Analysis-Companies Boost Social and Climate Reporting Amid ESG Backlash
November 4th, 2024
New York and Boston Comparing Successes of Hosting National Political Conventions / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Tatsha Robertson, The Boston GlobeKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 4, 2004 - NEW YORK -- The city and host committee wanted nothing more than to show they could put on a national political convention better than Boston, and by many measures they did. The city that never sleeps stayed open for business, its police kept thousands of activists under control without shutting down public transportation, and businesses reaped an economic bonus estimated at as much as $255 million. They did it, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg boasted yesterday, while the city juggled several other major e...
Boca Raton Resort & Club to Install Springer-Miller Systems' SMS|Host Hospitality Management System / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Boca Raton Resort & Club to Install Springer-Miller Systems' SMS|Host Hospitality Management System Stowe, Vt. - September 22, 2004 - Springer Miller Systems Inc. (SMS) - the leading provider of guest-centric hospitality management systems-proudly announces that Boca Raton Resort & Club has selected the SMS|Host suite of products for their hotels, membership club, golf courses, and spa. Situated on 356 aces in the heart of Florida's Gold Coast, Boca Raton Resort & Club is one of the country's premier destination resorts and private club facilities. A member of the Leading Hotels of the Wor...
Mississippi Gaming Commission Orders 12 Biloxi Casinos to Close at Noon Tuesday; No Hurricane Stronger than a Category 2 Has Hit the Mississippi Coast
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive By Tom Wilemon, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News BILOXI - September 14, 2004 - The thousands of people who depend upon the gambling industry for their livelihood and the governments that rely on casino tax revenue will have to wait and see whether Hurricane Ivan is the monster storm they've dreaded. A decision is expected this morning on whether to temporarily close the casinos. The path of the powerful hurricane remained unpredictable Monday. "This storm kind of has a mind of its own," said Dave Kingman, the emergency planner for the Mi...
Hurricane Update: Best Western Hotel Closures / September 28, 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Hurricane Update: Best Western Hotel Closures September 28, 2004 - Due to recent hurricane activity, the following Best Western properties currently are not accepting reservations. Structural damage; loss of power; or evacuation are the key issues for the majority of affected properties. Hotel information will continue to be updated as it becomes available. HOTEL CITY/STATE REOPENING (Approx.) Best Western Mayan Inn Beachfront Daytona Beach, FL 1-Mar-05 Best Western Deltona Inn Deltona, FL ...
Benchmark Hospitality's Top Dining Trends for the Future, as Observed by its Properties / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Benchmark Hospitality's Top Dining Trends for the Future, as Observed by its Properties Atkins is Fading - Balance is Best! THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS, September 2004 - Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 25 award-winning resorts, hotels and conference centers in the United States, Canada and Japan, has announced its Top Dining Trends for the Future, as observed by its properties. Trend #1 The Atkins Diet is Proving to be a Fad and Interest is Fading. Carbs aren't yet king, but neither are they a pariah anymore. Although consumers are aware of the importance of monitoring o...
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report In addition To Keynote, Belmonte Hosting Franchise Negotiations Workshop At WSH&LA Convention - Steve Belmonte, trained mediator with the CPR Institute of Dispute Resolution in New York and former President of Ramada Hotels, to discuss ways of improving the franchisor/franchisee relationship Randolph, N.J. Sept. 21, 2004 Ive said it for years, and so have countless others: In business, you dont get what you deserve you get what you negotiate, said Steven J. Belmonte, Founder, President and C.E.O. of Hospitality Solutions LLC, based here. This message is the crux of ...
Is it Prime? Choice? Corn-fed? Grass-fed? Angus? Certified Angus? / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Ed Murrieta, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 22, 2004 - It's what's for dinner. That's the beef industry's sales pitch. But what is "it"? Is it Prime? Choice? Corn-fed? Grass-fed? Angus? Certified Angus? Hormone-free? Free-range? Wet aged? Dry aged? Is it that expensive Japanese stuff that makes foodies drool like Homer Simpson in a Hereford harem? Really, what's the beef? Or, more precisely, what's the beef marketing program? With high-protein diets pushing beef demand to record levels, the level of beef marketing aimed at consumers is higher t...
Alan Bednowitz Named VP, Sales and Marketing for Pyramid Hotel Group's 38 Owned, Managed and Asset-managed Hotels / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Alan Bednowitz Named VP, Sales and Marketing for Pyramid Hotel Group's 38 Owned, Managed and Asset-managed Hotels BOSTON, Mass., September 1, 2004 Pyramid Advisors LLC (Pyramid), a full-service, Boston-based development, management and advisory firm, serving clients in all phases of the hospitality industry, today announced the appointment of Alan Bednowitz as vice president, sales and marketing. In his new position, he will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing initiatives at the companys 38 owned, managed and asset-managed hotels. Top-line revenue generation ...
Barbados Hurricane Ivan Update; Four Hotels Experienced Minimal Property Damage / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Barbados Hurricane Ivan Update; Four Hotels Experienced Minimal Property Damage BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS, WI (September 9 , 2004) - The people of Barbados resumed normal business activities today under sunny skies, in the aftermath of tropical storm conditions caused by Hurricane Ivan. The island was spared from the full strength of the Hurricane, which passed to the South. The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association has confirmed that the vast majority of the hotels on Island are fully operational and that precautions had been taken to ensure that all guests were safe and secure. An...
The Islands Of The Bahamas Bounce Back from Hurricane Frances; The Westin at Our Lucaya is Closed, May Reopen in 45 Days / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report The Islands Of The Bahamas Bounce Back from Hurricane Frances; The Westin at Our Lucaya is Closed, May Reopen in 45 Days September 9, 2004 - Bahamas Ministry of Tourism officials report that overall tourism facilities in The Islands Of The Bahamas fared better than anticipated from the recent visit of Hurricane Frances. With the exception of Grand Bahama Island, most islands in the 700 island nation sustained minimal property damage. The destination's leading tourist islands of Nassau/Paradise Island were fully operational within the week of the storm with major resorts open in...
Bruce Riggins Joins Interstate Hotels & Resorts as Senior Vice President and Treasurer / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Bruce Riggins Joins Interstate Hotels & Resorts as Senior Vice President and Treasurer ARLINGTON, Va., September 13, 2004Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR), the nations largest independent hotel management company, today announced that Bruce Riggins has joined the company as senior vice president and treasurer. In the position, he will oversee all treasury-related functions, investor relations, planning and analysis and risk management. Riggins previously was vice president of strategic planning and analysis for MeriStar Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: MHX). Prior ...
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Barbara Hicks Appointed Director, Global Sales at Fairmonts Chicago Global Sales Office Chicago, September 27, 2004 - John Meissner, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts executive director, corporate group markets, is pleased to announce the appointment of Barbara Hicks as director, global sales based out of the companys Chicago Global Sales Office. In her new role as director of global sales for this region, Hicks will be responsible for developing and managing key incentive accounts in the US Midwest, with a specific focus on association and corporate transitional accounts. Most r...
Influx of New Hotels in Augusta, Georgia Prompts Occupancy Drop / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy James Gallagher, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 12, 2004 - The old Guest Inn off Washington Road had become a run-down place where crime was as much a part of the landscape as tourists. So Jugal Purohit, the hotel's owner, tore most of it down. "It's always better to take out the bad cancer right away and give a new look to the location," he said. Mr. Purohit is replacing most of the old hotel with two new ones. His AmeriHost Inn is set to open this month, and he'll soon break ground on a four-story, 62-room hotel next door, complete with an indoor swi...
Kerzner Estimating Hurricane Frances Costs of Up to $12 million at The 2,317 room Atlantis on Paradise Island / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Kerzner Estimating Hurricane Frances Costs of Up to $12 million at The 2,317 room Atlantis on Paradise Island PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas - Sept. 7, 2004 -- Kerzner International Limited (NYSE: KZL) (the "Company") today released the following statement regarding the impact of Hurricane Frances on Atlantis, Paradise Island: "Hurricane Frances had no material damage to Atlantis, Paradise Island. The effects of the hurricane were primarily limited to landscaping and the short-term interruption to the business. Atlantis remains open and we have no plans to close the resort. We would lik...
In August 2004 Athens Average Room Rates Rocketed Up 261%; Olympics Will Provide Positive Impact on Hotel Performance for Years to Come / Deloitte / S
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report In August 2004 Athens Average Room Rates Rocketed Up 261%; Olympics Will Provide Positive Impact on Hotel Performance for Years to Come / Deloitte Athens hoteliers set a personal best at the Olympic Games September, 2004 - Hotel performance boomed in Athens during the Olympic Games with a record growth in revenue per available room (revPAR) performance. Despite spiralling costs and last minute preparations, the Athens organising committee can be proud of themselves after hosting a successful Olympics. The Games gave Athens the opportunity to improve its image and reinvent itself to ...
Houston Astrodome May Get $400 million Transformation to a 1,000-room Convention Hotel / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 23, 2004 - In a major shift, the company looking to redevelop the Reliant Astrodome has shelved plans to turn it into a space theme park and is instead looking to convert it into primarily a large convention hotel. The new plan still calls for some rides, possibly even of the space variety, other entertainment, restaurants, a cineplex and retail stores. But much of the area would be taken up by as many as 1,000 hotel rooms that would serve, in part, those attending conventions at nearby Reliant Cente...
Revenue Management Boot Camp Back by Request – November 9-12, 2004 / New Learning to Improve Your GOPPAR Results / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Revenue Management Boot Camp Back by Request - November 9-12, 2004 . New Learning to Improve Your GOPPAR Results Phoenix, September 13, 2004 -- It used to be that tracking RevPAR was pretty revolutionary, and index was the next best thing, states Juston Parker, King Pin of Revenue Management Evolution for Aspire. Now those measurements arent enough. We need to understand GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room), so we can make smart decisions and truly maximize our revenues from a top and bottom line perspective. From economic woes to travel fears to last-minute decision-making, the ever-ch...
Mike Fahner and Greg Wier Named to Vice President Posts with ARAMARK Harrison Lodging / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Mike Fahner and Greg Wier Named to Vice President Posts with ARAMARK Harrison Lodging PHILADELPHIA - Sept. 24, 2004 -- ARAMARK Harrison Lodging today announced the promotions of Mike Fahner to vice president of development and marketing and Greg Wier to vice president of client relations and retention. In his new position, Fahner will oversee new unit growth looking for management expertise as well as lodging investors while Wier will focus on client relations and lead ARAMARK Harrison Lodging's contract renewal efforts. "We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our...
Despite Occupancy Dip, Builders Plan More Anchorage, Alaska Hotels / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Sarana Schell, Anchorage Daily News, AlaskaKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 9, 2004 - All those new hotels in Midtown Anchorage may have tipped the supply-demand balance, as the occupancy rate and average room price finally fell last year. City bed tax revenue also dipped last year, to $10.3 million after two years at $11 million. Still, even with more hotels opened this summer, investors are bullish on Southcentral lodging, with a new luxury suites hotel slated to go up in Midtown next summer. Occupancy rates and room costs for Anchorage hotels have been higher than national ...
Mayor of Anchorage Pushing for a $93 million Downtown Convention Center / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Richard Richtmyer, Anchorage Daily News, AlaskaKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 17, 2004 - With a site-specific proposal in hand and commitments from the city's nonprofit tourism booster and the developers to cover any losses or cost overruns, backers of a proposed new downtown Anchorage convention center regrouped Thursday to renew their campaign to sell the public on the idea. "We think this is an incredible shot in the arm for Anchorage," Mayor Mark Begich said at an Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau luncheon Thursday. "We've answered a good chunk of the questions peop...
City Contract Decision Leaves the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau's Fate Unkown / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Rosalie Rayburn, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 20, 2004 - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Bob Gansfuss, chairman of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors, says he is confident the bureau would win a bidding contest to market Albuquerque as a convention destination. And if the unexpected happened and the bureau lost the contract it has held exclusively since 1980, it would have no more reason to exist, Gansfuss told the Journal in an interview. The Albuquerque City Council tonight is scheduled to discuss whether other bidders are ava...
Akron Hotels Plan Boycott of City's CVB, Claims Bureau Not Run Effectively / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Julie Wallace, Akron Beacon Journal, OhioKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 1, 2004 - Last-minute negotiations failed Tuesday -- meaning today marks the start of a boycott of the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau by local hotel operators. Nearly all members of the Greater Akron Lodging Council, as well as four hotels that aren't official members, have agreed to reject all business from the bureau until the two sides come to a consensus on some contentious issues, including declining business. The boycott go-ahead came after Bill Reider, general manager of the Sheraton Su...
Accovia Provides Travel Wholesalers with the Industry's Most Sophisticated Sales Contract Tool / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Accovia Provides Travel Wholesalers with the Industry's Most Sophisticated Sales Contract Tool Travel Wholesalers Can Streamline Operations, Improve Forecasting, Maximize Yield and Minimize User Error by Automatically Enforcing Distribution Business Rules Montreal, Canada September 27, 2004 - Accovia Inc., the global leader in travel packaging technology, today announces the availability of its Sales Contract Tool. With the Sales Contract Tool, travel wholesalers and tour operators can now streamline distribution agreements, facilitate distribution control and maximize yield, even ...
Accor Beats Four Other Hotel Groups; Awarded 20-year Contract to Run 600 room Hotel at the New Bangkok International Airport / September 2004
March 31, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Nondhanada Intarakomalyasut, Bangkok Post, ThailandKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 28, 2004 - The Accor hotel group has won a contract from Suvarnabhumi International Airport Hotel Co to run a four-star hotel at the new airport. The European chain, whose brands include Sofitel, Novotel and Mercure, was awarded a 20-year management contract to operate a 600-room hotel on a 17-rai plot of land at Suvarnabhumi, said ACM Narongsak Sangapong, chairman of the recruitment committee for bidding on the new hotel. Accor beat four other groups short-listed in the last round -- Thailand-...
