Bangkok Hotels Report 30-40% Drop in Occupancy for First Quarter Compared with Last Year / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Bangkok Hotels Report 30-40% Drop in Occupancy for First Quarter Compared with Last Year Bangkok Post, Thailand Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 29, 2003 - Travellers' worries over the US-Iraq war and the mystery virus affecting the region have cut hotel occupancy rates by 10 percent to 15 percent nationwide for the first quarter compared with last year, according to the Thai Hotels Association.  Hardest hit have been hotels in Bangkok and the southern provinces.  THA secretary Prakit Chinamornpong said some Bangkok hotels reported a 30-40 percent drop in occupa...

Trevor Bilney, Executive Chef at the Bali InterContinental Resort, Fights Hard Since Last October 12; Keeps Morale Up and Costs Down / HOTEL Asia Paci

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Trevor Bilney, Executive Chef at the Bali InterContinental Resort, Fights Hard Since Last October 12;  Keeps Morale Up and Costs Down How do you cope if you have five outlets to keep running – and few, if any, guests?  Trevor Bilney, executive chef of the Bali InterContinental Resort, rose to the challenge with creativity, passion and determination By Steve Shellum, Publisher/Editor, HOTEL Asia Pacific March 2003 TREVOR Bilney, executive chef at the Bali InterContinental Resort, is a fighter through and through. Last October 12, the former judo professional needed every last ounce ...

Bahrain Hotel Operator, Baisan Group, Affiliates Three Hotels with Best Western / Mar 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online Special Report Bahrain Hotel Operator, Baisan Group, Affiliates Three Hotels with Best Western  March, 2003: Best Western, The World's Largest Hotel Chain, has reached another landmark with the affiliation of three 4 star deluxe hotels namely Elite Hotel, Baisan International and Baisan Tower in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Best Western now has 28 hotels in Middle East and South Asia.    "Best Western is poised to take on a more dominant hotel development position in the Middle East. We see tremendous brand growth opportunity and expect to add significantly to our existing portfolio in the region", said S...

Profile: Bob Scucci, Manager, Stardust Race and Sports Book / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Profile: Bob Scucci, Manager, Stardust Race and Sports Book Las Vegas Review-Journal Nevadan At Work Column By Rod Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 16, 2003 - Over in back at the Stardust race and sports book, "where the sun never shines," there's a new manager.  Bob Scucci works behind the tellers and the computers and the technicians in the dimly lit, poorly vented bowels of the venerable sports book.  He recently succeeded Joe Lupo who has moved to Atlantic City as an executive at The Borgata.  Picture smoke-filled rooms and scen...

Choice Hotels Appoints Brian Parker as Director of New Business Development; Charged with Identifying Qualified African-American, Hispanic and Native

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Choice Hotels Appoints Brian Parker as Director of New Business Development; Charged with Identifying Qualified African-American, Hispanic and Native American Hotel Developers Appointment Reinforces Commitment to Diversity Initiatives Silver Spring, MD (March 24, 2003) — Worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE:CHH) announces the appointment of Brian Parker as director of new business development.  In his new role, Parker is charged with leading Choice Hotels’ franchise sales efforts in identifying qualified African-American, Hispanic and Native America...

Barbara Conner of Holiday Inn Clarion, Pennsyvania Named Crown American Hotels General Manager of the Year; Sherry Zelina Named Sales Person of the Ye

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Barbara Conner of Holiday Inn Clarion, Pennsyvania Named Crown American Hotels General Manager of the Year; Sherry Zelina Named Sales Person of the Year JOHNSTOWN, PA - March 17, 2003 - Crown American Hotels is pleased to announce that Barbara Conner has been named 2002 General Manager of the Year.  Ms. Conner is the General Manager at the company’s Holiday Inn located at Route 68 & I-80 in Clarion, Pennsylvania.  She has been employed at the Holiday Inn for the past five years.  This is the sixth year that Crown American Hotels has made this recognition among its 27 Gener...

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Australia’s Key Hotel Markets Poised to Withstand a Short Lived Iraq Conflict Sydney, March 28, 2003 - The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics tourist accommodation performance results point to a recovery in December quarter 2002, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. These results, coupled with limited new room supply over the medium term, indicate Australia’s key hotel markets are currently positioned to withstand a downturn caused by a brief period of conflict in Iraq. Recovery during the quarter was broad based, with all accommodation markets except Darwin experiencing growth ...

As We Brace for War, Experts Predict Tough Economic Times for Tourism / March 2003

January 30, 2003

As We Brace for War, Experts Predict Tough Economic Times for Tourism - Tough Times – Tough Training: Aspire Marketing Announces Revenue Boot Camp SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA (March 4, 2003) – As the country braces for the impact the war in Iraq would bring, there is no industry more concerned than that of tourism.  Already reeling from 9/11 and the economic downturn, hoteliers are struggling with ways to prepare for the war and how to maintain market share and revenue.  Aspire Marketing & Training offers a valuable resource for hotels and resorts to ensure success during these tough times – Beyond Revenue Boot CampSM.  ...

Asian flu Crisis a New, Unexpected Factor Affecting the Thai Hotel Industry / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive  Asian flu Crisis a New, Unexpected Factor Affecting the Thai Hotel Industry By Nondhanada Intarakomalyasut, Bangkok Post, Thailand Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 28, 2003 - The war in Iraq is likely to have a greater negative impact on Thailand's hotel industry than the events of Sept 11, 2001, with other factors such as the Asian flu crisis, high travel costs and the slowing economy in Europe compounding the bleak outlook for the sector.  Chanin Donavanik, executive director of Dusit Thani Hotels Plc, expressed gloomy sentiments about the near-term prospects ...

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Announces General Manager Appointments at Two Boston Conference Centers New to the Portfolio / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Announces General Manager Appointments at Two Boston Conference Centers New to the Portfolio PHILADELPHIA, PA – March 20, 20003 – ARAMARK Harrison Lodging executives Michael F. Towle and Kimberly Haskell have been promoted to general manager positions at the John Hancock Conference Center and Batterymarch Conference Center respectively, two Boston properties that recently joined the ARAMARK Harrison Lodging portfolio.  Towle was previously director of operations at The Center for Executive Education at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and Haskell held...

January 30, 2003

Pineapple Management Benefits: Technology Vendor Invests in Back-Office System Advances for Operators; - ‘New Economy’ Demands Greater Efficiency in Hospitality Operations Aptech Computer Systems Scans Economic Horizon, Announces Profitvue and Webvue V.8 Enhancements to Streamline Centralized Accounting, Save Time  Pittsburgh, PA – March 11, 2003 – Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. today announced its two widely-installed hotel industry financial applications, Profitvue®, for single and multi-property management systems; and Webvue®, for Internet-enabled central back office accounting systems, are upgraded to Ve...

Guest-Tek Dominates Extended-stay Market with High-speed in 63 Additional Hotels / Feb 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Guest-Tek Dominates Extended-stay Market with High-speed in 63 Additional Hotels Chicago, IL – March 20, 2003 – Apple Hospitality Two, Inc., a public real estate investment trust focused on the upscale, extended-stay segment of the hotel industry, has chosen Guest-Tek to install high-speed Internet access in 63 of its 66 properties over the next six months. Guest-Tek will provide wireless access in public areas and wired access in over 7,500 of Apple Hospitality TwoÂ’s guest rooms. Apple Hospitality Two owns 49 Residence Inn® by Marriott® hotels and 17 Homewood Suites® by Hilton hotels.Â...

Albuquerque CVB Under Assessment by City; Just 30 Conventions Booked For Current Year, 28% Utilization / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Albuquerque CVB Under Assessment by City; Just 30 Conventions Booked For Current Year, 28% Utilization By Jim Ludwick, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 14, 2003 - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Albuquerque city councilors are preparing for a showdown tonight over a proposal for the Convention Center that could ripple through the local tourism industry.  At stake is a city contract for marketing the Convention Center and promoting tourism.  The contract, currently worth about $3.7 million annually, has been in the hands of the Albuquerque Conventi...

Former Controller of Chateau Marmont Arrested on Suspicion of Embezzling $11.4 million from Hotel / March 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Former Controller of Chateau Marmont Arrested on Suspicion of Embezzling $11.4 million from Hotel By Troy Anderson, Daily News, Los Angeles Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 27, 2003 - A Westlake Village accountant was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling $11.4 million from two Hollywood landmark hotels, officials said.  Kelly Timothy Ebert, 39, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on two felony counts of wire fraud, authorities said.  An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said that from 1997 through 2002, Ebert siphoned off more than $...

Equal Public Access or Access to Deep Pockets? The Hospitality Industry Remains a Target of Lawsuits by Disability Rights Groups Under the Americans w

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report The Global Hospitality Advisor -Equal Public Access or Access to Deep Pockets?  The Hospitality Industry Remains a Target of Lawsuits by Disability Rights Groups Under the Americans with Disabilities Act March 2003 Dispelling urban legends about the Americans with Disabilities Act The hospitality industry is under attack in a nationwide deluge of lawsuits by disability rights and other groups under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and related state laws. Hotels, restaurants, theaters, stadiums and other hospitality facilities are being sued on ADA claims. Unf...

6Con's Name Game; Holiday Inns Inc. of America, Holiday Hospitality, Holiday Corp., Bass Hotels & Resorts, Six Continents and Soon to be InterCon

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive 6Con's Name Game;  Holiday Inns Inc. of America,  Holiday Hospitality,  Holiday Corp.,  Bass Hotels & Resorts,  Six Continents and Soon to be InterContinental Hotels Group By Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 11, 2003 - Francie Schulwolf wears many hats at hotel giant Six Continents PLC, but it's not because she juggles a lot of jobs.  Schulwolf, a spokeswoman for the London-based company, has a cap collection that mirrors her employer's propensity for changing its name. She's got a black hat with the words H...

iHotelier Introduces Multi-property Booking Technology; Bluegreen Vacation Rentals (TM) to Enhance User Experience at Bluegreenrentals.com / January 2

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report   iHotelier Introduces Multi-property Booking Technology;  Bluegreen Vacation Rentals (TM) to Enhance User Experience at Bluegreenrentals.com Houston, TX (January 27, 2003):  Known for its innovative and creative use of technology, iHotelier, a division of Webvertising, Inc., has announced the launch of its latest offering to the hospitality industry – the Advanced OneScreen Multi-property Booking Engine.  This latest version of iHotelier’s proprietary booking system allows hotel chains, groups, and destination sites to sell multiple properties from just one interactive page on their Web...

e-Commerce Marketing, The Race For Success / Richard J. Welch CHA, CHME / January 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report e-Commerce Marketing, The Race For Success by Richard J. Welch CHA, CHME  January 2003 As all of you know, I love the game of golf and one of my favorite movies is of course  “Caddie Shack”. There is a scene in the movie where the snobby country club member gives a toast to celebrate the engagement of his daughter during a dinner scene given in her honor. The toast goes like this… ” You come into this world and you are naked and bare. You go through this world with worry and care. You leave this world you know not where. But if you’re a thoroughbred here, you will be a thoroughbre...

Bradford Homesuites Selects Ze-Net Technologies for High-Speed Internet Access / Jan 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Bradford Homesuites Selects Ze-Net Technologies for High-Speed Internet Access Addison, Texas, January 20, 2003 - Bradford Homesuites and Ze-Net Technologies announced today that Ze-Net has been selected to install a hybrid version of their ze-nettm HSIA system at the conceptually advanced Bradford Homesuites hotels.  The Ze-Net systems will provide "WiFi" wireless access to the Internet from the hotels' common areas, including poolside and meeting rooms, plus "Plug & Play" wired access from all of the meeting rooms and guestrooms.  Each system will be interfaced to the PMS, to allow user ...

Joseph Zaiden Named General Manager of the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Mexico / Jan 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Joseph Zaiden Named General Manager of the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Mexico BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 6, 2003 – Joseph Zaiden has been named general manager of the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Mexico, effective immediately.  Zaiden most recently served as general manager of the 260-room Conrad Hurghada Resort in Egypt, a position held since 2001.  A 20-year veteran in the hospitality industry, Zaiden’s career began in 1982 as a managing partner of Horbrau Restaurant in Coral Gables, Fla., in which he was responsible for all operations and administrative d...

Charles Givens Unique Vision – The Hotel ZaZa Opens; More Than a Trendy Hotel / Jan 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report  Charles Givens Unique Vision - The Hotel ZaZa Opens; More Than a Trendy Hotel DALLAS, Texas / PARK CITY, Utah, January 28, 2003 — Gemstone Resorts today announced that it has opened Dallas’ most unique property, the Hotel ZaZa, a 146-room/13-suite luxury hotel that offers themed suites and a world-class restaurant.  The opening is part of the hotel management/asset management company’s expansion plan and represents the first of two new hotel openings in January 2003. Jeff McIntrye, Gemstone Resorts’ principal said the Hotel ZaZa has taken Dallas and business and leisure travelers by sto...

The Hotel Yokohama, Independent Since Opening in 1979, Will Rebrand as Novotel / Jan 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report The Hotel Yokohama, Independent Since Opening in 1979, Will Rebrand as Novotel Tokyo, January 20, 2003 – The Hotel Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan is to be flagged a Novotel according to a management agreement signed between the owner and Accor Asia Pacific (Accor). The rebranding is scheduled for fourth quarter 2003. The S&E Institute of Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels jointly acted as advisers to the owner in the process of operator selection and contract negotiation.  Located in front of the renowned Yamashita Park, the four star, 166-room property has been ...

High Expectations Test Casino Developer Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts / January 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive High Expectations Test Casino Developer Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts By Chris Jones, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Jan. 22--Casino developer Steve Wynn admitted to attendees at the 2003 International Builders' Show on Tuesday that it is growing harder to beat people's high expectations for his new projects.  "Now whether we're building homes or hotels, the challenge to create a better mousetrap is ever more daunting than it was before," Wynn said to a capacity crowd inside the 7,000-seat Aladdin Theater. "In 26 months we'll unveil (Le Reve) a...

Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino Achieves AAA Four Diamond Status for 2003 / Jan 2003

January 30, 2003

Hotel Online  Special Report Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino Achieves AAA Four Diamond Status for 2003 ARUBA (Jan. 21, 2003) -- The Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino has been recognized for excellence by the American Automobile Association with the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award for 2003.  The Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino is one of only four hotels on the island to earn the celebrated rating and joins a growing number of Wyndham properties to receive praise for exceptional service.   "This is one of the highest distinctions in the hospitality industry and validates the efforts we've made to achieve superio...