Employee Theft Exposes Weaknesses in Colorado Casino Security and State Oversight of Gambling Industry / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Employee Theft Exposes Weaknesses in Colorado Casino Security and State Oversight of Gambling Industry By Mark P. Couch, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 14, 2003 - Leonard Crapps shoved thousands of dollars down his oversized sweatpants at the Gilpin Hotel Casino in Black Hawk, committing the heist of the decade in Colorado's casino industry.  It's not exactly "Ocean's 11," but Crapps' heavy-duty caper goes down as the biggest theft by a casino worker since Colorado legalized gambling in 1991.  Crapps hid the five-month crime spree behind his st...

Linda Gill Succeeding her father Bob Gill as President of Gill Hotels, Inc. / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Linda Gill Succeeding her father Bob Gill as President of Gill Hotels, Inc. South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 14, 2003 - Hotelier Linda Gill will take over day-to-day management of Gill Hotels Inc. after being named president of the company Thursday.  Gill, 50, succeeds her father George W. "Bob" Gill, who is widely hailed as the father of the tourism industry in Broward County.  The senior Gill, 87, began building hotels shortly after World War II. His company now owns the 501-room Sheraton Yankee Clipper and 459-room Sheraton Yankee T...

Germany: Hotel Profits Tumble as Economic Conditions Worsen / Mar 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report Germany: Hotel Profits Tumble as Economic Conditions Worsen BERLIN – March 2003 - German hotel profits fell an average 12 percent in 2002, according to data released today by Deloitte & Touche at the International Hotel Investment Conference. All hotels recorded in Deloitte's HotelBenchmark survey of Germany reported declines in profitability, reflecting the high fixed costs of the business that could not be reduced in line with the fall in customer demand. Occupancy levels were down nearly five percent. Performance varied significantly across the various segments of the market. Those hot...

Compulsive Gambler Loses Lawsuit to Recoup Losses from Casino Aztar / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Compulsive Gambler Loses Lawsuit to Recoup Losses from Casino Aztar By Kristina Buchthal, The Indianapolis Star Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 6, 2003 -  An Evansville man who sued a riverboat casino after he gambled away his life savings has lost again.  U.S. District Judge John Tinder on Wednesday ruled against former state accountant David Williams, who sued Evansville's Casino Aztar in 2001, claiming the casino knew he was a gambling addict and should have prevented him from wagering.  Williams' attorney said he hasn't decided if he will appeal.  Gambli...

The Opening of Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Spawns Renewed Interest in Tourism for Fujairah, United Arab Emirates / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report The Opening of Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Spawns Renewed Interest in Tourism for Fujairah, United Arab Emirates Fujairah, UAE, March 2003 - The opening of Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort three months ago has spawned renewed interest in tourism as an economic growth sector for the emirate of Fujairah, with both government and private sector entities throwing their weight behind the latest moves to promote the emirate worldwide.   The property is the first international hotel to open in Fujairah for two decades, and is a joint venture between Emirates airline and the Ho...

Harrell Hospitality Spending $34.5 million Upgrading the Aging 430 room Ramada Plaza In Downtown Fort Worth; City to Provide about $12.9 million in Re

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Harrell Hospitality Spending $34.5 million Upgrading the Aging 430 room Ramada Plaza In Downtown Fort Worth; City to Provide about $12.9 million in Refunded Taxes Over 15 Years By Ginger D. Richardson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 26, 2003 - FORT WORTH, Texas -- City officials unanimously agreed Tuesday to work with a private developer to turn the aging Ramada Plaza into a luxury hotel with a new name, lauding the project as a "real boost" to Fort Worth's convention and tourism market.  The City Council's vote means that the A...

Many Think a Fort Worth City-owned $160 million Convention Hotel Proposal Will Not Go Forward / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Many Think a Fort Worth City-owned $160 million Convention Hotel Proposal Will Not Go Forward Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 24, 2003 - FORT WORTH, Texas -- A change in the political guard at City Hall could spell doom for proposed construction of a city-owned convention hotel.  The departure of two businessmen from City Hall -- outgoing Mayor Kenneth Barr and Councilman Jeff Wentworth -- leaves the hotel plan without two key supporters.  Those vying to replace Barr and Wentworth indicate that they are unwilling to endorse city...

Sofitel Hotels Take Down French Flags at 10 Hotels in the United States / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Sofitel Hotels Take Down French Flags at 10 Hotels in the United States By Kaye Ross, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 4, 2003 - No one is replacing the complimentary bottle of Evian with Calistoga, but it cannot be denied that the French have suffered some casualties of late at the Hotel Sofitel in Redwood City, Calif.  They have taken down their flag.  C'est la guerre -- such is war.  The French hotel chain says this courtesy is being extended at all of its 10 hotels in the United States so no American guest will feel unwelcome. ...

Florida Hotels Recovering From Toughest Year in Recent Memory / Mar 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report Florida Hotels Recovering From Toughest Year in Recent Memory Miami, FL (March 10, 2003) – The Florida Hospitality Services Industry is recovering from its most difficult year in recent memory. The combination of the cooling economy, war on terrorism, and prolonged reductions in international and leisure travel, combined to make 2002 one of the worst for the hospitality industry in the last twenty years. In general, most Florida markets will improve in 2003, but only by the smallest of margins. According to Ernst & Young the average occupancy for Florida hotels should increase to 62.2 perc...

Amidst a Looming War and Ever-changing Forecasts Hotel Owners Need to Assess Property Performance with Industry Metric, Flex and Flow / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Amidst a Looming War and Ever-changing Forecasts Hotel Owners Need to Assess Property Performance with Industry Metric, Flex and Flow by Ken Wilson CEO and Chad Crandell President, Capital Hotel Management March 19, 2003 Amidst a slowed economic recovery, a looming war, uncertain budgets and an ever-changing forecast, Owners are extremely challenged in assessing hotel performance and the effectiveness of their management team, given today’s continually changing environment. “Sales are down to budget, up from last year, lower than the forecast, yet higher than the comp set”…do...

Our Favorite Hotel? / Harry Nobles / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Our Favorite Hotel? E-mail:  info@optimumrating.com Harry Nobles & Cheryl Thompson Griggs,  March 2003 We hear this question frequently.  We hear it from clients, from colleagues, and from guests.  We are always pleased to be asked for several reasons.  First, it gives us the opportunity to reminisce and remember enjoyable experiences; it also causes us to reflect on the things that make a hotel memorable.  It is also a chance to share our thoughts with others, something we very much enjoy.   During  my AAA tenure and our many years of travel, jointly and individually, for bu...

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging and The National Arbor Day Foundation Enter Partnership on Arbor Day Farm Lied Lodge & Conference Center in Nebraska / March

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report ARAMARK Harrison Lodging and The National Arbor Day Foundation Enter Partnership on Arbor Day Farm Lied Lodge & Conference Center in Nebraska  PHILADELPHIA, PA – March 12, 2003 – The National Arbor Day Foundation has selected ARAMARK Harrison Lodging to partner on the operation of Arbor Day Farm Lied Lodge & Conference Center in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  The International Association of Conference Center (IACC) member, located 45 minutes from Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, is a world class facility complete with 14,000 square feet of meeting space and 144 guestrooms on 260 acre...

Sheraton Fallsview, Niagara Falls, Ontario Receives Ultimate Service Award for North America / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Sheraton Fallsview, Niagara Falls, Ontario Receives Ultimate Service Award for North America NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario, March 25, 2003 – The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel & Conference Centre has won the 2002 Ultimate Service Award for North America. The winners of the Ultimate Service Award, the first and only global award that recognizes front line staff and rewards excellent service in the hotel industry, were announced at the International Hotel Investment Forum held in Berlin in earlier this month. The Ultimate Service Award is an independent initiative in partnership with CNN, American Expr...

Fair Labor Standards Act Proposing to Increase the Salary Threshold for Employees Exempt from Overtime to $425 per Week from Current $155 / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Fair Labor Standards Act Proposing to Increase the Salary Threshold for Employees Exempt from Overtime to $425 per Week from Current $155 By Joan Fleischer Tamen, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 28, 2003 - New federal rules proposed Thursday that dramatically change who in the workplace qualifies for overtime pay -- benefiting low-wage workers but clipping office workers -- will likely get a lot of attention in South Florida, which leads the nation in the number of lawsuits filed by workers against their employers seeking back wages.  ...

Indian Casinos Need to Watch Out for Suspicious Monetary Dealings / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Indian Casinos Need to Watch Out for Suspicious Monetary Dealings By Jim Adams, Indian Country Today, Oneida, N.Y. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 26, 2003 --WASHINGTON --Terrorists, drug dealers and assorted mobsters have one need in common. They need a way to hide where their money comes from. For a long time, this process has been called "money laundering," making dirty money look clean, and for a long time U.S. law enforcement has realized that one of the best ways to get at the bad guys is to track how they handle their cash.  Tribal casinos are part of the...

Heightened Security Requires New Strategies in Hotels Sales / Carol Verret Consulting and Training / Mar 2003

January 30, 2003

Carol Verret Consulting  and Training Consulting Training Seminars . Heightened Security Requires New Strategies in Hotels Sales - The Extra Mile is the only Mile that Matters Carol Verret / March 2003 The threat of looming war is taking an already elevated level of security to new heights. Public buildings, office towers and military installations are increasingly difficult to access. Hotels, especially large destination and gateway properties, are aware of the potential risks to guests and have their own security issues. This is likely to become more of an issue when and if the US goes to war in Iraq.  ...

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report   Expotel-Hospitality Finds the “Holy Grail” in Hotel F&B Operations: a Profitable Restaurant New Orlean LA (March 12, 2003) – Expotel-Hospitality has found the “holy grail” in hospitality F&B operations: a profitable restaurant. The Lafitte’s concept: “New Orleans Food and all that jazz” has been implemented at five of Expotel’s owned and managed hotels, with launches at an additional three locations scheduled for this Spring. The results have been even better than expected. “We started developing Lafitte’s in answer to the perennial question: How do you make money with a ho...

Rick Evanich Named General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Rick Evanich Named General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Jane Galosic Appointed Head of its Group Sales Division NEW YORK (March 2003) – A career veteran of the hotel business, Rick Evanich has been named general manager of the new Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park after a tenure as hotel manager from pre-opening in 2001 through winter 2003.  Evanich replaces General Manager Victor Clavell, who returned to Europe for a regional position with The Ritz-Carlton.  Evanich is uniquely suited to manage the hotel, having served in numerous operational and food & be...

E-site Marketing Delivers Maximum Return on Investment for Destination Hotels & Reorts / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel OnlineSpecial Report     E-site Marketing Delivers Maximum Return on Investment for Destination Hotels & Resorts Washington, D.C.  (March 29, 2003) – E-site Marketing, L.L.C. recently announced the results of a custom-designed Internet marketing program executed on behalf of Destination Hotels & Resorts, one the largest independent hotel management companies with over 28 world-class properties.  After a year of collaboration, Destination Hotels & Resorts experienced a 127% increase in overall Web site traffic and a 300% increase in Search Engine traffic, which resulted in a 33% gain in net online reservations...

Elsafe Renews Global Agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Supply In-Room Safes / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  .Special Report Elsafe Renews Global Agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Supply In-Room Safes DALLAS, TX (March 17, 2003) - Elsafe, the world's leading supplier of in-room electronic safes to the hospitality industry, announced today that they have inked an extended agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. This agreement maintains Elsafe’s current partnership with Starwood to supply in-room Elsafes to more than 750 owned, managed and franchised hotels in 80 countries around the globe.  Since the original agreement was signed in November 1999, Elsafe has installed over 40,000 in-room...

The Edgewater, Seattle, Completes Four-year $7.5 million Renovation / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  The Edgewater, Seattle, Completes Four-year $7.5 million Renovation SEATTLE, WASH. - (February 27, 2003) - The Edgewater, Seattle’s only waterfront hotel, announces the debut of the renovated Olympic Ballroom.  Its completion marks the end of a series of meeting space renovations at The Edgewater, which began in April 2002, and the culmination of four years of improvements made by the hotel’s owner, Noble House Hotels and Resorts.  The transformation of the Olympic Ballroom, which can hold up to 220 guests during a seated event, adds the final touch to the most recent $500,000 renov...

E-site Marketing Announces New Clients and Record Growth in 2002 / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel OnlineSpecial Report     E-site Marketing Announces New Clients and Record Growth in 2002 Washington D.C. (March 4, 2003) – E-site Marketing, L.L.C. announced today that despite economic challenges in the travel and tourism industry, the company continues to expand, experiencing record growth in 2002 with a 45% increase in revenue over 2001, a more than 50% increase in its customer base, and an impressive 100% client retention rate.  The firm signed several new clients as well, including the Montage Resort & Spa Laguna Beach, Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Caneel Bay, The Algonquin Hotel, Pueblo Bonito Hotels & R...

Wentworth By the Sea Hotel Appoints Award-winning Chef Daniel Harrison Dumont as Executive Chef / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Wentworth By the Sea Hotel Appoints Award-winning Chef Daniel Harrison Dumont as Executive Chef New Castle NH (March 24, 2003) – Chef Daniel Harrison Dumont has returned to the NH Seacoast as Executive Chef for Wentworth By the Sea, Marriott Hotel and Spa. In addition to managing the banquet service for the 11,500 sf conference center, and a Spa cuisine menu for the hotel’s Spa, Chef Dumont will operate the formal diningroom and a casual waterfront restaurant. Chef Dumont graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1990, after apprenticing at The Balsams in Dixville Notc...

Dubai's Hotel Occupancy Running 15-25% During First Week of War / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Dubai's Hotel Occupancy Running 15-25% During First Week of War AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Editorial Column By Peter J. Cooper, AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 25, 2003 - AN INTERIM ASSESSMENT OF THE POST-WAR BUSINESS WORLD: With US-led coalition forces approaching Baghdad, and the situation on the ground far from clear despite the saturation media coverage, it may be a bit premature to begin trying to assess the likely shape of a post-war Middle East.  From a pragmatic point of view adopting a wait-and-...