Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reshaping Palm Springs Area with Casinos / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reshaping Palm Springs Area with Casinos By Steven Frasher, The Business Press, Ontario, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 7, 2003 - When the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians opens its new Spa Resort Casino this fall, the casino may find itself competing with one of the tribe's other operations for classiest Coachella Valley casino honors, Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich said.  The Agua Caliente Band became the first California tribe to operate two casinos when it opened the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mi...

Operating Profits for the Average U.S. Hotel Dropped 9.6% in 2002, This After a 19.4% Decline In 2001 / PKF Consulting – HRG Annual Hotel Trends

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Operating Profits for the Average U.S. Hotel Dropped 9.6% in 2002, This After a 19.4% Decline In 2001 PKF Consulting-HRG Annual Hotel Trends Report Atlanta, GA, April 16, 2003 – The average U.S. hotel suffered a second consecutive year of declining profits in 2002, according to the 2003 edition of Trends in the Hotel Industry-USA, published by PKF Consulting and the Hospitality Research Group (HRG).  PKF Consulting and HRG announced the availability of the latest annual Trends report today (www.hrgonline.com). According to the Trends report, the operating profit for the average ...

Philippe Attia Appointed Dolce International Regional Director for Southern Europe / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report   Philippe Attia Appointed Dolce International Regional Director for Southern Europe Paris 16th April 2003: Dolce International has announced the appointment of Philippe Attia as Regional Director for Southern Europe.  Philippe Attia began his career with Dolce international in 2000 as General Manager of Dolce’s French conference destination at Chantilly, near Paris, where he has been responsible for the further development of the property, doubling its number of rooms.  In addition to his new role, which includes overseeing the final development of Dolce’s first conferenc...

Pacific Asia Travel Association Proceeds with Annual Conference in Bali April 13-17 – Sars and the War in Iraq Notwithstanding / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Pacific Asia Travel Association Proceeds with Annual Conference in Bali April 13-17 - Sars and the War in Iraq Notwithstanding Bangkok Post, Thailand, Travel Column By Imtiaz Muqbil, Bangkok Post, Thailand Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 7, 2003 - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) has decided to go ahead with its signature annual conference in Bali next week, Sars and the war in Iraq notwithstanding.  Though the final attendance is expected to be between 600 and 700, well short of the 900-950 budgeted, the decision to remain on track is intended to send...

Radical Approach to Hotel Sales Compensation: P.A.C.T. / Mar 2003

February 28, 2003

Carol Verret Consulting  and Training Consulting Training Seminars . Radical Approach to Hotel Sales Compensation: P.A.C.T.  Carol Verret / March 2003 March, 2003 - What if hotel sales people were paid on commission - actually compensated only for what they produced?  Pretty radical idea, isn't it? Almost every other industry has a commission-based approach to compensating sales people based upon what is actually produced.  The issue of sales and management performance and accountability has largely been measured solely through group bookings or market share penetration and yield indices. Group bookings ar...

Outrigger Uses Web Designer and Consumer Research to Ensure User Friendly Internet Presence / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Outrigger Uses Web Designer and Consumer Research to Ensure User Friendly Internet Presence HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII - After eight months of development, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts have launched new websites using the latest interactive design and navigation technology geared to make every page view more efficient, dynamic and user-friendly. Ultimately, the new websites pave the way for Outrigger and OHANA Hotels to meet travelers' and professional travel planners' growing tendency to use the Internet to research and book travel. The new sites, www.outr...

Online Training as a Cost-Effective Supplement; Hotel Staff Training Can Make or Break a Hotel / Tory Parks / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Online Training as a Cost-Effective Supplement;  Hotel Staff Training Can Make or Break a Hotel April 2003 by Tory Parks, Director of Sales & Marketing, Benchmark Hospitality at Del Lago Resort A staff's training level can make or break a hotel.  No matter how exclusive or expensive the property, poor service at any level (from housekeeping to sales) can mar a guest experience to the point that it reflects in the property's bottom line.  On the flip side of this equation, even the most modest properties can shine in the eyes of their clients and guests by going over and abov...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Case Study: Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas Selects Onity’s SensorStat® EMS as Key in Remediation Effort to Eliminate, Prevent Mold-Spore Growth Property Profile The Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas is surrounded by 400 acres of North Texas hills. Located in Irving, it is just minutes from downtown Dallas. The property offers polished interiors, a TPC Golf Course, the finest Sports Club and Spa in the Dallas area and superb function space.  The Sports Club at Four Seasons offers full-service, European-style spa with fourteen private treatment rooms, a rel...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotels & Resorts Minimize Mold and Mildew Damage and Related Guest & Employee Health Liabilities Through Onity’s Energy Management Systems  Onity’s proven SensorStat® EMS solutions offer a unique, patented system to maintain room temperature and humidity outside the mold-spore growth range, saving properties tens of thousands of dollars every year in asset protection while reducing related energy costs  ATLANTA — APRIL 8, 2003 — Make no mistake: Mold and mildew damage in hotels and resorts is a far-reaching industry issue that is literally growing as you read this.  Unlike the s...

Hotel Online Introduces One-on-One/ April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Online Introduces "One-on-One" Atlanta, Georgia, April 21, 2003 - Hotel Online today announced the introduction of Hotel Online's "One-on-One" a new multi-media informational format. "We are really excited about One-on-One," said Dick Johnson, Hotel Online's Founder and Editor. "We think it will offer our subscribers a rich new way to stay abreast of current developments and trends in the hospitality industry." One-on-One is a new format centered around informational audio interviews with industry executives. In addition to hearing the audio, the audience sees photos, ima...

Hotel Online's Introduction of One-on-One Aims to Conteract Passive News Reading with Audio Interviews / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hotel Online's Introduction of "One-on-One" Aims to Enhance News Reading Experience with Audio Interviews Atlanta, Georgia, April 21, 2003 - Ever wonder about the people behind the news within "Inside Hotel Online today? "Adding an audio component to industry news is a logical extension of providing loyal Hotel Online subscribers with a new twist to content", says Richard L. Johnson, Managing Director of Hotel Online. One-on-One is a new format centered around informational audio interviews with industry executives. In addition to hearing ...

OZone Strategic Marketing, LLC drives $10 Million incremental RevPAR for client hotels in 2002 / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report   OZone Strategic Marketing, LLC Drives $10 Million Incremental RevPAR for Client Hotels in 2002 Washington’s Watergate Hotel and Boston’s Le Meridien Hotel benefit from  innovative channel strategy Washington’s Watergate Hotel and Boston’s Le Meridien Hotel benefit from  innovative channel strategy STAMFORD, CT – April 15, 2003 - OZone Strategic Marketing, LLC, a management consulting firm serving select upper-upscale client hotels around the world, announced today that the company has added over $10 Million dollars in incremental RevPAR in less than twelve months for th...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Brian R. O’Day Appointed General Manager at The Hotel Hershey HERSHEY, PA, April 4, 2003 – Brian R. O’Day is the new General Manager at The Hotel Hershey, an American landmark hotel located in Hershey, The Sweetest Place on Earth, effective April 3, 2003. O’Day brings more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry focused on outstanding golf and resort properties to his new role at The Hotel Hershey. Most recently, O’Day was vice president of operations at Traditional Golf Properties in Williamsburg, VA. Prior to that, he held a similar role at Williamsburg’s Two ...

Maestro Enterprise Suite Leverages Strong Functionality for Multi-Property Operating Companies, Delivers Centralized Management, Cross-Selling, CRM Ad

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  .Special Report Maestro Enterprise Suite Leverages Strong Functionality for Multi-Property Operating Companies, Delivers Centralized Management, Cross-Selling, CRM Advantages Markham, ON - April 22, 2003 – NORTHWIND today announced the widely installed Maestro Enterprise Suite of applications for management companies and hotels just became more versatile.  The Maestro Enterprise & Maestro Multi-Property Solutions are now able to drive room sales and facilitate real-time corporate control of all system operation for multiple-property hotel groups. Using one or more servers, the Maestro Enterprise Suite, with...

Casualty of Savings & Loan Crisis of the late 1980s, Elmer F. Bud Hansen Makes Comeback with $30 million Normandy Farm Conference Center Hotel Complex

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Casualty of Savings & Loan Crisis of the late 1980s, Elmer F. "Bud" Hansen Makes Comeback with $30 million Normandy Farm Conference Center Hotel Complex By Henry J. Holcomb, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 14, 2003 - Elmer F. "Bud" Hansen, a highflier until the collapse of the real estate industry in the early 1990s, is building again.  His first big project in a decade -- a $30 million conference center, restaurant and hotel complex called Normandy Farm -- is to open in June.  "I should say it will open then if it quits raining long e...

Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi Installs Noodle Bar Designed by Hirsh Bedner / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi Installs Noodle Bar Designed by Hirsh Bedner Abu Dhabi, April 2003: Francesco Borrello, the general manager of Abu Dhabi Grand, has announced that the hotel will host Abu Dhabi’s first upmarket noodle bar when it is rebranded as Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi later this year. He confirmed that the innovative outlet will be named Soba, and claimed it would rapidly become one of the capital’s trendiest spots. Borrello said: “The key words behind the design of Soba are graphic, modern, minimalist and sleek. It has designed for the beautiful people and wil...

Nexus World Services Releases New Level of Integrates Sales and Marketing System / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  .Special Report Nexus World Services Releases New Level of Integrates Sales and Marketing System  New version offers integrated Account Management, Corporate, Consortia and Group RFP tools Denver, CO – April 22, 2003 – Nexus World Services today announced another leap towards their strategic goal of creating a completely integrated sales & marketing platform.  Nexus now enables hotel companies to collaborate globally about key accounts and contacts, sales activities, customer service issues and RFP contracting for Consortia, Corporate and Group Bids.   Utilizing the power of the Internet, Nexus unites ...

LaSalle Hotel Properties Sells New Orleans Grande Hotel (formerly Le Meridien New Orleans) for $91.5 million / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  LaSalle Hotel Properties Sells New Orleans Grande Hotel (formerly Le Meridien New Orleans) for $91.5 million BETHESDA, Md., Apr 21, 2003 - LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:LHO) today announced the sale of the 494-room New Orleans Grande Hotel. The sale price was $92.5 million with net proceeds of $91.5 million. The proceeds were comprised of $46.7 million in debt assumed by the new buyer plus $44.8 million of cash. This represents a $37.2 million gain on sale. In conjunction with the sale of the New Orleans property, and the assumption of debt by the purchaser, the Company will r...

New Zealand Proposes Smokefree Restaurants, Bars, and Casinos / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report New Zealand Proposes Smokefree Restaurants, Bars, and Casinos April 2003 - A committee of MPs has amended smokefree workplace legislation to include restaurants, bars, casinos, public transport and taxis. Previously, the legislation called for separate, ventilated smoking areas in bars, restaurants and casinos.  But Parliament's health select committee, in its report tabled today, said such systems would not provide enough protection for employees from second-hand smoke.  The ventilation systems would also impose substantial running costs on businesses, the committee said.  Venues wit...

Average Daily Rates for New York City Hotels Fall from $237 in 2000 to $193 for First Quarter 2003; Lowest Rates in 10 Years / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Average Daily Rates for New York City Hotels Fall from $237 in 2000 to $193 for First Quarter 2003; Lowest Rates in 10 Years By Larry Fish, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 26, 2003 - NEW YORK--At noon one day last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was very publicly eating lunch in Chinatown at the same moment that the head of the tourism bureau was treating some upstate high schoolers to a Times Square concert by the cast of the hit show Mamma Mia!  In both cases, the message was the same: New York City is fun. New York City is safe. New York is...

The Architectural Transformation of the Tariff Building in Washington DC Puts Kimpton's Monaco Hotel in the National Trust Historic Hotels Progra

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report The Architectural Transformation of the Tariff Building in Washington DC Puts Kimpton's Monaco Hotel in the National Trust Historic Hotels Program WASHINGTON, DC, April 8, 2003 - Hotel Monaco Washington DC has been accepted into the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Hotel Monaco Washington DC is rich in history and architectural integrity. The hotel is an example of one of the nation's most stunning architectural transformations.  Kimpton Boutique Hotels and the United States General Services Administration w...

Hawaiian Finds Utopia Managing Mandalay Bay's Wave Pool / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Hawaiian Finds Utopia Managing Mandalay Bay's Wave Pool  Las Vegas Review-Journal Nevadan At Work Column By Rod Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 13, 2003 - Karl Marx in "Das Kapital" described a utopia to come in which society would redefine work to include growing flowers and landscaping public parks. Moses Mokuahi, it seems, has found his own professional utopia managing the wave pool at Mandalay Bay.  As manager of the Mandalay beach and wave pool, he oversees a signature attraction for the destination resort, the centerpiece o...

Middle East Travel, Hotel Industry Looks for Recovery after Bruising Period / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Middle East Travel, Hotel Industry Looks for Recovery after Bruising Period By Peter J. Cooper, AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 28, 2003 - September 11th, terrorism fears, war in Iraq and now the SARS virus have given the travel and hotel sectors almost two years of unremitting gloom. Empty beds and empty seats on aircraft have decimated earnings around the globe.  Indeed, worldwide the airline industry has lost more money since 2001 than all the money it made since the Second World War. The cost of the war in Iraq alone...

Davidson Hotel Co. Giving the Former Adam's Mark Memphis a $12 million Renovation Before Reflagging Hilton / April 2002

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Davidson Hotel Co. Giving the Former Adam's Mark Memphis a $12 million Renovation Before Reflagging Hilton By David Flaum, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 18, 2003 - It was the Adam's Mark.  It is the Park Vista.  It will be the Memphis Hilton.  The 27-story, 408-room reflective glass hotel tower on Ridge Lake Boulevard in East Memphis and the connected buildings are slated to undergo $12 million in renovations.  Davidson Hotel Co. of Memphis, which bought the hotel April 1 from St. Louis-based Adam's Mark Hotels and Re...