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Are Hotels a Predictor of City Success? / Jones Lang LaSalle / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Wyndham Appoints Eight Managers for Western Region Properties DALLAS (Dec. 18, 2002) Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR) is pleased to announce several new management appointments at properties in the Western United States. The Wyndham Buttes Resort, the Wyndham San Diego at Emerald Plaza, the U.S. Grant A Wyndham Historic Hotel, the Wyndham Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa, the Wyndham Colorado Springs, the Wyndham Phoenix Airport, the Wyndham Commerce, and the Wyndham Garden Hotel - Chandler all boast new leadership. All of these individuals have proven track records...
Charlesbank and Winston Hotels Form Venture, Seeks to Acquire Over $100 Million of Hotel Assets / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Charlesbank and Winston Hotels Form Venture, Seeks to Acquire Over $100 Million of Hotel Assets RALEIGH, N.C. Dec. 30, 2002 -- Winston Hotels, Inc. (NYSE: WXH), a real estate investment trust (REIT) and owner of limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, today announced that it has formed an investment entity with Boston-based Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC to acquire more than $100 million of hotel assets. Charlesbank is a private investment firm managing capital on behalf of a range of institutional investors. Johnson Capital, a boutique investment banking firm based i...
Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC Converts the Former Inn at Williamsville to the Hampton Inn Williamsville / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC Converts the Former Inn at Williamsville to the Hampton Inn Williamsville (Buffalo, NY) December 27, 2002 Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC, a leading Buffalo, New York based hotel management company, announces the conversion of the former Inn at Williamsville to the Hampton Inn Williamsville. Buffalo Lodging Associates will manage the hotel, which is located at 5455 Main Street in downtown Williamsville, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. The Hampton Inn Williamsville represents the newest concept within the lodging industry; a hotel that combines traditional guest rooms ...
Whitt Properties, Inc. Aquires the 176-room Masters Inn in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas; Hotel Closes for Renovation and Rebranding to Comfort Inn &
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Whitt Properties, Inc. Aquires the 176-room Masters Inn in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas; Hotel Closes for Renovation and Rebranding to Comfort Inn & Suites December 30, 2002 - Storm Nolan, Vice President of Development, is leading Whitt Properties, Inc. of Fort Smith, Arkansas, into its first real estate project in the hospitality industry. Whitt Properties, Inc. has recently acquired the 176-room Masters Inn in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The company has shut the property down and has started a major seven-month renovation project at the hotel. The property will be converted into an 1...
Brick Facade Collapses at Historic Building; Damage Occurred During Construction of Watermark Hotel in San Antonio / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Brick Facade Collapses at Historic Building; Damage Occurred During Construction of Watermark Hotel in San Antonio SAN ANTONIO - Dec. 4, 2002 -- The Watermark Hotel, a historic building in downtown San Antonio currently under construction as an upscale luxury hotel and European-style spa and fitness center, today suffered damages to the exterior facade facing Commerce Street. The brick facade wall collapsed at approximately 8:45 a.m. during construction that encompasses an adaptive restoration of the existing 70,000 square foot, four-story building to a 120,000 square foot, seven-...
Wyndham Sells 11 Hotels to Westbrook Hotel Partners IV, LLC for Approximately $345 million / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Wyndham Sells 11 Hotels to Westbrook Hotel Partners IV, LLC for Approximately $345 million Company to Sell Two Additional Properties for $103 Million by Year-End as Part of Original Agreement DALLAS (Dec. 5, 2002) - Wyndham International, Inc. (AMEX:WBR) announced today that it has closed the sale of 11 non-proprietary assets to Westbrook Hotel Partners IV, LLC for approximately $345 million. As part of the same agreement announced in September, the company expects to close the sale of two additional properties to Westbrook for approximately $103 million prior to year-end. The company ...
Bill Johnson – From a Franchisee of Waffle House to Owner of Boston Ritz-Carlton / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Bill Johnson - From a Franchisee of Waffle House to Owner of Boston Ritz-Carlton By Caroline Wilbert, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 15--William B. Johnson's career is one big contradiction. The Atlanta businessman got rich as a franchisee of Waffle House, the low end of the restaurant industry. He got even richer at the opposite end of the spectrum -- when he bought the Boston Ritz-Carlton in 1983 and built it into a world-famous chain. Friends, former employees and business associates paint a picture of a reserved, private ...
Four-Diamond Canadian Chain Acquires Enterprise System As Step Towards Five-Diamond Rating, Advancing Brand Name / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online .Special Report Four-Diamond Canadian Chain Acquires Enterprise System As Step Towards Five-Diamond Rating, Advancing Brand Name Vintage Inns Will Sell Spa and Club Benefits to High-End Guests, Bundle Four Separate Guest Histories into One Database for Guest Recovery Markham, Ontario, Canada December 2, 2002 NORTHWIND, a provider of real-time enterprise management solutions for hospitality, announced Vintage Inns has selected NORTHWIND to automate its four hotels and two spas with the Maestro property management enterprise suite, including Front Office, Sales & Catering, Club & Spa and, aft...
William J. Velardo, President, CEO of Mohegan Sun, Also Serves as Officer of the National Council on Problem Gambling / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive William J. Velardo, President, CEO of Mohegan Sun, Also Serves as Officer of the National Council on Problem Gambling By Karen Florin, The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 26, 2002 - It sounds contradictory: The president of one of the world's most successful casinos is an officer of the National Council on Problem Gambling. William J. Velardo, president, CEO and general manager of the Mohegan Sun and treasurer of the gambling council, said the two roles are not in conflict. Just as a bar owner doesn't want somebody with a drinking probl...
Foreign Visitors to Las Vegas Dip to 8%; In 1997 Was Nearly 19% / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Foreign Visitors to Las Vegas Dip to 8%; In 1997 Was Nearly 19% of Total By Chris Jones, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 8, 2002 - Stagnant economies, terrorism and the threat of war between the United States and Iraq continue to prevent many foreigners from visiting Las Vegas, but local tourism officials still believe the time is right to try to lure more international travelers to Southern Nevada. "We're aware of the downturn (in foreign visitor volume), but the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is committed to international ...
The Las Vegas Night Club Scene Draws on Talents of Andrew Sasson and Steve Davidovici / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The Las Vegas Night Club Scene Draws on Talents of Andrew Sasson and Steve Davidovici The Philadelphia Inquirer Gambling Column By Bill Ordine, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 30, 2002 - Blame it on the Rio -- the one in Las Vegas, that is -- for jump-starting an entertainment trend of dress-to-thrill nightspots that have become as ubiquitous as belly-buster buffets in Sin City. The all-suites casino-hotel on Flamingo Avenue just west of the Strip opened Club Rio and the VooDoo Lounge in the early 1990s, targeting a young-adult cliente...
Value Drivers for Purchases of Hospitality Services Undergoing a Shift / HSMAI / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Value Drivers for Purchases of Hospitality Services Undergoing a Shift Technology, Loyalty Points, Customization Options Emerge as New Value Drivers MCLEAN, VA (Dec. 18, 2002) While the hospitality industry generally operates on the assumption that the traditional value items such as price points, location and personal service continue to be the key drivers affecting customer choice, the changing paradigms in almost all facets of consumer behavior suggest that the value drivers for purchases of hospitality services may also have undergone a shift in recent years. To a...
WestCoast Hotels Continues as Operator of 257 room Valley River Inn, Eugene, Ore / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive WestCoast Hotels Continues as Operator of 257 room Valley River Inn, Eugene, Ore By Edward Russo, The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 11, 2002 -- Eugene's Valley River Inn, one of Lane County's plushest hotels and convention centers, has changed hands for the second time in its 29-year history. Wyndham International Inc. of Dallas, Texas, last Thursday sold the Valley River Inn and 10 other hotels across the country to Sunstone Hotel Investors L.L.C. of San Clemente, Calif., and Westbrook Hotel Partners IV L.L.C. of Boston. A se...
Vagabond Franchise System, Inc. Makes Corporate Staff Changes; Seeks to Better Drive Revenue to its Franchisees / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Vagabond Franchise System, Inc. Makes Corporate Staff Changes; Seeks to Better Drive Revenue to its Franchisees LOS ANGELES, CA December 23, 2002 - Vagabond Franchise System, Inc., today announced corporate staff changes that put people in key positions to better drive revenue to its franchisees. Camille Swanson, who joined the company in April 2002 as director of Internet promotion, assumes new responsibilities as director of Internet and marketing programs. Swanson continues to manage the brands Internet and Web initiatives and coordinates with all franchise locations relating to thei...
April 30, 2002
Midwestern Management Firm Gains 69% Increase in GDS Reservations YTD at 12 Enhanced Limited-Service Properties Owner of Clubhouse Inn & Suites Chain Aligns with VIP International; Harnesses Revenue Potential of Net Rate Programs December 18, 2002 - How can a management firm divert the fast growth and continual change of the Internet into bottom line revenue for its hotels? That is what Gloriann Kueter asked herself a year ago when net rate programs changed the ground rules for booking reservations over the Internet. As corporate director of sales and marketing for Sioux Falls, South Dakota - based Regency Hot...
Upscale Fractional Ownership Storming the Aspen Market / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Upscale Fractional Ownership Storming the Aspen Market By Jason Blevins, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 15, 2002 -- ASPEN, Colo.-- Tom McLane keeps a photo collection of Aspen properties currently on the market. There's the shot of the 100-year-old ranch house in downtown Aspen for $2.2 million. Here's a 1970s-era condo -- complete with shag carpet -- for $2 million. Here's a mini-mansion for $5 million. "People realize that if you went to a broker here and said, `I have $2 million. Show me luxury ski-in ski-out,' they'll laugh you out the...
MGM MIRAGE and Turnberry Associates Joint Venture to Build Potentially Six 40-story Condominium-hotels on MGM Grand Resort's Las Vegas Property /
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report MGM MIRAGE and Turnberry Associates Joint Venture to Build Potentially Six 40-story Condominium-hotels on MGM Grand Resort's Las Vegas Property LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2002 - MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGG) and South Florida-based Turnberry Associates today announced a joint venture to build a luxury condominium-hotel complex on the northeast end of the famed MGM Grand resort's 115-acre property. Sales for the first of potentially six 40-story towers to be built on the resort property are anticipated to start next summer with groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for the second quarter of 2004. ...
Gambling Profits from Four Casinos in Florida Provide Seminole Tribe Officials with Spending Spree Cash / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Gambling Profits from Four Casinos in Florida Provide Seminole Tribe Officials with Spending Spree Cash By John Holland, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 5, 2002 - He gave away so many BMWs, Cadillacs and Lexuses he's forgotten who got them all. When friends got drunk in their new cars, he hired lawyers to bail them out. He paid more than $7 million for landscaping 32 houses and $350,000 for a boxing gym. Seminole Tribal Councilman David Cypress spent the past 3 1/2 years on a $57 million shopping spree, he testified Wednesday, sprea...
Change Under Way at Travel Web Sites; Expanded Hotel Offerings Needed for Profitability / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Change Under Way at Travel Web Sites; Expanded Hotel Offerings Needed for Profitability By Kathy Bergen, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 1, 2002 - Are you one of those people who go to your local convenience store every week for two gallons of milk, at $1.99 each--and nothing else? And do you wonder why the proprietor is not terribly glad to see you? Chances are, he's making very little, if any, money from your repeated purchases. "When a food mart sells milk, it makes no money, but it's driving traffic in," said Robert Simonson, an analyst ...
Kalahari Resort Opens Nation's Largest Indoor Water Park; High Stakes Game of Who Can Build the Biggest / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Kalahari Resort Opens Nation's Largest Indoor Water Park; High Stakes Game of Who Can Build the Biggest By Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 26, 2002 - Wisconsin Dells, Wis.--The concrete was not even dry in the expansion at Kalahari Resort, and owner Todd Nelson was already plotting his next move. "I get bored very easily," the 42-year-old entrepreneur said. "After opening day, I would just as soon find something else to work on. . . . Operating this hotel does not excite me; building the next one does." In a hig...
Wensley Developments Appoints Outrigger to Manage 99-suite Resort in Queenstown, New Zealand / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Wensley Developments Appoints Outrigger to Manage 99-suite Resort in Queenstown, New Zealand HONOLULU, HAWAII - December 12, 2002 - The Outrigger Queenstown at The Beacon will open in June 2003, and is being developed by Wensley Developments Ltd, a group associated with two other prestigious hotels in the area. Located on a spectacular hillside site fronting Lake Wakatipu, the eleven-level, 99-suite resort will provide guests with panoramic alpine vistas and access to some of the greatest adventure travel in the world. Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, in conjunction with its Aucklan...
Thai Tourism Will Grow 6% Over Last Year, Exceeds Projections / December 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Thai Tourism Will Grow 6% Over Last Year, Exceeds Projections By Nondhanada Intarakomalyasut, Bangkok Post, Thailand Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 24, 2002--Despite the slowdown in the world travel industry, international tourist arrivals in Thailand this year are poised to surpass expectations and reach 10.7 million, 6 percent more than last year. The strong performance came as a result of stepped-up marketing and public relations activities, said Juthamas Siriwan, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). During the first 10 months of t...
Tarsadia Hotels Building Residence Inns in Garden Grove, San Diego, Buys the 201-room Crowne Plaza in Las Vegas / Sandi Cain / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online Special Report Tarsadia Hotels Building Residence Inns in Garden Grove, San Diego, Buys the 201-room Crowne Plaza in Las Vegas By Sandi Cain Staff Reporter Orange County Business Journal December 2002 Costa Mesa-based Tarsadia Hotels is building two new hotels in Garden Grove and San Diego and has acquired another one in Las Vegas. The new hotels are the first in four years for Tarsadia and come as most hotel developers are holding back on new projects as they await a travel rebound. Rendering of Garden Grove hotel: set for summer opening (right). Tarasadia made another move this month when it converted...
Tim Herrmann Leaving the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau for Hotel Job / Dec 2002
April 30, 2002
Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Tim Herrmann Leaving the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau for Hotel Job By Marcia Gelbart, The Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Dec. 3--The city's top convention salesman is leaving his job at the end of the year, adding yet more uncertainty to the future of the Convention Center, one of the Philadelphia region's biggest economic engines. Tim Herrmann, who for three years has been in charge of securing major conventions that generate millions of tourism dollars, said yesterday that he was quitting the Philadelphia Convention and Visito...
