Analysis-Companies Boost Social and Climate Reporting Amid ESG Backlash
November 4th, 2024
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report True North Hotel Group Presented with Marriott Internationals 2004 Partnership Circle Award Overland Park, Kan. Dec. 23, 2004 True North Hotel Group, L.L.C., a national hotel development and management company based in Overland Park, Kan., was presented with Marriott Internationals 2004 Partnership Circle Award at Marriotts annual select-service and extended-stay Owners Conference, held recently at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes hotel in Orlando. Marriotts Partnership Circle Award salutes franchise companies that perform in the top ten percent in excellence in the followin...
Top Ten Global Issues and Challenges in the Hospitality Industry for 2005 / International Society of Hospitality Consultants / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Top Ten Global Issues and Challenges in the Hospitality Industry for 2005 - International Society of Hospitality Consultants December 1, 2004 - At the recent ISHC Annual Conference held in London, ISHC Members participated in a series of roundtable discussions to identify the ISHC Top Ten Global Issues and Challenges in the Hospitality Industry for 2005. While there were dozens of issues discussed, in the final voting the membership identified the following eleven (there was a tie for number ten) issues as the ones that can be expected to potentially have the greatest impact on the ...
The HIP Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas Switches to SynXis for Distribution Management Services and Technology / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report The "HIP" Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas Switches to SynXis for Distribution Management Services and Technology MCLEAN, VA, December 02 SynXis announced today that the resort that has won 17 Best of Las Vegas awards, The Palms Casino Resort, has switched to the SynXis Distribution Management services and is now represented on the YX chain code on the GDS and IDS channels. The Palms Casino will be taking advantage of SynXiss comprehensive revenue management tools that will allow them to respond quickly to market changes and ensure they are maximizing their yield. The Las Vegas ma...
The Former Renaissance Jamaica Grande Receiving Renovation; Will Re-open as 730-room Sunset Jamaica Grande / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report The Former Renaissance Jamaica Grande Receiving Renovation; Will Re-open as 730-room Sunset Jamaica Grande Ocho Rios, JAMAICA (December 2, 2004) With the spring holidays just around the corner, Sunset Resorts gives families a reason to escape to Jamaica with the opening of the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort on March 19, 2005. "This renovation will be legendary. The diverse facilities and dining options, new spa and expansive water recreation features will make Sunset Jamaica Grande a leader among many market segments," said Sunset Resorts Managing Director Ian Kerr. The...
Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners Acquires 50% Stake in Wyndham's Summerfield Suites Brand plus Six Hotels for $105 million / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners Acquires 50% Stake in Wyndham's Summerfield Suites Brand plus Six Hotels for $105 million Form Joint Venture to Expand and Develop the Summerfield Suites by Wyndham Brand DALLAS - Dec. 23, 2004--Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR) and Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners (LBREP) have formed a joint venture to expand and develop Summerfield Suites by Wyndham, Wyndham's upscale, extended-stay brand. The transaction, which closed on Wednesday, Dec. 22, included the sale of six Summerfield Suites by Wyndham properties and the sale of a partners...
Are You Still Discounting? You Might Gain Some Occupancy, But Lose RevPar to Your Competition / Neil Salerno / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Are You Still Discounting? You Might Gain Some Occupancy, But Lose RevPar to Your Competition By: Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA December 2004 Several months ago, a study presented by Cornell University and Smith Travel research, re-affirmed what many of us already believed to be true; Discounting to gain occupancy does more harm than good. The study concedes that discounting within your competition set may sell some rooms, but, overall, its a losing proposition. Data drawn from more than 6,000 hotels from the years 2001 to 2003 shows that hotels, with lower prices relative to their competi...
Investor Sam Nazarian Contracts with Philippe Starck to Design Miami's Ritz Plaza Hotel / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Douglas Hanks III, The Miami HeraldKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 10, 2004 - Celebrity designer Philippe Starck's surreal interiors still define the Delano, South Beach's most famous hotel. Nearly a decade later, Starck is returning to South Beach to design another hotel -- across the street from his original creation. The new owners of the Ritz Plaza hotel have signed Starck as their designer, his first South Florida hotel commission since the Delano, whose 1995 opening launched the minimalist aesthetic that remains the South Beach standard. Ritz Plaza's owners say Starck p...
Wolff Urban Development Co. and Apollo Real Estate Advisors Receive City Support for $ 1 billion 1,200 room Hilton Hotel and Entertainment Center a
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Rick Orlov, Daily News, Los AngelesKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 15, 2004 - A massive plan for a $1 billion downtown hotel-entertainment complex next to Staples Center received wide support on Tuesday but also faced tough questions over requests for at least $160 million in public funding. A special City Council committee studying the Convention Center hotel project, proposed by the owners of Staples Center, called for more reports in one month. The plan calls for a 55-story hotel with 1,200 rooms and 100 luxury condominiums, coupled with a retail-entertainment complex. The...
Orient Express Hotels Expanding St. Martin's La Samanna with Full Ownership Villas / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Orient Express Hotels Expanding St. Martin's La Samanna with Full Ownership Villas HAMILTON, Bermuda, December 6, 2004 - Orient-Express Hotels (NYSE: OEH) today announced a new villa development on the Caribbean island of St. Martin, to be located on the cliff side adjacent to the company's luxury hotel, La Samanna. Orient-Express Hotels comprises 35 hotels, six tourist trains, three restaurants and two river cruise businesses. On the resort side of its business, it specializes in boutique properties ranging from 100 to 120 rooms. Many of the resorts have adjacent land that is suitable...
Merger of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. Could be a Boon to Kansas City's Lodging Industry / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Rick Alm, The Kansas City Star, Mo.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 21, 2004 - The $35 billion merger of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. could be a boon to Kansas City's long-suffering lodging industry. With 17,000 area workers, industry consultant Jeff Marvel ranks Sprint as the metropolitan area's No. 1 generator of hotel room demand. Marvel, president of Kansas City-based Marvel Associates, said estimates from a few years ago when economic times were admittedly better showed that the giant telecom company consumed about 30,000 area hotel room nights a year. "I h...
South Africa Hotels Desperate to Demonstrate Unrivalled Value for Money / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report South Africa Hotels Desperate to Demonstrate Unrivalled Value for Money December 2004 - The latest results from the South African edition of the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte lead us to question whether local hoteliers can maintain the recent growth in average room rates. Following a fall during 2001 and 2002 average room rates bounced back in 2003. This growth has continued into 2004; however recent occupancy declines indicate that some of the traditional international source markets might be deterred by the higher price of accommodation. To set the performance of South Africa's ...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges Financing for $130 million Caribbean Resort / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges Financing for $130 million Caribbean Resort Anguilla, British West Indies, December 6, 2004 - Los Angeles, California-based Sonnenblick-Eichner Company has arranged land acquisition and joint venture equity financing for the proposed Viceroy Anguilla Resort & Residences, located on the island of Anguilla in the British West Indies. The owner-developer is The Kor Group, an owner-operator of boutique hotels and other institutional-grade commercial properties and Lubert-Adler Management, Inc., a multi-billion real estate investment fund. Sonnenblick-Eichner ...
Softscribe Inc. Partners with PRWeb; Boosts Technology Client Sales to US Government, Hotel Markets via Blogs, RSS Newsfeed / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Softscribe Inc. Partners with PRWeb . Boosts Technology Client Sales to US Government, Hotel Markets via Blogs, RSS Newsfeed ATLANTA, December 14, 2004 Softscribe Inc., a sales-oriented public relations firm for technology companies targeting the US government and hotel markets, today announced it has signed an agreement to become a Certified Partner with PRWeb. Terms of the agreement allow Softscribe to distribute content via PRWebs RSS newsfeed to over 100,000 opt-in bloggers, journalists, analysts, influencers and news sites too numerous to mention. PRWeb is a leading online press r...
Silverthorne, Colorado Officials Surprised by a Penny Stock Company's Public Announcement for a Luxury Condo-Hotel Resort / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Steve Lipsher, The Denver PostKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 14, 2004 - SILVERTHORNE, Colo. -- A Florida company's plans for an indoor water park, 18-hole golf course, music-entertainment center, and about 1,000 condominium units, luxury hotel suites and vacation homes has caught some people here by surprise -- notably town officials who would have to approve such a grandiose development. In press releases last week, publicly traded eMax Holdings announced plans to buy two ranches on the northern edge of Silverthorne and begin construction on the project in late spring. But ...
Sierra Suites Latest Brand to Roll Out Comfy Beds; The Magic Slumber Bed / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Sierra Suites Latest Brand to Roll Out Comfy Beds; The Magic Slumber Bed WICHITA, Kan. Dec. 17, 2004 - Sierra Suites® Hotels has introduced its new, Magic Slumber bedsSM, making dreams come true for travelers nationwide. Sierra Suites Hotels now offers a luxurious sleeping experience with its Magic Slumber beds featuring Sealy® mattresses, pillow-top bedding for soft, cozy comfort, new duvet comforters and a choice of pillows in feather or poly-fil. The combination of these top-of-the-line bedding appointments creates a cozy, residential look that is comparable with beds found in ...
Thakral Holdings Appoints Accor to Manage the Former Sheraton Brisbane; Will Be Re-branded Sofitel / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Thakral Holdings Appoints Accor to Manage the Former Sheraton Brisbane; Will Be Re-branded Sofitel BANGKOK, 9 December, 2004 - Hotel and property development company, Thakral Holdings, announced today that it has appointed Accor to manage the former Sheraton Brisbane. The hotel will be re-branded to Accor's luxury hotel brand, Sofitel, from 1 February 2005. The appointment of Accor to manage the hotel as the Sofitel Brisbane follows Thakral Holdings' purchase of the hotel from Mulpha Australia Ltd. Sofitel won the management contract against a range of other major international hot...
Developer Jorge Perez Acquires the 598 room Sheraton Biscayne Bay for $94 million; Plans to Demolish Hotel, Build Mixed Use Project / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Matthew Haggman, The Miami HeraldKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 14, 2004 - Developer Jorge Perez has paid $94 million for the waterfront Sheraton Biscayne Bay hotel on Brickell Avenue, which he plans to demolish to make way for a mixed-use project that will include high-rise condominium towers. The 598-room hotel will stay open for at least six months while plans for the project are developed, said Perez, chairman of Miami-based Related Group of Florida. The Sheraton will continue to manage the property, he added. The 5.1-acre property at 495 Brickell Ave. stretches to Biscay...
Following $35 million in Renovations, The Shangri-La Hotel in Cairns, Australia Completes Rebranding / December 2004
April 30, 2004
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 Following $35 million in Renovations, The Shangri-La Hotel in Cairns, Australia Completes Rebranding 6 December 2004 - The Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns celebrated a major milestone with its official rebranding launch on Friday, 26 November 2004. Special guests, including the Mayor of Cairns and Senior Man...
Shangri-La Hotels Opens The Shangri-La Academy to Provide Chinese Students Hospitality Tools and Training; Anticipating 32 Hotels and 19,000 Employees
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Shangri-La Hotels Opens The Shangri-La Academy to Provide Chinese Students Hospitality Tools and Training - Anticipating 32 Hotels and 19,000 Employees by 2007 December 21, 2004 - Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, China's largest luxury hotel group, announced today the opening of Shangri-La Academy centralized employee training center near Beijing. Created to speed and intensify employee development in pace with the group's rapid China growth, the Academy's progressive training methods focus on critical thinking, problem-solving and empowerment. The group's China expansion fr...
Guest Services – A Tradition Diminished / John Hendrie / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Guest Services - A Tradition Diminished By John Hendrie, December 2004 Many of us recall the day when Guest Services in a Hotel reigned supreme, especially the larger, metropolitan properties. We touched the guest, literally from the moment they arrived. We opened their car doors, welcomed them at the entrance, escorted them to the front desk, delivered them to the Guest Room, and with relish, roomed them (a WESTIN phrase), introducing the splendors of their accommodations, from the A/C, to television to the mini-bar. We also had the opportunity to discuss dining options, ent...
Indian Employees at Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls Receive Preferential Treatment Over Hundreds of Non-Indian Employees; Tribe Owned Casino
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Fred O. Williams, The Buffalo News, N.Y.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 7, 2004 - The card dealer heard about the unusual working conditions before he started his job at the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls. At the tribe-owned enterprise, Senecas are entitled to more holidays than other workers. They also get preference when promotions are being handed out. And they received a half-day off on election day, while non-Indians worked. "We knew when we started it was not an equal opportunity employer," said the dealer, a non-Indian who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We h...
SECURE-RES Clients Experience Double-Digit Year-Over-Year Internet Revenue Growth / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report SECURE-RES Clients Experience Double-Digit Year-Over-Year Internet Revenue Growth SECURE-RES Clients Achieve 45% Internet Revenue Growth in 2004 v. 2003 JACKSONVILLE, FL - December 15, 2004 - SECURE-RES announced today that its clients realized a 45% increase in consumer direct online revenue for 2004 as compared to 2003. This represents $116,000,000 in reservations captured in the SECURE-RES booking engine now embedded in over 1,000 property and management company websites. "We're ecstatic over our clients' success," said Joe Hyman, SECURE-RES president. "This achievement confirms ...
Developers Preparing More than a Dozen Proposals for Hotels in the Seattle Area; Too Much Too Soon? / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy J. Martin McOmber, The Seattle TimesKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 8, 2004 - Hotels settled into a dreary slumber three years ago after a weakening economy and then terrorism and war put a damper on the travel industry. Occupancy rates fell sharply. Rooms generated less revenue. Most operators hunkered down to wait out the downturn. A few simply checked out, including Seattle's beloved Camlin Hotel. But during the past 12 months, the region's hotels have enjoyed something of surge in business, in some cases to levels not seen since 2001. "The market is coming back," said Sea...
Survey: Scalding Water Found in Nearly 90% of Hotel Rooms; Legionella also a Risk / December 2004
April 30, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Survey: Scalding Water Found in Nearly 90% of Hotel Rooms; Legionella also a Risk DES PLAINES, Ill. - Dec. 7, 2004 -- A recent survey conducted at major hotel chains across the U.S. reveals that most hotel bath, shower and sink fixtures deliver water at scalding temperatures. For 16 months, Bruce Fathers, director of marketing for Powers, a Chicago-based supplier of water tempering technology, and fellow managers, surveyed water temperatures in hotel rooms they've stayed at - more than 140 to date. "Dangerously high water temperatures are being delivered at most hotel rooms nationwide,"...
