American Property Management Corp. Adding 100 rooms, Expanding Convention Space at Las Cruces Hilton / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive American Property Management Corp.  Adding 100 rooms, Expanding Convention Space at Las Cruces Hilton By Christopher Schurtz, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Jan. 27, 2004 - The viability of a proposed convention center may be up in the air with the announcement that the Hilton Las Cruces will almost double the amount of convention meeting space at its 18-year-old Las Cruces location on Telshor Boulevard.  By adding 10,000 square feet of space to its existing 20,000 square feet -- it will also add 100 rooms to the existing 200 rooms -- the L...

Orient-Express Hotels Reopens La Reseidencia in Mallorca Following $4 million Renovation / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Orient-Express Hotels Reopens La Reseidencia in Mallorca Following $4 million Renovation MALLORCA, SPAIN (January 29, 2004) - La Residencia, the idyllic hideaway on the Spanish island of Mallorca, reopened today following a three-month closure for renovations. During the closure, the Son Fony restaurant has been refurbished, the spa enlarged and a new Tower Suite created.   The two-level Tower Suite is located in a tower hundreds of years old.  The lower floor is a bedroom and the upper level is a lounge area with wooden flooring and furnishings in a traditional Mallorquin style. Â...

Hotel Online: Hospitality News

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive La Quinta(R) Announces Fourth Quarter 2003 RevPAR Increase of 10%; Beats Guidance Due to Significant Increase in Occupancy La Quinta Corporation today announced that total company RevPAR increased approximately 10% for the fourth quarter of 2003 versus the same period in the prior year. On October 30, 2003, La Quinta disclosed total company RevPAR expectations of a 4% increase for fourth quarter 2003. La Quinta also disclos...

La Quinta Adds Eight Franchise Properties in December, 2003 / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report La Quinta Adds Eight Franchise Properties in December, 2003 DALLAS (Jan. 13, 2004) - La Quinta is celebrating the addition of eight hotels that opened in the final days of 2003.  The openings include hotels in Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Utah and represent a combined 715 guestrooms. La Quinta's "franchisee-friendly" program has experienced tremendous growth in a relatively short amount of time, opening more than 8,700 guestrooms and 95 hotels in the last three years, including the following properties that opened in December 2003:  the 51-room, La Quint...

Linda Hodgson Appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at Langham Hotel, Boston / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report   Linda Hodgson Appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at Langham Hotel, Boston Boston, MA – January 20, 2004 - The Langham Hotel, Boston’s Managing Director Serge Denis announced that Linda Hodgson has been appointed the hotel’s new Director of Sales & Marketing, effective immediately.  Hodgson comes to the Langham with a wealth of experience in hotel sales.  Most recently, she was Director of Worldwide Business Travel Sales, with a focus on London/UK, working for Hilton Hotels Corporation at the Hilton Sales Worldwide Office in New York.  Hodgson has been employed by Hi...

The Lodge At Koele Welcomes Croquet Fever / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive LANA'I, Hawaii, January 22, 2004 - Six months of landscaping preparations draw to a close as The Lodge at Koele readies to welcome the first tournament of the 2004 Croquet Fever season. The 2004 Croquet Fever Kickoff is a four-day International Rules tournament and Pro-Am scheduled to be held on The Lodge at Koele's two new championship croquet courts. Close to 30 players, including several who are nationally ranked, are expected to compete in the inaugural Lana'i tournament. Croquet Fever is a USCA sanctioned series of 11 tournaments that was previously held solely in the Southeas...

Innkeepers USA Trust Completes the Acquisition of 11 Additional Hotel Leases from Innkeepers Hospitality / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  Innkeepers USA Trust Completes the Acquisition of 11 Additional Hotel Leases from Innkeepers Hospitality PALM BEACH, Fla., January 8, 2004 — Innkeepers USA Trust (NYSE: KPA), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) and a leading owner of upscale, extended-stay hotel properties throughout the United States, today announced that it had completed the acquisition of 11 additional hotel leases from its principal lessee, Innkeepers Hospitality.  The 11 leases are among the 60 hotel leases that the company previously announced it would acquire from Innkeepers Hospitality as allow...

Kevin Clayton Named National Director of Full Service Development for Choice Hotels / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report   Kevin Clayton Named National Director of Full Service Development for Choice Hotels SILVER SPRING, Md. (Jan. 21, 2004) -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) announced that Kevin Clayton has been named national director of full service development for Choice Hotels’ Quality and Clarion full service brands, and Clarion’s new brand extension, the Clarion Collection. In his new position, Clayton is responsible for promoting the growth of the Quality and Clarion hotel brands across the continental U.S.  He works out of his Anaheim, California office. A 27-year hospitali...

The Hotel Jaragua, Which Helped Usher International Travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil in the 1950's, Completes $17 million Transformation to the 480-R

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report   The Hotel Jaragua, Which Helped Usher International Travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil  in the 1950's, Completes $17 million Transformation to the 480-Room Holiday Inn Select Jaragua Renovation of Historic Building in Central Sao Paulo a Key Example of the Global Re-Urbanization Trend MIAMI - Jan. 21, 2004 -- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world's most global hotel company, today announced the opening of the Holiday Inn Select Jaragua in central Sao Paulo, the 23rd Holiday Inn property for IHG in Latin America, and the 8th in Brazil. The property is the completely ...

Jameson Inns, Inc. Reports ADR, Occupancy and REVPAR for December 2003 – 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Jameson Inns, Inc. Reports ADR, Occupancy and REVPAR for December 2003 Jameson Inns, Inc. today announced that revenue per available room (REVPAR) was $20.53 in December, a 1.2% decrease from December 2002. Average daily rate decreased $0.39 for the month while occupancy was down 0.2%. Occupancy Average Daily Rate REVPAR Brand 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 Jameson Inns 41.3% 41.0% $56....

Jameson Inns, Inc. Restructures; Terminates Status as a Real Estate Investment Trust to a Taxable C Corporation / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Jameson Inns, Inc. Restructures; Terminates Status as a Real Estate Investment Trust, Becomes Taxable "C" Corporation ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2004 - Jameson Inns, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAMS, JAMSP and JAMSO), a leading hotel company with 119 hotels and 8,135 rooms in 14 states, announced that at its annual meeting shareholders approved the elements of a strategic restructuring of the Company, making it a taxable corporation by terminating its status as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"). The Company believes that this restructuring will strengthen its balance sheet, simplify its corporate s...

The Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort Experiences a 300% Increase in Room Night Production from Third Party Web Sites / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort Experiences a 300% Increase in Room Night Production from Third Party Web Sites OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA – (January 29, 2004) – The Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort has been named Fastest Growing Hotel Partner in the Caribbean by Expedia.com® and Hotels.com by experiencing a 300 percent increase in room night production for both travel and vacation leaders in 2003.   According to the Travel Industry Association’s “Travelers’ Use of the Internet” study, more than 42 million people booked travel on the internet in 2003, an 8 percent increase from ...

John Luke Named General Manager of the 821-room Hilton Minneapolis / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report John Luke Named General Manager of the 821-room Hilton Minneapolis BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., January 28, 2004 – John Luke has been named general manager of the 821-room Hilton Minneapolis.  Luke most recently served as general manager of the Hilton Pasadena, a position he has held since 2000.  He reports to Kenneth Smith, senior vice president Hilton/Doubletree Mountain-Central Region. A 21-year Hilton veteran, Luke began his career as a management trainee at the Hilton Chicago and the Palmer House Hilton. Luke was then promoted and held director of front office operations positions, serv...

InterContinental Hotels Group Renames Six Continents Club(R)

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive InterContinental Hotels Group Renames Six Continents Club(R) InterContinental Hotels Group announced today that it is welcoming a new premium status into the hotel industry's fastest-growing customer loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards. Six Continents Club, the world-renowned recognition program of the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand, became "InterContinental(R) Ambassador," a new status within Priorit...

Interactive Sites Delivers New Grand Cypress Website Managed Entirely by the Hotel / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Interactive Sites Delivers New Grand Cypress Website Managed Entirely by the Hotel Scottsdale AZ (January 26, 2004) --  The Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort in Orlando FL offers 146 elegantly appointed club suites, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas, 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature Designed golf, an award winning Academy of Golf, a full-service Equestrian Center, and Racquet Club, each with its own schedule of tournaments and special events. Recently launched, the new www.grandcypress.com website, developed by Interactive Sites, was designed for guests to easily explore the ...

By Early 2005 High-Speed Internet Access will be Standard Feature Across InterContinental Hotels Five Brands in North America / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  By Early 2005 High-Speed Internet Access Will be Standard Feature Across InterContinental Hotels Five Brands in North America January 26, 2004 - InterContinental Hotels Group today announced that high-speed Internet access will be standard and available at 2,500 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in North America by early 2005. "Working closely with our hotels to make high-speed Internet access a standard across our brands is an important step to delivering the high quality experience that our guests deserve," said Tom ...

Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino Selects IAD's Lodging Management System / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino Selects IAD's Lodging Management System Atlanta, January 27, 2004  – Inter-American Data (IAD) has announced that Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has chosen the Lodging Management System (LMS) to streamline operations and enhance guest service. The hotel also has selected Internet reservations module LMS ResNet as well as attraction ticketing modules LMS ShowGate and LMS ShowNet. LMS is an integrated property management software designed to create economies of scale and provide greater control of front office, accounting and housekeeping operations....

Leading Extended Stay Management Company Creatively Uses Business Intelligence to Direct 85% Growth / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Leading Extended Stay Management Company Creatively Uses Business Intelligence to Direct 85% Growth Innkeepers Hospitality Wields BI Tool to Integrate PMS, Back Office Files;  Lassos Huge Amounts of Data for Profitable Decisions January 29, 2004 - Ask the founder of Innkeepers Hospitality, Jeff Fisher, and his team what they like about the hotel business and they will immediately say it is the surprise element that creates excitement during the business day. As the largest independent management company servicing the upscale extended-stay hotel segment in the United States, Innkeepers Hospitality grew at over 18 pe...

Kurt Ritter, President and CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality to Receive International Hotel Investment Forum Lifetime Achievement Award / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Kurt Ritter, President and CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality to Receive International Hotel Investment Forum Lifetime Achievement Award January 27, 2004 - The 7th Annual International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) will feature a veritable who’s who list of global hotel investment community leaders 16-18 March 2004 at the InterContinental Hotel Berlin, Germany. Conference chairman David Michels, chief executive of Hilton Group, heads a list of distinguished hoteliers speaking at IHIF.  A sample of other senior figures participating in the IHIF include Steve Bollenbach, President & CEO of Hil...

InterContinental Hotels Offering Current and Prospective Franchisees a Multi-brand Marketing Platform / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report InterContinental Hotels Offering Current and Prospective Franchisees a Multi-brand Marketing Platform ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2004 - InterContinental Hotels Group [Lon: IHG;NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] boasts three franchises named in the top 75 U.S. franchises according to Franchise Times magazine.  InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) franchises ranked as follows: the Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts franchise ranked 15, the Holiday Inn Express(R) franchise ranked 47, and the Crowne Plaza(R) franchise ranked 65.  The magazine's Top 200 list is based on system-wide sales and units, and is conside...

With Acquisition of Candlewood Suites Brand, InterContinental Hotels Portfolio Now Has Six Brands / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  With Acquisition of Candlewood Suites Brand,  InterContinental Hotels Portfolio Now Has Six Brands ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2004 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces that as of December 31, 2003, it has acquired the Candlewood Suites brand, through its affiliate Six Continents Hotels, Inc., and increased its management portfolio by more than 40% in the Americas. This addition brings the total number of IHG brands to six, and the number of owned, managed, leased and franchised properties (through various affiliates) to more than 3,400 hotels and 527,500 guest rooms in nearly ...

InterContinental Hotels Group Secures Six Management Agreements and One Holiday Inn Franchise Agreement in Asia Pacific / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report InterContinental Hotels Group Secures Six Management Agreements and One Holiday Inn Franchise Agreement in Asia Pacific Singapore, January 29, 2004 – Continuing its aggressive Asia Pacific expansion InterContinental Hotels Group has secured six management agreements and one Holiday Inn franchise agreement in the past two months. These hotels will add to Holiday Inn’s rapidly growing distribution in the region, increasing from 79 currently opened hotels to a network of more than 120 hotels beyond 2005. More particularly, new contracts underscore the renowned Holiday Inn brand preference ...

Hyatt International and Bang & Olufsen Form Worldwide Strategic Alliance

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive Hyatt International and Bang & Olufsen Form Worldwide Strategic Alliance Due to Hyatt International's distinct aesthetics and design for each of its luxury hotels and Bang & Olufsen's unique line of impeccably designed audio, video, and telecommunication products, the two have strategically aligned to enhance their respective brands globally and provide guests with a state-of-the-art experience abroad. This partn...

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotelier’s 2004 Top Ten Internet Strategy Resolutions By Max Starkov and Jason Price, January 2004 In 2004 16% of all revenues in hospitality will be generated from the Internet (14% in 2003). By 2006,  the Internet will contribute over 24% of all hotel bookings (CSFB). This year 54% of all Internet bookings in hospitality will be direct-to-consumer (i.e. via hotel-owned websites). Some major brands (e.g. Marriott, Hilton) and proactive hotels and resorts already enjoy Direct vs. Indirect online distribution ratios of 75:25. Hoteliers like what they see: direct online distribution cuts ...