Plans for a Beachside Hotel and Conference Center in Santa Cruz Shelved; Too Big a Hotel and in the Wrong Place / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy David L. Beck, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 26, 2005 - Plans for a beachside hotel and conference center in Santa Cruz were abruptly shelved Friday after a survey showed strong opposition to the project, which would have gone to a referendum later this year. Jeff Eberle, president of Western Hotel Properties, sent an e-mail to city officials Friday saying the group had "decided to withdraw from the proposed project to construct a new hotel, conference center and parking structure at the site of the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel." The news was greeted ...

First Phase of Macao's COTAI Strip Scheduled to Open in 2007 — Includes Seven Resort Hotels Comprising of 10,000 Guest Rooms; The $1.8 bill

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report First Phase of Macao's COTAI Strip Scheduled to Open in 2007 -- Includes Seven Resort Hotels Comprising of 10,000 Guest Rooms - The $1.8 billion Venetian Macao will Serve as the Anchor MACAO, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, March 17, 2005 - Accompanied at a press conference today by executives from world-renowned hotel brands and leading investment companies, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) provided a new look into its development of a Las Vegas-style strip in Macao. "COTAI Strip(TM) Macao is destined to become Asia's Las Vegas(TM).  By assembling a ...

Sabre Holdings Corp. Trying to Translate its Expertise in Travel Technology into Retailing / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning NewsKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 28, 2005 - Sabre Holdings Corp. is trying to translate its expertise in travel technology into retailing. The Southlake-based company "has moved into a new stage of life," chief executive Sam Gilliland told Dallas Morning News reporters and editors last week. "We have a lot of travel shopping and travel buying data, and we're trying to marry that with customer data," he said. That means pitching travel directly to customers who are likely to go somewhere, rather than just waiting for orders to come in. The ...

Benchmark Appoints Scott Spann General Manager for The Chattanoogan / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Benchmark Appoints Scott Spann General Manager for The Chattanoogan THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON), TEXAS, March 14, 2005 - Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the appointment of Scott Spann as general manager for The Chattanoogan, a 202-guestroom hotel located in the heart of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Sam Haigh, chief operating officer, made the announcement. "Scott brings strong leadership skills and extensive business acumen to his new role," stated Mr. Haigh.  "We're thrilled to add him to Benchmark's team of hospitality professionals." Mr. Spann provides 15 years of experience a...

Small Luxury Hotels of the World Launches Spa Book: "A Trusted Insider’s Guide To The Best Full Service Spas Around The World" / Marc

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Small Luxury Hotels of the World Launches Spa Book:"A Trusted Insider’s Guide To The Best Full Service Spas Around The World" NEW YORK (March 29, 2005) – Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the exclusive hotel brand featuring over 320 independently-owned, luxury hotels in more than 50 countries, has extended their brand power and expertise in the form of the Spa Book, Exclusively by Small Luxury Hotels of the World.  The 64-page book, which highlights 53 of the most spiritually uplifting, sumptuo...

Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter Net Loss of $9.4 million; RevPAR Up 5.8% at 11 North American Hotels / Hotel Operating Statistics

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter Net Loss of $9.4 million; RevPAR Up 5.8% at 11 North American Hotels Hotel Operating Statistics  CHICAGO, March 2, 2005 - Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. (NYSE: SLH) today reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004. Highlights Increase of 5.8 percent in 4Q04 North American same store RevPAR, driven by a 4.7 percent increase in ADR and 1.1 percent increase in occupancy over the comparable period in 2003. Increase of 4.7 percent in FY04 North American same store RevPAR, resulting from a 1.5 pe...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Silvio Bion and Thierry Brovelli Appointed to GM Posts with Intercontinental Resorts PAPEETE, TAHITI (March 30, 2005) - InterContinental Resorts and Spa French Polynesia is pleased to announce the appointments of Silvio Bion and Thierry Brovelli.  Silvio Bion will be assuming the role of General Manager of the new InterContinental Resort & Thalasso Spa Bora Bora, which is scheduled to open on May 1, 2006.  For the past eight years, Bion has been the General Manager of the InterContinental Resort & Spa Moorea.  He will be replaced by Thierry Brovelli, who will become the new General Ma...

Philippe Rossiter, Chief Executive of HCIMA Says Dubai Will Need a Minimum of 30,000 Hospitality Employees in Next Three Years / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Philippe Rossiter, Chief Executive of HCIMA Says Dubai Will Need a Minimum of 30,000 Hospitality Employees in Next Three Years (Dubai, March 2005):  Philippe Rossiter, chief executive of the Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA), pointed to Dubai as “a world-class example of how to build a sustainable economy with tourism as one of the foundation stones”. Rossiter was in Dubai to meet with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) chapter of HCIMA. His visit included site tours of the upcoming Grosvenor House West Marina Beach by Le Meridien (opening summer 2005) and the P...

Robin Ide Named Director of Sales at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Robin Ide Named Director of Sales at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore NORTH SHORE, OAHU, HAWAII, March 2005 - Benchmark Hospitality International of The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, has appointed Robin Ide director of sales at Turtle Bay Resort, the landmark property located on Oahu's North Shore.  Abid Butt, managing director, made the announcement. Ms. Ide brings more than two decades of distinguished professional experience in the Hawaiian market to her new position at Turtle Bay Resort.  This experience includes destination marketing through her previous employment with the H...

Independent Hotels & Resorts; Ride the Wave or Float with the Tide? / Carol Verret / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Carol Verret Consulting  and Training Consulting Training Seminars . . . . Independent Hotels & Resorts;  Ride the Wave or Float with the Tide? by Carol Verret, March 2005 Okay, so you independent resorts and hotels have noticed an up tick in business -- BUT where are you in comparison to the market and to last year? There is an old saying, "A rising tide floats all boats." If you are posting only a 5-7% increase in revenue over last year, then you are only tracking the industry average. Congratulations -- your boat is floating. What's wrong with that? Nothing if bobbing around in the water is all that the...

Carlson Hotels Acquiring 25% Shareholding in Rezidor SAS; Rezidor SAS First Signed an Agreement with Carlson in 1994 for the Radisson Brand / March 20

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Carlson Hotels Acquiring 25% Shareholding in Rezidor SAS - Rezidor SAS First Signed an Agreement with Carlson in 1994 for the Radisson Brand Minneapolis and Brussels, March 14, 2005 - Rezidor SAS Hospitality, the Brussels-based wholly-owned subsidiary of the SAS Group, today jointly announced with US-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, that they have signed an agreement which results in an enhancement of their long-time franchise partnership into a shareholder agreement.   The basis of the agreement will see Carlson Hotels acquire a 25 percent shareholding in Rezidor SAS from SAS...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Lights … Create Mood, Ambiance & Decor But, Can You Read the Menu by Emmanuel Gardinier, March 2005 Lights please! Everyone knows the importance of lighting to create an ambiance in a room, a lobby, or a restaurant. Hotel designers are installing the latest in lighting technology in order to accentuate the effect of the décor, and it’s fine and dandy. I’ve been known to install radical new systems to provide incredible outside lighting, so I’m all for it. But why is it that when a restaurant is trying to be a little high-end, the first thing they do is to make the room so dark that...

Residence Clubs Gaining Acceptance in the Vacation Industry; 10 Questions that Help Define the Structure of Residence Clubs / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Residence Clubs Gaining Acceptance in the Vacation Industry; 10 Questions that Help Define the Structure of Residence Clubs SEATTLE - March 1, 2005 -- Residence clubs have come from nowhere to become the talk of the vacation industry. The concept is simple: similar to a traditional country club, members pay a membership deposit and annual dues to join and access the club's properties. But rather than access to a single golf course as with a country club, members of residence clubs enjoy the use of a portfolio of high-end homes in resort destinations. As residence clubs gain popularity and...

The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, a $225 million Project Opening in 2006, Appoints Pre-Opening Sales Team / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, a $225 million Project Opening in 2006,  Appoints Pre-Opening Sales Team Schaumburg, IL. (March 30, 2005) - The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, a $225 million project slated to open in 2006, has announced three new sales managers.  Anthony Abbate has been named Director of Convention Center Sales, Barry Carlson joins as Director of Hotel Sales, and Abby Tedell Berg as Senior Account Executive. As Director of Convention Cen...

Station Casinos, Inc. Expects to Complete the Red Rock Resort Spa Casino in early 2006; Total Cost Approximately $800 million / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Station Casinos, Inc. Expects to Complete the Red Rock Resort Spa Casino in early 2006;  Total Cost Approximately $800 million LAS VEGAS - March 24, 2005 -- The Red Rock Resort Spa Casino today reached a significant construction milestone as the last steel beam and an American flag were hoisted to the top of the luxury resort. Representatives from Station Casinos, Inc. (NYSE: STN) and Perini Building Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Perini Corporation (NYSE: PCR) joined more than 800 craftspeople at the topping out ceremony. "While today marks a significant step in the construction ...

North Pacific Management Completes Conversion of the DoubleTree Hotel in Portland, Oregon to the Red Lion Hotel on the River – Jantzen Beach / M

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report North Pacific Management Completes Conversion of the DoubleTree Hotel in Portland, Oregon to the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach SPOKANE, Wash., March 28, 2005 - WestCoast Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: WEH - News) today announced that the conversion of the DoubleTree Hotel - Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon was completed on March 25, 2005 and the property is now the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach. The property is a franchised property and is managed by North Pacific Management, Inc. The Red Lion Hotel on the River is undergoing renovations that will include upd...

Consortium led by Toronto-based Realstar Group Acquiring 73 UK Hotels from InterContinental Hotels Group for CDN$2.3 Billion (USD 1.9 billion) / March

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Consortium led by Toronto-based Realstar Group Acquiring 73 UK Hotels from InterContinental Hotels Group for CDN$2.3 Billion (USD 1.9 billion) TORONTO/LONDON, U.K., March 10, 2005 - Toronto-based Realstar Group announced today that in joint-venture with Lehman Bros. Real Estate Partners, LP and GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd., the investment arm of the Government of Singapore, it has entered into an agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group PLC to purchase 73 hotels under the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Express by Holiday Inn brands in the United Kingdom.  Subject to EU Merger clea...

Ramesys Scores a Grand Slam with Country House Inns / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Ramesys Scores a Grand Slam with Country House Inns March 23, 2005 - Ramesys (South Plainfield, NJ), a leading provider of enterprise IT solutions to the hospitality and lodging industry for over 25 years, announces that Country House Inns (Grants Pass, Oregon and Santa Barbara, CA) have chosen to install both their Entirety Property Management System (PMS) and Telecommunication Solutions in April 2005.  Ramesys will be installing Entirety PMS, Entirety-Kx Sales & Catering and Web Reservations on an ASP basis at three Country House Inns: The Upham Hotel & Country House, The Weasku Inn, and The Lodge at Riverside.  The Weasku I...

Carlson Hotels Worldwide Acquires Full Ownership of 296-room Radisson Hotels Dallas North, Richardson, Texas from Olympus Real Estate Partners / March

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Carlson Hotels Worldwide Acquires Full Ownership of 296-room Radisson Hotels Dallas North, Richardson, Texas from Olympus Real Estate Partners DALLAS (March 1, 2005)   Carlson Hotels Worldwide, parent company of Radisson Hotels & Resorts, today announced that it has now acquired full ownership of the 296-room Radisson Hotels Dallas North at Richardson from Olympus Real Estate Partners, a co-owner of the hotel.  The hotel will continue to be managed by Carlson Managed Hotels & Resorts under the leadership of newly appointed General Manager Jeff Wood.  Carlson Hotels Worldwide ...

Carlson Hotels and the City of Myrtle Beach Agree to Part Ways after Contentious Two-year Relationship of Missed Goals and Bond Default at the Radi

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Dawn Bryant, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 10, 2005 - Radisson will no longer operate the Myrtle Beach Convention Center hotel as soon as the city's Hotel Board Corp. picks another management team to take over. Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Radisson's parent company, and the Myrtle Beach Hotel Board Corp. have agreed to part ways after a contentious two-year relationship of missed financial goals, a bond default and frustration over corporate support of the project. In the past few months, both sides had struggled to agree on performance marks fo...

Raffaele Solferino Appointed Vice President Director of Operations Support for Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Raffaele Solferino Appointed Vice President Director of Operations Support for Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Milan, 14th March, 2005 – Today Domina Hotels & Resorts names Raffaele Solferino Vice President Director of Operations Support. In his new role, Solferino will oversee the ongoing development and evolution of the standards operating procedures of Domina Hotels four distinctive brands. He will also lead the efforts in building a brands operation team dedicated to ensuring that Domina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. becomes the industry leader and innovator through...

Robert C. O'Leary Named Vice President of the The Plasencia Group's Sun Hospitality Division / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Robert C. O'Leary Named Vice President of the The Plasencia Group's Sun Hospitality Division TAMPA, FL/March 7, 2005 - Robert C. O'Leary has been named vice president of the southeastern territory for The Plasencia Group's new Sun Hospitality Division, where he will focus on investment advisory and disposition services for mid-market properties (under $12 million).  The Plasencia Group is the nation's leading hospitality transaction and consulting services firm. O'Leary, who joined the Plasencia Group from Choice Hotels International, had been director of franchise development in the southeast...

Reinhard J. Heermann Appointed General Manager of The Dusit Thani Bangkok / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Reinhard J. Heermann Appointed General Manager of The Dusit Thani Bangkok March 7, 2005 - Mr. Khampi Suwanarat, Chief Operating Officer of Dusit Hotels & Resorts, recently announced the appointment of Mr. Reinhard J. Heermann as the new General Manager of The Dusit Thani Bangkok. Prior to his new post at The Dusit Thani Bangkok, Mr. Heermann, a German national, was General Manager and Regional Director North of Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany.  His illustrious hospitality career has included managerial posts with Kempinski and Starwood, among other top hotel ch...

Richard L. Bair Appointed General Manager at the Sheraton Annapolis Hotel / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Richard L. Bair Appointed General Manager at the Sheraton Annapolis Hotel MCLEAN, Va., March 2, 2005 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc.  today announced the appointment of Richard L. Bair to General Manager of the Sheraton Hotel Annapolis, Maryland.  The Sheraton Annapolis is a full service hotel with 196 guest rooms located minutes from the center of Annapolis.  The hotel was recently acquired by Highland Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: HIH), a Virginia based, self-advised lodging real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on hotel investments primarily in the US.      Mr...