Profile: Tjeerd Brink, Finance Director, The Palms Casino Resort / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 27, 2005 - While he is a member of the executive team that oversees the Palms, you won't find Tjeerd Brink, the resort's finance director, hanging out at one of the property's trendy clubs or restaurants. On most weekends, Brink, 41, is more likely on one of the Las Vegas Valley's many soccer fields, watching his children's games. His family's activities offer Brink a much-needed escape from his multitude of duties at the Palms. A certified public accountant, Brink has had a varied career, working for some of ...

The Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa and the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village Host the Two Teams Playing in the Super Bowl; Ordering Addition

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Christopher Calnan, The Florida Times-Union, JacksonvilleKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 1, 2005 - Imagine trying to plan for a couple hundred guests, many of whom are 300-pound athletes, with just seven days notice. That's what two Jacksonville-area hotels are dealing with this week. The Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa and the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village have known for the more than a year they would host the two teams playing in Sunday's Super Bowl. But it wasn't until Jan. 23 that they knew which two teams they'd host and exactly what their needs would be when t...

JMD Enterprises Inc. and The Generation Companies Open Suburban Extended Stay Hotels in Virginia / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report JMD Enterprises Inc. and The Generation Companies Open Suburban Extended Stay Hotels in Virginia ATLANTA – February 3, 2005 – Suburban Franchise Systems (SFS) announces the opening of two Suburban Extended Stay Hotels in Virginia. The addition of these locations extends Suburban’s reach in this key market, which now includes five properties throughout the state. “The addition of these two new locations represents positive growth for the Suburban brand,” said Kevin Lewis, president of SFS. “We are focused on franchise development and expanding our geographic reach to serve the increa...

Hotel Veteran Morris Lasky Conducts Streamlined Studies to Give Hoteliers Timely, In-depth Property Analysis / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Veteran Morris Lasky Conducts Streamlined Studies to Give Hoteliers Timely, In-depth Property Analysis  CHICAGO — (Feb. 22, 2005) — Morris Lasky, President and CEO of Lodging Unlimited Inc., a Chicago-based full-service management company, is offering his expertise to hoteliers through a series of Streamlined Studies – a client-friendly, cost-effective service designed to help hotels save money, protect their investments and become more competitive in the acquisition market. “The Streamlined Study provides our hotel clients with the information they need to make informed decisions ...

The Madison Pairs History with New Technology; DC Landmark Property Installs StayOnline's Wireless Solution / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report   The Madison Pairs History with New Technology . DC Landmark Property Installs StayOnline's Wireless Solution Atlanta, GA – Feb. 9, 2005 –  Adding to the charm and grandeur of its status as a top hotel in the nation’s capital city, The Madison in Washington, DC has gracefully met the challenges of today’s high-tech world by offering wireless High Speed Internet Access by StayOnline.  Travelers who are accustomed to the most luxurious accommodations can now utilize the best in online wireless connectivity just blocks from The White House.  “StayOnline has enabled The Madison to take...

Starwood to Open More Than 70 Hotels in the Next Two Years; Westin Fastest Growing Upper Upscale Brand in 2004 / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Starwood to Open More Than 70 Hotels in the Next Two Years; Westin Fastest Growing Upper Upscale Brand in 2004 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Feb. 22, 2005 -- From Morocco to the Maldives and China to Chile, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) will open more than 70 new hotels in 2005 and 2006 in choice destinations around the globe. Nearly half of these new hotels are outside of the United States, marking an exciting period of global development for the hotel giant. "Our development momentum continues to be strong and we've won more than our share of hotel deals," said Stev...

A 93-unit St. Regis Resort & Residences Planned for Deer Valley, Utah / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Lesley Mitchell, The Salt Lake TribuneKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 19, 2005 - Strong demand for vacation properties and luxury rentals in the Park City area is driving plans to develop a 93-unit luxury condominium hotel in the Deer Crest area of Deer Valley Resort. Every unit at the St. Regis Resort & Residences will be sold, but owners have the option of renting all or part of their properties to the public at any time. The rental program will be managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., St. Regis Resort's parent company, which will run the property much like a...

Tourism Essential to Help Sri Lanka Rebuild After the Tsunami: Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan Airlines / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Tourism Essential to Help Sri Lanka Rebuild After the Tsunami: Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan Airlines Dubai, February 2005:  Tourism will be essential to help Sri Lanka rebuild itself after the recent tsunami, according to Peter Hill, CEO of the national carrier SriLankan Airlines. . Hill explained that approximately 80 per cent of the hotels affected by the disaster were operational once more, and that most of the island was unaffected. He said: “Tourism remains the lifeblood of Sri Lanka, and the area affected is only one small part of the island. Places such as Kandy and the mount...

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 Fairmont and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration Partner to Offer 18-month Spa Management Training Program January 31, 2005 — Toronto, Ontario – Willow Stream The Spas At Fairmont in partnership with Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, will offer the first spa management training...

Sol Melia Reports 2004 Net Profits Increase 43.4% to 70.4 million Euros / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Sol Melia Reports 2004 Net Profits Increase 43.4% to 70.4 million Euros EBITDA grew by 5% to 233.4 million euros (+ 5%) and the ordinary benefit by 34% to 68.4% million euros. Growth is in line with market expectations for the tenth consecutive quarter. Palma de Mallorca, 25 February 2005 - Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts has published financial results for 2004 showing a 5% increase in revenues over 2003 to 1,037.7 million euros. Earnings before interest, taxes, amortisation and depreciation (EBITDA) also grew by 5% to 233 million euros, in line with market analysts’ expectations. ...

Slot Machines Aren't Simple, Small Time or Low-risk; A Guide to the Myths Surrounding the Different Kinds of Machines / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Jamie Malernee, South Florida Sun-SentinelKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 15, 2005 - She sits in front of a Monopoly-themed game at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, spending $5 every spin. Lights flash, music blares and the stress from her day melts away. She is winning -- just don't ask her how or why. "I have no idea," shrugs Aileen Johnson, a Hollywood nurse who likes to play the machines after work. "It's simple. You just have to sit here." Simple but possibly deceiving, particularly for Broward and Miami-Dade voters getting ready to go to the polls March 8 to decide whether t...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Time For a Hotel Web Site “Make-Over”? - Methods for Building a Successful Web Site Change By: Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA – February 2005 On television, make-overs for people and even entire homes appear to be striking a popularity nerve with TV viewers. Experts look for every way possible to make improvements. The results are exciting, although I’ll never admit to actually watching any of these TV shows.  Web sites, like people and homes, can occasionally use a make-over too. Styles change, tastes change, and methods for building a successful web site change. Like an old pair of shoe...

D.K. Shifflet & Associates Debunks The Brookings Institute's Report that the U. S. Convention Business Is In the Tank / February 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 D.K. Shifflet & Associates Debunks The Brookings Institute's Report that the U. S. Convention Business Is In the Tank Falls Church, VA, 1 February 2005 - Dr. Sanders of the Brookings Institute, in his January 2005 publication, suggests that attendance at trade shows and conventions in the US has "plummeted" and is n...

After 15 years Under the Holiday Inn Flag, John Q. Hammons Hotels Re-branding 285 room Des Moines Property to the Sheraton Brand / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report After 15 years Under the Holiday Inn Flag, John Q. Hammons Hotels Re-branding 285 room Des Moines Property to the Sheraton Brand WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Feb. 7, 2005 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces the reflagging of the Holiday Inn University Park Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa to the Sheraton West Des Moines. The re-branded hotel, currently undergoing a $3 million dollar renovation, is owned and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels, Inc. (AMEX: JQH). The renovations will focus primarily on upgrading the 285 guestrooms and suites, the a...

The 196- room Sheraton Annapolis Acquired by Highland Hospitality Corporation for Approximately $18.0 million, or $91,800 per Room / February 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 196- room Sheraton Annapolis Acquired by Highland Hospitality Corporation for Approximately $18.0 million, or $91,800 per Room MCLEAN, VA, February 4, 2005 - Highland Hospitality Corporation (NYSE:HIH), a lodging real estate investment trust, or REIT, announced today that it has closed on the previously annou...

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Signs 30 Year Agreement to Operate 195 room Shangri-La Hotel at London Bridge Tower; First New-build Five-star Hotel in

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Signs 30 Year Agreement to Operate 195 room Shangri-La Hotel at London Bridge Tower; First New-build Five-star Hotel in the Central London In a Decade February 10, 2005 - Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and London-based Sellar Property Group, signed a 30-year lease agreement for the Shangri-La Hotel at London Bridge Tower.  The partnership marks the first European hotel for Shangri-La, which opens late 2009, and is the first new-build five-star hotel in the Central London area in over a decade.   Designe...

SECURE-RES and Navy Lodge Program (Department of the Navy) Agree On a Lodging Reservation System Pilot Program / Februray 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report SECURE-RES and Navy Lodge Program (Department of the Navy) Agree On a Lodging Reservation System "Pilot" Program JACKSONVILLE, FL - February 21, 2005 - SECURE-RES announced today the signing of a Letter of Agreement as a service provider for a pilot project for the Navy Lodge Program. SECURE-RES, who provides internet marketing and reservation services to hoteliers and property managers, has agreed to pilot an overflow reservation system for the Navy Lodge Program Call Center in Jacksonville, FL.  The Navy Lodge Program provides lodging for military personnel, their families and other autho...

Scottsdale Plaza Resort Names Ali Ozer as General Manager /Director of Hotel Operations and Patrick Cowen as Director of Food and Beverage / February

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 Scottsdale Plaza Resort Names Ali Ozer as General Manager / Director of Hotel Operations and Patrick Cowen as Director of Food and Beverage Scottsdale, AZ - John W. Dawson, President and Managing Director of The Scottsdale Plaza Resort, has promoted Ali Ozer as General Manager/Director of Hotel Operations and Patri...

Best Night of the Week for Filling Philadelphia Hotel Rooms in 2004 Was Not Tuesday or Wednesday, but Saturday! / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tom Belden, The Philadelphia InquirerKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 14, 2005 - Talk about Saturday night fever. To the surprise of some people in the hospitality business, the best night of the week for filling Philadelphia hotel rooms last year was not Tuesday or Wednesday, when business travel usually is at its peak, but Saturday, according to a new study. The Philadelphia-Area Hospitality Industry Snapshot -- the first joint effort of its kind by three organizations that promote Philadelphia to visitors -- found that 80 percent of the city's hotels were filled on Saturday ...

What Sarbanes-Oxley means to the Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Industry / Deloitte / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report What Sarbanes-Oxley means to the Tourism,  Hospitality and Leisure Industry The 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act came on to the statute books as an attempt to rebuild public confidence in the way corporate America governs its business activities. The Act has far-reaching implications for the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry, as well as for its corporate customers and supply chain. The 1990s were some of the most prosperous and exciting times American business has ever seen. This period of prosperity came to an abrupt end in early 2000, when the infamous ‘Internet bubble ’ burst,heral...

San Jose's Convention Center Subsidy Grows to $4.4 million; Stiff Competition Forces Discounting Rents / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tracey Kaplan, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 9, 2005 - San Jose's money-losing convention center and cultural facilities will require a bigger subsidy than expected this year and probably won't perform as well as hoped next year, either -- an outlook that contradicts the rosy picture painted by the management team brought in recently to reduce operating losses. When Team San Jose took over six months ago, the non-profit group of business and labor interests promised to limit operating losses to about $3.7 million this fiscal year and to about $2...

Parent Company of Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel Reaches Agreement with Pauma Band of Mission Indians for $300 million Hard Rock-themed Destination

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Chris Jones, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 4, 2005 - Rome wasn't built in a day. And now it won't be built at all in suburban San Diego. Sixteen months after it tabbed Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment to develop and operate a $250 million, Roman-themed hotel-casino in Southern California, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians said Thursday it has reached a new agreement with the parent company of Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel. Plans call for a $300 million development on tribal land east of Interstate 15 off state Route 76. The Hard Rock-themed property ...

Stephen H. Marcus Named the 2004 Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Eileen Mozinski, Milwaukee Journal SentinelKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 20, 2005 - Stephen H. Marcus, chairman of the Marcus Corp., has been named the 2004 Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year based on a long list of business and philanthropic accomplishments. Marcus was selected by the Harvard Business School Club of Wisconsin and the Journal Sentinel, and will receive the award in late April in a ceremony at the Pfister Hotel. The speaker for the dinner has not been chosen. "The list of things that Stephen Marcus has been involved in over his career is amazing," said M...

Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. Agrees to Acquire an 85% Controlling Interest in the InterContinental Chicago and InterContinental Miami for Aggregate V

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. Agrees to Acquire an 85% Controlling Interest in the InterContinental Chicago and InterContinental Miami for Aggregate Value of $303.5 million CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2005 - Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc.  (NYSE: SLH) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire an 85% controlling interest in the InterContinental hotels in Chicago and Miami with a combined room count of 1,448 and an agreed upon aggregate value of $303.5 million, or a price of $210,000 per room.  The acquisition, which is expected to close in April, remains subject to customary closing con...