St. Regis Hotel & Residences, San Francisco Names Lilian Wagner Director of Sales & Marketing / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  St. Regis Hotel & Residences, San Francisco Names Lilian Wagner Director of Sales & Marketing SAN FRANCISCO (March 23, 2005) – Elias Assaly, general manager of the St. Regis Hotel & Residences, San Francisco, has announced the appointment of Lilian Wagner as director of sales and marketing for the new 40-story landmark comprising a 260-room luxury hotel and 102 private residences.  The hotel and residences, representing the first St. Regis property in San Francisco, are scheduled to open in September 2005 amid...

The Why, What and How of WOW / Richard K. Hendrie / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Why, What and How of WOW by Richard K. Hendrie, March 2005   “The customer sets the pace, you capture the moments. You are in charge. Your charge is to help customers feel well. Your ultimate responsibility is that each guest feels well when the leave because of how you enhanced their life in the moment that you had to serve them.”  Horst Schultze, former President & COO for Ritz Carlton quoted from Harvard Business School Case Study revised 7/02 . We want WOW. When we find it we run in droves to indulge in its magnificent, silky perfection and spend a premium for the privi...

Winnie Chiu Appointed Director of Human Resources for the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Winnie Chiu Appointed Director of Human Resources for the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers  Hong Kong, 22 March 2005 -- Mrs. Winnie Chiu has been appointed Director of Human Resources at the Sheraton Hong Kong, overseeing the Human Resources and the Training and Development functions of the property. Winnie has over 20 years of experience working as quality driver emphasizing on people development, recruitment and strategic retention initiatives.   She holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration majoring in Organizational Behavior and Industrial Relations from the University of ...

Wyndham International Obtains Commitment to Refinance Approximately $1.65 billion of Outstanding Debt; Pre-funds up to $100 million of Capital to Inve

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Wyndham International Obtains Commitment to Refinance Approximately $1.65 billion of Outstanding Debt - Pre-funds up to $100 million of Capital to Invest in 34 Owned Hotels and Resorts DALLAS - March 11, 2005 -- Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR) today announced receipt of binding commitments to refinance its corporate credit facility and the majority of its outstanding mortgage debt. The Company will refinance approximately $1.65 billion of its outstanding debt underwritten by JP Morgan Chase; this represents over 90 percent of the Company's total debt. The refinancing, which is ex...

Wyndham Reports Net Loss of $111.1 million for 4th Qtr 2004; Completes Asset Disposition Program, Now Owns or Leases 33 Brand-defining Hotels / March

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Discount Hotels London, Sydney, Rome, AmsterdamParis, Melbourne, Lisbon, Barcelona, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York, Auckland Discount Hotels London, Sydney, Rome, AmsterdamParis, Melbourne, Lisbon, Barcelona, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York, Auckland Wyndham Reports Net Loss of $111.1 million for 4th Qtr 2004; Completes Asset Disposition Program,  Now Owns or Leases 33 Brand-defining Hotels DALLAS - March 15, 2005 -- Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR): -- Results Summary:  (1) For the full year, adjusted EBITDA was $272.7 million, meeting the high-end o...

One of Santa Barbara's Oldest Hotels Will Drop its Radisson Franchise, and Return to its Historical Roots as the the Hotel Mar Monte / March 20

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Maria Zate, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 27, 2005 - One of Santa Barbara's oldest hotels will soon shed its corporate name and return to its historical roots. The Radisson Hotel at 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd. at East Beach will break ties with the Radisson chain at the beginning of May and take on a shortened version of its original identity, Hotel Vista Mar Monte. Soon to be called the Hotel Mar Monte, the 173-room hotel will retain the same owner, Chicago-based HDG Associates, and the same management team. Ruth Grande, general manager of the hote...

Kor Hotel Group Developing the Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences on 27 Acres of Beachfront Land on Anguilla, British West Indies / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Kor Hotel Group Developing the Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences on 27 Acres of Beachfront Land on Anguilla, British West Indies LOS ANGELES - March 24, 2005 -- Kor Hotel Group, the Los Angeles-based luxury hotel operator, brings its distinctive design, exceptional service and keen brand of hospitality to the Caribbean with the creation of Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences. Ground-up construction of this premier residential resort property, stretching along Barnes Bay and Meads Bay on the island of Anguilla in the British West Indies, is scheduled for completion before y...

Las Vegas Stripfront Land Recently Valued at $15 million to $20 million per Acre / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Chris Jones, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 28, 2005 - It's one of the last and largest undeveloped parcels within a stone's throw of the Strip. And after standing pat for 16 1/2 years, its owner appears ready to cash in while the Las Vegas real estate market remains hot. Los Angeles-based Weststate Land in October 1988 paid approximately $5.73 million to complete a deal that included more than 58 acres west of Interstate 15 and north of Russell Road. In February 2004, the company secured an adjacent 4.2 acre parcel for an additional $8.3 million, givi...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Asset Managers and Owners Bound to Benefit from Vantis and Buckhiester Management USA Revenue Management Owners’ Series Session provides strong overview of revenue management as a business process Calgary, Alberta, Canada — March 17, 2005 — Vantis, the largest provider of marketing and revenue generation services for independent hotels, car rental companies and airlines, and Buckhiester Management USA Inc., a revenue management industry leader, are pleased to present a webinar developed expressly for hotel owners and asset managers. Using Buckhiester’s proprietary business proce...

After Seeing Tremendous Response to Pilot Online Videos, W Hotels Partners with VFM Interactive to Add Online Video Tours to All its Properties / Marc

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report After Seeing Tremendous Response to Pilot Online Videos, W Hotels Partners with VFM Interactive to Add Online Video Tours to All its Properties TORONTO, CANADA, February 25, 2005 – VFM Interactive, the leader of rich media production and distribution for the travel industry, is partnering with W Hotels to roll out online video tours for all its properties worldwide after seeing impressive statistics on a pilot video project. The decision came following an initial trial that saw the development of videos for a few of the company’s properties. During the trial period, statistics showed that vid...

Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA Opens with 301 Suites with 10 Different Suite Configurations; Possibly the Largest Indoor Water Park in Virginia

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA Opens with 301 Suites with 10 Different Suite Configurations; Possibly the Largest Indoor Water Park in Virginia WILLIAMSBURG, Va.- March 23, 2005 - The new Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia has opened its doors! Set amidst a backdrop of towering pines, the four-story, log-sided 301-suite family destination is designed to capture the atmosphere and adventure of the northwoods. The first-class, full-service resort welcomes travelers and vacationers, families and business clientele to enjoy the first-class amenities of Virginia's premier indoor w...

Staff Turnover…Avoid the Reactive Zone / Emmanuel Gardinier / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Staff Turnover... Avoid the Reactive Zone by Emmanuel Gardinier, March 2005 Staff turnover, you can fight it. We all have to face the headaches of filling positions in the middle of a busy season when the job market in your area is flat lined. You hire, train, they leave, and then you start all over again. You end up spending a lot of time and money just trying to run your business with a skeleton crew. The services you are offering are declining, and the rest of your staff is getting very unhappy because they have to fill in for vacant positions and train the new guys. You are now in th...

Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Reports 2004 Net Loss of $191.3 million Compared to Prior Year Net Loss of $87.3 million; Hearings to Confirm the Compan

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Reports 2004 Net Loss of $191.3 million Compared to Prior Year Net Loss of $87.3 million;  Hearings to Confirm the Company's Proposed Plan of Reorganization to Commence April 5, 2005 NEW YORK - March 18, 2005 -- Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. ("THCR" or the "Company") (OTCBB:DJTCQ.OB) today reported consolidated net revenues (defined as gross revenues less promotional allowances) for the quarter ended December 31, 2004 of $268.0 million, compared to $265.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2003.  Consolidated loss from operations for...

Donald Trump Withdraws from Casino Development Near the French Lick Springs Resort in Indiana / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Kurt Van Der Dussen, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 2, 2005 - "The Donald" is out of the French Lick casino project. The announcement by the director of the Indiana Gaming Commission that Donald Trump won't build or run the casino rocked a meeting of the Springs Valley community's Historic Hotel Preservation Commission Wednesday morning in French Lick. Commission chief Ernest Yelton dropped the bomb, saying negotiations with Trump Indiana Casino Management, LLC, to build and operate a riverboat casino -the so-called "boat in a moat" -- between F...

Atlific Hotels & Resorts Opens $16 million Residence Inn by Marriott at Toronto Airport / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Atlific Hotels & Resorts Opens $16 million  Residence Inn by Marriott at Toronto Airport Atlific Hotels and Resorts adds to Portfolio of Hotels TORONTO, ONTARIO - March 10, 2005 - Toronto Airport area and Marriott celebrate the opening of a new hotel, the $16 Million Residence Inn by Marriott at Toronto Airport, John Dunn, vice president Sales & Marketing of Atlific Hotels and Resorts, announced today. The hotel opened and received its first guests on March 7, 2005 with Marriott Canada, Atlific Hot...

Tiburon Hospitality Management Slices its Resort Food Cost by 52% / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Tiburon Hospitality Management Slices its Resort Food Cost by 52% Carefree, AZ . .March 15, 2005 . . Over the last year, Tiburon Hospitality Management has saved an incredible 52% in food cost, equaling more than $885,000 in total food cost savings among its three resort properties through a strategic partnership with ARO Enterprise.   “The partnership we’ve established with ARO Enterprise has allowed us to maximize our profit margin at all three resorts in a relatively short period of time with absolutely no sacrifice in food quality,” said Thomas Haas, corporate director of food and beve...

Jean Patrick Thiry appointed Vice President Area Manager Africa and Indian Ocean Division for Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Jean Patrick Thiry Appointed Vice President Area Manager Africa and Indian Ocean Division for Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. MILAN, (March 21, 2005) -- The Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has appointed Mr Jean Patrick Thiry as Vice President Area Manager Africa and Indian Ocean Division for Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and General Manager for Domina Coral Bay Resort & Casino, Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt).   Mr. Thiry is a seasoned hotelier with extensive global experience, the last 25 years spent working in the hotel industry. He has held management position...

The Gates in New York's Central Park Contributed an Additional 85,000 Room Nights and $26 Million in Revenue for New York City Hotels Between

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Gates in New York's Central Park Contributed an Additional 85,000 Room Nights and $26 Million in Revenue for New York City Hotels  Between February 13 and February 28 NEW YORK, March 8, 2005 -- According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Hospitality & Leisure practice, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, contributed to record February hotel occupancy in New York City during the last two weeks of the month. Occupancy averaged 84.2 percent during the weeks that the Christo project was in place, compared to an ...

The French Polynesian Atoll of Tetiaroa, Owned by the Late Marlon Brando, To be the Site of a new Eco-hotel Called The Brando; Development Being Overs

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The French Polynesian Atoll of Tetiaroa, Owned by the Late Marlon Brando, To be the Site of a New Eco-hotel Called The Brando;  Development Being Overseen by Tahiti Beachcomber SA NEW YORK, NY (March 16 , 2005) - The French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa, owned by the late Marlon Brando, is to be the site of a lavish new eco-hotel called The Brando.  Slated to open in 2008 and consisting of 30 deluxe fares (villas),  it will be the only hotel on Tetiaroa.  The project is being overseen by Tahiti Beachcomber SA, whose CEO, Richard Bailey, owner of several luxury resorts in French Polyne...

The Angler's Hotel Slated to Become the South Beach's Newest Boutique Resort Condominium / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Angler's Hotel Slated to Become the South Beach's Newest Boutique Resort Condominium Nightclub King Michael Capponi and Developer Gregg Covin Join Forces MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - March 8, 2005 -- One of South Beach's original Mediterranean revival hotels will once again impress guests the way it did in the 1930s after a complete renovation and new construction under the direction of Versace mansion interior designer J. Wallace Tutt III, who is returning to south Florida after many years in the Bahamas. Tutt is collaborating with Gregg Covin Real Estate Development and nightl...

Telkonet Receives CE Certification for its High-Speed Internet Access System; Enables Products to be Sold within the European Union / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Telkonet Receives CE Certification for its High-Speed Internet Access System; Enables Products to be Sold within the European Union Germantown, MD, March 2, 2005 - Telkonet, Inc. (Amex: TKO), the leader in providing in-building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, today announced that its high-speed Internet access system has received the Conformite Europeene (CE) certification. The CE mark is the official marking required by the European community indicating that a product has met rigorous testing standards and is approved for sale within the European Union (EU).  David Powell, M...

Florida's Two Seminole Hard Rock Casinos Hugely Succesful; Developer Cordish Company Stands to Profit More than $1 billion During Next 10 Years

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Randy Diamond, Tampa Tribune, Fla.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 8, 2005 - TAMPA -- Rock 'n' roll pulsates as patrons jam crowded aisles vying for a slot machine opening. A crowd surrounds the poker area, even though an expansion in November increased the number of tables from 32 to 50. Restaurants buzz, the bars are full -- and it's only Tuesday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. A year after the Seminoles' casino was reborn with a new complex and new name, the Tampa facility is a financial success for the tribe. However, the economic impact for the greater met...

The Former Tacoma Dome Ramada Inn at a Financial Crossroads; 21 Year Old Hotel Badly Needs Renovation / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy John Gillie, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 22, 2005 - A Tacoma hotel that played a key role in Tacoma's early 1980s civic renaissance is at a financial crossroads. On the market for more than a year, the former Tacoma Dome Ramada Inn has been the object of several purchase offers, but the hotel's aging owner says none of the offers has met his requirements. Now the hotel, stripped of all its identifying signage and without any national hotel chain affiliation, muddles on with sparse daily business in its 160 rooms. Gene Ferryman, the building's...

Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association Launches 'Total Quality Destination' and Presents 'Gold Star of Excellence Awards' / Mar

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association Launches “Total Quality Destination” and Presents “Gold Star of Excellence Awards” March 16, 2005 - In a dramatic move to further differentiate the Grand Strand as a distinctive Destination of Choice, the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association announced a new initiative, “Total Quality Destination”. The TQD program is presented as an adjunct to our annual “Gold Star of Excellence Awards” presented to our Lodging and Restaurant Members for a spotless reputation in cleanliness. Both presentations took place on March 9 at the Holiday Inn Oceanfr...