January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Alliance Chooses Broadband Hospitality’s Valu-Pak-24 — a New, Low-Cost High-Speed Internet Package — for Eight of its Midwest Hotels  YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — January 6, 2004 — Alliance Hospitality Inc., one of Ohio’s largest hotel management companies, has selected Youngstown, Ohio-based Broadband Hospitality to provide wired and wireless high-speed Internet service in eight of its hotels in Ohio and Kentucky. Alliance is the first company to choose Broadband Hospitality’s low-cost Valu-Pak-24 package. “Valu-Pak-24 is the perfect high-speed Internet alternative for hotel owners and manag...

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report HSMAI Competition Reveals the Best of Travel and Hospitality’s Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing NEW YORK, NY (Jan. 27, 2004) – Marketing excellence in travel and hospitality was on display when the 14th Annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards for Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing were handed out in New York City last evening at a gala black-tie event hosted by Sex and the City’s Mario Cantone. More than 700 travel and hospitality industry marketing executives, advertising and public relations executives and media ...

Hotel Online: Hospitality News

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  News for the Hospitality Executive By Gregory Richards, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--There's a new general manager at the Adam's Mark hotel -- yet again. On Monday, Ben Soto became the seventh person to head the region's largest hotel, which opened in 2001. He takes over for Donald Dickhens, who managed the hotel since February 2002. This territory is somewhat familiar for Soto, since he previously s...

Accor Reports 2003 Revenues Down 4.3%; Opens 170 New Hotels / Hotel Operating Statistics / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Accor Reports 2003 Revenues Down 4.3%;  Opens 170 New Hotels Hotel Operating Statistics Paris, January 28, 2004 (in EUR millions) 2002 2003 % change (reported) % change (like-for-like) Hotels 5,014 4,851 -3.3% -0.7% Services 482 471 -2.3% +8.4% Other businesses 1,643 1,506 -8.3% +0.3% Total Group 7,139 6,828 -4.3% +0.1% 2003 was an exceptional year for the tourism industry, which was heavily impacted by geopolitical events, the SARS epidem...

Alex Lombardo and George Brennan Promoted to New Corporate Positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts / January 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  Alex Lombardo and George Brennan Promoted to New Corporate Positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts ARLINGTON, Va., January 26, 2004 — Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR), today announced the promotion of Alex Lombardo to vice president, finance and the promotion of George Brennan to senior vice president, sales and marketing, from senior vice president of marketing.   Alex Lombardo will be responsible for all corporate treasury and capital markets activities and will report to the company’s chief financial officer.  Previously, he served in a dual role as assistant t...

Hotel Operators Must Share Blame with the Economy for Stagnant Performance / Rick Swig / RSBA Associates / January 2004

January 30, 2004

RSBA & Associates  Hospitality Consulting Services 400 Spear Street, Suite 106 San Francisco, CA 94105 Email: rickswig@rsbaswig.com Web site: http://www.rsbaswig.com   Email: rickswig@rsbaswig.com Web site: http://www.rsbaswig.com  Hotel Operators Must Share Blame with the Economy for Stagnant Performance . For Some Hotel Markets, a 40% Decline in Revenue Since 2000 has contributed to an 80% drop in net operating income.   by Rick Swig, January 2004 National average daily rates for hotel guest rooms fell for the third year in a row in 2003, pushing ADR to 1991 value levels when factoring in inflation. This...

ADA in Your Foodservice Facility / Lee Simon – Drawing Conclusions / January 2004

January 30, 2004

  Drawing Conclusions Foodservice Design By Lee Simon / The General Group / January 2004   I remember when the Americans with Disabilities Act was first introduced in early 1990’s.  While the impact on design from the architectural side was fairly well defined, the impact on other disciplines was not … including foodservice design.  ADA requirements in the kitchen are a gray area and, thus, open to interpretation by each local inspector.  The reason for this gray area is that the ADA guidelines were established to protect the average citizen, regardless of any physical impairments.  In reality, however, the percentage...

TravelCLICK Reports 6.3% Increase in Electronic Hotel Room Nights Worldwide in Q4; Travel Agent Bookings Represent 40% Higher ADR than Consumer Intern

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report TravelCLICK Reports 6.3% Increase in Electronic Hotel Room Nights Worldwide in Q4; . Travel Agent Bookings Represent 40% Higher ADR than Consumer Internet Channel Chicago (February 19, 2004)--TravelCLICK's eMonitor results for the fourth quarter of 2003 show that worldwide hotel room nights booked electronically through the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and key Internet sites grew 6.3%. Revenue jumped 10.3%, and average daily rate (ADR) rose 3.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2002.  The positive year-over-year showing in the fourth quarter of 2003 resulted in electronic room n...

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Tishman Realty and Puerto Rico’s Hotel Development Corp. Acquire the 240-room Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel & Casino; Will Rebrand Sheraton Tishman Hotel Corporation Simultaneously Becomes New Manager SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, February 4, 2004 — Old San Juan Associates LP, SE today closed on the purchase of the 240-room Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel & Casino situated on the waterfront in the historic section of Puerto Rico’s capital.   Old San Juan Associates is a limited partnership that includes affiliates of Tishman Realty Corporation and Puerto Rico’s Hotel Development Corpo...

Worldspan Facing Increasing Pressure to Cut Costs; Employees Fear Many Jobs Will Be Shifted to India / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Worldspan Facing Increasing Pressure to Cut Costs; Employees Fear Many Jobs Will Be Shifted to India By Kirsten Tagami, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 26, 2004 - The mahogany-paneled executive suite on the 21st floor of Worldspan's Cobb County office tower stands in stark contrast to the ongoing news of layoffs and cutbacks from the travel reservation company.  But in fact, the elegant offices -- once the headquarters of RJR Nabisco -- show how the company is pinching pennies, according to Rakesh Gangwal, a former head of US Air...

Woodfield Suites Launches Free Wireless High-Speed Internet Access / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  Woodfield Suites Launches Free Wireless High-Speed Internet Access All-suite brand teams with EthoStream to provide state-of-the-art HSIA network chainwide—thus adding another highly sought amenity MILWAUKEE, WIS. — (FEBRUARY 6, 2004) — Guests at Woodfield Suites hotels can now get on-line faster than ever.  The Milwaukee-based all-suite chain has rolled out EthoStream LLC’s Wireless High Speed Internet Access (HSIA) system for use by guests at its seven hotels from Wisconsin to Texas.  This will give Woodfield Suites yet another unique amenity—wireless high-speed I...

Noble Investment Group Plans To Acquire the Winston-Salem Adam's Mark hotel; Will Redevelop into 316-room Marriott Hotel and a 150-suite Embassy

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Noble Investment Group Plans To Acquire the Winston-Salem Adam's Mark Hotel . Will Redevelop into 316-room Marriott Hotel and a 150-suite Embassy Suites  By Richard Craver, Winston-Salem Journal, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 18, 2004 - The proposed Marriott Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem could reinvigorate efforts to attract larger and more upscale conventions to the community, local tourism and business leaders said yesterday.  Noble Investment Group LLC plans to spend $28 million to buy and renovate the Adam's Mark hotel, turning it into a 316-room...

Red Lion Hotels & WestCoast Hotels Tackle Internet Rate Battle Head-On with the Industry's Richest Rate Guarantee: 'We Promise or We Pay

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Red Lion Hotels & WestCoast Hotels Tackle Internet Rate Battle Head-On with the Industry's Richest Rate Guarantee: “We Promise or We Pay” February 23, 2004 SPOKANE, Wash. -- Red Lion Hotels & WestCoast Hotels has taken on the issues of travel websites offering a confusing array of low price claims. Specifically, starting March 1, 2004, new distribution dashboard technology will allow WestCoast Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: WEH), representing Red Lion Hotels and WestCoast Hotels in the U.S. and Canada, to guarantee that their websites, www.redlion.com and www.westcoasthotels.com, offer the...

WeddingLocation.com Celebrates 4 years Online / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report WeddingLocation.com Celebrates 4 Years Online “WeddingLocation.com is a fantastic resource for us.” – Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, Santa Barbara, CA February 2004 - When it comes to increasing wedding revenues, Beverly Clark’s WeddingLocation.com, is the one site that brings locations quality leads. According to Kathy Ackley, Director of Catering for the upscale Fess Parker DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara, CA, “WeddingLocation.com is a fantastic resource for us.  We have been on the site since it started four years ago, and our wedding business has increased substantially ev...

Online Lodging Reviewer, TripAdvisor, Ranks Top Hotels Worldwide, Based on the Quantity and Quality of Information Found on the Web / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report Online Lodging Reviewer, TripAdvisor, Ranks Top Hotels Worldwide, Based on the Quantity and Quality of Information Found on the Web Best Hotels on the Web 2003 NEEDHAM, Mass - Feb. 26, 2004 -- TripAdvisor, the leading travel research site, announced today the results of a year-long study of the most popular hotels on the web for 2003. Using its Hotel Popularity Index, TripAdvisor's "Best Hotels On The Web - 2003" award ranks the top hotel in major cities worldwide, based on the quantity and quality of information found on the web for more than 100,000 hotels in over 14,000 cities. Unlike...

After Operating As a Holiday Inn Franchise for Nearly a Decade, Mississippi Hotel Owner Returns to Roots As an Independent / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive After Operating As a Holiday Inn Franchise for Nearly a Decade, Mississippi Hotel Owner Returns to Roots As an Independent By Reggie Beehner, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 21, 2004 - WAVELAND, Miss. -- After operating under the franchise banner for nearly a decade, the former Holiday Inn on U.S. 90 has returned to its roots this year, reclaiming its status as an independent hotel.  Bill Lady, who has owned the hotel for 28 years, opted out of the hotel's franchise agreement with Holiday Inn in January and changed the hotel's name ...

VisitHotels.com Launches After Intensive Development / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report VisitHotels.com Launches After Intensive Development Feb 2004 - VisitHotels.com launched after an intensive three months of development. The company mission was set and achieved, to create a site that was informative, rate competitive, and user-friendly, both for the customer and the hotelier to administer.  Initially the site is heavily promoting London & Dublin, however VisitHotels aims to cover the entire UK & Ireland by the close of 2004.  The site was born out of the desire to create a portal that was less complicated and clearer than the existing products. It was felt by the creator...

The Venetian Agrees to Pay $1 million in Fines to Settle Fixed Promotional Contest Complaint / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Venetian Agrees to Pay $1 million in Fines to Settle Fixed Promotional Contest Complaint By Rod Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 26, 2004 - The Venetian agreed Wednesday to pay $1 million in fines and investigation costs to settle a first-of-its-kind complaint that the resort had fixed promotional contests to favor specific Asian high rollers.  State Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said The Venetian admitted to "serious violations" in the case that "would tend to undermine the public's confidence (in the industry)...

Prestigious UCLA Conference Center Installs Maestro Suite from NORTHWIND, Realizes 20% Reduction of Accounting Workload, Gains State Audit Compliance

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  .Special Report Prestigious UCLA Conference Center Installs Maestro Suite from NORTHWIND, Realizes 20% Reduction of Accounting Workload, Gains State Audit Compliance  Pristine California Conference Center and Resort Earns 76% Group Return Rate; Sells Unique Two-Season Operation 10 Years in Advance  . Markham, ON – February 24, 2004  -- The exclusive UCLA Conference Center and Bruin Woods Family Resort, beautifully situated on the banks of Lake Arrowhead in the alpine forests of southern California, was not always a reputable business destination.  The property’s life began in the roaring 20’...

Tut Systems Introduces Service Management Platform for Wired and Wireless High-Speed Internet Access in Hotels / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Tut Systems Introduces Service Management Platform for Wired and Wireless High-Speed Internet Access in Hotels Tut offers small and mid-sized hotels a Complete Package for High-Speed Internet Services PLEASANTON, California, February 18, 2004 - Tut Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: TUTS), a leading provider of turnkey hotel broadband systems, today announced the availability of Expressway Service Management Platform (SMP) for wired and wireless high-speed Internet access in small and mid-sized hotels. The Expressway SMP is the centerpiece of Tut's Express Internet Package, a complete and optimized solution designed to help meet the hotel's...

The Procaccianti Group Acquires the Tulsa Doubletree at Warren Place / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report   The Procaccianti Group Acquires the Tulsa Doubletree at Warren Place PROVIDENCE, R.I., February 10, 2004 — Officials of The Procaccianti Group (TPG), a New England-based, full-service, privately owned hotel ownership, management and construction company, today announced that the company has acquired the 370-room Tulsa Doubletree at Warren Place in Oklahoma.   “This is our second acquisition in Oklahoma and our fourth in the Midwest during the past year,” said Gregory D. Vickowski, TPG chief financial officer.  “This clustering of properties allows us to achieve greater e...

Tulip Inn Lausanne Beaulieu Named 2004 Tulip Inn of the Year for the Central European Region / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  Tulip Inn Lausanne Beaulieu Named 2004 Tulip Inn of the Year for the Central European Region February 19, 2004 - Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts is proud to announce the 2004 Tulip Inn of the year for the Central European region. Based on the results of the annual quality assurance programme carried out by the independant hotel classification organisation ANWB (Dutch automobile association - Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijders Bond), each Golden Tulip Hotel, Inn & Resort has the opportunity to become the “Hotel/Inn of the Year”.   The quality assurance inspection consists...

Debt-heavy, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Seeks to Recapitalize; Reports 2003 Full Year Net Loss of $87.3 million Compared to a Net Loss of $12.0 mill

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online  Special Report  Debt-heavy, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Seeks to Recapitalize;  Reports 2003 Full Year Net Loss of $87.3 million Compared to a Net Loss of $12.0 million for Full Year 2002 Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. Enters into Exclusivity Agreement with Affiliate of CSFB, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners III, L.P. NEW YORK - Feb. 12, 2004 -- Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. ("THCR" or the "Company") (NYSE: DJT) announced today that it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with DLJ Merchant Banking Partners III, L.P. ("DLJMB"), an affiliate of Credit Suisse First Boston ...

With Nevada Gaming License in Hand, Donald Trump Hopes to do Something Spectacular in Las Vegas / February 2004

January 30, 2004

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive With Nevada Gaming License in Hand, Donald Trump Hopes to do Something Spectacular in Las Vegas By Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 5, 2004 - CARSON CITY, Nev. -- After years of discussion about moving into the state, New York developer and casino owner Donald Trump easily won support from state regulators Wednesday for his licensing as a gaming operator.  Trump, who said he is eyeing a number of opportunities in Las Vegas and elsewhere in Nevada, was unanimously recommended for licensing by the Gaming Control Board after a b...