The Knoxville Area Has 14 Hotel Projects in the Planning Stages; City Occupancy Rate in 2004 was 57.2% / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Cynthia Yeldell, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 27, 2005 - Over the last year, Knoxville has become a hotbed for new hotel construction, with growth outpacing Memphis, Chattanooga and Nashville. Even though occupancy rates at Knoxville's existing hotels are considered average and the hotel-motel tax is considered to be among the highest in the nation, new hotels continue to spring up. In 2004, four of the seven new hotels that opened in Tennessee were in Knoxville, according to Smith Travel Research, the lodging industry's leading informatio...

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. Opens Regional Office in Dubai; Provides a Base for New Reservation Office, the Hotel School Network and Quality

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. Opens Regional Office in Dubai; - Provides a Base for New Reservation Office, the Hotel School Network and Quality Assurance Programmes March 2005 - Leading Hotels of the World has opened a Middle East regional office in Knowledge Village, Dubai. This is the group’s 25th regional office worldwide. The presence of a regional office in Dubai will enable Leading Hotels of the World to offer an enhanced range of services to both member hotels and potential customers throughout the Middle East, according to company Chairman Jean-Jacques Gauer. Mr....

Greg Horner Named Director of Restaurant Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Greg Horner Named Director of Restaurant Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants SAN FRANCISCO, (March 22, 2005) – Greg Horner has been appointed Director, restaurant sales and marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In this role, Horner is responsible for the sales development and marketing activities for the company’s 39 restaurants across the country. He will provide creative and strategic direction to maximize the top-line revenue performance of existing and newly opened rest...

Kerzner Building 88 Condominiums On the East End of Paradise Island Near One&Only Ocean Club / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Kerzner Building 88 Condominiums On the East End of Paradise Island Near One&Only Ocean Club PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – January 25, 2005 – Kerzner International Limited, a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, casinos and luxury hotels announced today the detailed plans to develop 88 luxury condominium homes on the East End of Paradise Island near the legendary One&Only Ocean Club. Construction of Ocean Club Residences & Marina is scheduled to begin in Spring 2005 with completion slated for Spring 2007.  The luxury condominium homes will be built wi...

Kayak Betting on Travelers' Desires, not Advertisers or Commissions / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Rob Varnon, Connecticut Post, BridgeportKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 20, 2005 - --NORWALK -- Kayak.com doesn't sell kayaks -- it's a travel Web site founded by some of the same people who created Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia. Dana Galin, Kayak's vice president of communications, said the founders picked the name because a kayak is navigable and takes people places, which is just what they want their Web site to do. The name is also short and catchy and doesn't get lost in a sea of names with travel in them, said Steve Hafner, the company's co-founder and chief executive...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Case Study: With Lodging Occupancy in the Kentucky State Parks System at Only 53%, A Training Program to Improve the Sales and Service Skills of the Parks’ Front Desk Employees Implemented Background The Kentucky State Park System receives a large portion ($29 million) of its operating dollars from a general state fund. The remainder of those dollars comes from the park’s revenues of $53 million. In the current volatile economy, Kentucky and other states have reduced budgets, leaving park systems seeking ways to cut costs and increase revenues. When George Ward, a new park commissione...

Kimberly Schaefer Named Chief Operating Officer for Great Wolf Resorts / March 2005

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 Kimberly Schaefer Named Chief Operating Officer for Great Wolf Resorts MADISON, Wis - March 15, 2005 -- Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:WOLF), the nation's largest owner, operator and developer of drive-to family resorts featuring indoor waterparks and other family-oriented entertainment activities, today announced...

The Redevelopment of the President Hotel in Downtown Kansas City Hits Snag, a Lawsuit Brought by Former Partner / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Dan Margolies, The Kansas City Star, Mo.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 17, 2004 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The redevelopment of the President Hotel downtown has hit another snag, this time a lawsuit brought by a former partner. Urban Hotel Development Company Inc. of Franklin, Tenn., said it was booted out as a 20 percent member of the project in May 2003, about the time the development encountered financing snags. The developers later acquired new financing, and renovation on the historic structure resumed. Urban Hotel now wants its stake in the project restored. "The others vie...

Kansas City's Effort to Fix its Ailing Convention Business Now in its Fourth Decade / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Rick Alm, The Kansas City Star, Mo.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 2, 2005 - Mayor Kay Barnes and other city officials snipped the ribbon Tuesday on a $3.8 million face-lift at Municipal Auditorium. "This ... assures Kansas City its rightful place as the convention center of the nation," said the mayor. "It is a position to which the city is entitled by its geographic location, and transportation and hotel facilities." Oops, wrong mayor. Those actually were the words of former Kansas City Mayor Bryce E. Smith on April 5, 1936, when he dedicated the new, $6.5 million Municipal...

Hilton International Concludes 8 Years of Management at Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa, St. Lucia; SunSwept Resorts Acquires Interest in Resort / March

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Hilton International Concludes 8 Years of Management at Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa, St. Lucia;  SunSwept Resorts Acquires Interest in Resort 1 March 2005, Miami – Hilton International announces the decision to sell its interests in Jalousie Hilton Resort and Spa.  The decision, which was reached by mutual agreement with the resort’s owners, marks the end of a successful eight-year management of the property on May 31, 2005. SunSwept Resorts, whose interests include Le Sport in St Lucia, have acquired the interest of Hilton International with the intent of converting the resort ...

Jacksonville CVB Leading the Fight for a New Convention Center; Existing Center Large Enough for Just 5% of the Conventions in the U.S. / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Christopher Calnan, The Florida Times-Union, JacksonvilleKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 7, 2005 - The drumbeating for a new convention center in Jacksonville didn't stop when the city's top tourism advocate, Kitty Ratcliffe, left town for New Orleans in October. Ratcliffe, former president of the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, led the fight for a new convention center. And her pet issue continues to ring on with the help of the CVB's board. The CVB says the city needs a new and larger convention center because Jacksonville has outgrown the Prime O...

The 966 room Jacksonville Adam's Mark Hotel Has Several Suitors; May Fetch Near $100 million / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Ryan Geddes, The Florida Times-Union, JacksonvilleKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 16, 2005 - The Adam's Mark hotel is something of a deal magnet, and a new prospect is feeling its pull. Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment Group LLC, a San Francisco company that bought New York's Metropolitan Hotel in 2003 and acquired a $100 million Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Md., last year, is working on an Adam's Mark deal -- company representatives met with Mayor John Peyton on Monday and were expected to hold a news conference that day to announce plans for the property. But details of th...

Jack Kealey, Senior Vice President of ARAMARK Harrison Lodging, Retires / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Jack Kealey, Senior Vice President of ARAMARK Harrison Lodging, Retires Philadelphia, Pa. – March 11, 2005 – ARAMARK Harrison Lodging recently announced the retirement of industry veteran Jack Kealey, senior vice president. Kealey retired at the beginning of March 2005.  “Jack has been a tireless advocate of the conference center industry and we thank him for all his contributions to ARAMARK Harrison,” said Rory Loberg, president, ARAMARK Harrison Lodging.  “We wish him well on all of his future endeavors.” Kealey had been with Harrison since the mid-1970s.  During his tenure, Keal...

Starwood Appoints Former Coca Cola Executive Javier Benito to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Starwood Appoints Former Coca Cola Executive Javier Benito to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - March 28, 2005 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today the appointment of former Coca Cola and Procter & Gamble executive Javier Benito to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the global hotel giant. Mr. Benito, 42, will report to Steven J. Heyer, Starwood's Chief Executive Officer. In his new role at Starwood, Mr. Benito will be responsible for all aspects of marketing worldwide. He will work closely wi...

Jacques Baheux Appointed General Manager for the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Jacques Baheux Appointed General Manager for the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel McLEAN, Va. and PORTSMOUTH, Va., March 7, 2005 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. today announced the appointment of Jacques Baheux, CHA, as General Manager for the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center, VA.  The Renaissance Portsmouth is a luxury 249 guest room hotel situated in Portsmouth's historic Olde Towne district, overlooking the Elizabeth River and Norfolk, VA. Mr. Baheux is an experienced hospitality industry management professional who brings 20 years of management and leaders...

International Hotel Brands Will Continue to Lead in Arabia; Familiarity Is a Key Selling Point for International Visitors / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report International Hotel Brands Will Continue to Lead in Arabia; Familiarity Is a Key Selling Point for International Visitors Dubai, March 2005 - The familiarity of international hotel brands will continue to prove a major consideration of tourists travelling to Arabia, despite the increasing number of brands originating in the GCC, according to a senior hospitality figure.   Ed Fuller, president & managing director of International Lodging, Marriott International, said: “Traditional major global source markets like the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan have long relied on their fa...

Interstate Hotels & Resorts Selected to Manage Upscale Portfolio of 22 Hotels; Interstate Now Manages 330 Hotels / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Interstate Hotels & Resorts Selected to Manage Upscale Portfolio of 22 Hotels; Interstate Now Manages 330 Hotels ARLINGTON, Va., March 24, 2005—Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR), the nation’s largest independent hotel management company, today announced that it has signed management agreements to operate 22 upscale hotels recently acquired by a partnership consisting of a private investment fund managed by Goldman Sachs and affiliates of Highgate Holdings.  "This is a first-rate portfolio of stabilized properties and upscale brands," said Thomas F. Hewitt, Interstate CEO. "We ant...

Intergroup Represents Purchaser in Orlando Hotel Transaction / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Intergroup Represents Purchaser in Orlando Hotel Transaction March 1, 2005 - Tandy O. Lofland, president of Intergroup Realty, Inc., announced that the firm represented the purchaser in the recent acquisition of the Best Western  Universal Inn located near Universal Studios Florida, Walt Disney World, and Orlando's many other attractions. Built in 1998, the three-story, interior- corridor hotel serves the fast-growing Orlando tourist,  group, and convention markets.  The seller, Allegiance, L.L.C., conveyed the property to the private purchaser for $3.6 million, or more than $51,000 per...

InterContinental Hong Kong Appoints New Executives / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  InterContinental Hong Kong Appoints New Executives HONG KONG (March 2, 2005) - Jean-Jacques Reibel, Managing Director, InterContinental Hong Kong is pleased to announce the following new appointments to the hotel's management team. Claus Pedersen, Director of Food and Beverage Claus Pedersen, Director of Food and Beverage, joined the InterContinental Hong Kong team on February 1, 2005. With a wealth of international experience, Claus most recently served as Director of Operations at the Hilton Otaru and as Director of Food and Beverage at Hilton Nagoya in Japan. Claus launched his care...

500 Hospitality Workers Rally at Indiana Statehouse Urging Lawmakers to Fund $275 million Expansion of the Indiana Convention Center / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Will Higgins, The Indianapolis StarKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 15, 2005 - About 500 hospitality industry workers and their supporters rallied in the Indiana Statehouse on Monday to urge lawmakers to fund an expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. A proposal, backed by the Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, would add 375,000 square feet of space to the facility, nearly doubling its size. It would cost about $275 million. About a dozen people -- from hotel doormen to business executives -- spoke briefly to the crowd, each signing off with the slogan, given them by ...

Most Hotel Reservations Are Decided and Made by (Fill in the Blank) / Emmanuel Gardinier / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Most Hotel Reservations Are Decided and Made by (Fill in the Blank) by Emmanuel Gardinier, March 2005  Who are your most important guests? Have you ever wondered who is actually reserving the rooms at your hotel? Do you know who is usually the hardest person to satisfy? Who is responsible for the growing demands of Spas? The answer is Women. That’s right! Apart for male specific destinations (like a buddies golf trip) or business-oriented hotels (and with the growing number of women traveling on business this is also changing), most of your reservations are decided and mad...

The ITC Group Segments its 66 Hotels Across India into Four Different Brands / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Meena Nichani, The Economic Times, IndiaKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 20, 2005 - MUMBAI, India -- The ITC group has segmented its 66 hotels across India into four different brand categories after an extensive in-house re-branding exercise. This segmentation is in line with the global practice wherein hospitality companies have different brands for different market segments and different price points. The seven super deluxe hotels will be under the ITC banner, and another seven five-star luxury hotels will be under the Welcom brand, followed by the 15 mid-market full service...

The IMHI-ESSEC MBA in International Hospitality Management Now Offered in One Year Program, Cost: 25,000 Euros / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The IMHI-ESSEC MBA in International Hospitality Management Now Offered in One Year Program, Cost: 25,000 Euros Cergy, 22 March 2005: The IMHI-ESSEC MBA in International Hospitality Management, formerly a two year program, will also be offered as of September 2005 as a one year program to better meet the needs of participants.  The 'One MBA - Two Tracks' was officially launched by IMHI at an event that gathered together hospitality educational centres from throughout Europe at the Institut de Monde Ar...

Picture Perfect Meetings with Interstate Hotels & Resorts / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Picture Perfect Meetings with Interstate Hotels & Resorts ARLINGTON, Va. -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR), the nation's largest independent hotel management company, offers meeting planners a Kodak digital camera ($200 value) through the “Picture Perfect Meetings Program” when booking and holding a meeting or catered event worth $5,000 or more in revenue now through April 15, 2005,* at up to 140 full-service locations across the United States. Just for completing online registration, planners are entered into a drawing for a five-day, four-night stay for two with enticing destinatio...