Nicklaus Investments Teams With Guggenheim Partners to Finance High-Quality Residential, Golf Resort / Residential Communities / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Nicklaus Investments Teams With Guggenheim Partners to Finance High-Quality  Golf Resort /  Residential Communities CHICAGO, July 13, 2005 - Guggenheim Partners, a global diversified financial services firm, and Nicklaus Investments, the real-estate investment arm of the business owned by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus and his family, today announced the formation of a new business called Guggenheim Nicklaus Partners LLC ("GNP"). GNP's primary purpose will be to finance and invest in high-quality residential real estate and golf resort communities around the world, featuring Nicklaus Design ...

GuestWare Leverages SpectraLink Wireless Telephones to Improve Rapid Response Time; In-building Wireless Telephone System Increases Productivity, Pro

March 30, 2005

GuestWare Leverages SpectraLink Wireless Telephones to Improve Rapid Response Time . In-building Wireless Telephone System Increases Productivity,  Provides Greater Guest Satisfaction  SEATTLE—July 27, 2005—Diversified Computer Corp. (DCC), maker of GuestWare, the lodging industry’s leading customer relationship management software, announced that it is leveraging SpectraLink Wireless Telephones to significantly improve the speed at which Rapid Response messages are transmitted throughout hotels. SpectraLink handsets receive and send messages through GuestWare using a hotel’s wireless infrastructure. Two full-servi...

Operator of Five Water Park Hotels, Great Wolf Resorts Inc. Blames $2.5 million 2nd Qtr Loss on Competition / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal SentinelKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jul. 29, 2005 - Shares of Great Wolf Resorts Inc. tumbled by 31 percent Thursday after the company reported a larger than expected second quarter loss, and warned investors that its 2005 earnings would be lower than anticipated. Great Wolf shares closed at $13.65, down $6.12, or 31 percent. Trading volume was very heavy, at 5.67 million shares, compared with an average of 335,849 shares in the past three months, according to Bloomberg data. Madison-based Great Wolf operates resorts with indoor water parks in Wisc...

Some Experts Not Surprised Le Meridien Didn't Last in Minneapolis, Where Radissons, Marriotts and Hyatts are More Familiar to High-end Business

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Gita Sitaramiah, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jul. 27, 2005 - Le Meridien Minneapolis is going local. Graves Hospitality Corp., the Minnesota-based owners of the 255-room luxury hotel, is changing the property's name to Graves 601 Hotel Minneapolis. The move comes just a couple of years after the $68 million hotel debuted to much fanfare as a part of downtown Minneapolis's Block E's redevelopment project. The hotel's rooms, which boasted 42-inch plasma TVs and other amenities designed to appeal to visiting CEOs, typically go for about $389 a night....

Evanco Corporation, Town of Gravenhurst and Marriott International Planning a Residence Inn by Marriott Muskoka Wharf hotel in Ontario / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Evanco Corporation, Town of Gravenhurst and Marriott International Planning a Residence Inn by Marriott Muskoka Wharf hotel in Ontario TORONTO – July 28, 2005 – Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), Evanco Corporation and the Town of Gravenhurst are pleased to announce plans to construct the Residence Inn by Marriott Muskoka Wharf hotel in Gravenhurst, Ontario. To be situated on the shores of Lake Muskoka, this 104-room, all-suites hotel will be a major addition to the Muskoka Wharf, a public-private partnership initiative celebrating Muskoka’s waterfront heritage.  True to...

The Master Plan Vision of Developer Doug Manchester Taking Form at The Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Master Plan Vision of Developer Doug Manchester Taking Form at The Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa July 20, 2005 - Manchester Grand Resorts is pleased to announce that development plans have gone from drawing board to reality at The Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa, the new hotel and ownership villas being built on a 24-acre pad nestled among the rolling fairways and manicured greens of The Grand Golf Club in Del Mar, California. The lush 380-acre property which winds through the Penasquitos Canyon Preserve's scenic coastal canyons has undergone a metamorphosis since the April media confe...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online Special Report Global Update: Who’s Where and Doing What July  2005 Heads Above the Rest The Newsletter of The Boutique Search Firm   The Americas Benchmark Hospitality has promoted Sam Haigh to President & Chief Operating Officer. Haigh, a Cornell graduate, joined the company in 1981 and has served as its COO for the past ten years. At New York’s Pierre, now a Taj Hotel, Heiko Kuenstle takes over as General Manager from Four Seasons man Guy Rigby. Kuenstle comes from the Lowell. Prior to becoming the Lowell’s General Manager, he was the Rooms Division Manager at the nearby Hotel Plaza-Athén...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Gaylord Hotels Initiates Company-Wide Deployment of Passkey’s Online Group Reservation Technology - Gaylord Hotels Offers Passkey to Expand Service Offering to its Meeting Planners   (Quincy, MA) – July 11, 2005 – Passkey International, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Gaylord Hotels to implement Passkey, the hotel industry’s leading group management solution, at Gaylord’s premier convention resorts.   Passkey will be implemented at Gaylord’s three award-winning resorts:  Gaylord Opryland™ Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Gaylord Palms™ R...

General Managers Workshop: Managing Today's Hotel Sales Teams / David Brudney ISHC / July 2005

March 30, 2005

General Managers Workshop: Managing Today's Hotel Sales Teams By David M. Brudney, ISHC, July 2005 I conducted a Sales-oriented workshop recently for a group of G.M.s from a medium sized hotel management company on the West Coast. In an effort to create a program whereby all the participants might have a stake in the exercise, I polled each G.M. asking what questions, issues, challenges they would like to see addressed. G.M.s Want to Know Here’s what they submitted - - if you were participating in the session, would you have listed any of these issues?  Which ones?  What new issues, questions and challenges would you have ad...

Top 10 Ways to Generate a Rapid Return on Your Public Relations Investment / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Top 10 Ways to Generate a Rapid Return on Your Public Relations Investment By Glenn Hasek, President, Hasek Communications, July 2005 If you are a hotelier or vendor representative who has worked with a reputable public relations professional in the past, you should already know the benefits of a well planned public relations effort: positive branding and increased name recognition, frequent media exposure, quality business leads, and a lingering "buzz" after any event or announcement that was promoted. If you have not worked with a public relations professional in the past—or even if you ...

Gaylord Entertainment Co. Reports Net loss of $0.4 million for 2nd Qtr 2005, Improving from Loss of $22.6 million from Prior Year 2nd Quarter; Total R

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Gaylord Entertainment Co. Reports Net Loss of $0.4 million for 2nd Qtr 2005, Improving from Loss of $22.6 million from Prior Year 2nd Quarter . Total RevPAR Increased 15.1% to $266.08 Hotel Operating Statistics NASHVILLE, Tenn - July 28, 2005-- Gaylord Entertainment Co. (NYSE: GET) today reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2005. For the second quarter ended June 30, 2005: Consolidated revenues increased 13.2 percent to $228.8 million from $202.1 million in the same period last year. Results were impacted favorably by strong hospitality segment performance. Net l...

Greg Dogan Appointed Vice President, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Greg Dogan Appointed Vice President,  Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Hong Kong, June 17, 2005 - Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, has appointed Greg Dogan as vice president. Based in Shanghai, Dogan is responsible for nine of the group's 19 mainland China hotels, ensuring that these properties meet their financial performance targets and comply with corporate operational standards. In addition, he oversees four new hotel projects in Chengdu, Xian, Shenzhen and Ningbo in mainland China. Prior to his current appointment, Dogan was the area manager and...

Budget Host the Least Expensive Lodging Franchise, Hotel Operators Pay 0.6% of Revenues / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tom Stieghorst, South Florida Sun-SentinelKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jul. 4, 2005 - Budget Host is the least expensive lodging franchise, according to an analysis by hospitality consulting firm HVS International. Hotel operators pay only 0.6 percent of revenues to the Arlington, Texas, firm in franchise fees and associated costs. Other cheap franchises include Best Value Inn, Best Western and ClubHouse Inn chains. Best Western led the midpriced category in the analysis, with fees of 2.8 percent of revenue. Omni Hotels was the least expensive franchise in...

Starwood Signs Two Managament Contracts for Four Points by Sheraton Hotels in Changshu and Shanghai / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Starwood Signs Two Managament Contracts for Four Points by Sheraton Hotels in Changshu and Shanghai Singapore, 11th July 2005 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) continues its aggressive expansion momentum in China with the signing of two new hotels : Four Points by Sheraton Changshu and Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Pudong.  “We are thrilled about the choice location of our new hotels in Changshu and Shanghai,” said Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Asia Pacific.  “The signing of these two new properties will further strengthen the Four Points by Sheraton brandÂ...

Affiliate of The Swig Company Agrees to Sell the Fairmont Chicago Hotel to Strategic Hotel Capital for $154.7 million, or $224,000 per room / July 200

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Affiliate of The Swig Company Agrees to Sell the Fairmont Chicago Hotel to Strategic Hotel Capital for $154.7 million, or $224,000 per room  CHICAGO, July 15, 2005 - Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. (NYSE: SLH) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Fairmont Chicago hotel from an affiliate of The Swig Company of San Francisco for a purchase price of $154.7 million, or a price of $224,000 per room. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels acted as agent for the seller. The acquisition, which is expected to close during the third quarter 2005, remains subject to customary closing conditions. ...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report   Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Classrooms Go Global . -Hospitality Professionals Have Opportunity to Earn Master’s Degree from Home The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University proudly presents a unique Executive Master of Science Degree Distance Program. This program is designed with busy hospitality/tourism executives in mind. Learn on your own time at your own location -- and obtain your Master's Degree in just twenty months.   "The distance learning program is the only way to go. I was unable...

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. Reports 2nd Qtr Net Income of $34.1 million vs $29 million in Prior Year / Hotel Operating Statistics / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. Reports 2nd Qtr Net Income of $34.1 million vs $29 million in Prior Year Hotel Operating Statistics TORONTO, July 26, 2005 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc.  ("FHR" or the "Company") (TSX/NYSE: FHR) today announced its unaudited financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2005. These financial results have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. All amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars. Second Quarter 2005 Highlights Diluted income per share ("diluted EPS") increased 25% over second ...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Expotel Hospitality L.L.C. Executives Go “Back in Time” with Line Associates Metairie LA (July 7, 2005) -- Expotel Hospitality L.L.C. corporate executives and the management teams at their 10 hotels recently went “Back in Time,” returning to their roots in line hotel jobs such as housekeeping, engineering, kitchen prep and guest services. While gaining new appreciation for the work done by the line teams, the executives were also able to identify best practices and surface suggestions for operational improvements/efficiencies at their hotels.  The Expotel associates who coached the m...

Exclusive Resorts Spends $100 Million for 46 Vacation Residences Affiliated with Branded Resorts / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Exclusive Resorts Spends $100 Million for 46 Vacation Residences Affiliated with Branded Resorts DENVER & WASHINGTON - July 14, 2005 -- Exclusive Resorts, the pioneer and leader of the rapidly growing luxury residence club category, today announced the acquisition of 46 new residences in four beach destinations, a 20 percent expansion of its worldwide portfolio of multi-million-dollar vacation homes available for member use today. The residences purchased are all affiliated with world-class branded resorts and provide Exclusive Resorts members with access to the services and amenities of these f...

On the Rebound – European Hotel Profits Bounce Back in 2004 / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  On the Rebound - European Hotel Profits Bounce Back in 2004 July 2005 - After three consecutive years of declining profitability, the European hotel industry has started to recover lost ground. According to the Annual Profitability HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte hotels across Continental Europe reported 7% growth in profit per available room in 2004. On average hotels generated an additional €1,000 profit per available room in 2004 to reach €15,000 per available room. This compares to €14,000 in 2003. Some of the strongest performing markets were in Germany, where the biennial trade...

The Erawan Group Developing the First Courtyard by Marriott and the First Renaissance Branded Hotels in Thailand / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Sujintana Hemtasilpa, Bangkok Post, ThailandKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jul. 5, 2005 - With the focus now on hotels and resorts, The Erawan Group, formerly Amarin Plaza, yesterday announced a 1.3-billion-baht investment in two hotel projects and signed a 30-year management contract for the two properties with Marriott International Inc. The partnership with Marriott International, a leading US-based international hotel-management chain, will result in the introduction of two new hotel brands under the Marriott umbrella in Thailand, The Courtyard and The Renaissance, according ...

StayOnline Helps Bring Soldier Home for sister's Wedding; Technology Conduit for Reuniting Family Members / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report StayOnline Helps Bring Soldier "Home" for Sister's Wedding . Technology Conduit for Reuniting Family Members Atlanta, July 6, 2005 – Cpl. Ronald Fore “attended” his sister’s San Antonio, TX wedding from Al Asad in Iraq Saturday, July 2, thanks in large part to StayOnline’s connection at the Emily Morgan Hotel in San Antonio. Hoping to find a way to share her wedding with Fore, bride-to-be Amy Gore contacted the Freedom Calls Network, a non-profit organization that facilitates audio and video contact between overseas soldiers and their families for special events.  Freedom Calls was ea...

FBI Links Emerald Casino, Mob and the Mayor of Rosemont, Illinois / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy John Chase, Chicago TribuneKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jul. 19, 2005 - Days after lawmakers authorized the Emerald Casino's move to Rosemont in 1999, the suburb's longtime mayor, Donald Stephens, met with five high-ranking organized crime figures to discuss what control the mob would have over contracts at the casino, an FBI agent testified Monday. Sitting with Stephens at Armand's restaurant in Elmwood Park were reputed mob leader Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, who is being sought by U.S. officials; John "No Nose" DiFronzo; his brother Peter; Joe "The Builder" Andriacchi; and Rud...

Owned by Mr. John Q. Hammons, 296-suite Embassy Suites Opens in Historic St. Charles, Missouri / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Owned by Mr. John Q. Hammons, 296-suite Embassy Suites Opens in Historic St. Charles, Missouri MEMPHIS, Tenn. - July 7, 2005 -- Embassy Suites Hotels announces the opening of the 296-suite hotel in historic St. Charles, Missouri. The hotel is owned by Mr. John Q. Hammons and is managed by John Q. Hammons Hotels. Located at Two Convention Center Plaza in St. Charles, the Embassy Suites Hotel - St. Louis/St. Charles is connected to the new 150,000 square foot St. Charles Convention Center and represents the latest addition to the portfolio of more than 175 Embassy Suites Hotels. "We...