Analysis-Companies Boost Social and Climate Reporting Amid ESG Backlash
November 4th, 2024
Time Share Industry Cleans Up Reputation by Embracing State and Federal Regulation / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Hubble Smith, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 7, 2004 - The time share industry has cleaned up its unsavory reputation by embracing state and federal regulation while battling lawmakers who view the market as an easy tax target, industry executives believe. The industry has an opportunity to change regulations and still protect consumers, said Stephanie Madsen, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Resort Developers Association. "On the regulatory side, states are looking to save money," Madsen said this week during the general sessio...
Larkspur Hotels, LLC Acquires the 107 room Tiburon Lodge and Conference Center / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Larkspur Hotels, LLC Acquires the 107 room Tiburon Lodge and Conference Center CORTE MADERA, Calif., May 27, 2004 - Larkspur Hotels, LLC, one of the nation's fastest growing independent hotel companies, announced today that it has acquired the Tiburon Lodge and Conference Center. "The Tiburon Lodge is a unique hotel in a very special location and community, and is an excellent addition to the Larkspur Collection. This acquisition provides us with a tremendous opportunity to bring our guest focus and genuine hospitality to Tiburon, an attractive and highly desirable destination on the Sa...
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Thayer Interactive Groups Independent Clients Quadruple Industrys Year-Over-Year Online Revenue Growth TIGs Non-Branded Portfolio Achieves 104% Growth in March 2004 v. March 2003 WASHINGTON, D.C. May 10, 2004 Thayer Interactive Group (TIG) announced today that its independent hotel clients realized a 104% increase in direct online revenue for March 2004 as compared to March 2003. This revenue increase is four times the average industry online growth of 26%. Were pleased with these revenue results, which demonstrate the extraordinary potential of destinat...
Technology Update – ASP Solutions: Latest Benefits and Lower Costs Without the IT Headaches / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Technology Update - ASP Solutions: Latest Benefits and Lower Costs Without the IT Headaches May 5, 2004 - With information technology costs continuing to rise, many independent properties are considering web based alternatives for their mission critical PMS solutions. In a web based model, the system is hosted by a qualified party, in some cases the actual PMS vendor themselves, and access is provided simply depending on the vendor, in most cases, without the complexity of additional communication layers or transaction fees over the Internet. This approach appeals to the cost sensitive and IT challenged independent property a...
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Assumes Management of the Exclusive Te Tiare Beach Resort in the Society Islands of French Polynesia / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Assumes Management of the Exclusive Te Tiare Beach Resort in the Society Islands of French Polynesia HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII - May 11, 2004 - Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Hawaii's largest hotelier, will continue to expand its portfolio across the Pacific by assuming management of the exclusive Te Tiare Beach Resort in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. On July 1, the 41-unit beachfront resort will be managed by the Honolulu based hotelier that now manages 51 hotels open or under development in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Guam and the South Pacif...
The Travel Industry Association of America's Quarterly Traveler Sentiment Index Declined Nearly 5% in 2nd Qtr 2004; Concerns About the Affordabil
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report The Travel Industry Association of America's Quarterly Traveler Sentiment Index Declined Nearly 5% in 2nd Qtr 2004; Concerns About the Affordability of Travel WASHINGTON, DC -- The Travel Industry Association of America's (TIA) quarterly Traveler Sentiment Index declined nearly 5 percent in second quarter 2004, to 97.4, despite a very positive showing last quarter. The decline was primarily driven by concerns about the affordability of travel, which isn't surprising considering travel prices and fuel prices are steadily increasing after being stagnant for the past few years. While ...
U.S. Summer Travel Season Will Start With a Bang; Top Ten Destinations Travelers Would Most Like to Visit This Summer / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report U.S. Summer Travel Season Will Start With a Bang; Top Ten Destinations Travelers Would Most Like to Visit This Summer TIA Forecasts 3.2% Increase in 2004 Summer Leisure Travel WASHINGTON, May 19, 2004 - Real recovery in the travel and tourism industry is clearly underway, with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) forecasting a 3.2 percent increase in leisure travel for the 2004 summer season. According to TIA's Summer 2004 Forecast, Americans will take more than 334 million person-trips during June, July and August 2004. A person-trip is one person traveling 50+ miles, ...
Thomas J. DeSousa Appointed General Manager of the 290-room Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Buckhead / May 2004
February 28, 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 Thomas J. DeSousa Appointed General Manager of the 290-room Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Buckhead ATLANTA, Ga., May 6, 2004 Officials of Noble Investment Group, one of the hospitality industrys leading owner/operators of upscale and premium branded hotels, today announced that it has named Thomas J. DeSousa general man...
Thompson Calhoun Fair, LLC, Brokers Sale of the Holiday Inn University Area – South Bend, Indiana / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Thompson Calhoun Fair, LLC, Brokers Sale of the Holiday Inn University Area - South Bend, Indiana ATLANTA, Georgia, May 18, 2004 - Thompson Calhoun Fair, LLC, an Atlanta-based hotel real estate firm, announced today it advised an undisclosed public company in the disposition of the Holiday Inn South Bend ~ University Area. The 229-room property is located on Dixieway North at Interstate 80/90, approximately three miles north of downtown South Bend. The hotel is the closest full-service hotel to the University of Notre Dame campus. The property consists of three, two-story rooms buildings comp...
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Eight Markets Likely to Outperform the U.S. Hotel Industrys Improving Operating Trends in 04 Lodging Econometrics Supply Side Forecast May 18, 2004 - Lodging Econometrics (LE) has released a new, first-of-a-kind report a Supply Side Forecast and Trends Analysis for all 197 markets and 593 market tracts throughout the United States. This report forecasts growth rates units, guestrooms, and percentage growth rates for 04, 05 and beyond for every market in the entire country, said Patrick Ford, President of LE. Ford continued, Using this first-ever report, developers, o...
SuiteSpeed Ranks No. 2 on List of Fastest Growing Companies; Increases Revenue 900% with HSIA Installations Nationwide / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report SuiteSpeed Ranks No. 2 on List of Fastest Growing Companies; Increases Revenue 900% with HSIA Installations Nationwide Louisville, CO (May 26, 2004) SuiteSpeed, a leading provider of wireless and wired Internet solutions without boundaries to the hospitality industry, today announced that it has been ranked No. 2 in The Boulder County Business Report's Mercury 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies, recognizing the entrepreneurial achievements of the hottest rising stars in the Boulder area. Companies are rated based on outstanding revenue growth from 2002 and 2003. SuiteSpeed is the on...
Franchisees and General Managers Gain Direct Control Over their Property Pages and Marketing Messages on Suburban Franchise Systems Redesigned Web Sit
February 28, 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 Franchisees and General Managers Gain Direct Control Over their Property Pages and Marketing Messages on Suburban Franchise Systems Redesigned Web Site ATLANTA - May 18, 2004 - Suburban Franchise Systems, Inc. (SFS), which franchises Suburban Extended Stay Hotels, launches its redesigned consumer Web site. Reflect...
The 800 room Statler-Hilton Hotel Closer to Wrecking Ball; Any Renovation Would Require Too Much Public Subsidy from City of Detroit / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy John Gallagher, Detroit Free PressKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 8, 204 - Another Detroit landmark appears about to fall. After years of trying to find a renovation plan for the vacant Statler-Hilton Hotel, the City of Detroit is moving to demolish the structure. Wednesday, the city's Historic District Commission, which oversees landmark buildings, will consider a city request to tear down the Statler, which the city owns. An elegant but dilapidated 18-story structure, the Statler fronts on Grand Circus Park not far from the Fox Theatre, Comerica Park and Ford Field. The move ...
Molinaro Koger Structures Sale of SpringHill Suites BWI to Ashford Hospitality Trust on Behalf of The Buccini/Pollin Group / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Molinaro Koger Structures Sale of SpringHill Suites BWI to Ashford Hospitality Trust on Behalf of The Buccini/Pollin Group McLean, Virginia May 18, 2004 Ashford Hospitality Trusts voracious appetite for acquisition continues as demonstrated by Molinaro Kogers announcement today that the firm closed the sale of the SpringHill Suites at Baltimore Washington International Airport to Ashford on behalf of The Buccini/Pollin Group. Opened in March 2001, the SpringHill Suites-BWI Airport is located in a business park within one mile of the airport. The hotel contains 1,100 square f...
Marriott Spartanburg Four Months Late on $400,000 Land Lease Payment to the City; General Manager Brian Czechowski, a 26-year Veteran of Marriott,
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Chris Winston, Herald-Journal, Spartanburg, S.C.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Apr. 28, 2004 - Renaissance Park developer Arthur Cleveland is four months late on a land lease payment to the city of Spartanburg, city officials said Tuesday. Cleveland, whose 250-room Marriott hotel sits on land owned by the city, missed a $400,000 annual payment in December. The city, which uses the payment to repay debt, could choose to collect the payment immediately. "Obviously, with a payment due a public agency, we have an obligation to make arrangements to be paid," said City Manager Mark Scott,...
Cornell Study Quantifies the Destination Spa Experience — Differentiates the Merits of a Destination Spa Vacation from Other Vacation Experience
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Cornell Study Quantifies the Destination Spa Experience -- Differentiates the Merits of a Destination Spa Vacation from Other Vacation Experiences May 17, 2004 - A spa vacation will leave you relaxed and refreshed -- everyone knows that. And, according to a new study by Cornell University, a visit to a destination spa -- a place where mind, body and spirit can be renewed, enriched and enhanced -- more than any other type of vacation, will also result in a feeling of increased energy, focus and creativity in the workplace. Conducted by Professor Mary H. Tabacchi, Ph.D., R.D., Cornell Universit...
Wolfgang Grimm Speaks to the 2004 Southern Cross University/Hotel School InterContinental Graduates / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Wolfgang Grimm Speaks to the 2004 Southern Cross University/Hotel School InterContinental Graduates May 13, 2004 - The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and members of the Academic body of Southern Cross University presided over the 2004 Southern Cross University/Hotel School InterContinental graduation ceremony, held in the magnificent Verbrugghen Hall at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music on the evening of Monday 10th May, followed by a gala dinner in the James Cook Ballroom at InterContinental Sydney Hotel. The graduation ceremony commenced with the Academic Procession, in their robes, accompani...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $43.35 million in Financing for Two Historic Hotels / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $43.35 million in Financing for Two Historic Hotels Providence, RI, May 3, 2004 - Sonnenblick-Eichner Company announced today that it has arranged $43.35 million in first mortgage financing for two historic hotels owned by Historic Hotel Partners of Providence LP, an affiliate of Grand Heritage Hotel Group. Sonnenblick-Eichner arranged $30,500,000 in first mortgage financing for the landmark Providence Biltmore hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. Proceeds of the loan are being used to pay off an existing bridge loan, to finance the build-out of the McCorm...
Snyder Nationwide Real Estate Negotiates Sale of Four Points Destin / Fort Walton Beach, Florida / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Snyder Nationwide Real Estate Negotiates $30 million Sale of Four Points Destin / Fort Walton Beach, Florida Phoenix, AZ(May 19, 2004) Jay G. Snyder and Randall P. Newby of Snyder Nationwide Real Estate of Phoenix, AZ, and Daytona Beach, FL, represented the Seller in the sale of this 216-room, full service, oceanfront, resort hotel. The buyer was Innkeepers USA Trust in association with Dimension Development Company of Natchitoches, LA. Snyder Nationwide Real Estate, an international hotel brokerage firm, negotiated the all-cash $30,000,000 transaction, which was one of the highest-price...
Developer John Weeman, Faulker USA, and Marcus Hotels and Resorts Investing $27.9 million in Oklahoma City Skirvin Hotel Renovation; Seek City Loan
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Steve Lackmeyer, The Daily OklahomanKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 8, 2004 - A final agreement to reopen downtown Oklahoma City's Skirvin Hotel calls for the city to loan up to $18.4 million -- most or all of which would be paid back by the developer over 15 years. The deal eliminates previous plans for the city to contribute $10 million without any repayment. The cost of renovating the property, meanwhile, is up from $42 million to $46.4 million. The agreement, concluded this week after months of negotiations with Dallas developer John Weeman, calls for his team, Skirvin Par...
Ski Resorts Expand Year Round Revenues, Add Outdoor & Indoor Waterparks / Jeff Coy & Bill Haralson / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Ski Resorts Expand Year Round Revenues, Add Outdoor & Indoor Waterparks By Jeff Coy & Bill Haralson May 2004 Is the snow ski resort industry dead? A few years ago, some people thought so. Snow ski resort marketers focused on traditional skiers --- aging baby boomers with higher incomes. These traditional snow skiers visited ski areas to the tune of 40 million visits annually for the last four years --- with no signs of real growth. Profits at the larger ski areas started to melt away. Meanwhile, smaller ski areas were prospering. Why? Smaller ski areas were focusing on the youth market, you...
Poll Shows Hotel Company Operated Web Sites Have Room to Improve / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Chris Jones, Las Vegas Review-JournalKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 3, 2004 - Set your own online house in order. That's the short-but-sweet advice one Seattle-area technology watchdog has for some of the nation's largest lodging providers, including several Las Vegas hotel-casino operators, that have recently expressed concerns over consumers' increased use of third-party Internet travel reservation firms such as Orbitz, Hotwire or Expedia. The Customer Respect Group, a Bellevue, Wash.-based company, routinely studies how many of the world's largest businesses treat their co...
Third Party Websites Deliver Potential Trouble for Hotels; You Get What You Pay For / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online Special Report Third Party Websites Deliver Potential Trouble for Hotels; "You Get What You Pay For" Falls Church, VA, 4 May 2004: D.K. Shifflet & Associates analyzed 2003 hotel chain Internet reservations and found that guests who booked through the chains own website often rate the brand experience much better than guests who booked through 3rd party merchant model websites. In the Luxury, Moderate and Budget segments, guests who booked via the hotels website rated the hotel significantly higher in service, and value, than guests who reserved through 3rd party sites, such as Expedia, Orbitz...
New Castle Hotels and Resorts Renovating the 155 room Ramada Plaza Hotel in Shelton, Conn; Will Rebrand Marriott Courtyard / May 2004
February 28, 2004
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality ExecutiveBy Pam Dawkins, Connecticut Post, BridgeportKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 18, 2004 - SHELTON, Conn. -- Following a $5.2 million renovation, the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Shelton will end 2004 as a Marriott Courtyard hotel. Shelton-based New Castle Hotels and Resorts purchased the 155-bed hotel at 780 Bridgeport Ave. from MeriStar Hospitality Corp. in February for approximately $7 million. The company intends to turn it into an "upscale, contemporary courtyard [hotel]," said Gerald Chase, president and chief operating officer of New Castle. "We know the market," Chase said when aske...
