European investors and Amanresorts Planning a $125 million Resort with a 40-room Hotel, Spa and 28 Villas near Lake Powell in Utah / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Mike Gorrell, The Salt Lake Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 17, 2005 - A Kane County plateau featuring wind-carved buttes, an ancient sand dune and a view of Lake Powell is set to become a luxury resort and spa. A group of European investors and Amanresorts, a Singapore-based hotel management company with resorts in vacation hotspots worldwide, announced Tuesday their intent to invest at least $125 million in "Amangiri," potentially a 1,900-acre development built around a 40-room hotel, 12,000-square-foot spa and 28 luxury ...

The Landmark Sam Houston Hotel in Houston to be the Prototype for Tim Miller's New Brand – Alden Hotels / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Landmark Sam Houston Hotel in Houston to be the Prototype for Tim Miller's New Brand - Alden Hotels August 23, 2005 - The time is ripe for a bold new generation of hotels that offer more than simply the sophisticated modern style: hotels that seamlessly combine that style with real substance, hotels which are literally brought to "life" by genuinely warm and gracious staff who forge personal connections with guests and embody the spirit of "Easy Living." Alden Hotels, which will launch this September, are the archetype of this new generation: a fresh breed of hotels which are a direct reflec...

The Robert Earl Investor Group Betting the Planet Hollywood Brand Will Change the Fate of Aladdin Casino & Resort / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Rod Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 22, 2005 - A year after a Robert Earl - led investor group bought the Aladdin, the re-branding of the property is under way and the renovation work is about to start. Earl, chief executive officer of Planet Hollywood International and cochairman of Aladdin owner OpBiz, said construction will begin in October and take a year. OpBiz is a partnership of Earl, Bay Harbour Management and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Billboards saying "Planet Hollywood R...

Adaco Services Partners with SCLogic On New Package Tracking Software / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Adaco Services Partners with SCLogic On New Package Tracking Software August 18, 2005 - Adaco Services, LLC (www.adacoservices.com) of Williamsville, NY announces a new partnership with SCLogic, LLC of Annapolis, MD to include its comprehensive package tracking solution in its suite of hospitality software products. “We’re pleased to be able to provide the Adaco Package Tracker™ to hotels all over the world,” said Mark Pinsley, President of Adaco.  “Our partnership with SCLogic now enables hotels to track anything that arrives on the premises.” Bruce Little, General Manager of SCLogi...

Accor Asia Pacific Appoints 11 to GM Posts / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Accor Asia Pacific Appoints 11 to GM Posts BANGKOK, 29 August 2005 —  Scott Ong is the new general manager at Novotel Bangna Bangkok. Scott joined Accor in 1993 working at Novotel Lotus in Bangkok before managing two other hotels in Thailand. He was most recently general manager of Novotel Chiang Mai. Thierry Le Ponner has been promoted to general manager of Chateau de Bangkok  Serviced Apartments (managed by Sofitel). Thierry has been with Accor since 2000 when he helped open Sofitel Royal Angkor, Siem Reap. He was most recently resident manager of Novotel Bangna Bangkok. Suzie Shioyama ha...

Accor Founders Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule, Who Opened their First Hotel in 1963, Seek More Zing As Competition Intensifies / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Ross Tieman, The Business, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 14, 2005 - Accor, the world's biggest hotelier, is weighing the most profound overhaul of top management since founders Gerard Pelisson and Paul Dubrule opened their first Novotel in 1963. Jean-Marc Espalioux, the 53-year-old who has run the group since 1997, seems to be facing the exit. Paris-based Accor, which has 4,000 hotels worldwide, as well as interests in casinos, travel agencies and business services, is searching for a new executive chairman to give it more...

Allan Perales Named Assistant General Manager at Kimpton's Hotel Burnham in Chicago/ August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report   Allan Perales Named Assistant General Manager at Kimpton's Hotel Burnham in Chicago CHICAGO, August 9, 2005 – Allan Perales has been promoted to assistant general manager of the award-winning Hotel Burnham in Chicago. This boutique-style hotel, managed by San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels, is located in the Reliance Building, a significant architectural landmark celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. In this position, he is responsible for assisting with all daily operations, personnel, training and business development for the property.   Perales joined Kimpton in 2001 as room s...

The Westin Seattle Names Andrea Norton as Hotel Manager / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Westin Seattle Names Andrea Norton as Hotel Manager SEATTLE- August 29, 2005- The Westin Seattle, Seattle's premier convention, business, and leisure hotel featuring 891 upscale rooms, announced today the appointment of Andrea Norton as Hotel Manager.  Norton brings nearly fifteen years of experience in the hotel industry to her new position where she is tasked with overseeing the hotel's dozens of operations managers and ensuring all aspects of the day-to-day operations run smoothly and efficiently.  She has worked in management roles for several properties owned by Starwood Hotels a...

Andreas Ioannou Named General Manager of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort / August 2005

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Andreas Ioannou Named General Manager of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Aug. 16, 2005 -- Andreas Ioannou has been named general manager of the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Beach is a chic and innovative 333-unit condo-hotel endeavor scheduled to open summer 2006 under management by Hilton Hotels Corporation. A veteran Hilton team member for more than 16 years, Ioannou comes to Ft. Lauderdale from the Hilton Charlotte Center City, where he has been serving as general manager since 2002. His strong resort a...

March 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Alain Bachmann Appointed Food & Beverage Director at Rocco Forte’s The Lowry Hotel, Manchester, England 23 August 2005 - Alain Bachmann has been appointed Food & Beverage Director at Rocco Forte’s The Lowry Hotel. Overseeing all aspects of dining and food service in Manchester’s leading hotel, Swiss-born Alain will be responsible for The Lowry Hotel’s River Restaurant, The River Bar, conferencing, in-room dining, Spa menus and corporate hospitality. Alain joins The Lowry Hotel from the prestigious Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington DC, which he helped to launch as the opening Assistan...

Thomas Gisler Named Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center / April 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Thomas Gisler Named Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center Ithaca, NY, April 22, 2005 - Thomas Gisler has been appointed Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center. Effective May 16, Gisler will oversee the menu design and food preparation for the 150-room property, which operates three restaurants including the signature Ristorante Banfi and its Tuscan-inspired menu. Gisler's career path includes 10 years...

Thomas Gisler Named Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center / April 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Thomas Gisler Named Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center Ithaca, NY, April 22, 2005 - Thomas Gisler has been appointed Executive Chef at Cornell University's Statler Hotel & J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center. Effective May 16, Gisler will oversee the menu design and food preparation for the 150-room property, which operates three restaurants including the signature Ristorante Banfi and its Tuscan-inspired menu. Gisler's career path includes 10 years...

Insight on e-Mail Marketing Programs Offered to Tourism Industry / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Insight on e-Mail Marketing Programs Offered to Tourism Industry May 23, 2005 - For the second consecutive year, technology marketers from the travel and tourism industry will have the opportunity to attend an innovative educational conference on e-mail marketing.  e-Mail Marketing Insight: Travel and Tourism Trends will be held Thursday, July 14 and Friday, July 15, 2005 on "The Magnificent Mile" in downtown Chicago at the Allerton Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Unlike other educational conferences currently offered to technology marketers, e-Mail Marketing Insight is developed specifically for the...

Yield-O-Matic® Launched New Version: YOM-2.0 / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report . Yield-O-Matic® Launched New Version:  YOM-2.0 May 13, 2005 - Yield Channel Inc. announced that it has launched version YOM-2.0 of its yield management program Yield-O-Matic®. System upgrades include additional yielding features, increased performance capacity and more yieldable providers. All current Yield-O-Matic® users are automatically updated at no additional cost. According to Yield Channel Inc. the new, improved features allow users to yield up to 3 date ranges at a time, select all providers with one click and enter restrictions such as minimum nights stay and closed to arrival. ...

National Park Service Selects Xanterra Parks & Resorts to Continue as Yellowstone Concessionaire For Another 5 Years / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  National Park Service Selects Xanterra Parks & Resorts to Continue as Yellowstone Concessionaire For Another 5 Years YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, May 16, 2005 - Xanterra Parks & Resorts has been awarded the contract to operate the lodging, restaurants, gift shops and activities in Yellowstone National Park for another five years. The contract renewal was announced by the National Park Service (NPS) and is effective November 1, 2005. Xanterra has operated the park's nine lodging facilities and their restaurants and retail shops as well as a variety of activities since late 1995 when it p...

Xanterra Hiring 3,000 Students, Seniors and International Workers from All Continents For Summer Season in Yellowstone National Park / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Xanterra Hiring 3,000 Students, Seniors and International Workers from All Continents For Summer Season in Yellowstone National Park YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, May 4, 2005 - Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the operator of lodging, restaurants, gifts shops and activities in Yellowstone, is gearing up for the summer by hiring more than 3,000 seasonal employees. For 2005, the company is placing extra emphasis on hiring Americans as limits on work visas will make it more difficult to attract international workers. "Just as Yellowstone is a special vacation destination for people worldwide...

Business Travelers Cite Value When Selecting a Hotel as More Important Attribute then Hotel Brand / 2005 National Business Travel Monitor / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Business Travelers Cite "Value" When Selecting a Hotel as More Important Attribute then "Hotel Brand" 2005 National Business Travel Monitor ORLANDO, Fla - May 10, 2005 -- Demand for business travel services is recovering slowly, although there are some preliminary signs this segment of the market is poised for growth in the year ahead according to the recently-released Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell 2005 National Business Travel Monitor(TM). Of the estimated 58% of adults who took at least one overnight trip of more than 75 miles from home last year, an estimated one out of...

Chairman Steve Wynn and Shareholders of Wynn Resorts Ltd. Hold Annual Meeting at Just Opened Wynn Las Vegas / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 3, 2005 - For the first time since becoming a publicly traded company, the shareholders of Wynn Resorts Ltd. were able to hold their annual meeting in a building that was producing revenue toward their investment. Four days after the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas opened, shareholders Monday filled a large ballroom in the Strip property's convention area to listen as company Chairman Steve Wynn recounted from where they had come. "It's nice to finally be in our home court," Wynn Resorts President Ron Kramer at t...

Two Labrador Retrievers and Six German Shepherds Key Components of Wynn Las Vegas Security Operations / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 7, 2005 - Wynn Las Vegas went all the way to Europe to hire eight specially trained members of the $2.7 billion Strip hotel-casino's security detail. But they don't require much in the way of salary. Two Labrador retrievers and six German shepherds make up the key components of the resort's canine patrol, where the dogs, who came to Las Vegas highly educated in bomb-detection techniques, work with their handlers to find dangerous materials, explosives and other substances that might be brought illegally into...

Chicago Tribune Correspondent Vincent Schodolski Reviews the Wynn Las Vegas / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Vincent J. Schodolski, Chicago TribuneKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Apr. 29, 2005 - Modest men do not build hotels that cost $2.7 billion, and so it is no surprise that Steve Wynn compares his new resort and casino to the place where the new pope was elected. "Michelangelo took four years to complete the Sistine Chapel. Your room took five," says one of the pitches for the new Wynn Las Vegas, which opened Thursday. Wynn, 63, who helped re-create the Strip with the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio is back, with a resort boasting 2,700 rooms, 18 restaurants and an 110,000-squa...

Some Reports That Wyndham International Inc. Might Be Up for Sale / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning NewsKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 12, 2005 - Reports that Wyndham International Inc. might be on the auction block caused a flurry of investor activity Wednesday. A story in The Wall Street Journal reported that the Dallas-based hotel operator has put itself up for sale, citing people familiar with the matter. The report fueled trading levels to more than four times the stock's typical volume, although the share price rose only a penny to 99 cents. This was the second time in recent weeks that speculation has emerged on a Wyndham sale. Hotel...

Wingate Inn Brand Aims to Sustain Competitive Edge; Enhancement Plan Includes Upgrading Bed, Bath, Shower, Complimentary Breakfast, Adds Muscle to Mar

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Wingate Inn Brand Aims to Sustain Competitive Edge; Enhancement Plan Includes Upgrading Bed, Bath, Shower, Complimentary Breakfast, Adds Muscle to Marketing Plans LAS VEGAS (May 5, 2005) – Wingate Inn President Keith Pierce told franchisees attending their brand conference here today that the chainÂ’s two-phased enhancement plan, called “The Wingate Experience,” will sustain the brandÂ’s competitive advantage. The initiative, which features updated bathroom and bedding programs, hot breakfast and other upgrades, is designed to “exceed guest expectations” while building on the brandÂ...

AAA Survey Identifies Top 10 Factors Travelers Consider when Choosing Accommodations / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report AAA Survey Identifies Top 10 Factors Travelers Consider when Choosing Accommodations Location, Price, Discounts, Diamond Rating Top List ORLANDO, Fla. - May 16, 2005 -- Location isn't just important in real estate. It is the number one feature that travelers look for when deciding where to stay, according to a survey by Market Horizons and commissioned by AAA. The survey named the top 10 factors that are considered when choosing accommodations. Following location in or near a destination city (93 percent of respondents) are proximity to a planned activity (90 percent), price (86 perc...

Innkeepers USA Trust Acquires the 224-room Westin Governor Morris hotel in Morristown, N.J. for Approximately $35.1 million / May 2005

February 28, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Innkeepers USA Trust Acquires the 224-room Westin Governor Morris hotel in Morristown, N.J. for Approximately $35.1 million PALM BEACH, Fla. - May 13, 2005 -- Innkeepers USA Trust (NYSE: KPA), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) and a leading owner of upscale extended-stay hotel properties throughout the United States, today announced that it has acquired the newly renovated 224-room Westin Governor Morris hotel in Morristown, N.J. for approximately $35.1 million. The acquisition will be funded by borrowing on the company's unsecured line of credit. Innkeepers Hospitality Manageme...