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It Takes a Village to Build a Hotel – Denver's New Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Colorado Convention Center / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Al Lewis, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 20, 2005 - IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD A HOTEL: Take all those books on how to motivate employees to the trash bin. All workers really need is something to bang on. I learned this Monday at Denver's new Hyatt Regency hotel at the Colorado Convention Center. The hotel is slated to open today, but Monday there were still construction workers on site, scrambling to put on the finishing touches. Meanwhile, about 500 new employees gathered in ...
Online Hotel Rating Sites Driving Anxiety Into the Hearts of Many Hotel Managers / Neil Salerno / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Online Hotel Rating Sites Driving Anxiety into the Hearts of Many Hotel Managers By: Neil Salerno December 2005 Just about every hotel franchise has some sort of guest service rating system in place to collect and measure guest service comments. For years, hotels have relied on the review of guest comments to improve service and monitor the quality of their facilities and services. Handling complaints has traditionally been a one-to-one communication directly with the guest making the complaint. The complaint, or sometimes compliment, is usually answered with a phone call, letter, or...
ROI for Online Advertising Touted at HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report ROI for Online Advertising Touted at HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference MCLEAN, VA (Dec. 14, 2005) -- With predictions that online advertising will grow to $18.9 billion by 2010 and assertions that the ROI for online advertising is second only to direct marketing, attendees to the recent Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, held at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco, CA, were urged to protect their Web sites and their consumers who are being attacked by traffic diversion, identi...
Colm O'Callaghan, the No. 2 Executive at the Peninsula Chicago, Will Head Efforts to Transform the Le Meridien Chicago into a Conrad / December
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Kathy Bergen, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 15, 2005 - The escalating battle for Chicago's luxury hotel guests intensified Wednesday as the upstart in town, the Conrad Chicago, hired away a top manager from an established heavyweight, the Peninsula Chicago. Colm O'Callaghan, the No. 2 executive at the Peninsula for the past three years, will lead efforts to transform the upscale Le Meridien Chicago into a Conrad, a luxury brand just entering the Chicago market. Chicago now ...
Accor Awarded the Management Contract for 388 room Novotel Interhill Kuching in Sarawak, East Malaysia / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Accor Awarded the Management Contract for 388 room Novotel Interhill Kuching in Sarawak, East Malaysia BANGKOK, 6 December, 2005 Accor has been awarded the management contract for Novotel Interhill Kuching, its first hotel in Sarawak, East Malaysia, with opening scheduled for 2008. The 23-storey hotel enjoys a prime location in the city centre, offering panoramic views of the city and Sarawak River. On opening, Novotel Interhill Kuching will be well positioned to cater for business and leisure travellers, with increasing air services to Sarawak providing good connections from a num...
Accor Signs Management Agreement for a New 440-room Novotel Citygate Located Near the Hong Kong International Airport / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Accor Signs Management Agreement for a New 440-room Novotel Citygate Located Near the Hong Kong International Airport BANGKOK, 8 December, 2005 Accor has signed a management agreement for a new 440-room Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, located in the new Tung Chung business centre, just a few minutes from Hong Kong International Airport. He hotel is scheduled to open early 2006. Novotel Citygate is on the tip of Lantau Island, a central part of the Citygate project that is one of the largest developments in greater Hong Kong. The hotel is well positioned to capture business from other majo...
Historic Normandie Hotel in San Juan Completes $8 million Renovation; Unique Ocean Liner-Shaped Property Features Clean Art Deco Design / December 200
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Historic Normandie Hotel in San Juan Completes $8 million Renovation; Unique Ocean Liner-Shaped Property Features Clean Art Deco Design SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Dec. 19, 2005) -- The historic Normandie Hotel, located at 499 Avenida Muñoz Rivera esq. Rosales, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, today announced that it recently completed a comprehensive USD $8 million renovation of all the propertys public spaces and 173 guestrooms and suites. The newly refurbished ocean-front hotel combines the geometric, simple forms of French Art Deco décor with the first-class services and ameni...
Top 50 Destinations for New Year's Eve 2005 / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Top 50 Destinations for New Year's Eve 2005 Las Vegas is the Top Party Spot in the U.S., While U.K. Residents Prefer London to Ring in the New Year NORWALK, Conn.- Dec. 26, 2005 -- According to a new priceline.com(R) (Nasdaq: PCLN) hotel survey, Las Vegas is the most-preferred New Year's Eve party spot for Americans, while London is #1 among Britons ringing in the New Year. The survey, which measures consumer travel intentions, is based on a total of more than 21,000 actual hotel reservation requests made by American and U.K. priceline.com customers for the New Year'...
MotorCity Casino Owner, Marian Ilitch, Starts Construction of 17-story, 400-room Luxury Hotel and Additional Gaming Space in Downtown Detroit / Decemb
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report MotorCity Casino Owner, Marian Ilitch, Starts Construction of 17-story, 400-room Luxury Hotel and Additional Gaming Space in Downtown Detroit DETROIT, Nov. 30, 2005 - In a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony today, MotorCity Casino broke ground on a $275-million dollar casino hotel and conference center at its present location near Grand River Avenue and the Lodge freeway. The groundbreaking ceremony was lead by Larry Alexander, Chair of the Convention Bureau. Joining Mr. Alexander in turning the first shovels of ground were MotorCity Casino owner Marian Ilitch, Deputy Mayor Antho...
Benchmark Hospitality Assumes Management of Two Historic Long Island Properties – Danfords on the Sound and Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina /
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Benchmark Hospitality Assumes Management of Two Historic Long Island Properties - Danfords on the Sound and Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, December 13, 2005 - Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 28 award-winning resorts, conference centers and hotels in the United States and Japan, announced the addition of two historic Long Island, New York, properties yesterday: Danfords on the Sound, located in Port Jefferson, New York, and Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina of Montauk, New York. "I would like to personally welcome both Danfords on the So...
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Sale of Chicagos Omni Ambassador East Hotel Arranged by Molinaro Koger McLean, VA December 22, 2005 Molinaro Koger announced today that the firm acted as advisor to Omni Hotels in the sale of the Omni Ambassador East Hotel to FHM Ambassador East, LLC, a joint venture of the Fordham Company, The Harp Group and Mid-America Development Partners. The four-diamond hotel, together with its award winning Pump Room Restaurant, is located in the exclusive Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago adjoining North Michigan Avenue and the fashionable River North district. Investors were attract...
Woggles and Cheese Holes, The History of Miami Beach's Hotels / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Douglas Hanks III, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 8, 2005 - Carl Fisher helped transform Miami Beach from an isolated swamp to a thriving resort city. But he wasn't a big fan of the ocean. When the industrialist scouted sites for his Flamingo Hotel, Fisher ruled out the island's ample beachfront. A yachtsman, Fisher saw the placid Biscayne Bay as the perfect venue for boat races, and for attracting the wealthy, refined traveler who liked to watch them. And so Miami Beach's first huge ...
Merlot Communications and StayOnline Partner to Offer Cutting Edge Wired and Wireless Broadband Solutions to the Hospitality Market / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Merlot Communications and StayOnline Partner to Offer Cutting Edge Wired and Wireless Broadband Solutions to the Hospitality Market Full-Scale Sales Initiative Throughout U.S. and Europe Targets Hoteliers Needing to Upgrade their Obsolete Broadband Services . BETHEL, CT - December 6, 2005 - Merlot Communications Inc., the leading manufacturer of products and solutions that enable the transmission of voice, data and video over ordinary telephone wiring, today announced a strategic partnership with StayOnline, the early innovator and current market leader in Wi-Fi hospitalit...
J&T Global Signs Starwood's Newly Acquired Brand Le Meridien to Manage Planned Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report J&T Global Signs Starwood's Newly Acquired Brand Le Meridien to Manage Planned Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Dec. 12, 2005 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) newest global hotel brand Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, is planning to expand its presence in Central Europe following the signing of a management agreement for a new five-star hotel in Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic. The Le Royal Meridien Prague will be located in an existing building currently housing a banking operation and is situated in the old part of the town that dates back ...
The Carlisle Corp. Planning a Luxury Hotel/Condo Where Beale Street Meets Riverside Drive in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Amos Maki, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 3, 2005 - When Gene Carlisle said he wanted a "wow building" where Beale Street meets Riverside Drive -- arguably one of the most important pieces of real estate in the city -- it wasn't just talk. Carlisle, the Wendy's restaurant magnate of the Mid-South, is poised to develop the first phase of One Beale, a 27-story, $150 million condo/luxury hotel development that will redefine the Memphis skyline and Downtown living. ...
New Jersey's Meadowlands Wants to Compete with NYC for Visitor Dollars – Planning New Hotels, Three Golf Courses, Monster Entertainment C
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Hugh R. Morley, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 1, 2005 - If you build it, they will come. That's one strategy for luring visitors to the Meadowlands, with its three golf courses on the way, slew of new hotels and monster-size entertainment center under construction. But just to make sure, the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday held its first trade fair to promote the area as a tourist and business destination. The daylong fair, which featured 48 vendor ...
Equity Inns, Inc. Acquiring Five Marriott Branded Hotels Containing 435 rooms from the McKibbon Hotel Group for $45.5 million / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Equity Inns, Inc. Acquiring Five Marriott Branded Hotels Containing 435 rooms from the McKibbon Hotel Group for $45.5 million GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - Dec. 19, 2005 -- Equity Inns, Inc. (NYSE: ENN), the third largest hotel real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase five Marriott branded hotels containing 435 rooms from partnerships controlled by McKibbon Hotel Group, a hotel developer and management company for a total price of $45.5 million or $105,000 per room. The transaction price includes the assumption of $15.7 million...
Atlanta Firm Selected to Provide Architecture and Interior Design Services for The Heldrich / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Atlanta Firm Selected to Provide Architecture and Interior Design Services for The Heldrich Major Anchor to New Brunswick, N.J.s Downtown Revitalization ATLANTA December 7, 2005 James R. McAuliffe Architects (DBA CMMI), an award-winning Atlanta-based architecture and interior design firm, has been retained to design The Heldrich, a $110 million mixed-use facility to be located in the heart of New Brunswick, N.J. The project will be a major component of the citys downtown revitalization program, and consists of a 250-guestroom hotel and executive conference center, 48 luxury cond...
Xanterra South Rim LLC Begins $3 million Renovation of Maswik North Lodge in Grand Canyon National Park / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Xanterra South Rim LLC Begins $3 million Renovation of Maswik North Lodge in Grand Canyon National Park GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, December 21, 2005 - The Maswik North Lodge at Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim will undergo a major renovation beginning in January 2006. Expected to cost approximately $3 million, the remodel will include enhancement of the popular lodge's rooms, installation of a new roof and repair of exterior sidewalks and walkways. Maswik North Lodge is operated by Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. All 160 rooms in the Maswik North Lodge will receive air-conditioning as w...
Marriott Vacation Club International Reports Missiong Backup Computer Tapes Containing Data of 206,000 Timeshare Owners and Customers / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Marriott Vacation Club International Reports Missiong Backup Computer Tapes Containing Data of 206,000 Timeshare Owners and Customers ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 27, 2005 - Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI), the vacation ownership division and subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), said today backup computer tapes containing data pertaining to approximately 206,000 associates, timeshare owners and timeshare customers were missing from the corporate office in Orlando Fla. "We regret this situation has occurred and realize this may cause concern for our assoc...
Hard Rock Cafe International and Sol Melia Renovating the Historic Gran Hotel Reina Victoria to a Madrid Destination Hotel / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Hard Rock Cafe International and Sol Melia Renovating the Historic Gran Hotel Reina Victoria to a Madrid Destination Hotel MADRID, Spain, Dec. 12, 2005 - The Hard Rock Hotel in Madrid will soon rock onto the European scene, bringing renewed vitality to the historic Gran Hotel Reina Victoria, deep in the heart of Spain's capital. The joint venture, managed by Spain's largest hotel group, Sol Melia and the U.S.-based Hard Rock, brings the Hard Rock Hotel brand to Europe for the first time ever, transforming the hotel interior into a sleek and contemporary space while maintaining t...
Developer Louis DeNaples Making Good Progress on the Permit Hurdles for a $300 million Redevelopment of the Mount Airy Lodge, Pennsylvania's On
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Matt Birkbeck, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 15, 2005 - The developers of a planned hotel and casino at Mount Airy Lodge believe the project has already obtained enough local and state permits to give the plan a clear edge when applications for a gaming license are submitted later this month. Engineers for the project say it is so far ahead of other potential applicants that construction on the new hotel will begin this spring, with or without a gaming license. "We'r...
Ryan Companies US, Inc. Open the 136 room Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown, Located at the Midtown Exchange / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online Special Report Ryan Companies US, Inc. Open the 136 room Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown, Located at the Midtown Exchange WHITE PLAINS, N.Y - Dec. 14, 2005 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and Ryan Companies US, Inc. announce the opening of the first Sheraton prototype design hotel in Minneapolis, MN. The 136-room Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown is located in the emerging master development of Midtown Exchange, a $190 million unique mixed-use redevelopment led by Ryan Companies that includes office space, residential units and the Midtown Global Market. Midtown Exchange also hous...
Michael O. Smith, GM of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Stood Tall in the Chaos All Around Him / December 2005
April 30, 2005
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Kathy Bergen, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 18, 2005 - NEW ORLEANS -- The men and women who run the nation's gleaming convention hotels tend to possess a disarming charm that almost, but not quite, masks a steely resolve to keep their hospitality machines purring softly. Michael O. Smith, who until this month ran the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, is no exception, except that his resolve was tested to the extreme this year when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the 1,184-room smoke...
