Hostmark Names John Walsh as Regional Director of Operations for the Mid-Atlantic Area / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hostmark Names John Walsh as Regional Director of Operations for the Mid-Atlantic Area SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - 30 Aug 1999 - Hostmark Hospitality Group has promoted John Walsh to regional director of operations for the Mid-Atlantic area. Walsh  brings more than 37 years of experience to his new post.  He joined Hostmark in 1989, working as a general manager at the Holiday Inn Chicago City Centre and the Omni Orrington Hotel, Evanston, Ill.  Before that, he worked in various facets of hotel management and was a consultant for the hospitality industry.  Hostmark Hospitality  Group is the...

Jeffrey R. Fuller Named SVP for Stormont Trice Corporation / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Jeffrey R. Fuller Named SVP  for Stormont Trice Corporation ATLANTA –(August, 1999)-- Stormont Trice Corporation has recently promoted Jeffrey R. Fuller to senior vice president for resort and conference center operations.  In this position, Fuller will support the operation of the six resorts and conference centers in Stormont Trice’s portfolio and serve as communication liaison for owner and franchise relations.  Previously, he was general manager of the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place Hotel. A seasoned hotel industry executive, Fuller has 22 years of experience in the hospital...

ADR Up 4.5%, Occupancy Flat for First Six Months 1999 at John Q. Hammons Hotels / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report ADR Up 4.5%, Occupancy Flat for First Six Months 1999  at John Q. Hammons Hotels Hotel Operating Data SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Aug. 10, 1999 - John Q. Hammons Hotels, Inc. (NYSE: JQH) today reported total earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $26.9 million for the second quarter ended July 2, 1999, compared to the 1998 second quarter EBITDA of $24.1 million. Total revenue for the 1999 second quarter increased to $90.5 million, up 10.6 percent from $81.8 million in the 1998 second quarter. The Company's average room rate for the 1999 second quarter was...

Four Seasons Hotel , Las Vegas Wants No Restrictions on the Customer When it Comes to Technology / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Four Seasons Hotel , Las Vegas Wants No Restrictions on the Customer When it Comes to Technology Internet, Networking and Event Technology Services - Firsts for Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, Aug. 16, 1999 -  On March 2, 1999 the new Four Seasons Hotel entered the Las Vegas market with many “service firsts.” After only five months of operation, it is now proud to announce “technology firsts” with its new Internet, Networking and Event Technology services utilized by both business and leisure travelers. “US Telcom and the Four Seasons Las Vegas have created a luxury hotel capable of...

Remaining Hospitable in an Inhospitable World / Harry Nobles / August 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Remaining Hospitable in an  Inhospitable World E-mail:  hospsvc001@aol.com by Harry Nobles, August 1999  Has our concept of hospitality changed?  Are we too busy to observe the basics of civility and hospitality on a personal level?  If  the level of hospitality in our personal lives has decreased, has this affected our professional actions?   Have guests’ increasing demands and sometimes aggressive behavior caused you or your employees to become stressed, disenchanted, or even angry? If your answer to any of these questions is “Yes”,  I have another question.    ...

Spun-Off Interstate Hotels Corp. Reports 2nd Qtr Net Loss / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Spun-Off Interstate Hotels Corp. Reports  2nd Qtr Net Loss Aug. 11, 1999--Interstate Hotels Corporation (Nasdaq:IHCO), one of the largest independent hotel management companies in the United States, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 1999.  On June 18, 1999, Wyndham International, Inc. (NYSE:WYN) spun off the third-party management and leasing businesses of Interstate. The spin-off marks the commencement of Interstate’s operation as an independent operating company. The Company’s pro forma results assume that the spin-off and transactions related t...

Irving CVB Receives Excellence Award for Seventh Straight Year / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Irving CVB Receives Excellence Award  for Seventh Straight Year IRVING, Texas - August 23, 1999 - The Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) has been recognized with a seventh consecutive Gold Service Award by Meetings & Conventions magazine, one of the most respected publications in the meetings industry. The award program, now in its 19th year, is the industry’s highest recognition of excellence, and is granted to those convention and visitor bureaus that have demonstrated professionalism and dedication in their service to the magazine’s readers.  This is the bureau’s second ...

IPO Wave Passes by Hotel Industry, Lodging Industry Claims a Small Fraction of All New Stock Issues / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report IPO Wave Passes by Hotel Industry,  Lodging Industry Claims a Small Fraction of All New Stock Issues NEW YORK - Aug. 16, 1999--America’s tidal wave of initial public stock offerings largely  excludes the U.S. hotel industry, according to an analysis by the hospitality and leisure group of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bear Stearns Co. Inc. While there were $14 billion in U.S. initial public offerings of stock in the first half of 1999, the hotel industry accounted for just 0.1 percent, or $12 million of the total, the firms reported. Further, stock issuance in the hotel industry has decr...

Annual Congress of the IH&RA Speaker Lineup Set / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Annual Congress of the IH&RA  Speaker Lineup Set Durban, South Africa Oct 17-21, 1999 Paris, 31 August 1999 – Leading hospitality and management gurus will share creative strategies for business success with an anticipated 500 hospitality professionals at the 37th Annual Congress of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) when it convenes in Durban, South Africa from 17-21 October 1999.  Themed “Creating Value Through People and Partnerships”, the three-day conference programme will address the latest trends in organisational and new management issues. It will ...

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Objective: Creating a Room Perfectly Suited for the Business Traveller…A Guestroom Redefined / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Objective: Creating a Room Perfectly Suited for the Business Traveller ...A Guestroom Redefined Interview with John Morford Designer of new rooms at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Interview with John Thorpe Vice President & Managing Director - On Command Hong Kong HONG KONG—March 1999. In celebration of the hotel’s tenth anniversary, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has completed the re-design of all guestrooms. The changes in the new rooms goes beyond simply updating the soft furnishings and involved a complete redesign of the guestroom to meet the constantly changing needs of th...

Hyatt Hotel to be Built in Historic Arcade in Cleveland; Landmark Building to be Converted Into 294-Room Hotel / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hyatt Hotel to be Built in Historic Arcade  in Cleveland; Landmark Building to be Converted Into 294-Room Hotel CHICAGO - Aug. 24, 1999--Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corporation and LR Development Company announced plans today to redevelop the historic 109 year-old Arcade in downtown Cleveland into a 294-room Hyatt hotel with 55,000 square feet of retail space. Located in Cleveland’s historic Gateway Neighborhood district, in the heart of downtown, the Arcade, originally built in 1890 by J.D.  Rockerfeller, consists of two office towers on Superior Street and Euclid Avenue joined by...

Homestead Village Reports Progress on Overhead Reductions and Reemphasis of a Value-Oriented Product; RevPAR and Occupancy Increase in 2nd Qtr / Aug 1

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Homestead Village Reports Progress on Overhead Reductions  and Reemphasis of a Value-Oriented Product;  RevPAR and Occupancy Increase in 2nd Qtr ATLANTA, Aug. 10, 1999 -  Homestead Village Incorporated (NYSE: HSD), an owner and operator of moderately priced, extended stay lodging facilities, today reported EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) per diluted share before special charge of $0.24 in the second quarter of 1999, compared with $0.23 per share for the same period one year ago, an increase of 4.3%. Aggregate EBITDA for the second quarter 1999 was ...

Hersha Hospitality Trust Acquires Three Hotel Properties Valued at $12 Million / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hersha Hospitality Trust Acquires Three Hotel Properties Valued at $12 Million HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 23, 1999 - Hersha Hospitality Trust (Amex: HT) announced it had entered into definitive contractual agreements to purchase three hotel properties. The hotels acquired include a 72-room Hampton Inn located in Danville, Pennsylvania, a 77-room Clarion Suites located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and a 60-room Comfort Inn adjacent to the JFK International Airport in New York. These properties are expected to add lease revenues of approximately 1.8 million dollars and are expected to be immediatel...

The Heritage in Southbury, CT Completes $3.5 Million Renovation / July 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report The Heritage in Southbury, CT Completes  $3.5 Million Renovation SOUTHBURY, CONNECTICUT (AUGUST 12, 1999). – After a two-year, $3.5-million renovation project, The Heritage, a conference resort owned and managed by Dolce International, stands poised to position itself as the premiere conference resort in Connecticut.  Explains Andy Dolce, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dolce International, “We are extremely delighted by the dramatic transformation of The Heritage and are anxious to showcase the property’s winning combination of deluxe resort amenities and state-of-the-art confe...

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Harrah’s Casinos Delivering $1.7 Million in Bonus Checks to 11,000 Employees Performance Payout Finishes Second Quarter of Rewarding Service Excellence MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 5, 1999 - Bonus checks totaling $1.7 million are being delivered to nearly 11,000 employees at eight Harrah’s brand casinos for reaching incentive goals in the second quarter due to Harrah’s Entertainment’s one-of-a-kind line-level quarterly bonus program. All totaled, Harrah’s Entertainment has paid over $3.5 million year-to-date in the Performance Payout plan, launched in the first quarter of this year.   Perform...

Hollywood Casino in Aurora Reports Net Revenues Up 15.8% and Hollywood Casino in Tunica Up 6.5% for Six Months 1999 / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hollywood Casino in Aurora Reports Net Revenues  Up 15.8% and Hollywood Casino in Tunica Up 6.5%  for Six Months 1999 DALLAS, Aug. 16, 1999 -  Hollywood Casino® Corporation (Amex: HWD) today announced results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 1999. The Company reported a 26% increase in second quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) and a 14% increase in EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 1999 due to significant increases in gaming revenues at its Aurora, Illinois and Tunica, Mississippi casinos. EBITDA tot...

Hospitality Solutions International and ClubSystems Group Merge / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hospitality Solutions International and  ClubSystems Group Merge August 17, 1999 - Hospitality Solutions International (HSI), total solution provider to the hospitality community, and ClubSystems Group, one of the country’s leading developers of club software and systems, announced today that the two companies have merged.  The combined portfolio of products offers hospitality operators worldwide a single source for Microsoft Windows based technology needs.  ClubSystems Group will operate as a division of HSI. Leadership of the Club Systems division will include: Eric L. ...

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union Applauds Court for Upholding State’s Role in Human Rights Negotiations SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Aug. 23, 1999--The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE) of the AFL-CIO today applauded the California Supreme Court’s ruling on the unconstitutionality of Proposition 5. Jack Gribbon, California political director for HERE, provided the following remarks: “Our union feels vindicated by the decision of the California Supreme Court to declare Proposition 5 as unconstitutional. It has always been ...

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report HEI Hotels Bringing Western-Style Management Expertise to Israel’s Lodging Industry Appoints Sonnenblick-Goldman Company to find equity partners New York, NY - August 4, 1999 - HEI Hotels announced today that Sonnenblick-Goldman Company has been exclusively retained to seek an equity partner in connection with HEI’s expansion in Israel.  US-based HEI Hotels was established in 1985 to identify, acquire, manage and realize appreciation from opportunistic hotel investments.  Before selling its assets in 1997 to Starwood Lodging, HEI Hotels assembled (owned and/or managed hotels) a portfolio...

Beijing Tourism Group and Accor Align to Develop China Hotel Projects / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Beijing Tourism Group and Accor Align to  Develop China Hotel Projects 12 August 1999:  In a ceremony in Beijing, hosted by Mr. HE GUANGWEI, the Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, Accor Chairman, Mr. Jean-Marc Espalioux, on his 10 day visit to China, has established a strategic relationship which will provide Accor the opportunity to accelerate expansion of its hotel and tourism related businesses in China. Accor, the world's largest hotel and tourism operator, has forged a partnership with the leading Chinese hotel and tourism operator, Beijing Tourism Group (BTG...

600-room Outrigger Guam Resort Opens; Blending Hawaiian Hospitality with Guam's Chamorro Culture / July 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report 600-room Outrigger Guam Resort Opens;  Blending Hawaiian Hospitality with  Guam's Chamorro Culture HONOLULU - July 29, 1999 - Outrigger Hotels Resorts is pleased to announce the grand opening of the 600-room Outrigger Guam Resort, located on Tumon Bay, Guam.  It’s Outrigger’s largest property in the Pacific and its third in Micronesia.  As a hotel company based in Hawaii, Outrigger Hotels Resorts is merging the Hawaiian essence of hospitality (ho’okipa) with its Chamorro counterpart (inafa’maolek) at the deluxe, beachfront resort.  According to Perry Sorenson, Outrigger’s chief o...

Greenfield Online Study Examines Preferences of Travel Warriors / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report Greenfield Online Study Examines  Preferences of Travel Warriors WESTPORT, Conn. - Aug. 30, 1999--United Airlines, Marriott and Embassy Suites hotel chains and National Car Rental topped the customer satisfaction charts in Greenfield Online’s Executives in Motion study of 1,000 men and women who travel at lease once a month for business purposes. The study found that the most-used service was not always tops in terms of satisfaction.  Here’s how companies used by business travelers stack up:   Extremely/Very Satisfied  Use Airline Airlines United ...

Consumers Spend More on Legal Gaming in U.S. than Most All Other Forms Of Entertainment Combined / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report  Consumers Spend More on Legal Gaming in U.S. than Most All Other Forms Of Entertainment Combined NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 1999 - Following on the heels of the National Gaming Impact Study Commission, International Gaming and Business Wagering (IGWB) magazine's annual tracking of consumer spending in the gaming industry reconfirms that legal gaming in the U.S. has matured into a mainstream form of entertainment among adults, generating $54.3 billion in consumer spending in 1998. Consumer spending on all movie tickets, spectator sports, cruise ships, recorded music and theme parks slightly exceeded $40.0...

GBI Hotels Signs Master Franchise Agreement to Develop the Hawthorn Brand in United Kingdom / Aug 1999

March 30, 1999

Hotel Online Special Report GBI Hotels Signs Master Franchise Agreement  to Develop the Hawthorn Brand in United Kingdom ATLANTA, Aug. 18, 1999 -  Calabassas, Calif.-based GBI Hotels, LLC and Atlanta, Ga.-based U.S. Franchise Systems (Nasdaq: USFS), franchisor of the Hawthorn brand, have entered into a master franchise agreement that will bring extended-stay all-suites lodging to the British Isles. According to Dr. Frank Sanderson, president of GBI Hotels, 10 Hawthorns will initially be developed throughout England, Scotland and Wales, first in London, Glasgow and Manchester, and then in Ireland. Properties will ...