Caesars, Horseshoe and Harrah's are Three Brand Names Likely to be Used Following a Harrah's and Caesars Merger / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tom Wilemon, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 5, 2005 - --GULFPORT -- The Grand Casinos in Biloxi and Gulfport could wind up with new names because of their parent company's pending acquisition by Harrah's Entertainment. "You can expect that going forward we will have three trademark brands -- Caesars, Horseshoe and Harrah's," said Harrah's spokesman Gary Thompson. However, exceptions will be made for stand-alone properties such as the Paris-themed casino in Las Vegas and names that resonate with gamblers. About 13,750 casino customers have been su...

Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Points to Increase in Product and Service to Ensure Continued Growth in High Room Rates / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Points to Increase in Product and Service to Ensure Continued Growth in High Room Rates Dubai, March 2005: Senior management at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina have pointed to an increase in product and service offering as “critical” to ensure continued high room rates in Dubai are justified. While most hotels in Dubai had a bumper year in 2004, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi led the way with a 37 per cent increase in revenue in 2004.   Karen Hardcastle, director of business development for the lifestyle resort, said: “While 2004 ...

Hotel Technology Next Generation Announces Results of Board Elections / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Technology Next Generation Announces Results of Board Elections-- Nick Price and Barry Shuler elected as Officers; Six Directors and One Officer Re-Elected; Robert Bansfield and Francis Joseph Durocher Elected as Directors -- CHICAGO, March 7, 2005 – Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) today announced its new Board of Directors and Officers, who will take office on April 1, 2005.  HTNG’s Board of Directors is elected from among its hotel members. The new officer and director slate is as follows:Director & President – Nick Price, CTO, Mand...

25 Educational Sessions on Tap for Attendees of HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West in San Jose, CA – June 15-16, 2005 / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report 25 Educational Sessions on Tap for Attendees of HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West in San Jose, CA - June 15-16, 2005 MCLEAN, VA (Mar. 17, 2005) – Negotiation techniques, site selection, time management, creative event planning and handling legal issues are just some of the informative topics to be addressed during the 25 educational sessions designed for meeting planners that will be presented at the ninth annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings® West show, June 15-16, 2005 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA.  ...

HSMAI's Revenue Management Strategy Conference Set for Los Angeles on June 20, 2005 / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report HSMAI's Revenue Management Strategy Conference Set for Los Angeles on June 20, 2005 MCLEAN, VA (Mar. 18, 2005) – The complex yet critical topic of pricing will headline the agenda at the second annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Strategy Conference, to be held in Los Angeles on June 20, 2005 in conjunction with the HITEC conference.  Also on tap will be discounting, technology and electronic distribution, all issues and challenges facing revenue and yield management professionals today. Organized by HSMAI’s Revenue Management Advis...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Affordable Meetings Mid-America Show Sells Out with 344 Booths Representing Hotels and Resorts, Conference Centers, CVBs April 6 – 7, 2005, Chicago’s Navy Pier MCLEAN, VA (Mar. 10, 2005) – The trade show at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) fifth annual Affordable Meetings® Mid-America show, taking place April 6 – 7, 2005 at Chicago’s Navy Pier, is sold-out with a confirmed 344 booths representing hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications,...

HSMAI’S Fourth Internet Marketing Strategy Conference Expands Beyond Hotels / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  HSMAI’S Fourth Internet Marketing Strategy Conference Expands Beyond Hotels Measuring Success Through Metrics Will Headline Agenda of Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference In New York City on April 29, 2005 MCLEAN, VA (Mar. 16, 2005) – When the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) holds its fourth Internet Marketing Strategy Conference in New York City on Friday, April 29, 2005, it will mark the first time the program will combine the thoughts and talents o...

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Line-up of Industry Events in 2005 / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Line-up of Industry Events in 2005 MCLEAN, Va. (Mar. 15, 2005) – Throughout 2005, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will present a comprehensive line-up of industry events and programs, delivering educational sessions and strategy conferences as well as business-to-business forums for buyers and suppliers of hospitality, travel and tourism. HSMAI events are invaluable for sales and marketing professionals loo...

InterContinental Hotels Group Testing Full-service Reception Kiosk at the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center; Hotel Serves as a Testing Ground for Holiday In

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 InterContinental Hotels Group Testing Full-service Reception Kiosk at the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center . Hotel Serves as a Testing Ground for Holiday Inn Brand Innovations System will allow guests to check in and check out of the hotel and modify reservations as well as print airline boarding passes      AT...

What Hoteliers Need to Know About Flat Panel and HDTVs / Jake Buckstead / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online Special Report What Hoteliers Need to Know About Flat Panel and High Definition Televisions This article is from the upcoming Spring 2005 issue of Hospitality Upgrade magazine.To view more articles covering technology for the hospitality industry please visit the Hospitality Upgrade Web site or to request a free publication please call (678) 802-5307 or e-mail. by Jake Buckstead, March 2005 Are you planning to buy flat panel or other higher resolution televisions for your hotel(s) in the next few years?  If so, you have something in common with millions of American consumers.  Market rese...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Nature’s Mist Combats Mother Nature’s Wrath . Hurricane Ivan slams into 150-room Ramada Inn Bayview in Pensacola, Florida; tornado at tail end rips away hotel’s roof. Green Suite®’s Nature’s Mist helps the hotel save 100 rooms hit hard with mold and mildew. Deodorization/cleaning system protects and renews storm damaged drywall and carpeting, and helps the hotel stay open to serve displaced residents and disaster relief workers PENSACOLA, FLORIDA — March 3, 2005 — Talk about having a bad day at the office.The 150-room Ramada Inn – Bayview in Pensacola had just been pummeled b...

The Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino Re-Opens after Multi-Million Dollar Renovation / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino Re-Opens after Multi-Million Dollar RenovationLegendary St. Maarten Landmark Arrives 30 Years Later with New Look Philipsburg, ST. MAARTEN (March 18, 2005)   After completing a multi-million dollar renovation, Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino re-opens in Dutch St. Maarten's beachfront capital of Philipsburg. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the property re-opened its doors on February 12, 2005 featuring a sophisticated, contemporary look in its lobby, 262 stylish...

The Grand Hyatt New York Has New Look, New Standards with a $65 million Renovation / 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 The Grand Hyatt New York Has New Look, New Standards with a $65 million Renovation NEW YORK - The Grand Hyatt New York has traded in its former 80’s glitz for a more stylish, contemporary look and has added the latest in hospitality amenities.  A stellar team of designers developed the hotel’s new image which fea...

Fattal Hotels, the Largest Hotel Chain in Israel, Rebranding its Paradise Club Hotel to Golden Tulip Eilat / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Fattal Hotels, the Largest Hotel Chain in Israel, Rebranding its Paradise Club Hotel to Golden Tulip Eilat Tel Aviv (Israel), Amersfoort (The Netherlands), 17th March 2005 – Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts and Fattal Hotels, a leader in the Israeli hotel industry, are proud to announce the signing of the franchise agreement for the new 280-room Golden Tulip Eilat. This is the second hotel operated by Fattal Hotels to be franchised by Golden Tulip. The Golden Tulip Privilege Dead Sea has been a Golden Tulip Hotel since 1999.   The Golden Tulip Eilat, formerly known as the Paradise ...

Luciano Pavarotti, Laura Bush and Tom Hanks Make Appearances in The Rittenhouse Lobby; Philadelphia's Elegant Home to Diplomats and Celebrities U

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Luciano Pavarotti, Laura Bush and Tom Hanks Make Appearances in The Rittenhouse Lobby -- Philadelphia's Elegant Home to Diplomats and Celebrities Uses Concierge Software to Empower Staff, Deliver Oprah Winfrey's Dog Biscuits March 2, 2005 - What did Oprah Winfrey find when she registered at Philadelphia's most famous Five-Diamond hotel? A basket of monogrammed dog biscuits imprinted with her pet's names, a hand written welcome letter from the general manager, and a refrigerator filled with her favorite foods were all waiting for Ms. Winfrey when she checked into her suite at The Rittenhouse.    When staff d...

Using Web-based GoConcierge, The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa Adds Efficiencies to Concierge Operations, Improves Guest Satisfaction / March 2

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Using Web-based GoConcierge, The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa Adds Efficiencies to Concierge Operations, Improves Guest Satisfaction LOS ANGELES, CALIF.—March 2, 2005—More than two years after its installation, GoConcierge continues to add efficiencies to concierge operations at The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa. The Web-based solution, which is produced by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net, also makes it easier for the hotel’s concierge team to provide superior service to guests.  "Working with the team at the Ritz-Carlton has been terrific, especially knowing that GoCon...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Generation’s Operating Partner Program Pays Off for Company and Partners March 4, 2005 - What company wouldn’t want to be an innovator, boldly turning the tired old business model upside-down and shaking it a couple of times? Every organization wants to be a leader in the industry, boast entrepreneurial employees, and, of course, make more money. But what happens when a company puts its money where its mouth is? It’s one thing to talk a good game; it’s another thing entirely to actually let go of the management apron strings and let someone else stir the pot. That’s just what Th...

The Gaylord Texan, D-FW Area's Third-largest Hotel and Second-largest Convention Center, Lived Up to its Promises After First Year of Operatio

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy David Wethe, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TexasKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 28, 2005 - GRAPEVINE -- In its first year in business, the Gaylord Texan gathered supporters and ruffled a few feathers. The 1,511-room hotel and convention center on the shores of Lake Grapevine helped bring new business to town but also lured conventions and employees from other hotels. Before opening, officials for the Gaylord Texan said they'd pull very little from existing hotels and would instead shine a brighter light on the entire area for meetings and conventions. Gaylord officials have lived ...

Historic Hotel in Winchester, Va., The George Washington, Undergoing Multi-Million Dollar Restoration; Will be Branded a Wyndham Historic Hotel / Marc

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Historic Hotel in Winchester, Va., The George Washington, Undergoing Multi-Million Dollar Restoration; Will  be Branded a Wyndham Historic Hotel DALLAS - March 10, 2005 -- Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR) announced today that it has entered into a long-term franchise agreement with GW Development LLC to flag a historic hotel in Winchester, Va. Scheduled to open by spring 2006, The George Washington - A Wyndham Historic Hotel will join the company's portfolio of Wyndham Historic Hotels following the completion of a multi-million dollar restoration. The hotel will be managed b...

Greater Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association Booked 276 Future Conventions In 2004, Nearly 513,000 Future Room Nights / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Greater Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association Booked 276 Future Conventions In 2004, Nearly 513,000 Future Room Nights MINNEAPOLIS, March 17, 2005 -  For every dollar the City of Minneapolis invested in the GMCVA in 2004, it will receive $80 in future convention and tourism business. In total, the GMCVA's sales efforts produced nearly 513,000 future room nights for area hotels. This represents more than $522 million in future economic impact for businesses throughout the Minneapolis area. While th...

Gregory John Horeth Appointed Regional Vice President of Operations for Winegardner & Hammons, Inc. / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Gregory John Horeth Appointed Regional Vice President of Operations for Winegardner & Hammons, Inc. Cincinnati, OH., March 9, 2005 – Winegardner & Hammons, Inc., Senior Vice President of Operations and Human Resources, Kent Bruggeman, recently announced the appointment of Gregory John Horeth to regional vice president of operations.  A 29-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Horeth has served most recently as the General Manager at the Marriott Chicago Northwest, in Hoffman Estates Illinois, an owned and managed Winegardner & Hammons, Inc. hotel. As the Regional Vice President of Operati...

Glenn Bishop Appointed General Manager of the Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Glenn Bishop Appointed General Manager of the Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe Jeannene Glenn appointed director of sales & marketing, David Wilson appointed executive chef  SANTA FE, New Mexico – (March 14, 2005) – Noble House Hotels & Resorts, owner of the Inn and Spa at Loretto, located in the heart of Santa Fe, has appointed a new management team for the acclaimed property.  Noble House, which has owned the Inn and Spa at Loretto since 1996, has appointed a new General Manager, Director of Sales & Marketing and Executive Chef. Glenn Bishop has been appointed general ...

TravelCLICK Announces the Upcoming Release of FuturePACE – Latest Addition to Its Family of Hotelligence Reports / March 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report    TravelCLICK Announces the Upcoming Release of FuturePACE - Latest Addition to Its Family of Hotelligence Reports - CHICAGO (March 22, 2005) – Ray Cohen, President and co-CEO of TravelCLICK, today announced the upcoming release of FuturePACE, the company’s newest addition to its leading competitive intelligence reports for the hospitality industry.   FuturePACE is a never-before-available reporting tool that provides forward-looking competitive booking data from the $11 billion GDS channel.  It will be a supplement to TravelCLICK’s popular Hotelligence report, which is now being use...

Fred Harvey's Foresight Apparent In One of the Best Known Structures in the National Park System – the 100 Year Old El Tovar Hotel / March

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Fred Harvey's Foresight Apparent In One of the Best Known Structures in the National Park System - the 100 Year Old El Tovar Hotel GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, March 24, 2005 - As the El Tovar hotel and the Hopi House gift shop and gallery observe their centennials in 2005, Fred Harvey's foresight is becoming apparent again even though he died before actually seeing the completion of two of the best-known structures in the national park system.  Opening January 1, 1905 the Hopi House was designed by a young architect named Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Colter had already established a reput...