Sabre Offers $345 million for Travelocity / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Sabre Offers $345 million for Travelocity By Andrea Ahles, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 20--SOUTHLAKE, Texas -- Two years after Travelocity.com became a publicly traded company, its parent, Sabre Holdings wants it back.  Tuesday, Southlake-based Sabre said it will offer $345 million, or $23 per share, to buy the 30 percent of the Internet travel company it does not already own. There are currently 50 million shares of Travelocity common stock; Sabre owns all but 15 million of them.  Under the terms of the cash offer, which ...

Two Diverse Properties Managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts Choose Springer-Miller Hospitality Management Solutions / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report     Two Diverse Properties Managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts Choose Springer-Miller Hospitality Management Solutions Stowe, VT. February 6, 2002-- Springer-Miller Systems (SMS), a leading provider of hospitality management solutions, is proud to announce that two properties, NINE ZERO and Garden of the Gods, both managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, have chosen the SMS|Host Hospitality Management Solution. NINE ZERO, Boston's stylish 190 unit hotel, is scheduled to open in the summer of 2002. In addition to SMS|Host front office system, NINE ZERO will also be installing several...

The 311-room Quality Inn City Centre in Downtown Salt Lake City Acquired for $5,575,000 One Week Before the 2002 Winter Olympic Games / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   The 311-room Quality Inn City Centre in Downtown Salt Lake City Acquired for $5,575,000 One Week Before the 2002 Winter Olympic Games ATLANTA, Georgia, February 4, 2002 - Thompson Calhoun Fair, LLC, an Atlanta-based hotel real estate firm, announced today it advised GE Capital in the disposition of the 311-room, full-service Quality Inn City Centre located in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah for a reported $5,575,000. The transaction closed one week before the 2002 Winter Olympic Games begin in Salt Lake City. The property was sold to a Salt Lake City-based hotel investment company.   K...

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report  International Exposure Gives Salt Lake’s Hotel and Convention Industry a Needed Shot in the Arm Assessing Real Estate Markets Potential on Salt Lake City -  Post Olympics / Jones Lang LaSalle    CHICAGO, February 21, 2002 – Salt Lake City’s real estate sector should enjoy lasting benefits from hosting the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, according to research conducted by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. “While the Winter Olympics may last only 17 days, the effects on the real estate markets of the host city are felt long after the final gold medals are awarded,” said Melinda McKay, ...

Suburban Lodges of America Franchise Owners' Conference Themed 'Sailing Through Stormy Waters' / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Suburban Lodges of America Franchise Owners' Conference Themed "Sailing Through Stormy Waters" February 15, 2002, Atlanta - Suburban Lodges of America, Inc. announced today the conclusion of its annual Suburban Lodge Franchise Owners' Conference. Themed "Sailing Through Stormy Waters," the conference acknowledged the impact of these turbulent times, but reaffirmed the ability of the extended stay concept to weather the storm. During the conference, franchisees were presented with multiple resources and procedures to help them grow occupancies and manage expenses. Suburban Lodge Brand Pr...

Hotel Undergrads Study Real Life From Industry Experts; San Francisco State Instructor, John Love, Predicts Handheld Technology Will Make Sweeping Cha

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report    Hotel Undergrads Study Real Life From Industry Experts San Francisco State Instructor, John Love, Predicts Handheld Technology Will Make Sweeping Changes; Taps Top Consultant’s Ideas Via Industry Pubs To Teach Strategic Management February 2002 - John Love greeted 40 graduating seniors last September 17th in his capstone class, required for earning a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from San Francisco State University, with a hard lesson in business: “The industry is going through some tough times, but I suppose it’s too late to change your major so let’s get down to bus...

Road Rules for Women Business Travelers / Nikko Hotels / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   Road Rules for Women Business Travelers / Nikko Hotels February 5, 2002 - Women are the fastest growing business travel segment, and are expected to account for half of all American business travelers in 2002, compared with only one percent in 1970*.  Luxury hoteliers Nikko Hotels International offers these tips especially for women road warriors, to ease the stress of business travel: Become a Regular "If you travel to the same city often, find a hotel where you feel comfortable and get to know the staff, particularly the manager and concierge. They can offer valuable advice on what...

Ryan Snyder Named Executive VP for the Oregon Hotel Operator – Steve Martin Management Company / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report     Ryan Snyder Named Executive VP for the Oregon Hotel Operator - Steve Martin Management Company 7 Feb 2002 - Ryan Snyder has been promoted to Executive Vice President for Steve Martin Management Company. A Southern California native, Ryan grew up in the hospitality mecca of Palm Desert. Involved with the hospitality industry since 1988, Ryan came to work for Steve Martin Management Company in 1995. His onsite management experience at the Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge gave Ryan his first taste of the Steve Martin Management Company hospitality philosophy. His work with computer techno...

Richard Masselin Named General Manager of The Pan Pacific Manila / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report  Richard Masselin Named General Manager of The Pan Pacific Manila Manila, Philippines --- 25 Feb 2002 - RICHARD M.P. MASSELIN has been named as the new general manager of The Pan Pacific Manila. He is bringing with him a 13-year history in the hotel industry having worked in France, South Pacific, West Africa, and the United States of America. Prior to his appointment in Manila, he worked for three years as the Resident Manager of The Pan Pacific Bangkok. An Institut de Management Hotelier International graduate of the prestigious Cornell-Essec, the young general manager also loves to ...

Banks Selling REO Hotels Trending Up / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Banks Selling "REO" Hotels Trending Up   Oklahoma City, OK - February 6, 2002 - HotelBrokerOne announced today the sales of 6 hotels in separate transactions. Four of the hotels sold were lender owned or "REO" properties. "These transactions continue the trend we saw emerging last year, of institutional owners committing to liquidation of problem hotel loans. With these most recent REO hotel sales our total is now 12 lender owned hotels sold in the past six months." stated Peter Holmes, HotelBrokerOne’s Chief Operating Officer. "Additionally, we are seeing lenders more carefully scrutiniz...

Procaccianti Group Acquires Dedham Hilton Place in Massachusetts; Signs Management Contract for the Hotel Syracuse in New York / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report     Procaccianti Group Acquires Dedham Hilton Place in Massachusetts; Signs Management Contract for the Hotel Syracuse in New York DEDHAM, Mass., February 7, 2002 — The Procaccianti Group, a New England - based full service hotel ownership, management and construction company, today announced that it has acquired the 249-room Hilton Dedham Place from TIAA/CREF of New York, New York and Saracen Properties of Dedham, Massachusetts for an undisclosed amount.  The company plans to begin a $6 million renovation beginning in March to be completed by fall 2002. “The Dedham Hilton Place is an...

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   PolyU’s Tourism School Designated as World HQ of International Academy for the Study of Tourism February 4, 2002 - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) School of Hotel and Tourism Management (HTM) has recently been designated by the prestigious International Academy for the Study of Tourism (IAST) as its world headquarters and Secretariat.  In announcing the designation, the Academy’s President, Prof. William Gartner of the University of Minnesota in the US, said, “The School of Hotel and Tourism Management at PolyU is very active and well known by the international touris...

Nicola Pogson appointed Director of Corporate Relations, IMHI – ESSEC/Cornell / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   Nicola Pogson appointed Director of  Corporate Relations, IMHI – ESSEC/Cornell Cergy-Pontoise, France – 10 January 2002 – Nicola Pogson has been appointed Director of Corporate Relations at IMHI (ESSEC - Cornell University), Europe’s leading MBA specialised in international hospitality management.  Nicola Pogson will be responsible for handling communications and relations with industry, developing executive education programmes and organising career-related events.  In 2002, she will also have the special task of organising IMHI’s 20th Anniversary Conference, being held in Paris ...

New Pittsburgh Convention Center Nears Completion; Problems Continue / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive New Pittsburgh Convention Center Nears Completion; Problems Continue By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Feb. 17--The new David L. Lawrence Convention Center is shaping up as a visually stunning and environmentally advanced building that will make Pittsburgh more competitive in attracting conventions and trade shows. But as with many works in progress, the complicated $332 million structure has had its problems.  The worst was the collapse Tuesday of a 165-ton steel truss that killed one iron worker and injured two others. Invest...

Passkey Reports Single-Day Record of 6,950 Hotel Rooms Booked / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Passkey Reports Single-Day Record of 6,950 Hotel Rooms Booked  QUINCY, Mass. - February 13, 2002 -  Passkey, the industry-leading ASP solution for group reservations management and distribution, released figures today for Monday, February 4, 2002, that the web-based group travel company posted a new hotel reservation record of 6,950 net new rooms booked worldwide, generating close to $3 million in room revenue for the day.  Over half of these rooms, 56%, were booked online.  In addition, total open events in the Passkey system compared to the same time last year are up 100%, with mo...

2002 Hospitality Awards Presented by Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online  .Special Report  2002 Hospitality Awards Presented by Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority February 2002 - The very best of the valley's hospitality professionals were announced in front of more than 400 of their peers at the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority's (CVA) 2002 Annual Luncheon, January 31 at the Doral Palm Springs Resort in Cathedral City. Winners were nominated and selected by tourism industry professionals throughout the Palm Springs Desert Resorts in the six categories of "Outstanding General Manager" (Properties 200 rooms and un...

Outrigger to Manage the US$25.4 million Outrigger Beach Club at Palm Cove; Designed by Melbourne-based architect Leigh Ratcliffe / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Outrigger to Manage the US$25.4 million Outrigger Beach Club at Palm Cove; Designed by  Melbourne-based architect Leigh Ratcliffe HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII - Outrigger Hotels & Resorts' push into Australia's lucrative tourist centers in the state of Queensland continues at an energetic pace following the group's appointment to manage a five-star boutique hotel under construction at Palm Cove, 18 miles north of Cairns.  Palm Cove is recognized as the premier destination for European travelers to the Cairns region. Only 20 minutes north of Cairns International Airport, with a three-story heigh...

Pacifica Hotel Company Completes $1 million Renovation at Holiday Inn Express – San Luis Obispo / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Pacifica Hotel Company Completes $1 million Renovation at Holiday Inn Express - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California --February 8, 2002 - The Holiday Inn Express, located at 1800 Monterey Street, has just completed a $1 million property renovation. The Inn now offers 100 guest rooms and suites all renovated with a fresh contemporary look with new furniture emphasizing warm wood tones; new carpet, drapes, beds and bed coverings with gold and burgundy accents; all carried out in the lobby and public areas as well.    The renovation project began in October 2001 and was under the dire...

Palm Springs Riviera Resort and Racquet Club Renovation will Span Two Years / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online  Special Report  Palm Springs Riviera Resort and Racquet Club Renovation Will Span Two Years $5 Million Remodel Inspired by Tropical Destinations & Warm Desert Tones February 25, 2002 - Five million dollars, 240 rooms, one classic resort. Palm Springs’ most famous resort, the Riviera Resort, selected the design firm of CRDS and will begin the first phase of its remodeling project. After working with the Riviera Resort to remodel their Presidential Suite, CRDS is excited to return and head-up this remodeling project. Included in the plan is a complete remodeling of soft as well as hard goods in al...

How PR Sells / Michael G. Frenkel / February 2002

January 30, 2002

  How PR Sells by Michael G. Frenkel February, 2001 The industry is in tough times. Travelers are not traveling. Hotels are having a difficult time selling rooms, and that means owners and brands are suffering. When revenues dry up, so do marketing budgets.  That, in turn, makes it harder to sell rooms.  The cycle persists . . .  and worsens. Enter the stepchild of the marketing process, public relations.  Why “stepchild?” Because for years, public relations has got the rump of the marketing budget, sandwiched somewhere between advertising, promotions and event marketing. The rationale is as follows: PR is less qu...

Omni Hotels Names Phyllis Adkins, Director of Sales and Marketing, at the Omni Interlocken Resort, as 'Ideal Executive of the Year' / Feb 2

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report Omni Hotels Names Phyllis Adkins, Director of Sales and Marketing, at the Omni Interlocken Resort, as "Ideal Executive of the Year" Broomfield, Colo. - 13 Feb 2002 - Omni Hotels has designated Phyllis Adkins, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Omni Interlocken Resort, 2001 "Ideal Executive of the Year".  In addition, the Omni Interlocken Resort received the 2001 "Ideal Revenue Management Team of the Year" award.   Each year Omni Hotels recognizes the top performers in Sales and Marketing throughout the company. The "Ideal Executive" designation recognizes a Director of Sales and Ma...

Xentury City Development Co. and the The Ginn Co. Vie for Osceola County, Fla., Convention Center and Hotel Project / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Xentury City Development Co. and the The Ginn Co.  Vie for Osceola County, Fla., Convention Center and Hotel Project The Orlando Sentinel, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Jan. 30--KISSIMMEE, Fla.--Even before the county has announced what kind of convention center it wants, at least two developers are competing for a chance to build the facility.  Xentury City Development Co., which was the second choice to build a convention center when developer Rob Miller was selected about five years ago, has unveiled plans for a 250,000-square-foot meeting and exhibition ...

Orient-Express Hotels Acquires Two Luxury Hotel Properties, Half Interest In Petit Blanc Restaurant Chain for $40 million / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel OnlineSpecial Report Orient-Express Hotels Acquires Two Luxury Hotel Properties, Half Interest In  Petit Blanc Restaurant Chain for $40 million February 20, 2002 - Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., owners/operators of 37 deluxe hotels, tourist trains, restaurants and a river cruiser in 14 countries announced today that it had concluded the purchase from Virgin Hotels of Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire England, La Residencia in Deia, Mallorca, Spain and a half interest in the Petit Blanc restaurant chain with outlets in Oxford, Cheltenham, Birmingham and Manchester, England. The purchase price was $40 mi...

OHANA Reef Lanai Receives $1.3 million in Property Upgrades / Feb 2002

January 30, 2002

Hotel Online Special Report   OHANA Reef Lanai Receives $1.3 million in Property Upgrades HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII - February 4, 2002 - OHANA Hotels & Resorts has completed a $1.3 million upgrade to the 110-room OHANA Reef Lanai, located at 225 Saratoga Road in Waikiki. This boutique-style hotel is just a block from the beach and Fort DeRussy Park and offers friendly island service and a selection of comfortable guest rooms and kitchenettes, many with eye-catching ocean or park views.  Guests checking into the OHANA Reef Lanai are now greeted with a newly refurbished lobby with island themed artwork and wood furnishi...