Carlson Hotels Worldwide Opens 87 New Locations in 2004 / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Carlson Hotels Worldwide Opens 87 New Locations in 2004-- Systemwide Revenues for the Company's Five Hotel Brands Reaches USD$5.1 Billion Revenue Increase of 13.3 Percent from Previous Year -- MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (February 2, 2005) -- Carlson Hotels Worldwide today announced that 87 hotels and resorts were added to its global, multi-brand network of locations in 2004, including 45 hotels in the U.S.  The company ended the year with 890 hotels operating in 70 countries, with systemwide revenue figures for 2004 exceeding USD $5.1 billion, an increase of 13.3 perc...

CSM Lodging Acquires Two Residence Inns in the Portland, Oregon Area / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report CSM Lodging Acquires Two Residence Inns in the Portland, Oregon Area MINNEAPOLIS – February 17, 2005 – CSM Lodging announced today the acquisition of two hotels in the Portland area – Residence Inn Portland South/Lake Oswego and the Residence Inn Portland North/Vancouver. These acquisitions bring the total number of hotels nationwide owned and operated by CSM Lodging to 37, with five hotels in the Portland area. “Portland has proven to be a very strong market for us. The addition of these hotels, with their proximately to our other Portland locations, complements our current portfolio...

Service Has No Color / Chris Longstreet / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Service Has No Color by Chris Longstreet, CHA, President & CEO, Society for Hospitality Management, February 2005 I left home on a trip recently that took me from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Houston, Texas.  The cheapest flight I could get took me through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The flight to Houston through Chicago was uneventful.  The conference I attended was outstanding. On Friday, I returned home taking the same path – Houston to Grand Rapids through Chicago. It started when …. For a graduate class in multicultural issues in education, I read several assigned readings on raci...

Cynthia Leong Appointed Director of Human Resources at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Cynthia Leong Appointed Director of Human Resources at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong Hong Kong, 4 February 2005 - The Landmark Mandarin Oriental has announced the appointment of Cynthia Leong, who has a long and illustrious career with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, as Director of Human Resources. Ms Leong, who joined the Mandarin Oriental, Macau in 1983, gained her extensive experience in various hotel departments including Front Office, Banquet Sales, and Public Relations. In 1989, she was promoted to Head of Human Resources and assumed the title of Human Resources Direc...

Christiane Hansen Named General Manager for The Beach House on Barbuda / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Christiane Hansen Named General Manager for The Beach House on Barbuda New York, NY (February 22, 2005) -- The exclusive resort ‘The Beach House’ on Barbuda has announced the appointment of Christiane Hansen to the position of General Manager.  In this role, Hansen will oversee the day-to-day operations of this luxury resort. “This is a very exciting opportunity for our company, The Beach House and most importantly, our guests,” said Fred W. Jackson, Jr., President of Caribbean Clubs International, the parent company of The Beach House. “The tremendous reception we are receiving and...

Choice Hotels Reports Full Year 2004 Net Income of $74.3 million Compared to Prior Year Net Income of $71.9 million; Executes 552 New Domestic Hotel F

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Choice Hotels Reports Full Year 2004 Net Income of $74.3 million Compared to Prior Year Net Income of $71.9 million Executes 552 New Domestic Hotel Franchise Contracts Hotel Operating Statistics SILVER SPRING, Md. (February 15, 2005) – Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) today reported the following highlights for the fourth quarter and full year 2004: Diluted earnings per share for full year 2004 were $2.15 compared to $1.96 for 2003; Diluted earnings per share for fourth quarter 2004 were $0.60 compared to $0.57 for fourth quarter 2003; Adjusted diluted earnings per s...

Driving Rate by Building Image: A Primer / Michael G. Frenkel / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Driving Rate by Building Image: A Primer by Michael G. Frenkel, February, 2005 At the recent Americas Lodging Industry Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, hoteliers offered a common refrain: “The market is back. People are traveling again and spending money. Now, it’s all about rate.” With guests back at your doorstep, there’s no better time to be thinking about strategies for boosting rate at your property or in your portfolio. Experienced professionals know that rate and image are two sides of a single coin – customers pay for the perceived value of the experience they expect to receive. How ...

Possible Funding Cuts for the Buffalo Niagara CVB of $1 million and the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center of $500,000 Worries Hoteliers / February 2

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Matt Glynn, The Buffalo News, N.Y.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 17, 2005 - Tourism leaders in Erie County contend proposed funding cuts for the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center will only hurt county finances more in the long run. Tourism industry leaders on Wednesday reacted to possible county budget cuts of $1 million for the CVB and $500,000 for the convention center. They say the reductions would undercut efforts to attract people from outside the county, who in turn spend millions of dollars in "new" money on hotel...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Broadband Hospitality’s New Internet Concierge Support Program Provides Peace of Mind to Hoteliers,  Groups Before Meetings Take Place YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — February 14, 2005 — Broadband Hospitality, one of the hospitality industry’s fastest growing high-speed Internet providers, has added Internet Concierge Support to its wide range of high-speed Internet solutions. Internet Concierge Support is geared toward those hotels that host high volumes of groups that use high-speed Internet services in meeting rooms.  Through its Internet Concierge Support program, Broadband Hospitality will cons...

BringYourPet.com Extends Multiple Property Discount To Pet Friendly Hotels / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report BringYourPet.com Extends Multiple Property Discount To Pet Friendly Hotels Knoxville, TN – February 3,  2004 – BringYourPet.com, one of the world’s fastest growing online hotel directories for pet-friendly hotel and travel lodging, is offering hotels around the world special discounted pricing for registering 2 or more properties with the Web site through February 15th 2005.  Brian Bailey, company spokesperson, says, “Due to the amount of interest we’ve been getting from large hotel chains and franchises for the past year, we want to encourage hoteliers to register multiple properties wi...

Bray & Gillespie Creates Ocean Waters Development; Company Will Help Revitalize Daytona Beach Oceanfront / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Bray & Gillespie Creates Ocean Waters Development; Company Will Help Revitalize Daytona Beach Oceanfront DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – (Feb. 16, 2005) – Hotel ownership group Bray & Gillespie has formed Ocean Waters Development (OWD), a new development company that will specialize in renovating and redeveloping resort properties along Florida’s Atlantic coastline. Under the direction of Charles Bray, CEO, and Joseph Gillespie, President, OWD expects to develop more than two million square feet of ocean property over the next two years.  Ocean Waters Development will be a catalyst for transforming...

Boyd Gaming 2004 Results Fueled by $1.3 billion Buyout of Coast Casinos and the Dominance of the Borgata in the Atlantic City Market / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 10, 2005 - When Boyd Gaming Corp. completed its $1.3 billion buyout of Coast Casinos in July, consensus among gaming analysts and industry observers was that the company made a good purchase. Just how valuable that acquisition was to Boyd's earnings became clear Wednesday. Fueled by results from the Coast properties and the dominance of the Borgata in the Atlantic City market, Boyd Gaming reported a 75 percent increase in adjusted earnings per share for 2004, which included a 163 percent jump in earnings per...

Bob Morse Named Chief Operating Officer of Noble Investment Group and President of Noble Management Group / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Robert J. (Bob) Morse Named Chief Operating Officer of Noble Investment Group and President of Noble Management Group ATLANTA, Ga., February 3, 2005 — Officials of Noble Investment Group, one of the hospitality industry’s leading owners and operators of luxury and upscale hotels, conference centers and resorts, today announced that Bob Morse has joined the company as chief operating officer.  Additionally, he has been named president of Noble Management Group, the company’s hospitality management division.  “Bob Morse is one of the most highly respected operators and leaders in the...

Blue Horizons Garden Resort in Grenada, Closed After Hurricane Ivan, Set to Re-open After $1.2 million Refurbishment / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Blue Horizons Garden Resort in Grenada, Closed After Hurricane Ivan, Set to Re-open After $1.2 million Refurbishment  GRENADA (Feb. 17, 2005) – Following a major US$1.2 million refurbishment project, the 32-room Blue Horizons Garden Resort in Grenada will re-open its doors on July 5, 2005 and present a significantly upgraded product for its guest base of divers, nature enthusiasts and travelers seeking a tropical destination at affordable prices.  Blue Horizons closed in September 2004 after Hurricane Ivan in order to make the necessary repairs as the resort sustained roof and water d...

Bharat Hotels Plans to Re-position its Delhi Property, InterContinental The Grand, with a Facelift / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Sudipto Dey, The Economic Times, IndiaKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 10, 2005 - New Delhi - Lalit Suri - promoted Bharat Hotels plans to re-position its Delhi property, InterContinental The Grand, as a luxury 5-star hotel targeting the high-end business traveller, with a Rs 40-crore facelift. The renovation work -- slated to begin in April and to be carried out in two phases spread over 18 months -- is part of the group's Rs 1,000-crore expansion plans, that includes opening new properties in Amritsar, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bekal (Kerala) and Hyderabad. Bharat Hotels currently ...

Pierre Beswick Named New General Manager of The Sands at Grace Bay / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report  Pierre Beswick Named New General Manager of The Sands at Grace Bay   Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (Feb. 4, 2005) – Pierre Beswick has been named General Manager of The Sands at Grace Bay. The announcement was made by William K. Anderson, Managing Director of Oceanside Marketing Corporation, Ltd. The appointment is effective immediately.Beswick comes to his new position from The Island Outpost Group, where he served as Hotel Manager of The Caves in Negril, Jamaica. As Hotel Manager, Beswick oversaw all departments of hotel operations...

Benchmark Hospitality Assumes Management of Historic Berry Hill Plantation Resort, William H. Carder Appointed General Manager / 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 Benchmark Hospitality Assumes Management of Historic Berry Hill Plantation Resort, William H. Carder Appointed General Manager THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON), TEXAS, February 24, 2005 - Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 28 award-winning resorts, conference centers and hotels in the United States and Jap...

Prospective Guests of Berkeley Springs Inn and Spa Must Answer a Series of Questions on the Phone; Innkeeper Chase Everhart Won't Take Single

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Karen Gardner, The Frederick News-Post, Frederick, Md.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 14, 2005 - BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- The first thing one notices about the Berkeley Springs Inn and Spa is the quiet. And that's the way innkeeper Chase Everhart wants it. What you do hear is the sound of the brook flowing past the inn into the adjacent woods. It's all part of Mr. Everhart's plan to create romantic weekends for couples staying at the inn. And couples is the key word. The Berkeley Springs Inn and Spa is for couples only -- husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend. "We won't take c...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online  Special Report Belmonte’s Hospitality Solutions LLC Offers Quick,  Cost-Effective Franchise Dispute Resolution   - Faced with the  long, costly process of litigation over a contract quagmire,  Florida hotelier turns to Steve Belmonte to hammer out a solution that satisfies all parties RANDOLPH, N.J. — FEB. 23, 2005 — With the business climate warming up after a long cold spell, industry observers predict that that more hotel operators will either re-flag their properties or, in the case of independents, sign on with a franchisor, in order to avail themselves of the competitive advantages fran...

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy James Rossiter, Evening Standard, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 10--The Belfry hotel, host to a record four Ryder Cup golf championships, is to fall into the hands of Irish cement millionaire Sean Quinn for 0„5186 million. Hotels and leisure operator De Vere will earn a 47 percent premium to the book value of the hotel and intends to return 0„5183 million cash to its shareholders via a special dividend once the deal is completed next month. It is a coup for the 58-year-old, who is buying the hotel through his family-...

The Race to Offer the Best Bed Began in August 1999 When Starwood Launched Westin's Heavenly Bed / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning NewsKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 19, 2005 - Donna and Ian Seaton never thought they'd paid $65 for a pillow. But the Austin couple slept so well on the Joseph Abboud pillows during a recent stay at the Wyndham Dallas North, that they ordered a pair as soon as they got home. "I didn't even flinch," Ms. Seaton said. "We just slept so well." Plush bedding, a hallmark among luxury hotels for years, is rapidly making its way across the lodging industry. From budget brands to the leading mid-priced and upscale chains, hotel companies are betting t...

Questions Arise in Baltimore Over $290 million in Tax-exempt Revenue Bonds to Fund Construction for a 750-room Hilton / February 2005

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Lorraine Mirabella, The Baltimore SunKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 25, 2005 - The chairman of a key Baltimore City Council committee said he has strong reservations about the city's plans to publicly finance and own a convention headquarters hotel and wants an independent commission to review proposals rejected earlier by the city's economic development agency. Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., chair of the taxation and finance committee, wants the independent commission to re-evaluate all three bids submitted to the Baltimore Development Corp., including plans for a hotel that woul...

Bacara Resort & Spa Owners Claiming $300 million in Civil Lawsuit; Allege Construction Building Defects, Over 1 million Pages of Evidence / Februar

January 30, 2005

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Frank Nelson, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Feb. 8, 2005 - The lumbering civil lawsuit involving owners of the Bacara Resort & Spa and a host of companies involved in building and insuring the five-star luxury hideaway has been pushed back almost another four months. During a case management conference in the Santa Barbara Superior Court last week, more than two years after the case first surfaced, the long-held trial date of June 1 was jettisoned and replaced by a starting date of Sept. 26. The parties previously had squabbled over the June date,...

Crestline Hotels & Resorts Appoints Brett Ellison as General Manager for the 251 room Marriott Plaza San Antonio / 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 Crestline Hotels & Resorts Appoints Brett Ellison as General Manager for the 251 room Marriott Plaza San Antonio MCLEAN, Va. and SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 3, 2005 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. today announced the appointment of Brett Ellison as General Manager for the Marriott Plaza San Antonio.  The 251-guest room h...