End-to-End Time, Work Force Management Solution for the Hospitality Industry LAKE MARY, Fla. – Nov. 29, 2005 – Stromberg, a Paychex Corporation (NASDAQ: PAYX) subsidiary, and a leading provider of time and attendance software solutions for mid- to large-sized businesses, and UniFocus, a leading provider of advanced labor management applications for hospitality, resorts and gaming industries, today announced a strategic relationship that provides a completely integrated workforce optimization system tailored for the hospitality, casino...

UniFocus Announces New Business Acquisitions; 32 New Properties Added as Business Partners in the Past Three Months / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  .Special Report UniFocus Announces New Business Acquisitions; 32 New Properties Added as Business Partners in the Past Three Months DALLAS - Nov. 21, 2005 - UniFocus, L.P., an integrated solutions provider of innovative business information systems and operational applications for the hospitality, casino and resort industries, today announced significant new business acquisitions during the past three months.  A total of 32 new properties, representing a mix of services acquired, were added as business partners to its portfolio. New business for its GUESTScope™ services includes 5,123 guest rooms, 12 resta...

California Out Paces Other States in Spending By Domestic And International Travelers; Top Ten Rankings / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  California Out Paces Other States in Spending By Domestic And International Travelers; Top Ten Rankings WASHINGTON, DC --  November 2, 2005 - According to data excerpted from the latest edition of the Impact of Travel and Tourism on the U.S. and State Economies, published by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, California ranked number one overall in terms of total spending by domestic and international travelers, earning nearly $72 billion in expenditures. Rounding out the top three were Florida ($56.3 billion) and New York ($35.4 billion). . ...

Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz Facing New Competition from Heavyweights – Google, Yahoo and AOL / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Aman Batheja, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 12, 2005 - The big three online travel sites -- Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz -- are facing new competition from another trio of Internet heavyweights. Google, Yahoo and AOL have all recently beefed up their travel offerings, bidding for customers who typically click on a travel site to book airfares or hotel rooms. Google made its venture into travel search in mid-October with a new flight feature incorporated into its main sear...

Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas Continues to Set Eccentric Standards for Suites, Amenities / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Bill Ordine, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Oct. 24, 2005 - Here's an idea for a "reality" TV show -- challenge a bunch of Las Vegas casino operators to come up with the most outrageous idea for their hotels. Let's call it Top This! And our first contestant could be the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The trendy, boutique gambling hall is opening a new hotel tower that will include a 10,000-square-foot suite with a basketball court as the centerpiece. Aptly named the Fantasy Tower, the building is op...

Time-share Companies and Developers Suddenly Sold on San Antonio; Six Projects Under Way / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Adolfo Pesquera, San Antonio Express-News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 4, 2005 - Time-share companies and developers are suddenly sold on San Antonio. A half-dozen projects are under way and San Antonio's tourism industry is seeing a new market arise. Hyatt Vacation Club, a subsidiary of Hyatt Corp., was the first to roll the dice when it chose San Antonio as the location for its first Texas project. The midsummer 2004 unveiling of its 39-acre resort -- the Wild Oak Ranch adjacent to the Hyatt Hill Country Resort Hotel -...

Tim Laib Appointed Chairman of the Oregon Lodging Association for 2005 – 2006 / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Tim Laib Appointed Chairman of the Oregon Lodging Association for 2005 - 2006 PORTLAND, OR – November 21, 2005 - Known for their impeccable service and affordable price, Portland based Shilo Inns adds one more tally to their list of great employees and accomplishments.  Shilo Inns is pleased to announce that Tim Laib CHA, Regional Director of Operations for Shilo Inns has just been appointed Chairman of the Oregon Lodging Association for the current year 2005 - 2006.  “The Shilo team and I are thrilled that Tim has been appointed Chairman of such a prestigious organization, ...

The Knights Inn Brand Offering Hotel Operators a Franchise Agreement with One-year Initial Window, Flexible Fee Structure / November 2005

April 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Knights Inn Brand Offering Hotel Operators a Franchise Agreement with One-year Initial Window, Flexible Fee Structure Hotel Operators Get Chance to ‘Test Drive’ Knights Inn Brand PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Nov. 10, 2005) – Hotel operators now can experience the benefits of the Knights Inn® brand at minimum risk by participating in its Knights Inn Test Drive program, which features a franchise agreement with one-year initial window, low initial payments and a flexible fee structure.  Operators who sign a franchise with the Knights Inn brand under the Knights Inn Test Drive program pay a ...