On Command Installing Modified Version of its OCX® Platform in 100,000 Marriott International Rooms During 2001 / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  On Command Installing Modified Version of its OCX®  Platform in 100,000 Marriott International Rooms  During 2001 On Command and Marriott Finalize  In-Room Entertainment Agreement  DENVER, March 27, 2001 - Formalizing their recent agreement in principle, On Command Corporation (Nasdaq: ONCO), and Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to provide On Command’s interactive television platform in more than 165,000 U.S. and Canadian hotel rooms managed by Marriott, including Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites; Renais...

Top Performing Properties for Orient-Express Hotels in 2000 Were the Cipriani, Windsor Court and Copacabana / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report   Top Performing Hotels for Orient-Express  in 2000 Were the Cipriani,  Windsor Court  and  Copacabana -- Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. Reports Net Income of  $40 Million in 2000, Up 14% Over Prior Year;  Earnings Per Common Share Were $1.43  HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 5, 2001 - Orient-Express Hotels Ltd.  (NYSE: OEH) , owner and operator of 36 deluxe hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and inland cruise ships in 14 countries, today announced its results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2000.  For the quarter net earnings were $11.9 million compared with $12.4 million in the...

OAG: Frequent Flyer Online Releases Results of Annual Reader PollOnline Booking Continues to Increase Among Today's Road Warriors / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive OAG: Frequent Flyer Online Releases Results of Annual  Reader Poll Online Booking Continues to Increase  Among Today's Road Warriors OAK BROOK, Ill., March 5, 2001 - While Wall Street appeared to lose faith in the Internet during the second half of 2000, the nation's business travelers continued to put stock in the convenience and time-saving of booking flights online -- according to the results of Frequent Flyer Online's 2000 Reader Poll, which was released today.  Frequent Flyer Online is a web site dedicated to the evolving needs of today's frequent business traveler, a...

Accor and the American investment fund Colony buy the Nikko hotel in Paris / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report Accor and the American Investment Fund Colony  Buy the Nikko Hotel in Paris Paris, March 29, 2001 - Accor and the American investment fund Colony today announced they have acquired the Nikko hotel, in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris, on the banks of the Seine. Colony will hold 60% and Accor 40% of the capital of the new company thus set up. Accor is to manage the hotel under a long-term contract. Colony and Accor have been partners since the 1999 purchase of the Demeure and Libertel hotels, mainly in Paris. The Nikko Hotel was previously owned by the JAL Hotels Company; it has 764...

Denver Hotel Firm Founder Moves into Venture Capital / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Denver Hotel Firm Founder Moves into Venture Capital By Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 24--Zachary Neumeyer has raised nearly $500 million for hotel projects since he founded Sage Hospitality Resources in 1983.  Now he wants to put his fundraising and deal-making skills to wider use through a new private equity firm called Sage Ventures.  "I have always gotten the most pleasure out of dealing with business strategy and finance," Neumeyer said.  Neumeyer, well-known in Denver business circles, has gradually stepped back from hi...

Myrtle Beach, S.C., Mayor Says Hotel Effort Is Waste of Time, Money / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online News for the Hospitality Executive Myrtle Beach, S.C., Mayor Says Hotel Effort Is Waste of Time, Money By Kenneth A. Gailliard, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News  Mar. 21--Myrtle Beach officials are wasting time and taxpayer money in the effort to build a hotel beside the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Mayor Mark McBride said. McBride criticized the project in a press conference Tuesday.  For nearly four years the city has worked on a plan to build a hotel adjacent to the convention center at Oak Street and 21 Avenue North. The city expects to issue about $63 million ...

City of Mountain View, California Seeking Hotel Developer for City-owned Land in the Silicon Valley / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report City of Mountain View, California Seeking Hotel Developer  for City-owned Land in the Silicon Valley Mountain View, California - On March 16, 2001, the City of Mountain View, California will formally invite hotel developers to respond to a request for qualifications (RFQ) to lease and develop up to 14.4 acres of City-owned land in the heart of Silicon Valley. The City of Mountain View’s objective in leasing the site is to become the home of a full-service, four-star hotel.   Based upon the qualifications submitted by respondents to the RFQ, the City will invite a handful of dev...

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report Charlotte’s Morgan Hotel and Suites Joins Carlson Hospitality  to become Morgan Park Plaza  Dominique Rougeau-Day Named Director of Sales & Marketing  Charlotte, NC – March 1, 2001 - The Morgan Park Plaza Hotel & Suites, Charlotte’s upscale boutique hotel experience, is pleased to announce the hiring of Dominique Rougeau-Day as Director of Sales & Marketing and Cheryl Balch, to the position of Sales Manager. Michelle Landis, who previously held the position of Senior Sales Manager, has been promoted to Assistant Director of Sales. “We are very pleased to welcome Dominique and Cheryl to ...

Cardinal Communications Develops Real Time Web Site for Molokai Ranch and Lodge / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Cardinal Communications Develops Real Time Web Site  for Molokai Ranch and Lodge Honolulu, HI, March 5, 2001 - Molokai Ranch & Lodge, a unique luxury resort in Hawaii, has released its new website which now features product updates and timely seasonal promotions.  Molokai Ranch & Lodge is the only resort in Hawaii that features luxury accommodations and outdoor sports activities like horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking and more.   “Our new website highlights the core ingredients of our success - the unspoiled Hawaii of Molokai and the genuine Aloha Spirit of the staff at ...

Remarks of Mr. Vladimir Mitrovic, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Montenegro / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report Remarks of  Mr. Vladimir Mitrovic Minister of Tourism Republic of Montenegro Press Conference  International Hotel  Investment Forum Berlin, Germany Mr. Vladimir Mitrovic March 6, 2001 “Distinguished Members of the Press, thank you for being here.  On behalf of the people and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro, I would like to tell you that Montenegro is Open for Business! Ten long years have passed since we last welcomed a significant number of visitors from Western Europe to relax at our many cozy and sandy beaches, ski and hike through our unspoilt...

Microtel Inns & Suites Attracted by Hotel Developers in The Philippines, Canada and Mexico / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Microtel Inns & Suites Attracted by Hotel Developers  in The Philippines, Canada and Mexico   ATLANTA (March 21, 2001) - The Microtel Inns & Suites hotel chain continues to expand as an international player with the opening of two new Philippine properties located in Calapan City - Mindoro and Luisita - Tarlac.  In addition, Microtel hotels have recently broken ground in Niagara Falls, Canada (that country’s first), and Campeche, Mexico (that country’s second).  Microtel Inns & Suites is the all-newly constructed, budget hotel chain. Calapan City - Mindoro and Luisita - Tarlac, The Ph...

Wyndham Successfully Pilots The MICROS-Fidelio Exchange; Preparing to Roll-out to Upscale Properties / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Wyndham Successfully Pilots The MICROS-Fidelio Exchange; Preparing to Roll-out Chainwide First XML Two-Way Interface That Provides  Single Image Inventory for Hotels                    COLUMBIA, Md., March 28, 2001 - MICROS Systems, Inc.  (Nasdaq: MCRS), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality industry, has created MICROS-Fidelio Exchange, a new two-way interface using state-of-the-art eXtensible Markup Language, or XML based technology, to provide seamless inventory availability between central and property operations. XML...

Freeman Group Launches measure this! A Web-based Measurement Service / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Freeman Group Launches "measure this!" A Web-based Measurement Service DALLAS, TEXAS — March 21, 2001 - Freeman Group, a Richardson-based training and measurement firm, announces the launch of measure this!, an instant and paperless, web-based service measurement product for the hospitality industry. measure this! allows hospitality clients to access service results about their hotel, restaurant, or airline, as well as the whole industry, in real time.  It is the first product that will let clients compare their property or company to others in the industry, according to Bill Freeman, measu...

Total Skier Days for the First Half of 2001 up 14.1% for Vail Resorts / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Total Skier Days for the First Half of 2001  up 14.1% for Vail Resorts VAIL, Colo., March 13, 2001 - Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced financial results for the second fiscal quarter and six months ended January 31, 2001. Resort revenue (which excludes revenue from real estate operations) for the quarter ended January 31, 2001, increased 11.5% to $179.6 million from $161.1 million in the comparable period last year.  Total revenue for the quarter (which includes revenue from real estate operations) was $189.4 million compared to the $162.9 million reported in the sa...

CAVEAT EMPTOR! Simple Steps to Selecting an E-procurement Solution / Mark Haley / Hospitality Upgrade Magazine / Spring 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report CAVEAT EMPTOR!  Simple Steps to Selecting an  E-procurement Solution   To view more articles covering technology for the hospitality industry please visit the Hospitality Upgrade Web site or to request a free publication please call (770) 953-2300 or email. This article is from the upcoming Spring 2001 issue of Hospitality Upgrade, formerly the Hotel & Restaurant Technology UPDATE magazine. This article is from the upcoming Spring 2001 issue of Hospitality Upgrade, formerly the Hotel & Restaurant Technology UPDATE magazine. By Mark Haley Buyer beware is good advice fo...

Harsh Winter Weather, Higher Utility Costs Impact Results of Both Baymont Inns & Suites and Marcus Hotels and Resorts for Third Quarter / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report   Harsh Winter Weather, Higher Utility Costs Impact  Results of Both Baymont Inns & Suites and  Marcus Hotels and Resorts for Third Quarter MILWAUKEE, Wis.- March 22, 2001-- The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) today reported results for the third quarter and nine months ended February 22, 2001. Total revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2001 were $86,876,000, an increase from total revenues of $77,439,000 for the same period in the prior year.  Earnings from continuing operations were $54,000 or $0.00 per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2001, compared to earnings f...

Lodging Industry Will Experience Weakest RevPAR Performance Since Early 1990s / PricewaterhouseCoopers / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Lodging Industry Will Experience Weakest  RevPAR Performance Since Early 1990s / PricewaterhouseCoopers NEW YORK - March 20, 2001-- Recent economic news has prompted downward revisions to real GDP growth forecasts for 2001. As a result, PricewaterhouseCoopers U.S. lodging forecast calls for the weakest RevPAR (revenue per available room) performance since 1992. Real GDP growth is forecast to slow to 2.2 percent for 2001. PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts room demand will expand by only 1.9 percent and average daily rates will increase by 3.8 percent. These are the slowest growth rates since 1...

John Lee and Dianna Vaughan Appointed to Vice President Positions at Embassy Suites / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report John Lee and Dianna Vaughan Appointed to  Vice President Positions at Embassy Suites MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 15, 2001 – Embassy Suites Hotels® has announced two promotions within the brand management team, according to Mark Snyder, senior vice president - brand management for Embassy Suites Hotels.  John Lee, Vice President - Marketing John Lee has been named vice president – marketing for Embassy Suites Hotels, the national brand of upscale, all-suite hotels.  Lee most recently served as senior director – marketing for the brand, a position he held since 1998.  Lee began his career wit...

Michael McAdams and Billy Rucks Create a Luxury Spa Resort on Lake Austin / March 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Michael McAdams and Billy Rucks Create a  Luxury Spa Resort on Lake Austin AUSTIN, Texas, March 13, 2001 - The Lake Austin Spa Resort recently completed an extensive $7 million renovation program, transforming this lakefront sanctuary to a casually elegant, world-class destination spa. This massive undertaking has been a three-year process and a labor of love for Michael McAdams, since purchasing the property along with co-owner Billy Rucks in January of 1997. Situated in the scenic Texas Hill Country, on an idyllic body of water, this luxury lakeside spa escape is a refuge for...

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  JCC’s Harrah’s New Orleans Presents  Comprehensive Study of the Economic  Benefits to Louisiana Legislature Dr. Loren C. Scott, Economist, Offers Comments on Harrah’s New Orleans Casino As Special Session Nears  BATON ROUGE, La., March 6, 2001 - The following was released today by JCC Holding Company on behalf of Loren C. Scott, Ph.D. In the special legislative session, the Legislature will be making a decision about an issue vital to the livelihood of thousands of Louisianians ... whether or not to grant relief to JCC’s Harrah’s New Orleans land-based casino (Harrah’s) in the fo...

Lorraine E. Park Named Director of the New Golden Door Spa to Open at The Boulders in Fall 2001 / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Lorraine E. Park Named Director of the New Golden Door Spa to Open at The Boulders in Fall 2001 CAREFREE, AZ (March 22, 2001) – The Boulders, the award-winning luxury resort in Carefree, Ariz., today announced the appointment of Lorraine E. Park as director of The Golden Door Spa at The Boulders, which is slated to open in September 2001.  Park will be responsible for The Golden Door Spa’s overall development as well as its day-to-day operation. “We are delighted to have Ms. Park on our team,” said Mark Vinciguerra, vice president and general manager of The Boulders.  “Her...

Laura A. Neumann Promoted To Benchmark Hospitality Vice President / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report  Laura A. Neumann Promoted To  Benchmark Hospitality Vice President THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS, February 16, 2001…Benchmark Hospitality has announced the promotion of Laura A. Neumann to the position of vice president. Sam Haigh, chief operating officer for the company, made the announcement. Ms. Neumann will operate out of Benchmark’s Midwest regional office located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.   “Laura’s tenure with Benchmark has been highlighted with numerous successes in operations, new business development, and client relations,” stated Mr. Haigh.  “I am extremely pleased to announce he...

LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires Four Hotels in Washington, D.C. – Kimpton Group Named Manager of 502-Room Boutique Collection / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires Four Hotels  in Washington, D.C. -- Kimpton Group Named Manager of 502-Room Boutique Collection BETHESDA, Md., March 8, 2001 - LaSalle Hotel Properties today announced the acquisition of four full-service hotels with a total of 502 guestrooms in the heart of Washington, D.C. Each of the four hotels will be fully renovated, improved and repositioned as unique high-end, independent boutique hotels.  LaSalle Hotel Properties will undertake the redevelopment program, currently projected at a total of approximately $30 million, in conjunction with t...

Lodging Executives Sentiment Slips…Upward Trend Bedeviled by the National Economy / Mar 2001

January 30, 2001

Hotel Online Special Report    Lodging Executives Sentiment Slips… Upward Trend Bedeviled by the National Economy Durham, N.H., March 2, 2001 – The Lodging Executive’s Sentiment Index (LEsI), a leading indicator, led all other indicators having turned up last month after a gradual slide—but we slipped 8.6 index points this month to 69.2 from January’s reading of 77.8. By contrast, the January to February National Association of Purchasing Management’s Index of manufacturing activity [a coincidental indicator] seems to have hit bottom having turned up ever so slightly just this month. It’s the seventh consecut...