Which Valuation Method is Right for You? / Robin Trehen / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Which Valuation Method is Right for You? By Robin Trehan (B.A, MIB, MBA). Vice President, National Hotel Exchange and CBK Family, August 2005 The purpose of company valuation is to measure the the “right value” of a business. The valuation of a business provides:  Review the performance of a business Communicate to others (such as shareholders, investors, employees and the market) the value of firm’s strategies and its results. There are different methods of measuring the value of a Hotel business. 1. Equity based method - The most basic method for a company is based ...

What is the One Product or Service Missing from Your Hotel Stay that You Would Be Willing to Pay More for to Have? / Harris Poll Survey / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  What is the One Product or Service Missing from Your Hotel Stay that You Would Be Willing to Pay More for to Have? - Harris Poll Survey ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 18, 2005 - More than half (52%) of adults feel there are things missing from the majority of their hotel stays and they would be willing to pay extra for some of these items or services. These are the results of a new Harris Poll of 2,339 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive® between July 12 and 18, 2005. Specific results from this poll include: Over half (52%) of adults feel that there is at least one product or servic...

Worldspan Becomes First GDS to Use VFM to Distribute Stills & Rich Media / July 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Worldspan Becomes First GDS to Use VFM to Distribute Stills & Rich Media TORONTO, CANADA, August 10, 2005 – VFM Interactive announced today that Worldspan will enhance its content for travel agencies and eCommerce sites by adding VFM’s distribution feed of still images and rich media for thousands of hotel properties. Worldspan becomes VFM’s first global distribution system (GDS) distribution partner, adding to a network of thousands of travel sites and signaling an important development in what is already the largest and fastest-growing online media distribution network in the travel indust...

Vernon Briggs Appointed General Manager for The Hampton Inn Portsmouth, New Hampshire / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Vernon Briggs Appointed General Manager for The Hampton Inn Portsmouth, New Hampshire PORTSMOUTH, NH – August 22, 2005 - The Hampton Inn Portsmouth is proud to announce Vernon Briggs is assuming the position of General Manager. Mr. Briggs joins the Hampton Inn Portsmouth with nearly 15 years hospitality management experience in the New England area. Joe Viglietta, Regional Director of Operations, commented, “We are happy to have found a candidate such as Vernon as the General Manager of the Hampton Inn Portsmouth. It was important to us that the position is filled with a local personality ...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Urgo Hotels Opens New Marriott Residence Inn in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor;  First Extended-Stay Hotel in Downtown Area BALTIMORE, Md./BETHESDA, Md., August 11, 2005 — Urgo Hotels, a major developer, owner and operator of upscale hotels, today announced the grand opening of the 188-unit Marriott Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor.  Located at the corner of Light St. and Redwood St. at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, it is the first upscale extended-stay hotel in the downtown area. “Response to the hotel has been exceptional,” said Kevin Urgo, senior vice president.  “The hotel ap...

Novare Group Names Jim Veil President of Condominium/hotel Brand called TWELVE Hotels and Residences / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Novare Group Names Jim Veil President of  Condominium/hotel Brand Called TWELVE Hotels and Residences ATLANTA – Aug. 25, 2005 – Novare Group, the Atlanta-based developer of high-rise condominiums in several Southeast markets, announced today its anticipated launch of a new condominium/hotel brand called TWELVE Hotels and Residences.  Leading the charge is a management team that includes Jim Veil, president; Rick Robbins, general manager; Beth Allen, director of sales and marketing; and Mark Dressel, director of finance.  This talented executive lineup represents decades of combined experien...

Donald Trump's Trump International Hotel & Residences One of 11 Companies or Groups of Companies Seeking City Qualification to Serve as "M

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 23, 2005 - The Donald in Denver? In a surprise announcement, New York developer Donald Trump's Trump International Hotel & Residences is one of 11 companies or groups of companies seeking city qualification to serve as "master developer" of Denver's historic Union Station redevelopment. The public project, one of the most significant attempted in Denver, will serve as a gateway to downtown and link the LoDo and Central Platte neighborhoods. Trump Inter...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report BTG-Jianguo Hotels and Resorts Selects TravelCLICK’s iHotelier Central Reservation System China’s second largest hotel management group signs multi-year agreement for website and GDS connectivity MELBOURNE (August 2, 2005) – TravelCLICK, through a partnership with Beijing Great Consulting Co., Ltd. (BGCC), has reached a multi-year agreement with BTG-Jianguo Hotels and Resorts to provide GDS and website connectivity via the iHotelier central reservation system.  Since partnering with TravelCLICK in February 2005, BGCC has contracted over 185 hotels throughout China.  BGCC will provid...

The Privilege of Receiving Reduced Hotel Rates May be Going to Holders of Thousands of Bogus Travel Agency Cards / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Carolyn Shapiro, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 7, 2005 - For less than $500, you can reap the privileges -- reduced rates, special deals, upgraded accommodations -- enjoyed by a professional travel agent. You can. But maybe you shouldn't. Web site operators and telemarketing companies have for years offered travel industry "cards" that consumers can buy to identify themselves as travel agents. The travelers can flash the identification to receive discounts for amusement park tickets, hotel...

Triple Witching Hour – The Marketing Plan, Revenue Management Strategy and RFPs for '06 / Carol Verret / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Carol Verret Consulting  and Training Consulting Training Seminars . . . . Triple Witching Hour - The Marketing Plan,  Revenue Management Strategy and RFPs for '06 by Carol Verret, August 2005 It’s triple witching hour in the hospitality industry!  Let me explain -- it is the time when the marketing plan, RFP bidding and establishing the revenue management strategy all combine into a confluence of factors that will influence success in 2006. The term is adapted from the stock market and is defined as follows: “An event that occurs when the contracts for stock index futures, stock index options, and stoc...

Thor Equities Planning a Renovation in Excess of $100 million on the Palmer House Hilton / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Thor Equities Planning a Renovation in Excess of $100 million on the Palmer House Hilton CHICAGO - Aug. 17, 2005 -- Thor Equities(SM) and Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) announced today that Thor, through an affiliate, has acquired the historic Palmer House Hilton in Chicago from Hilton for $230 million. The legendary property is now expected to undergo a renovation in excess of $100 million.  Thor, which specializes in the acquisition and redevelopment of assets in urban settings, will include the creation of an exciting new retail center at the hotel's base that will strengthen the S...

Atlantic City Finally Catching On – Casino Travelers More Likely to Play at Gambling Resorts that Offer More than Just Slot Machines and Table G

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Atlantic City Finally Catching On - Casino Travelers More Likely to Play at Gambling Resorts that Offer More than Just Slot Machines and Table Games The Philadelphia Inquirer gambling column By Bill Ordine, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 29, 2005 - --THE QUARTER MAKES ATLANTIC CITY A BETTER BET: Someone in Atlantic City finally got it -- meaning the lesson that Las Vegas learned years ago. And that's the message that casino travelers are more likely to play at gambling resorts that offer more than just slot machines and table games. The Quarter, a 200,0...

Texas Attorney General Investigating Price Gouging at Hotels in Houston, Marshall, Nacogdoches / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Jay Root, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 30, 2005 - AUSTIN - Hotels and motels that artificially jack up their prices to take advantage of people fleeing Hurricane Katrina will be pursued "aggressively" under the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, state authorities said Monday. "Desperate people have come into Texas in droves, leaving their homes to escape the devastation of Hurricane Katrina," Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a written statement. "We will bring legal action against any busi...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Ted Warring to Spearhead Ongoing Technical Development at MSI; Promoted to ‘Chief Scientist,’ Warring Will Direct Future Products for MSI PHOENIX — AUGUST 3, 2005 — Multi-Systems Inc. (MSI), the hospitality industry’s leading provider of fully integrated property-management and marketing systems has promoted Ted Warring to the position of Chief Scientist.  Based on his valuable contributions to MSI’s product line, Warring has advanced progressively since joining the Development team in 1997.  “Ted’s latest projects, Sales Driver and the MSI data migration tool, have been extremely we...

Napa Valley's Vintage Inn and Villagio Inn & Spa Joint Venture with Chef Thomas Keller on a Multi-million Dollar Special Events and Private Dinin

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Napa Valley's Vintage Inn and Villagio Inn & Spa Joint Venture with Chef Thomas Keller on a Multi-million Dollar Special Events and Private Dining Venue YOUNTVILLE, Calif. - Aug. 12, 2005 -- Critically acclaimed Chef Thomas Keller, together with Vintage Estate Hotels, Northern California's premier wine country hotels (Vintage Inn and Villagio Inn & Spa), have announced today a multi-million dollar special events and private dining venture opening in April 2006. The new joint venture, Bouchon-Vintage Estate Hotels Catering, will feature custom menus with an emphasis on casual French cuisine.Â...

Omniture Enables TIG Global to Enhance Reporting Performance Metrics / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report     Omniture Enables TIG Global to Enhance Reporting Performance Metrics - Leading Interactive Marketing Company Uses Omniture’s SiteCatalyst to Maximize Online Revenue Performance for its 350 Hospitality Clients OREM, Utah – August 24, 2005 — Omniture, the largest and fastest-growing provider of on-demand Web analytics, today announced that TIG Global, a leading interactive marketing company for hospitality, is using the Omniture SiteCatalyst™ Suite to provide hospitality clients from major branded and independent hotels in North America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean with real-...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ Website Producing 80% More Room Reservations Over Previous Year; Credits Best Rate Guarantee Singapore, 30 August 2005 – The recently enhanced Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ website www.swissotel.com has proven to be such a hit with its customers that within seven months of its launch, room reservations made via the website have grown by 80% over previous year, outpacing the industry average of 26%. More significantly, room revenue delivered through swissôtel.com has more than doubled in the first half of the year. The website has been enhanced to include easy-to...

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. Acquiring the 728-room Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Century City, California for $293.0 million; Will Reposition as Hya

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. Acquiring the 728-room Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Century City, California for $293.0 million - Will Reposition as Hyatt Regency Century Plaza  SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Aug. 24, 2005 - Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (NYSE: SHO) and Global Hyatt Corporation announced today that they have entered into an agreement to acquire the 728-room Century Plaza Hotel & Spa located in Century City, California.  Sunstone has signed an agreement to acquire the hotel for $293.0 million before expenses and renovation costs.  Sunstone will reposition the hotel as Hyatt Regen...

The Summit Group, Inc. Acquires the 139-room Hampton Inn & Suites in El Paso / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Summit Group, Inc. Acquires the 139-room Hampton Inn & Suites in El Paso SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Aug. 15, 2005 -- The Summit Group, Inc., an upscale limited-service hotel owner, developer and manager, today announced its entrance into the El Paso, TX, market through the purchase of a Hampton Inn & Suites property. This purchase furthers the Company's ongoing growth in the southern region of the United States.  Summit has purchased a 139-room Hampton Inn & Suites in El Paso, bringing the total number of properties in The Summit Group's portfolio to 61 hotels across 22 states.  The "Make it H...

Crestline Hotels & Resorts Preparing to Re-Open The Historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center in Staunton, VA / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Crestline Hotels & Resorts Preparing to Re-Open The Historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center in Staunton, VA One-of- a-Kind 1924 Wurlitzer Organ Returns as a Focal Point for the Hotel Staunton, VA - August 1, 2005 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. today announced that the newly restored and expanded Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center in Staunton, VA, is on schedule for its reopening this September.  The Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center is a historic property located in Staunton, in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.   Named for Ge...

Regent Development Inc. Breaks Ground on $45-$50 million 178 room Sheraton and Conference Center in Stockton, California / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Michelle Machado, The Record, Stockton, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 25, 2005 - STOCKTON -- Groundbreaking ceremonies today will mark the start of construction on a seven-story Sheraton Hotel that, when completed in December 2006, will further redefine downtown Stockton's business climate and skyline. "It's another domino," said Steve Carrigan, Stockton's economic development director, referring to downtown redevelopment projects, such as the Hotel Stockton and Stockton Ballpark, that have recently fallen into place, incr...

Steven Hilton, the Grandson of Conrad N. Hilton, Named Chairman & CEO of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Steven Hilton, the Grandson of Conrad N. Hilton, Named Chairman & CEO of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation LOS ANGELES Aug. 22, 2005 - Steven Hilton has been named chairman and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, one of the nation's largest philanthropic organizations. The new responsibilities are in addition to his role as president which he has held since 1998. Hilton succeeds long-time chairman and CEO, Donald Hubbs, who retired recently from the foundation after 36 years. Hubbs joined the foundation in 1969, served as president from 1981-1998 and became chairman and CEO in 1998.  Headquar...

StayOnline Tapped by Spectralink to Offer WI-FI Telephony to Hospitality Industry / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report StayOnline Tapped by Spectralink to Offer WI-FI Telephony to Hospitality Industry . VOfi added to StayOnline’s Certified Solutions Program ATLANTA – August 15, 2005 -- StayOnline, the premier provider of wireless hospitality technology solutions, has partnered with SpectraLink (Nasdaq: SLNK), the leader in workplace Wi-Fi telephony, to offer hoteliers a robust, feature-rich and highly interoperable voice over Wi-Fi solution. NetLink Wireless Telephones from SpectraLink allow hotel employees to communicate quickly, effectively and discreetly in order to assure the highest level of guest sa...

Starwood Files a Complaint with the U.S. Justice Department for $63 million Worth of Land it Claims the Cuban Government Seized in 2003 / August 200

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Frances Robles, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 25, 2005 - Four decades after Fidel Castro's government had apparently seized all foreign-owned properties in Cuba, it now turns out that a U.S. telephone company retained some 400 acres of land in and around Havana until just two years ago. News of the surprising landholdings came after Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide -- owners of the Sheraton hotel chain -- filed a complaint last week with the U.S. Justice Department for $63 million worth of land it said the C...