The Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis on Design-build Fast Track for Completion in Winter 2002 / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report The Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis on Design-build  Fast Track for Completion in Winter 2002  Project, includes new hotel tower and  renovation of circa 1917 hotel Dallas - May 8, 2001— RTKL, as architect-of-record, is providing architectural and preservation services for the 916-key Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis, MO, to occupy a full city block in the heart of downtown directly south of the America’s Center convention complex.  The Renaissance Grand is part of a $270 million, 1081-room convention headquarters hotel complex that also includes the renovation of the histori...

Inn of the Spanish Garden in Santa Barbara, Calif., Readies for Opening / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Inn of the Spanish Garden in Santa Barbara,  Calif., Readies for Opening By Mark Van De Kamp, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  May 24--Santa Barbara's newest boutique hotel is preparing to open in early August, aiming at the high-end leisure and corporate traveler.  Designed much like an Old World Spanish family home, the 23-room Inn of the Spanish Garden has a small street presence but extends deep into its nearly one-acre lot.  Set at 915 Garden St. in the city's oldest neighborhood, the inn is within a short walk of downtown busin...

Hotelier Finds Rewards in Staying Small: With 104 rooms, Irwin Kishner's Somerset House and Motel is one of the smallest hotels in Las Vegas / Ma

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Las Vegas Review-Journal Nevadan At Work Column By Dave Berns, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  May 20--Hotelier Finds Rewards in Staying Small: With 104 rooms, Irwin Kishner's Somerset House and Motel is one of the smallest hotels in Las Vegas.  The Convention Center Drive property lacks the mammoth budgets and massive marketing lists of the 3,000-room giants that line the Strip.  And 39 years after building the Somerset on an empty desert lot, Kishner laments at the passing of the independent hotel locally.  "The little guy can't make ...

Sol Meliá and Telefonica DataCorp Create SolNet / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report   Sol Meliá and Telefonica DataCorp  Create "SolNet" At an investment of 12 million euros, the system connects hotel offices throughout the world for sales & marketing activities Singapore, 21st May 2001 - Sol Meliá announced a joint agreement with Telefonica DataCorp to create a "SolNet" system.  Representing an investment of over 12 million euros, the system involves connecting the Group's properties and corporate offices throughout the world and a series of joint sales & marketing activities. This agreement is part of the Group's overall "e-transformation" programme which to ...

21% Growth Results for Sol Melia in First Quarter 2001 / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report 21% Growth Results for Sol Melia in  First Quarter 2001 Singapore, 30th May 2001- Leading European hotel chain, Sol Meliá - which has a portfolio of 10 Asian properties - today announced it's first quarter 2001 financial results of 71 million euros before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).  This represents a 21% growth for the Group over the same period in the previous year. Net profits reached 31 million euros, representing an 18% growth over 2000, while consolidated revenues rose to 235 million euros, a 33% increase over 2000. These results are due in part to th...

$70 Million Siena Hotel Spa Casino, a 214-Room Luxury Boutique Hotel on Reno's Truckee River Set to Open / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report $70 Million Siena Hotel Spa Casino, a 214-Room Luxury Boutique Hotel on Reno's Truckee River Set to Open RENO, Nev.- May 22, 2001--Siena Hotel Spa Casino, the nation's newest boutique hotel, opens July 31, 2001 on the banks of the Truckee River in Reno, Nevada. The $70 million, 214-room hotel has a unique combination of services and amenities, including a full-service day spa, high-energy 24-hour casino, eclectic art, riverside fine dining, and distinctive food and wine experiences.  Designed by architect Mark Whipple of The Russell Group, this four-star caliber property was modeled af...

ARDA Gold Winner for Top Refurbishment- Architecture & Interior Design Awarded to Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report   ARDA Gold Winner for Top Refurbishment -  Architecture & Interior Design Awarded to  Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy Kapaa, Kauai, HI -- May 16, 2001 -- Shell Vacations was recently awarded the highest honor in the resort development industry for its $13 million renovation project of the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy.   Competing with dozens of resorts from around the world, the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy was named the top Gold winner in the category of Refurbishment-Architecture & Interior Design at the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) annual con...

In Partnership with Academia, Shaner Hotel Group Will Build a 120 room Hotel on the Campus of the University of Delaware / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report In Partnership with Academia, Shaner Hotel Group  Will Build a 120 room Hotel on the Campus of the  University of Delaware STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (May 23, 2001) - In a unique partnership between business and academia, Shaner Hotel Group has announced plans to build a 120 room hotel on the campus ot the University of Delaware, Newark, Del. The hotel will be adjacent to the Clayton Hall Conference Center and will be a learning facility for students and faculty of the university's hotel, restaurant and institutional management department. "This is a natural extension of our business expertise," ...

Servidyne Systems Introduces New Product; The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC First Buyer / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report - Servidyne Systems Introduces New Product;  The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC First Buyer May 24, 2001 - Servidyne Systems, Inc. announces the roll out of a new product, Servidyne GuestServices®, in April and May, 2001. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a Servidyne customer for over 10 years, has committed to install Guest Services company-wide, beginning with The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas. Developed to assist hotels to meet the highest standards of service, GuestServices will elevate customer relationship management to a new level. Tim Sylvester, Ritz-Car...

George Lidicker's Sedona Resort Management Acquires the Tides and Golden Eagle Golf Course in Irvington, Virginia / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report George Lidicker's Sedona Resort Management  Acquires the Tides and Golden Eagle Golf  Course in Irvington, Virginia -- Major Refurbishment will Re-Introduce The Tides Inn as One of the East Coast's  Legendary Best Small Resorts; Traditions of Quiet Luxury and  Independent Ownership will Endure   SEDONA, Ariz. - May 15, 2001-- Sedona Resort Management (SRM) announced their recent acquisition of The Tides -- including The Tides Inn, The Tides Lodge and Golden Eagle Golf Course -- a 50-year-old, family-owned and operated resort property in Irvington, Va., located on two lush pe...

San Diego Agency Lands Historic Hotel Account / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report    San Diego Agency Lands  Historic Hotel Account -- SAN DIEGO, Calif., May 15, 2001 – Hospitality marketing specialists, Schindler Marketing Group, recently added the U.S. Grant Hotel to their client list, further strengthening their portfolio of hotel accounts. Opened in 1910, the hotel was constructed by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. and his wife to honor the memory of Civil War hero and 18th U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant.  The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the downtown area’s most notable landmarks.   "The Grant has a great reputation am...

John Martino Appointed General Manager at Santa Ynez Inn; First New Luxury Property Being Built in the Santa Barbara County Wine Country Since 1985 /

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  John Martino Appointed General Manager at Santa Ynez Inn;  First New Luxury Property Being Built in the Santa Barbara County  Wine Country Since 1985 Santa Ynez Inn Construction Progresses May 23, 2001 - A VIP group recently took a hard hat tour to view progress at the busy construction site of the Santa Ynez Inn, 3627 Sagunto Street, a luxury lodging property in the heart of Santa Barbara County's wine country. The two-story 14,000 square-foot Victorian-style Santa Ynez Inn is projecting a late summer completion and now accepting room reservations for October 1, 2001 and beyond.Â...

Supreme Hospitality Offers Stock to Fund Projects / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Supreme Hospitality Offers Stock to Fund Projects By Matt Bodenheimer, The Business Press, Ontario, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  May 21--The Inland Empire's newest public company has ambitious plans for business travelers.  Supreme Hospitality (OTC BB: SUHO), a Temecula-based hotel management firm, already counts the 90-room Temecula Valley Days Inn Business Place, formerly the Temecula Valley Inn, as a wholly owned subsidiary.  But within two years, Supreme hopes to build another $7.8 million, 120-room hotel in Temecula. In addition, plans are under wa...

STSN Secures $66.5 million in Equity and Debt Financing; Lead by Siemens and On Command / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report  STSN Secures $66.5 million in Equity and Debt Financing;  Lead by Siemens and On Command -- Ewald Grybek of Siemens Project Ventures to Join  the Company's Board of Directors SALT LAKE CITY - May 15, 2001--STSN, the leading global provider of high-speed Internet access and specialized broadband services to hotels and conference centers, Tuesday announced the closing of its D round of funding, in which it secured $66.5 million in equity and debt financing. The Series D round of funding is lead by new investors Siemens (NYSE: SI) and On Command (Nasdaq: ONCO). Previous investors,...

Steve Marx Named President and COO of Boutique Hotel Group / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Steve Marx Named President and COO  of Boutique Hotel Group NEW YORK, NY, May 30, 2001 - Boutique Hotel Group has named Steve Marx, a prominent hospitality executive, as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, effective June 1, 2001.    The appointment caps a yearlong phase of strategic additions to the company's executive team, and readies the management group, founded in 1999, for its next stage of signature new growth and strategic acquisitions. As President, Mr. Marx will preside over the largest boutique hotel portfolio in Manhattan; five small luxury properties kno...

Suburban Lodges of America, Inc. Pursues Maximizing Share Value Without a 'Fire Sale' / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Suburban Lodges of America, Inc. Pursues  Maximizing Share Value Without a “Fire Sale” ATLANTA - April 27, 2001-- Suburban Lodges of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAM), owner/franchisor of the Suburban Lodge and GuestHouse International hotel brands and operator of 65 Company-owned hotels, announced today that it has mailed its first quarter earnings press release and the following letter to its shareholders:    April 26, 2001  Dear Fellow Shareholder:  The accompanying press release contains important information, which I urge you to read carefully.  Recent Developments  Early l...

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report Downtown San Diego’s First Hotel Project Completed  in 2001, the 177 room Hampton Inn -  San Diego Downtown  May 8, 2001- San Diego, California - The sophisticated Hampton Inn-San Diego Downtown located at 1531 Pacific Highway opened their doors mid May for business and are getting ready for their grand opening party/ribbon cutting ceremony at the end of June. This property stands out in both appearance and atmosphere from the typical Hampton Inn hotels that pepper the United States.   This art-deco jewel, centered in the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood, was created...

Rooms Yield Growth Continues in Europe Despite Adverse Trading Conditions / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report Rooms Yield Growth Continues in Europe  Despite Adverse Trading Conditions London - May 17, 2001 - Andersen, the global professional services firm and leading provider of hotel performance data outside North America, today announced first quarter trading performance for the European hotel industry.  The performance of the European hotel industry continued to improve during the first quarter of 2001 with many markets reporting positive rooms yield growth.  Across the whole of Europe rooms yield grew 6.1 percent to reach €70.  Growth was fuelled by a 4.7 percent improvement in averag...

The Bankrupt Regent Las Vegas is Expected to Have a Cash Value of $75 million to $100 million, Much Less than the $365 million Development Cost / May

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Bankrupt Las Vegas Casino Likely to Fetch $75 to $100 Million, Source Says By Jeff Simpson, Las Vegas Review-Journal Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  May 22--The winning bid to buy the bankrupt Regent Las Vegas is expected to have a cash value of $75 million to $100 million, or much less than the $365 million property owner Swiss Casinos of America has pumped into the Summerlin hotel-casino, a knowledgeable source said Monday.  Regent executives hope to select a preferred bidder today to deliver a recommendation to a U.S. Bankruptcy judge, who will determine the buy...

Majority Owner of The Regent Hong Kong to Sell Interest to Bass PLC; Four Seasons Hotels Scheduled to Cease Management Effective June 1st, 2001 / May

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report Majority Owner of The Regent Hong Kong to  Sell Interest to Bass PLC;  - Four Seasons Hotels Scheduled to Cease Management  Effective June 1st, 2001 TORONTO - May 21, 2001-- Four Seasons Hotels Inc. (NYSE:FS) announced today that it is scheduled to cease management of The Regent Hong Kong, effective June 1st, 2001.    As previously disclosed, the Four Seasons management contract for The Regent Hong Kong expired on December 31st, 2000. The contract had been extended on an interim basis to May 31st, 2001. The majority owner of the property has now notified the Company that it has c...

Reef Hotel Casino Complex in Cairns, Queensland Enjoying Turnaround / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report Reef Hotel Casino Complex in Cairns, Queensland  Enjoying Turnaround 22 May 2001 - In a remarkable turnaround, the Reef Casino Trust has announced a AUD$6.8 million net profit (after tax) for the year 2000.  At the AGM of the Reef Casino Trust, held in Cairns today, it was announced that the Trust had posted a AUD$4 million profit for the second-half of 2000, following a AUD$2.8 million profit in the first-half. Reef Casino Trust is a single purpose trust that is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Its main asset is the Reef Hotel Casino complex in Cairns, Queensland, which compri...

MeriStar's Radisson Hotel & Suites in Chicago Completes Renovation / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report   MeriStar's Radisson Hotel & Suites in Chicago  Completes Renovation Duncan & Miller Designs Sophisticated Decor with Technological Advancements CHICAGO - May 2, 2001 - Radisson Hotel & Suites, 160 E. Huron, has unveiled a sophisticated new look in its 13th floor, 5600 square foot meeting and function space. This is the third major improvement to reach completion during ongoing renovations at the 350-room luxury property.  Other projects completed within the calendar year include a new, contemporary look for the lobby and the introduction of a new, Italian restaurant called Becco ...

Rebecca Tobar, Housekeeper at the Spearfish, South Dakota Super 8 Motel, Wins $25,000 in International Bed-making Championship / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report Rebecca Tobar, Housekeeper at the Spearfish, South Dakota Super 8 Motel, Wins $25,000 in International Bed-making Championship BLOOMINGTON, Minn - May 19, 2001-- Two minutes and two seconds. That's all it took for Rebecca Tobar, a housekeeper at the Spearfish, South Dakota Super 8(R) motel, to make a bed and claim the title of Fastest Bed-maker in North America. Competing in the Super 8 Motels International Bed-making Championship held today at the Mall of America here, Tobar beat 39 of the fastest and finest bed-makers from across the United States and Canada to claim the title and the g...

Robert G. Colbert and Steven J. Flowers Appointed to LaQuinta's Financial Operations / May 2001

February 28, 2001

Hotel Online  Special Report   Robert G. Colbert and Steven J. Flowers Appointed  to LaQuinta's Financial Operations DALLAS (May 7, 2001) - La Quinta Inns, Inc. announced that Robert G.Colbert has been appointed vice president of internal audit, and Steven J. Flowers has been appointed vice president of finance.  The two bring more than 30 years of combined financial experience to La Quinta, and provide additional depth to the financial operations of the company. In his new position, Colbert will implement and direct a comprehensive audit program of financial functions necessary to manage the financial compliance...