Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Posts Best Ever Results for First Quarter 2002 / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Posts Best Ever Results for First Quarter 2002 ASHEVILLE, N.C. (April 2002) – The first three months of 2002 were the best ever for a traditionally slow quarter at Asheville’s historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa: The resort broke records for occupancy, average daily rate, REVPAR (revenue per available room) and gross operating profit.  The resort’s previous best first quarter was in 1998. Comparing the first quarters of 2002 and 1998: Occupancy was 4 percent higher at 67.5 percent; Average daily rate was 25 percent higher at $127.57; and REVPA...

Atlanta Developer Paul Harris Misses Deadline for $1 million Deposit to Acquire the Bankrupt Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Atlanta Developer Paul Harris Misses Deadline for $1 million Deposit to Acquire the Bankrupt Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort By George Graham, The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 16--LAKELAND, Fla.--It may be a million-dollar misunderstanding, but bankruptcy trustee Traci Strickland did not receive a deposit required to validate an agreement for the sale of Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort by the 2 p.m. Monday deadline.  In mid-afternoon, Strickland said she had not received the $1 million transfer promised by Atlanta developer Paul Harris. ...

Richard L. Monfort, Owner of Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Investing $60 million in 142 Room Expansion and Spa / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report   Richard L. Monfort, Owner of Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Investing $60 million in 142 Room Expansion and Spa INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - April 10, 2002-- Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, known for its outstanding amenities and gracious services is undergoing an extensive expansion. The hotel's $60 million expansion will result in a luxurious 480-room hotel with a total of 88,000 square feet of meeting space and a brand-new 30,000 square foot spa. "In our quest for continuous renewal and refinement, the ownership and management has always relied on our guests' comments and suggestions to gui...

The Gran Meliá Fénix, Acquired by Sol Meliá for 43 million Euros, Reopens after Renovation / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report The Gran Meliá Fénix, Acquired by Sol Meliá for 43 million Euros, Reopens after Renovation April, 2002 - A new star is on the scene in Madrid in the shape of a newly-renovated and reopened Gran Meliá Fénix. Located in the very center of the Spanish capital city, in the well-known Plaza de Colón, the hotel was acquired in the year 2000 by the Spanish hotel company Sol Meliá for 43 million Euros as part of the deal to take over the Tryp Hotel chain. The hotel has now been reopened after a 12.5 million Euro renovation. According to the Vice Chairman of Sol Meliá, Sebastián Escarrer...

Two Giant Resort Developments – Reunion Resort and ChampionsGate not Concerned About Head-to-head Competition / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Two Giant Resort Developments - Reunion Resort and ChampionsGate not Concerned About Head-to-head Competition By Jack Snyder, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 22--No Davids in this fight. This one is Goliath vs. Goliath.  Alongside Interstate 4 on the far side of Walt Disney World, two giant resort developments -- Reunion Resort and ChampionsGate -- are rising from the earth.  Not since Disney and Universal Studios both announced movie-studio attractions a few miles apart have twin developments of such size been launched in Central Flo...

Golf Trust Has Unloaded Half of the 42 Golf Courses it Owned at its Peak; Shareholders Voted in Favor of the Liquidation Plan in 2001 / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Golf Trust Has Unloaded Half of the 42 Golf Courses it Owned at its Peak; Shareholders Voted in Favor of the Liquidation Plan in 2001 By John P. McDermott, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 2--Golf Trust of America Inc., which is going out of business, has slashed by as much as 42 percent the amount of money it expects to return to shareholders from the sale of its courses, blaming hazardous conditions in its corner of the real estate world.  Also, the troubled Charleston-based company said its investors might have to wait as...

Accor Raises Stake in Go Voyages to 60% / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report  Accor Raises Stake in Go Voyages to 60% Paris, April 3, 2002 - Accor today holds a 60% stake in Go Voyages, France’s leading specialty operator in scheduled and chartered flights and the development of online booking engines, after acquiring 21.5% of the company’s capital. Accor, which has held a 38.5% stake since April 2000, has thus become Go Voyages’ majority shareholder. In addition, the Group has given the management team, which remains in charge of the company, a promise to purchase the remaining shares, whose price will be determined depending on the results of future...

Proposed 500 room Beachfront Hotel and Golf Course On Galveston Island Vigorously Opposed by Sierra Club and Audubon Society / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Proposed 500 room Beachfront Hotel and Golf Course On Galveston Island Vigorously Opposed by Sierra Club and Audubon Society By Kevin Moran, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 1--GALVESTON, Texas--A luxury beachfront hotel and a round of golf with the sound of the surf as background music.  To many people, it sounds like a vacation dream.  But to people who spend much of their time watchdogging Texas barrier island development, a plan to build a golf resort near the last marshes and a nature park on the east end of Galveston Island is more like a ...

GuestHouse International Honors Outstanding Franchisees / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report GuestHouse International Honors Outstanding Franchisees April 23, 2002; Atlanta, GA - GuestHouse International Franchise Systems recently announced the winners of their annual Awards of Excellence, highlighting exceptional performance by franchisees. The recipients were recognized at the recent regional GuestHouse International Franchise Owners' Conventions in Irvine, California and Atlanta, Georgia.   The President's Award, GuestHouse International's most prestigious honor, is based on excellence in customer satisfaction, quality assurance, marketing and operations. The winner of this aw...

Receive A Free Report on GDS Hotel Bookings For Your Local Market / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report  Receive A Free Report on GDS Hotel Bookings For Your Local Market April 9, 2002 -  Exclusive for Hotel-Online readers, TravelCLICK is offering a detailed 12-month analysis of hotel bookings for any market designated by a three-letter airport code. If you do not currently subscribe to TravelCLICK's Hotelligence report, this is a unique opportunity to obtain recent trends in GDS bookings for your local market.         To receive this free report, please send an email to salesinfo@travelclick.net with "Free GDS Booking Report" in the subject line. Include the following in the text of the...

Shangri-La CEO Giovanni Angelini Spending US$130 million to Move the Chain to the Top of the Ladder / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report Shangri-La CEO Giovanni Angelini Spending US$130 million to Move the Chain to the Top of the Ladder Hotel Asia Pacific April 2002 By Steve Shellum Let's talk about an evolution. With the proliferation of designer hotels, high-tech hotels and arty-tarty hotels, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is having none of it. Although the Asian born-and-bred brand has its eyes focused on new horizons, it is keeping its feet firmly on the ground.   Having achieved brand market leadership in Asia with 18,500 rooms in 38 hotels, the company's strategic plan now incorporates the goal of expanding the...

Starwood Preferred Guest Wins Freddie Awards Hotel Program of the Year; No Blackout Dates, Hassle Free Redemption Cited / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report - Starwood Preferred Guest Wins Freddie Awards Hotel Program of the Year; No Blackout Dates, Hassle Free Redemption Cited Program Captures Title Three Years in a Row and Wins A Total of Twelve Awards NEW YORK - April 29, 2002 -- For the third year in a row, frequent travelers have named Starwood Preferred Guest® the number one hotel loyalty program in the world.  Starwood Preferred Guest was voted Program of the Year in both America and Internationally during the 14th Annual Freddie Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in the travel industry.  Launched just three years ag...

FORRESTPERKINS Collection to Debut at Hospitality Design Expo 2002 / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report     FORRESTPERKINS Collection to Debut at Hospitality Design Expo 2002 DALLAS, Texas – (April 26, 2002) - Philadelphia FurnitureÂ’s FORRESTPERKINS Collection will make its debut during the Hospitality Design Expo (HD 2002) on May 2-4 in Las Vegas.  ForrestPerkins is known for defining luxury for hotels and resorts worldwide.   The design firm is pleased to share the birth of new possibilities as they turn their creativity and knowledge of the luxury hotel market to designing an important new collection of furnishings specifically developed for use in rooms and suites of upscale hotels.  Â...

Proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment Would Prohibit Smoking in Restaurants – Except in Outdoor Seating Areas / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment Would Prohibit Smoking in Restaurants - Except in Outdoor Seating Areas The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 29, 2002 - TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--The state Supreme Court gave the go-ahead Thursday to the wording of a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban smoking in Florida businesses, including bars and restaurants, setting up a potential battle between Big Tobacco and anti-smoking groups at the ballot box in November.  In a unanimous decision, the justices found that the wording on a proposal by a group...

American Skiing Company Names Herb Faulkenberry Director of Sales and Marketing of The Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report  American Skiing Company Names Herb Faulkenberry Director of Sales and Marketing of The Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado, April 2, 2002 -- Herb Faulkenberry has been appointed the director of sales and marketing of The Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center. Faulkenberry brings 15 years of hospitality industry experience to the upscale hotel, which opened in October 2000 and offers Steamboat Springs' most luxurious guest ambiance. Prior to joining The Steamboat Grand, he was national director of sales for American Skiing C...

ASTON, Longtime Hawaii Hotelier, Defines Products and Services for a Changing Family Market / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report ASTON, Longtime Hawaii Hotelier, Defines Products and Services for a Changing Family Market  HONOLULU (April 12, 2002) – ASTON Hotels & Resorts Hawaii recently announced a comprehensive marketing directive to reach what they’ve termed “the new family traveler” demographic. The promotion includes advertising, public relations and educational travel agent seminars and meetings across the mainland United States and Canada. “We’ve seen the demographics of family travel really shift in the past few years, and particularly since the aftermath of 9/11,” said Joni Paahao, senior vice pres...

Fabulous Fadware A Hotel Technology Fashion that is Taken up with Great Enthusiasm for a Brief Period of Time / Mark Haley / Hospitality Upgrade Magaz

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   Fabulous Fadware Hotel Technology Fashions that are Taken up with Great Enthusiasm for a Brief Period of Time By Mark Haley  April 2002     ( fãd  wâr ) n. A technology fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time. One of the truly entertaining things about our profession is the opportunity to observe or sometimes even embrace the various fads, waves and trends that sweep through the hospitality technology industry on occasion.  Every so often, a new technology, a new approach or business model sweeps through the space and seizes everyone...

First Custom-Built Homes in North America to Carry the Four Seasons Name at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report First Custom-Built Homes in North America to Carry the Four Seasons Name at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (April, 2002) - Four Seasons Private Residences Scottsdale, Arizona adjoining the recently opened Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North will soon be offered for sale. The gated enclave will include only 51 pueblo-style residences, 40 of which are pre-designed, ranging in size from 3,500 to 5,700 square feet and starting from $1.6 million. An additional 11 design/build lots will also be available.   The resort and residential property encompasses a magnificen...

Fairmont first-quarter RevPAR Falls 10.2%, Expense Containment Helps Provide Net income of $13.6 million / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report Fairmont first-quarter RevPAR Falls 10.2%, Expense Containment Helps Provide Net income of  $13.6 million TORONTO, April 15, 2002 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc.  ("FHR") (TSE and NYSE Symbol: FHR) today reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2002. All amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars.      FHR's financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2001 contain substantial non-recurring items related to the reorganization of Canadian Pacific Limited ("CPL"), including the operating results of CPL's four discontinued businesses, reorganization expenses and CPL...

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   2001 European Hotel Investment Volume Falls From Peak; 2002 – Opportunity For Cyclical Plays Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Digest Europe 2002 London, 25th April 2002 —  According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ recently released Digest Europe, single asset investment activity in Europe fell from a peak of £1.4 billion in 2000 to £1.2 billion in 2001, as the markets were dominated by portfolio activity. In 2001 European money led the market, facilitated by increased European convergence.  Domestic investors concluded the largest number of transactions at 58%, according to the Digest Eur...

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report Comfort Inn & Suites Boston/Airport Wins the Industry’s National Environmental Award Innovative Hotel is Named The Environmental “Star of the Industry” by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Philadelphia, PA, April 4, 2002— The Comfort Inn & Suites Boston/Airport has been selected by the American Hotel & Lodging Association as the “Star of the Industry” in the category of Environmental Management.  Tedd Saunders, Executive Vice President of Environmental Affairs at the Saunders Hotel Group (SHG), which owns and operates the hotel, along with John Mitchell, the ho...

The $4 million Makeover of the Emily Morgan Hotel in Downtown San Antonio Includes Repostioning as an Independent Hotel / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive The $4 million Makeover of the Emily Morgan Hotel in Downtown San Antonio Includes Repostioning as an Independent Hotel By Melissa S. Monroe, San Antonio Express-News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Apr. 13--A multimillion-dollar renovation at the Emily Morgan hotel downtown has positioned the inn with a New York flair, but with Southwestern hospitality.  The 1920s Gothic style building has dropped its Ramada brand to focus on an upscale clientele, said Scooter Yates, the hotel's new general manager.  "Ramada did a good job for what the building used to be," Yates s...

Hotel Development Pipeline Declines in 1Q, but at Slowest Rate in 6 Quarters / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Hotel Development Pipeline Declines in 1Q,  But at Slowest Rate in 6 Quarters  PORTSMOUTH, NH — April 19, 2002 - The Total Pipeline for new hotel development dropped again in the first quarter, but the rate of decline was the slowest in six quarters, Lodging Econometrics (LE) reported this week in its 1Q02 Guidance Memo to its clients. LE reported 2,256 projects and 306,794 rooms in the Total Development Pipeline, a 2.4% decline in the room count of 7,391 rooms over 4Q. “As the industry is experiencing a somewhat better than expected rebound, Pipeline totals may be at or near a bottom...

A Thailand Tourist's Perspective on Environment and Tourism / April 2002

February 28, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive A Thailand Tourist's Perspective on Environment and Tourism By Erica Gies, Environmental News Network, Berkeley, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 29, 2002 - Experiencing natural splendor firsthand -- whether it's a backyard ecosystem or one halfway around the world -- helps foster environmental ardor. The following is one of an open-ended travel series in which the adventures described are Earth based.  Sidewalk vendors hawking wares unidentifiable to Western eyes; tropical beaches; fishing coves strung with traditional Asian skiffs; and the majestic image...