Five ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Properties Win 2004 MeetingNews' Planners' Choice

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Five ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Properties Win 2004 MeetingNews' Planners' Choice Award  PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – December 23, 2004 – Five ARAMARK Harrison Lodging properties are among the 29 conference centers selected to receive the 2004 MeetingNews Planners’ Choice Award.  The five winning properties include BabsonExecutiveConferenceCenter, Wellesley, Ma.; HarrisonConferenceCenter at Glen Cove, Glen Cove, N.Y.; Harrison Conference Center & Hotel at PrincetonForrestalCenter, Plainsboro, N.J.; The Nationa...

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging and Joan Eisenstodt Identify Five Developments to Watch in 2005 / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report ARAMARK Harrison Lodging and Joan Eisenstodt  Identify Five Developments to Watch in 2005 PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – December 23, 2004 –CEOs around the globe are hitting the ground running in 2005, viewing “flexibility and adaptability to change” as major strategies for staying competitive. “The ability to innovate based on newly acquired knowledge is the key to keeping companies competitive,” according to The Conference Board’s recent CEO Challenge 2004 survey. “This makes it essential that conference center operators make it as easy as possible for companies to be productiv...

Tax Revenue from Anchorage Tourism Industry Up 11% in 2004, Sets a Record / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Richard Richtmyer, Anchorage Daily News, AlaskaKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 21, 2005 - Anchorage's tourism industry staged a strong comeback last year, netting a sharp increase in tax revenue from hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts, the city's Convention & Visitors Bureau reported Thursday. Visitors paid $11.5 million in hotel-room taxes last year. That's up 11 percent from $10.4 million in 2003 and sets a record, Bruce Bustamante, the convention bureau's president, said during the group's annual report to the community. Anchorage assesses an 8 percent tax on hotel and ...

Anaheim Considers Business Improvement District to Fund Convention Center Growth / Sandi Cain / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Anaheim Considers Business Improvement District to Fund Convention Center Growth By Sandi Cain, January 2005 Orange County Business Journal Staff The Anaheim Convention Center, just five years after its last major expansion, needs a remodel. This time it may not be done with public funds. The big challenge for the convention center: boosting space that suits smaller educational sessions rather than general sessions or exhibits. The convention center is in danger of losing market share unless officials can find a way to meet the growing demand for these type of events. “We need more c...

Ambar Paul, a Millionaire Steel Tycoon, Creating a New Concept of Hotels in London – Lifestyle, Boutique Hotels / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Jim Armitage, Evening Standard, LondonKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 14, 2005 - With his two brothers, he runs an industrial conglomerate with annual sales of 600 million pounds. His father is a Labour peer and one of the most successful Indian businessmen of his generation. His extended family is a regular fixture in the newspaper rich lists thanks to its investments in steel and engineering. So why is Ambar Paul, son of Caparo empire founder Lord Paul of Marylebone, investing time and money starting up a chain of boutique hotels? Having bought two somewhat tired sleeperies...

Alticor Inc. Designing the 24-story, 340-room Marriott to Help Revitalize Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan / 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 Alticor Inc. Designing the 24-story, 340-room Marriott to Help Revitalize Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 31, 2005 - Alticor Inc. today officially revealed the design of its new high-rise hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. The 24-story, 340-room hotel is being designed by Lohan Caprile...

The 110-room Al Raha Beach Hotel, operated by Danat Hotels & Resorts, Opens in Abu Dhabi / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The 110-room Al Raha Beach Hotel, operated by Danat Hotels & Resorts, Opens in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi, January 2005: Al Raha Beach Hotel, the first five-star deluxe boutique hotel in Abu Dhabi, has opened for business. The 110-room property is operated by Danat Hotels & Resorts, the Abu Dhabi-based hotel management company. Ideally positioned in landscaped gardens on the Al Raha corniche facing the Arabian Gulf, the resort has 110 deluxe rooms and suites plus 24 luxury chalets (with a choice of two, three and four bedrooms) available for short or long-term stays. . . The hotel’s genera...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report First Arabian Hotel Investment Conference Bringing Together the Region’s Tourism Leaders to Discuss the Future of Tourism in the Region His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates, has been announced as patron for the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), to be held in Dubai on April 30 – May 2, 2005.   Dubai, January 2005:  His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates, has been announced as patron for the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), to be held in Dubai on April 30 – May 2, 2005.   She...

HSMAI Annual Adrian Awards Honors Standout Campaigns in Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report HSMAI Annual Adrian Awards Honors Standout Campaigns in Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing NEW YORK, NY (Jan. 25, 2005) – Marketing excellence in travel and hospitality was on display when the 15th Annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards for Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing were handed out in New York City last evening at a gala black-tie event highlighted by guest Master of Ceremonies actor and comic Judy Gold. More than 700 travel and hospitality industry marketing leaders, advertising and public relations ...

Accor: 2004 Hotel Revenues Up 4.1% Like-for-Like, Strong Hotel Performances in the United States and United Kingdom / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Accor: 2004 Hotel Revenues Up 4.1% Like-for-Like,  Strong Hotel Performances in the United States and United Kingdom January 27, 2005 - Accor's consolidated revenues rose 4.3% to EUR 7.1 billion in the year ended December 31, 2004. Excluding the currency effect and changes in the scope of consolidation, the increase was 4.6%, and 5.1% in the fourth quarter alone, reflecting generally good demand across the business base.       (EUR millions)         2003      2004  % change      % change                                      Â...

One of Accor's Pioneering Hoteliers Dies in Tsunami Disaster

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report       One of Accor's Pioneering Hoteliers Dies in Tsunami Disaster-- Accor's Reggie Shiu amongst casualties in Khao Lak -- 6 December 2004: One of Accor's pioneers in Asia, Reggie Shiu, was amongst the casualties of the tsunami that hit the Khao Lak beachside in southern Thailand on 26th December, 2004. While his body is yet to be positively identified, he is now presumed dead. Below is a statement by Accor Asia Pacific Chairman, David Baffsky: "Unfortunately, we must sadly assume that one of our most se...

ASCAP Files 24 Copyright Infringement Actions Against Nightclubs and Restaurants in 15 States / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report ASCAP Files 24 Copyright Infringement Actions Against Nightclubs and Restaurants in 15 States  NEW YORK - Jan. 24, 2005 --Today, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers filed 24 separate copyright infringement actions against nightclubs, bars, and restaurants in 15 states and the District of Columbia. These establishments (listed below) have publicly performed the copyrighted musical works of ASCAP's songwriter, composer and music publisher members without receiving their permission to do so, resulting in lost income. "Informing business owners of their obligations ...

Al Petrone Appointed Noble House Hotels & Resorts Chief Marketing Officer / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Al Petrone Appointed Noble House Hotels & Resorts Chief Marketing Officer SEATTLE, WA (January 25, 2005) -- Noble House Hotels & Resorts announced today that it has appointed Al Petrone to the position of chief marketing officer.  In this role, Petrone will oversee all Noble House matters related to marketing, branding, advertising and public relations. “We are thrilled to have Al join Noble House.  Al is an excellent complement to our sales and marketing team and brings additional elements of marketing and branding expertise in the luxury hotel market,” said Marc Pujalet, presid...

'50s Motel Sounds Jarring Note on California's Central Coast / January 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 14, 2005 --For some, it's a cheap place to sleep on California's central coast, a throwback to a simpler time, with plastic flowers, fading pictures on the walls and an aging house cat named Mr. Pee. For others, it's a smudge on the Mona Lisa -- an eyesore of peeling paint and rusting patio furniture that doesn't belong amid the green meadows and rugged beaches along Highway 1 near Hearst Castle. Hoping to put the finishing touches on their $95 mil...

After Nine Years of Planning and Obtaining Entitlements, Zermatt Resort & Spa near Salt Lake City, Utah Under Construction; Dolce International Appoin

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report After Nine Years of Planning and Obtaining Entitlements, Zermatt Resort & Spa near Salt Lake City, Utah Under Construction -= Dolce International Appointed to Manage Resort and Conference Center Montvale, NJ, February 10, 2005 – Dolce International has announced that it will manage Zermatt Resort & Spa near Salt Lake City, Utah, currently under construction and scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2006. The property is located in Midway, Utah in the Wasatch Mountain Range near Soldier Hollow, the largest venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Zermatt Resort & Spa promises to be Dolc...

Steve Wynn and Show Producer Franco Dragone Have Planned 4 Years for Production Opening at Wynn Las Vegas's 2,100 Seat Show Room / February 20

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 13, 2005 - It's said the first person Steve Wynn called when the casino developer started conceptualizing his newest resort complex was not a financial adviser, architect, or builder. It was renowned show producer and director Franco Dragone. Together, Wynn and Dragone are responsible for two of the most popular productions on the Strip -- "Myst're" at Treasure Island and "O" at Bellagio. Dragone is also the creative force behind Celine Dion's show, "A New Day," at Caesars Palace. Now, Wynn and Dragone have...

Westmont Hospitality Group Opens the Hilton Suites Winnipeg Airport; Completes $4 million Renovation of the Former Radisson Suites / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Westmont Hospitality Group Opens the Hilton Suites Winnipeg Airport; Completes $4 million Renovation of the Former Radisson Suites WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada - Feb. 14, 2005 -- Continuing its expansion into Canada, Hilton Hotels Corporation today announced the opening of the new Hilton Suites Winnipeg Airport, a 160-room property including 149 suites and 11 oversized poolside rooms, which has undergone a $4 million renovation to become a Hilton. Located next to Winnipeg International Airport, the Hilton Suites Winnipeg Airport hotel is close to business, shopping and attractions, an...

The Wine Factor, 10 Tips to Create an Attractive Wine List / Emmanuel Gardinier / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report The Wine Factor, 10 Tips to Create an Attractive Wine List by Emmanuel Gardinier, February 2005 For the last 15 years the wine culture has been constantly growing in the USA, local producers have been hard at work improving the quality, and the public has responded. Should you decide to change or create a new wine list, here are some tips on how to improve your offering: 1.  The wine list should reflect your concept. This is pure common sense, but as I’ve seen too often, you should offer the wines that match your cooking style; no sense in featuring a Chateaux Latour or Opus One if yo...

The Ontario Government Planning $400-million Expansion of Casino Windsor; Includes 400-room Hotel Tower and 100,000 Sq Ft of Convention Space / Feb

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Greta Guest, Detroit Free PressKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 15, 2005 - WINDSOR -- The Ontario government, spurred on by competition from the Detroit casinos, announced plans Monday for a $400-million expansion and renovation of Casino Windsor. The expansion, which includes a 400-room hotel tower, a 5,000-seat theater and 100,000 square feet of convention space, is intended to snare more tourism and business conventions. The project will take three years to complete. Groundbreaking is expected this summer. The convention center would not compete with Cobo Center's more than...

Ask What Makes You Great; Questions for Hospitality to Ask Itself / Richard K. Hendrie / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Ask What Makes You Great Questions for Hospitality to Ask Itself by Richard K. Hendrie, February 2005   “We will orient you to who we are – our heart, our soul, our goals, our vision, our dreams, so you can join us and not just work for us. You have the right to know our hopes, our dreams and our goals” Horst Schultze, former President & COO for Ritz Carlton addressing new employees as quoted from Harvard Business School Case Study revised 7/02 I believe that most business people, if given the chance, want to make their brand better and more competitive to achieve the twin goal...

WeddingLocation.com Celebrates 5 years Online / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report WeddingLocation.com Celebrates 5 years Online February 15, 2005 - When it comes to increasing wedding revenues, WeddingLocation.com is the one site that focuses exclusively on sending locations quality leads and offers guaranteed results. On Valentine’s Day, www.WeddingLocation.com celebrated its 5th year online. “The traffic to our site has more than doubled in the last year, and more venues keep signing up to take advantage of this,” says Beverly Clark, leading wedding expert, best-selling author, and founder of WeddingLocation.com.   “By capitalizing on our brand recognition, nationa...

Steps to Develop Your Hotel's Presence on the Web / Neil Salerno / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Steps to Develop Your Hotel's Presence on the Web By: Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA – February 2005 The Internet is the greatest compilation of information ever created by mankind, but sometimes finding the specific information you need, can be a daunting task. With 64 million web sites and growing, the Internet has become a true mammoth to navigate.  Third-party suppliers got the early jump-start in the race for travel dominance on the Internet and, today, they continue to hone their skills and techniques. Franchise hotel sites are working to capture a greater share of Internet business a...

Joseph Osswald Named General Manager and Kathleen Penn Named Sales Manager for Jefferson Street Inn, Wausau, Wisconsin / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Joseph Osswald Named General Manager and Kathleen Penn Named Sales Manager for Jefferson Street Inn, Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau, WI – February 6, 2005 - After an extensive search, The Jefferson Street Inn is announcing the fulfillment of their management staff positions.   Joseph Osswald has been named the General Manager and Kathleen Penn has been named the Sales Manager.    Joseph Osswald, a native of Wausau, brings over 24 years of knowledge in the hospitality industry to the hotel.  He has served in all aspects of the industry including, food service, sales, hotel operations, an...

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. Reports 2004 Earnings / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.  Reports 2004 Earnings MADISON, Wis. - Feb. 28, 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 reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004.  Great Wolf Resorts began operations with the closing of the initial public offering of its common stock (IPO) on December 20, 2004. For 2004, both historical financial data (covering the operating period from the IPO date) and pro ...