Drury Hotels Adds Free High-Speed Internet Access in All 10,000 Rooms / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report Drury Hotels Adds Free High-Speed Internet Access in All 10,000 Rooms ST. LOUIS, April 23, 2003 - Travelers staying at all Drury Hotels including Drury Inns, Drury Inn & Suites, Drury Suites and Drury Plaza will now enjoy Free High-Speed Internet Access in all guest rooms and meeting rooms.  With over 10,000 guest rooms, travelers can be assured of the availability of this service no matter what room type they choose. Drury Hotels is one of the first mid-priced hotel systems to offer Free High-Speed Internet at every location in every room.  Most hotels offering this amenity charge $10 p...

TravelCLICK Reports Recovery for Hotel Bookings on Internet and GDS since Onset of Iraq War – Company Issues Tips to Hotels: Don't Stay Qui

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report - TravelCLICK Reports Recovery for Hotel Bookings on Internet and GDS since Onset of Iraq War -  Company Issues Tips to Hotels: "Don't Stay Quiet" CHICAGO (April 9, 2003) - TravelCLICK, the leading provider of solutions that maximize net revenue for hotels, reported today that hotel bookings on the Internet have fully recovered since the onset of the Iraq war.  In addition, travel agent inquiries for hotel availability made through the GDS are trending upward. The company also issued a series of tips to help hotels increase their occupancy and rate performance going forward.     "Tran...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Dolce International Integrates e-RFPs to NetXchange™ MeetingBroker and Delphi™ Global Sales to Bolster Group Business Newmarket International solutions help sales staff better manage electronic leads, while promoting Dolce’s entire portfolio; global conference center leader expects technology to help boost its conversion rate 15%, delivering an additional $5 million+ in annual revenues.. . The age-old adage “Time is money” rings as true today as it ever did. Just ask officials at Dolce International, which has tied its electronic Request For Proposal (e-RFP) into Newmarket Interna...

Debbie C. Howarth First Graduate of Distance-Learning Master's Degree Program Offered by HSMAI and University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Master of Ho

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Debbie C. Howarth First Graduate of Distance-Learning Master's Degree Program Offered by HSMAI and University of Nevada, Las Vegas;  Master of Hospitality Administration with Concentration in Hospitality Marketing MCLEAN, VA (April 30, 2003) – Reinforcing its position as the leader in providing information and educational opportunities, HSMAI is pleased to announce the first graduate of its distance-learning Master’s Degree program – Debbie C. Howarth, CHME.  The two-year program, held in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, provides a Master of Hospitalit...

Price Discounting Across Europe Fails to Produce RevPAR Results / Deloitte & Touche / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Price Discounting Across Europe Fails to Produce RevPAR Results April 2003 - The first quarter of 2003, and March in particular, has been a very challenging period for hotel operators across Europe. The war in Iraq has compounded the already tough operating conditions as the economic recession continues to dampen corporate spending.  Many hoteliers have entered into price discounting in an effort to boost occupancy levels, however in many markets demand has still not materialized. Consequently, the European hotel industry witnessed a fall in revenue per available room (re...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Hotel Room Discounting Doesn’t Increase Hotel Revenues or Drive Business / Cornell Study ITHACA, N.Y. — Hotel operators have often discounted their room rates during slow times, in the belief that lower rates will increase revenues. They won’t, according to the preliminary findings of a study at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.  What’s more, hotels are at greater risk than ever before of lower revenues because the Internet has enormously exacerbated the problem of discounting room rates.  The study’s findings, if heeded, may alter hotel market strate...

Request for Voter Referendum Halts Denver's Controversial Convention Hotel Project / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Request for Voter Referendum Halts Denver's Controversial Convention Hotel Project By Mark P. Couch, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 2, 2003 - Labor union representatives on Tuesday likely doomed the city's plan to construct a $347.3 million convention center hotel downtown by filing documents that would lead to a voter referendum on the plan.  A group led by labor lawyer Walter Brauer asked the city's Election Commission to begin a process that would let Denver voters consider the hotel plan this fall.  "That kills the deal," said Denver Mayor ...

CHIP Hospitality to Rebrand the Hôtel Radisson Québec to Delta Québec / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report CHIP Hospitality to Rebrand the Hôtel Radisson Québec to Delta Québec TORONTO, ON, April 16, 2003 -- Delta Hotels announced today that the Hôtel Radisson Québec, located in Quebec City, will be re-branded the Delta Québec, effective July 1, 2003.    In 2002, more than $5.2 million was invested by CHIP Hospitality to enhance guest rooms and meeting and convention space at this full-service hotel.  “There is tremendous synergy with the Delta brand in the province of Quebec, and Delta Québec will be an important addition to our city-centre portfolio in the province,” said Joh...

Owners of Hampton Inn Settle Lawsuit by Parents of Slain Guest for $4.6 million; Hotel's Maintenance Manager Convicted of Murder / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Owners of Hampton Inn Settle Lawsuit by Parents of Slain Guest for $4.6 million; Hotel's Maintenance Manager Convicted of Murder By Karen Mellen, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 15--A $4.6 million settlement was reached Monday in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a Florida woman against the owners and managers of a Crestwood hotel where she was beaten to death in 1996.  Attorney James Velasco of Chicago, who represented Lin and Sol Toder of Pennsylvania, said the case was to have gone to trial on April 28, which would have been Nan Toder's 40th b...

Kew Green Hotels Ltd. Opens First Days Hotel Property in the United Kingdom / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Kew Green Hotels Ltd. Opens First Days Hotel® Property in the United Kingdom PARSIPPANY, N.J. - 30 April 2003 - Days Inns Worldwide Inc. today announced the opening of the Days Hotel Wakefield, the first Days Hotel property in the United Kingdom. The 100-room hotel, owned and operated by Kew Green Hotels Ltd. under a franchise agreement with Cendant Europe, cost 4.1 million British pounds to develop. It is located near the city of Leeds and is minutes away from junction 40 of the M1 motorway. The hotel features a business center as well as a meeting room that accommodates up to ...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Tarsadia Hotels Reaping Benefits From DatavisionÂ’s Business Intelligence System System adds to TarsadiaÂ’s bottomline with better analysis tools and daily labor savings. WESTON, FLA.— (April 28, 2003) Collecting data efficiently from different franchise flags used to be a challenge for Ed Martinez, Corporate Director of Revenue Management for Tarsadia Hotels.  Tarsadia Hotels, based in Orange County, Calif., operates 16 full-service, all-suite and extended-stay hotels in California and Las Vegas. Martinez says that in this era of economic uncertainty and business-travel cutbacks, itÂ...

Dallas Hoteliers Seeking Exception to Smoking Ban; Claim Loss of Millions Since Ordiance Went in Effect, March 1, 2003 / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Dallas Hoteliers Seeking Exception to Smoking Ban; Claim Loss of Millions Since Ordiance Went in Effect, March 1, 2003 By Mark Wrolstad, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 18, 2003 - The scene was enough to send Dallas' hospitality honchos into a slow burn.  Politicians responsible for the new anti-smoking ordinance lined up like a dream team at City Hall last week for a few high-fives from health advocates, who hailed the "remarkable courage and perseverance" in making restaurants and hotels smokeless on March 1.  "We find that we have to...

maxim Revenue Management Solutions appoints Don Wilson as General Manager EMEA / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report maxim Revenue Management Solutions Appoints Don Wilson as General Manager EMEA CHICAGO, March 15, 2003 – maxim Revenue Management Solutions (maximRMS) is pleased to announce that Don Wilson has been named General Manager for its newly established Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) division, headquartered in Paris, France.  In addition to leading the EMEA division for maximRMS, Mr. Wilson will be an integral part of the company’s Senior Management team and play an active role directing Research & Development.  Mr. Wilson is a senior executive, manager, and consultant with over 21 years ...

Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism Appoints Deirdre Shurland Director; Seeks to Re-energize Environmental Programs / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism Appoints Deirdre Shurland Director;  Seeks to Re-energize Environmental Programs SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (April 22, 2003) -- Royston O. Hopkin CMG, Chairman of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), has announced the approval of a new strategic direction for the organization.  The CAST Business Plan 2003-2007, approved by the members of the CAST Governing Council during the Council's 6th Annual Meeting, held recently in Grenada, outlines a new approach to the issue of sustainable tourism in the Caribbean.   "We are not seeking...

Suburban Extended Stay Hotels Presents Curry-Henderson Award to The Generation Companies / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Suburban Extended Stay Hotels Presents Curry-Henderson Award to The Generation Companies April 25, 2003 - The Generation Companies, a Research Triangle Park-based real estate operating company, received the Curry-Henderson Award, the top honor of Atlanta-based Suburban Extended Stay Hotels, at the Suburban national conference in central Georgia in early April.  In its first year, the Curry-Henderson Award, named for two outstanding Suburban Extended Stay Hotel franchisees who passed away unexpectedly last year, is given to an organization that combines exceptional operational and qual...

Travel Arts Partnership Newsletter Provides Hoteliers with Trends and Developments in Cultural Tourism / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Travel Arts Partnership Newsletter Provides Hoteliers with Trends and Developments in Cultural Tourism New York, NY, APRIL 2003… Cultural tourism, one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry, received a boost thanks to a new publication for travel and hospitality professionals. The Travel Arts Partnership Newsletter (TAP), a new periodical focusing on cultural tourism, is available online since February 2003. The five-times-a-year newsletter is designed to spur productive partnerships between cultural/heritage organizations and travel and hospitality professionals. Repor...

Developer Armada/Hoffler Selects Barceló Crestline As Joint Venture Partner / Manager for Hilton Garden Inn in Virginia Beach, Virginia / April

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report Developer Armada/Hoffler Selects Barceló Crestline As Joint Venture Partner / Manager for Hilton Garden Inn in Virginia Beach, Virginia McLean, Virginia – April 25, 2003 - Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. will manage the new 176-room Hilton Garden Inn under development in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  The hotel, located at the new Town Center of Virginia Beach, is scheduled to open in November 2003.   The City of Virginia Beach chose Armada/Hoffler as Master Developer of its Town Center and through their relationship with Armada, Barceló Crestline was selected as the joint venture par...

New York Mortgage Company Takes Back Control of Sheraton Crested Butte Resort in Colorado / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive New York Mortgage Company Takes Back Control of Sheraton Crested Butte Resort in Colorado By Jason Blevins, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 31, 2003 - MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE, Colorado -- Crested Butte Mountain, unable to make debt payments on the slopeside lodge it built in 1993, has lost its Sheraton hotel.  A New York mortgage company last week acquired the hotel from the resort, which forfeited ownership before the 242-room lodge fell into foreclosure.  The mortgage firm has retained a management company that will run the hotel, which Crested Bu...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report - Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research Partners with TravelCLICK to Help Hoteliers Improve Revenue Management Strategies CHICAGO (April 21, 2003). — Soon hoteliers will get answers to key questions affecting reservation booking performance thanks to a new strategic data alliance between The Center for Hospitality Research and TravelCLICK, a firm that provides exclusive knowledge and tools to effectively benchmark hotel booking performance in the electronic marketplace. The new alliance between The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administr...

On the Chopping Block; Are You Prepared If You Get Your Marching Orders? / HOTEL Asia Pacific / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report On the Chopping Block; Are You Prepared If You Get Your Marching Orders? By Mark Keith, HVS Executive Search This article first appeared in HOTEL Asia Pacific April 2003   As hotels continue to cut back on staff, your head could be next on the chopping block – but are you fully prepared to cope if you get your marching orders? Human resources expert and HOTEL Asia Pacific columnist Mark Keith gives some timely advice on how to prepare for the worst-case scenario You get the call from the director of human resources, and your stomach sinks. "Thanks for all your great work for the comp...

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Bill Balletto Honored with Choice Hotels’ Highest Sales Achievement Award – the Victor G. Trapani Award for Sales Excellence SILVER SPRING, Md.  (April 22, 2003) -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) recently honored its top-selling franchise team with awards for outstanding sales performance and dedication for the year 2002.  “Thanks to our franchise sales team, we had an exceptional year,” said Chuck Ledsinger, Choice  Hotels’ president and CEO.  “Because of their hard work and dedication, Choice Hotels exceeded its goals and last year’s sales volume despite a slug...

Choice Hotels International, Inc. Reports 1st Qtr 2003 Net Income of $9.7 million; Grows Number of Hotels 3.0% to 4,678 / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Choice Hotels International, Inc. Reports 1st Qtr 2003 Net Income of $9.7 million; Grows Number of Hotels 3.0% to 4,678 SILVER SPRING, Md. (April 22, 2003) – Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) today reported first quarter 2003 net income of $9.7 million, or $0.26 diluted earnings per share (EPS), a 30% increase in EPS over the same period of a year ago.  These results exceeded consensus estimates by $0.02 per share.  At the end of first quarter 2002, the company reported net income of $8.6 million, or $0.20 diluted EPS.  The company also announced that its operating income...

Confusion for Travelers About SARS ; A Bigger Danger in China Is Getting Run Over by a Truck! / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Confusion for Travelers About SARS;  A Bigger Danger in China Is Getting Run Over by a Truck! By Janet Fullwood, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 6, 2003 - First came 9/11, then an economic downturn, then war in Iraq. And now comes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the latest threat to an already ailing travel industry.  The flulike virus has spread in a matter of weeks from Asia to at least 22 countries, infecting more than 2,200 people, killing upward of 80 and leading many travelers to question whether they should press on w...

Family Owned and Managed Chaparral Suites Hotel – Scottsdale, Has 50 Year History of Survival / April 2003

February 28, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Family Owned and Managed Chaparral Suites Hotel - Scottsdale, Has 50 Year History of Survival By Donna Hogan, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 5, 2003 - In April 1953, Ray Silverman, an accountant from Iowa looking to move to a warmer climate, bought the just-completed 12-suite Paradise Valley Guest Ranch at Scottsdale and Chaparral roads.  He built a swimming pool, did some landscaping, bought furniture, hired a maid, opened the doors and waited for tourists to arrive.  They did. In February.  "The season was February and March," Sil...