HEI Hospitality Fund Acquires Hilton Long Beach for approximately $77 million; Plans $5 Million Renovation / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report HEI Hospitality Fund Acquires Hilton Long Beach for Approximately $77 million - Plans $5 Million Renovation NORWALK, Conn./LONG BEACH, Calif., January 27, 2005 -- HEI Hospitality, a privately held hospitality investment firm, today announced that it has acquired the Hilton Long Beach Hotel and Executive Meeting Center for approximately $77 million from a partnership consisting of AEW Capital Management, L.P., a Boston-based real estate advisory firm, and Ensemble Investments, LLC.  The acquisition includes a 393-room hotel; 21,600 square feet of meeting space; a recently opened 12,3...

Guest-Tek Announces the Appointment of a new COO/January 2005

January 30, 2005

Guest-Tek Announces the Appointment of a new COO -- Craig Snelgrove Hired as Chief Operating Officer -- CALGARY (January 10, 2005) -- Guest-Tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., (Guest-Tek) (TSX:GTK), has announced that it has strengthened its senior executive team with the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer, Craig Snelgrove. Mr. Snelgrove has worked for technology and service companies serving the hospitality, business and exclusive private club markets for 18 years, including Nortel Networks, Elastic Networks, and most recently with a private services company. His unique combin...

Ripley Entertainment Building 406 room Great Wolf Lodge, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada; Resort will be Managed by Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. / Janu

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Ripley Entertainment Building 406 room Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada;  Resort will be Managed by Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario - Jan. 18, 2005 - Ripley Entertainment and Great Wolf Resorts Inc. marked Tuesday an on-time construction schedule for the newest and largest family resort destination in the northeast. The 406 room Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Canada is scheduled to open in Spring 2006. The resort, part of a $200 million family entertainment destination, is situated on a 25-acre site which will also include the world-class R...

Website to Launch as the First and Only Hospitality Management Recruiting Solution Connecting Qualified Hospitality Management Candidates with Quality

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Website to Launch as the First and Only Hospitality Management Recruiting Solution Connecting Qualified Hospitality Management Candidates with Quality Employers COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR GREATHOTELCAREERS.COM LAUNCH LIVE JANUARY 15, 2005 (DENVER, CO) – January 10, 2005 – Problem: The hospitality industry is one of the largest in the world—a $480 billion industry with a staggering 25 percent average annual turnover rate at the management level.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2008, the number of hospitality industry jobs in the nation will increase by nearly two million, ...

LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires the Grafton on Sunset, West Hollywood, CA for $25.5 million / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires the Grafton on Sunset,  West Hollywood, CA for $25.5 million LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires the Grafton on Sunset; Upscale Full-Service Hotel is Located on the Legendary Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California BETHESDA, Md - Jan. 10, 2005 -- LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:LHO) today announced it has acquired the Grafton on Sunset for $25.5 million. The Grafton is an upscale full-service hotel with 108 well-appointed guestrooms and suites. The Grafton is located in the heart of West Hollywood, adjacent to Beverly Hills and just a short dis...

GolfHero Partners with Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort; Online Golf Vacation Packages with Cutting Edge Technology / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report GolfHero Partners with Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort;  Online Golf Vacation Packages with Cutting Edge Technology SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - January 27, 2005 - As a Business to Business Technology Company that places a strong emphasis on creating innovative technology solutions for the golf travel industry, GolfHero has entered into a partnership agreement with Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort. "We are very excited about the opportunity to join forces with such an innovative company. I am confident it will be not only beneficial to our resort, but also for our guests," sai...

Shangri-La's Golden Sands Resort Unaffected by Tsunami

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Shangri-La's Golden Sands Resort Unaffected by Tsunami Penang, Malaysia (Jan. 5, 2005) - It is business as usual at Shangri-La's Golden  Sands  Resort,  Penang  with  facilities  and services undisrupted, following  the  December  26,  2004 North Sumatra quake that affected other parts of the region. Even though sited at the beachfront of Batu Feringgi, the famous stretch of beach on the island's north shore, the property was not damaged as the area is geologically sheltered and not as vulnerable as other places. ...

The Five-Star Landmark London Applies Automated Concierge Technology to Put Polish on Personal Service / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Five-Star Landmark London Applies Automated Concierge Technology to Put Polish on Personal Service Les Clefs d'Or member Uses ‘The Concierge Assistant’ to Provide Guests with Information on over 900 Restaurants and Services in London London, England – January 11, 2005 – The prestigious Landmark London hotel near Regent’s Park, awarded Best Hotel in London twice in the last three years, has invested in a new guest service software system to automate their already superb concierge experience.  The property’s professional concierge staff uses the new system, named The Conci...

Developer with BBL Inc. Considers Building Hotel Adjacent to Glens Falls, (NY) Civic Center / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Maury Thompson, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 27, 2005 - GLENS FALLS -- An Albany-based development group has proposed building a retail and office complex that would include a chain hotel at the current location of the Burger King restaurant next to the Glens Falls Civic Center. The proposed development would initially include one hotel, and possibly a second hotel and a parking garage in the future, said Peter Cornell, a developer with BBL Inc. As envisioned by developers, the complex would begin near the existing Burger King on Glen Street...

Coupland Joins Generation as CFO/Jan 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Reasearch Triangle Park, N.C. (Jan. 10, 2005) -- Randy Coupland of Raleigh, North Carolina recently joined The Generation Companies LLC (Generation), a Research Triangle Park, North Carolina based real estate developer, asset manager and operator of extended stay hotels, as CFO (Chief Financial Officer). Mr. Coupland, who brings more than 30 years of expertise in financial management to his new position, has previous CFO experience with R.J. Reynolds International in Southeast Asia, IEP Pharmaceutical Devices, IllumElex Corporation, and Peace College. He ha...

January 30, 2005

  . Tourism Column By Gary C. Sherwin  Vice President, Market Development Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority  January 28, 2005 It isn’t easy being an advertiser these days. Whether you are selling destinations or bath tissue, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get your message out so that people truly understand, appreciate and ultimately want to buy it. Given today’s media environment, you won’t think that is the case. With expansion of cable TV, there are literally hundreds of channels, many with special interests, in which you can advertise on. Over the last several years the...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Owners’ Association of InterContinental Hotels Group Presents First Kemmons Wilson Service Award to George Glover, Chairman and CEO of BayStar Hotel Group, Tampa, Florida ATLANTA (January 3, 2005) –The IAHI, The Owners’ Association of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has presented its first Kemmons Wilson Service Award to George Glover, Chairman and CEO of BayStar Hotel Group in Tampa, Fla. Created by the IAHI in honor of Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, the special service award is given periodically to an IAHI member or IHG executive whose contributions to the ...

The Georgia World Congress Center, the Fourth-largest Convention Facility in the Country, Reports Less than Peachy Business for First Half of Fisca

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 26, 2005 - The Georgia World Congress Center, the fourth-largest convention facility in the country, will need to fill a lot of halls in the next five months if it is to end the year in the black. Revenue for the first half of fiscal 2005 -- which began in July 2004 -- is about $1.5 million below forecast, GWCC officials said Tuesday at the first Georgia World Congress Center Authority meeting of the year. That set off alarms because they had expected the shortfall to be only about $500,000. Making ...

17 Predictions On Future Resort Development / Jeff Coy and Bill Haralson / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report 17 Predictions On Future Resort Development By Jeff Coy and Bill Haralson, January 2005 As we start Year 2005, here is our forecast on the future of resort development. 1. Americans traveling abroad will start to increase.  For three straight years since 2000, Americans traveling internationally has declined.  However, outbound travel was up 15% during the first nine months of 2004.  The Iraq War, US foreign policy, terrorist threats, currency exchange rates and our actions in the world will increasingly place the spotlight on Americans traveling abroad.  Those Americans wanting to a...

Workers find bags at trash bin near Charlotte, N.C., airport 2 weeks in row

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Melissa Manware, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 4--Maintenance workers at an apartment complex about five miles from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport say they found a trash bin stuffed with luggage two Mondays in a row. Last week, they say they saw about 40 bags sitting inside and beside a big metal trash bin at Weyland apartments off Wilkinson Boulevard. This week, they didn't find as many bags, but decided to look inside some of them. "The stuff inside was neatly folded. Some of it had ...

Turnberry Associates Set to Spend $150 Million to Renovate the the Fontainebleau Hilton; Includes Las Vegas-style Entertainment Amenities / January

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Turnberry Associates  Set to Spend $150 Million  to Renovate the the Fontainebleau Hilton; Includes Las Vegas-style Entertainment Amenities MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Jan. 24, 2005--Aventura-based Turnberry Associates and Stephen Muss, owner of the Fontainebleau Hilton, recently announced they have reached agreement by which Turnberry will purchase the legendary resort, a property synonymous with Miami Beach's emergence as a world-renowned destination.Turnberry will launch an estimated two-year, $150 million campaign to include new signature restaurant...

Stephen Muss, Who Bought the 920-room Fontainebleau Hilton Resort 30 Years Ago, May Sell Stake in the Property to Turnberry Associates / January 200

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Douglas Hanks III, The Miami HeraldKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 15, 2005 - The Fontainebleau Hilton Resort, the largest and most famous hotel in Miami Beach, may be getting another owner. Stephen Muss, who bought the 920-room resort out of bankruptcy almost 30 years ago, is selling a stake in the property to Aventura-based developer Turnberry Associates, according to a source familiar with the deal. Turnberry already has partnered with Muss in a major expansion of the hotel at 44th Street and Collins Avenue, and the pending deal would reportedly give the company a signific...

South Florida Grapples with the Question of Video Slot Machines/January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Michael Putney, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13, 2005 --You know you're getting close to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino when you see the sudden proliferation of discount cigarette outlets and pawn shops. The latter include Casino Pawn and Player's Pawn, both of which are located directly across the street on State Road 441 and advertise "Quick cash" and "Fast cash loans." The message is not subtle: If you're losing at slots, cards or bingo, come on over and hock that wedding ring, watch or whatever you'...

FastBooking Launches Fully Integrated GDS Solution; System Streamlines Rate Updating Process, Opens Channels to 450,000 Travel Agents / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report   FastBooking Launches Fully Integrated GDS Solution;  System Streamlines Rate Updating Process,  Opens Channels to 450,000 Travel Agents NEW YORK, NY (January 17, 2005) -- FastBooking has launched its fully integrated GDS solution. The new FastBooking GDS, which uses next generation seamless technology, will enable hoteliers to update all descriptive data, rates and availability throughout their entire distribution network through one channel manager.   “The chore of updating a range of different reservation systems will become a thing of the past with FastBooking GDS,” says Ed Bri...

FastBooking Launches Fully Integrated GDS Solution; System

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report FastBooking Launches Fully Integrated GDS Solution; System Streamlines Rate Updating Process, Opens Channels to 450,000 Travel Agents NEW YORK, NY (January 17, 2005) -- FastBooking has launched its fully integrated GDS solution. The new FastBooking GDS, which uses next generation seamless technology, will enable hoteliers to update all descriptive data, rates and availability throughout their entire distribution network through one channel manager. “The chore of updating a range of different reservation systems will become a thing of the past with FastBooking...

Fairmont Reports a Loss of $4 million for the Quarter ended Dec. 31, 2004 Compared with Loss of $13.5 million for the 4th Qtr in 2003; Comparable Owne

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Fairmont Reports a Loss of $4 million for the Quarter Ended Dec. 31, 2004 Compared with Loss of $13.5 million for the 4th Qtr in 2003;  . Comparable Owned Hotel RevPar Increases 17.9% in the Fourth Quarter TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2005 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. ("FHR" or the "Company") (TSX/NYSE: FHR) today announced its preliminary unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004 (see Other Matters). These financial results have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. All amounts are expressed in U.S. d...

Hilton, Intercontinental, Starwood, Leading Hotels of the World, Aston Hotels and the Sol Group Corporation and Many More to Debate US Sales and Marke

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Hilton, Intercontinental, Starwood, Leading Hotels of the World, Aston Hotels and the Sol Group Corporation and Many More to Debate US Sales and Marketing Strategies January 25, 2005 - Top executives representing the leading hospitality companies will share their wealth of experience, knowledge and expert predictions with you, to ensure that you profit from their advice and take away essential best practice strategies.  Hear from hoteliers and distributors such as; Hilton, Intercontinental, Starwood, Leading Hotels of the World, Expedia, Cendant, Aston Hotels and the Sol Group Corporation....

Evan Lewis Appointed Accor's Director of Marketing – Asia, Oversees Accor Hotels in 12 Countries / January 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 Evan Lewis Appointed Accor's Director of Marketing - Asia, Oversees Accor Hotels in 12 Countries BANGKOK, 26 January 2005 - Accor is pleased to announce the appointment of Evan Lewis as the new Director of Marketing - Asia. In his new position, Evan will oversee all marketing activities for Accor hotels in 12 countr...

Entirety from Ramesys Provides a New Outlook at the Best Western The Inn at Towamencin / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Entirety from Ramesys Provides a New Outlook at the Best Western The Inn at Towamencin Ramesys (NJ), January 12, 2005 -  The leading provider of enterprise IT solutions to the hospitality and lodging industry, announced that they installed their Entirety Property Management System (PMS) at the 182 room Best Western The Inn at Towamencin in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania. The Inn recently re-branded to become a Best Western property and embraced this change by using it as an opportunity to procure a new PMS.  “It was imperative that we modernized our PMS system to take full advantage of the latest technology in order to keep up with ...