1999 Harvest Report from Barton Guestier, Premier French Negociant / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report 1999 Harvest Report from Barton Guestier,  Premier French Negociant NAPA, Calif. - Sept. 27, 1999-- The wines This is an interesting year—one that will reward vintners and growers who focus on quality and work hard to limit potential damage by rot. For our growers, the practice of crop thinning has borne fruit. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to convince all producers to do it.  Those who have worked the vines know how difficult it is to discard a part of the harvest at the end of July!  The 1999 vintage should be favorable to the reds thanks to abundant and extractable...

$6 Million in Free Rooms Provided by Hampton Inn's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee in Past Decade; Program Has Become An Industry Standard / Oct 199

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report $6 Million in Free Rooms Provided by Hampton Inn's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee in Past Decade Program Has Become An Industry Standard MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Oct. 6, 1999 - On the 10th day of the 10th month of 1999 at 10 a.m., Hampton Inn, the mid-scale, limited-service hotel brand of Promus Hotel Corporation (NYSE: PRH), will begin a month-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of the chain’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, the first ever offered in the hotel industry. All 910 Hampton Inn and 63 Hampton Inn Suites properties nationwide will participate in the event, which will include a direct...

HVS Reports Middle East Occupancy in 1998 Decreased To 61%; Largely Due to Fall in Oil Prices / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report HVS Reports Middle East Occupancy in 1998 Decreased To 61%; Largely Due to Fall in Oil Prices  London (6 October, 1999)  --  HVS International has announced the publication of its third Middle East Report which identifies trends and opportunities in the region for 1999.  The report reports on a sample of 119 first-class hotels of which almost 92% are members of an international hotel chain.  These hotels represent more than 35,000 rooms throughout the Middle East region. “1998 proved to be a disappointing year for first-class hotels in the Middle East”, said Seamus O’Loughlin, an ...

Supertel Hospitality Management Now a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Humphrey Hospitality / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Supertel Hospitality Management Now a Wholly  Owned Subsidiary of Humphrey Hospitality SILVER SPRING, Md. and NORFOLK, Neb. - Oct. 26, 1999 - Humphrey Hospitality Trust, Inc.  (Nasdaq:HUMP) and Supertel Hospitality, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPPR) announced today the completion of the merger of the two companies. Humphrey Hospitality now owns 88 hotels with over 6,200 rooms in 19 states. The properties are leased to and managed by Humphrey Hospitality Management, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Supertel Hospitality Management, Inc. “The combination of Humphrey Hospitality Trust and Supe...

Hotel Industry Must Shake Up Human Resource Practices / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Hotel Industry Must Shake Up  Human Resource Practices Paris, 27 October 1999 – Speakers at last week’s Annual Congress of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) in Durban, South Africa, sent a strong message to the hospitality industry: human resource management must be radically refocused if the industry is to compete successfully in recruiting and retaining the brightest and the best. Keynote speaker, Hans Van Grieken offered a fascinating illustration of the forward-looking human resource policies adopted by consultants Cap Gemini.  He told delegates that man...

Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) Booking 1.2 Million Room Nights per Year via the Internet / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) Booking 1.2 Million Room Nights per Year via the Internet DALLAS - Oct. 6, 1999 - HRN Accounts for Over 20 Percent of all Internet Bookings Worldwide; Projected Internet Revenues to Reach More than $135,000,000 in 1999 Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) a USA Company (Nasdaq:USAI), and the Internet’s primary source of discount accommodations and the world’s leading hotel consolidator, is continuing its explosive growth on the Internet (www.hoteldiscount.com). According to Jupiter Communications, total on-line dollar expenditures for hotel bookings ...

Hector Mon Appointed President at The Tropicana Resort Casino Las Vegas / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Hector Mon Appointed President at  The Tropicana Resort Casino Las Vegas PHOENIX, Oct. 27, 1999 - Aztar Corporation (NYSE: AZR) announced today the appointment of Hector H. Mon as President of the Tropicana Resort Casino in Las Vegas. In this role, Mon will be responsible for the operation of the prominent Las Vegas Strip property, which the company considers a prime growth opportunity.  The appointment will be effective in January and Mon will report to Dennis C. Gomes, President of Resort Operations for Aztar. “Hiring Hector Mon is an important step forward for Aztar. He is a pr...

Host Marriott Reports Third Quarter Funds From Operations Per Share Increased by 25% / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Host Marriott Reports Third Quarter Funds  From Operations Per Share Increased by 25% Hotel Operational Data BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 19, 1999 - Host Marriott Corporation (NYSE: HMT) today reported its third quarter 1999 results of operations, noting that diluted Funds From Operations per share (“FFO,” as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) increased 25 percent to $0.35 per share over the pro forma 1998 third quarter FFO per share of $0.28 and increased 15 percent to $1.21 per share year-to-date 1999 versus pro forma year-to-date 1998.  Earnings Bef...

Hotel-Motel Association of Illinois Names Hotelier of the Year for the Downtown and Suburban Regions / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hotel-Motel Association of Illinois Names  “Hotelier of the Year” for the  Downtown and Suburban Regions ROSEMONT, Ill., Oct. 7, 1999 - Greg Horeth, General Manager of the Radisson Hotel and Suites in Chicago, and Richard Morgan, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, head a list of fourteen regional winners of the Hotel-Motel Association of Illinois’ 1999 “Stars of the Industry” awards honoring excellence in the lodging industry. The awards were presented today at the Holiday Inn O’Hare International.  Horeth and Morgan were named “Hotelier of the Year” for the Downto...

Holiday Inn Express Surveyed 1,000 Executives to get the Scoop on the Secret Life of Road Warriors / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Holiday Inn Express Surveyed 1,000 Executives to get the Scoop on the Secret Life of Road Warriors ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 1999 - Ah, the life of the traveling executive—exploring exotic locales, sampling bountiful breakfast buffets, and accumulating a lifetime supply of hotel shampoos and body lotions. No one knows the ins and outs of smart business travel better than road warriors. So, Holiday Inn Express, the hotel brand where guests Stay Smart®, surveyed 1,000 executives to get the real scoop. It’s all here, from the secret to packing wrinkle-free suits to the surprisingly sentimental sid...

The Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. Completes Multi-Million Dollar Expansion at Holiday Inn Boardman – Hotel and Conference Center / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report The Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. Completes Multi-Million Dollar Expansion at Holiday Inn Boardman - Hotel and Conference Center  Youngstown, October 11, 1999:   The Holiday Inn Boardman, independently owned and operated by The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, announced today that October 11, 1999 marks the completion of a multi-million dollar expansion project. “We have invested a great deal of time and care into the planning of the expanded facility.  We wanted to insure that the final product would far exceed the expectations of our guests and the community.  The Grand Opening in Oct...

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Harrah’s Entertainment Credits Innovative  Marketing and Customer Loyalty for  Strong 3rd Qtr Results LAS VEGAS, Oct. 20, 1999 - Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) today reported results for third quarter 1999, including record revenues, EBITDA and net income. Third Quarter Accomplishments Diluted earnings per share before preopening costs, write-downs, reserves and recoveries, a gain on the sale of an equity investment and extraordinary losses, and after headquarters relocation expenses were 52 cents, exceeding analysts’ estimates Record revenues of $814.1 millio...

A Hotel Owner (Franchisee) Response to 100% Guest Satisfaction Program / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report A Hotel Owner (Franchisee) Response to  100% Guest Satisfaction Program Submitted to Hotel Online Viewpoint Forum - October 6, 1999 Get your heads out of the sand folks, this is the real world. Anyone, who loves l00% satisfaction program, has not sat down and wrote a mortgage check lately.  The executives who think these things up for Hampton and Holiday Inn are patting each other on the back, and having their staff write up reports to justify anything they do. This satisfaction program assumes that everybody that stays at these hotels are honest, trustworthy, and would never stiff ...

Castle Resorts Hotels Opens the Royal Orchid Guam Hotel / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Castle Resorts Hotels Opens the  Royal Orchid Guam Hotel TUMON, Guam - Oct. 17, 1999 - Guam’s newest hotel celebrates its soft opening on October 17, 1999.  Located hillside with panoramic views of Tumon Bay, the Royal Orchid Guam features 200 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites with European design and furnishings. Ideally suited for business and leisure travelers, each guest room offers air conditioning, voice mail, a two-line telephone with dataport, color TV, mini bar, coffee maker and in-room safe.    Guam's newest hotel, The Royal Orchid Guam at Times Square, fea...

Gregg Fracassa Appointed Rooms Executive at San Diego Paradise Point Resort / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Gregg Fracassa Appointed Rooms Executive at  San Diego Paradise Point Resort San Diego, CA - October 17, 1999 - It is with great pleasure that Paradise Point Resort announces Gregg Fracassa as their new Rooms Executive. Fracassa will oversee all operational standards and procedures for the Front Office, Guest Recreation, Guest Services, Security and Housekeeping. Fracassa also participates as an Executive Committee member for the resort. Additionally, he will be in charge of upgrading amenities and ensuring that employees exceed customer service levels through extensive training ses...

San Francisco CVB Survey Studies Dining Preferences of Average American / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online  Special Report San Francisco CVB Survey Studies  Dining Preferences of the Average American October 6. 1999 - In a survey released today by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), 38.2 percent of adult Americans identified themselves as "foodies." That translates into roughly 77 million people who "have a high degree of interest in foods and enjoy fine dining." The survey, conducted by NFO, Inc., tallied the responses of 3,057 randomly selected individuals with no apparent connection to San Francisco or the dining industry. "This is the first nationwide effort to stu...

Know and Comply with the Law to Avoid Lengthy Wage-Hour Investigations / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Know and Comply with the Law to Avoid Lengthy Wage-Hour Investigations Employment Standards Administration / Wage and Hour Division October 15, 1999 - How does the federal wage law apply to your establishment?  If you know and comply with the law, you can avoid lengthy Wage-Hour investigations, costly payment of back wages, and possible fines. The FLSA is the Federal Law that requires payment of at least minimum wage for all hours of work, payment of overtime, and maintenance of accurate time and payroll information.  The Act also establishes certain child labor standards.  The F...

Overseas Enologists Enrich US Wine Crush / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Overseas Enologists Enrich US Wine Crush  SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Sept. 28, 1999 - Family and wine have always gone hand in hand in France, but the Gery sisters take that combination to a whole new level. The identical French twins are drawing double-takes this fall as they set to work on the California wine harvest in the same small artisan winery, Hartford Court. Their wine lives as well as their personal lives have followed much the same road, taking them finally to Sonoma County. “I think we have the same tastes in wine,” said Cecile Gery as the 23-year-olds chatted under th...

ELTRAX Restructures to Two Operating Groups; The Hospitality Services Group and Technology Services Group / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report ELTRAX Restructures to Two Operating Groups;  The Hospitality Services Group and  Technology Services Group ATLANTA - Oct. 13, 1999 - ELTRAX Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ELTX) announced today a major restructuring of the Company as part of a bold strategic initiative into the Applications Service Provider market and an expanded effort into network and application services. In addition, the Company is actively evaluating options related to these initiatives including, but not limited to, capital formation, and sale of assets and strategic mergers. The Company is finalizing an agreement with ...

The Landmark UNLV Gaming Institute Building Receives Intensive Design Work / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report The Landmark UNLV Gaming Institute Building Receives Intensive Design Work LAS VEGAS - Oct. 5, 1999--There’s a new casino coming to Las Vegas but it’s not for students of the game—it’s for students of the gaming industry! Located on the corner of Flamingo and Swenson, on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), campus, the 35,000-square-foot Stan Fulton building is a premier addition to the International Gaming Institute, part of the School of Hotel Administration.  According to architect Steve Wise of JMA Architectural Studios, this will be a landmark signature building for the ...

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Cruise Industry Evolving to Meet Passengers’ Desires Diversification of Cruising’s Hot Spots NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 1999 - Twenty years ago, Alaska was an offbeat destination favored by naturalists and adventurers. Europe was a place Americans toured by motorcoach. Now they’re two of the three most popular cruise destinations, and they haven’t come close to tapping out their potential.  What’s happened to an industry once known mostly for its Caribbean voyages? You might say the cruise industry has evolved to meet passengers’ growing needs and desires. As cruise lines began cateri...

ClubCorp Agrees to Acquire Majority Interest in the Telluride Club, an Alpine Residence Resort in Mountain Village, Colorado / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  ClubCorp Agrees to Acquire Majority Interest in the Telluride Club, an Alpine Residence Resort  in Mountain Village, Colorado DALLAS, Oct. 25, 1999 - The Owners Club by ClubCorp has reached an agreement to acquire a majority interest in the Telluride Club, a skiing, golfing and private alpine residence resort located in Mountain Village, Colorado. The club, to be renamed The Owners Club at Telluride, joins a distinctive collection of vacation home communities operated by The Owners Club, an affiliate company of Dallas-based ClubCorp, the world’s largest owner of private clubs and g...

Bill Coughlin, GM at Just Opened Cincinnati Airport Marriott / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Bill Coughlin, GM at Just Opened  Cincinnati Airport Marriott HEBRON, Ky., Oct. 4, 1999 - Marriott International, in conjunction with Winegardner Hammons, Inc.  and The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company/Eagle Realty Group, are pleased to announce the opening of a new full- service hotel at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.  The Cincinnati Airport Marriott is a 295-room hotel located off of I-275 and KY 20 at 2395 Progress Drive.  Although the hotel just opened today, General Manager Bill Coughlin says millions of dollars in room nights have already been...

Randy Churchey Named President and COO at RFS Hotel Investors, Inc / Oct 1999

April 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Randy Churchey Named President and COO  at RFS Hotel Investors, Inc IRVING, Texas, Oct. 19, 1999 - FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH), one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs), today announced that its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Randy Churchey, will be leaving FelCor on October 31, 1999 to become the President and Chief Operating Officer of RFS Hotel Investors, Inc.  "We are grateful for all Randy has done in the past two years," said Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., FelCor's President and Chief Executive Officer. "He has con...