Minor Hotels to Debut in Singapore With Avani Hotels & Resorts Lifestyle Brand
Avani Hotels & Resorts | September 3, 2024
Brandt Hospitality Group Getting Great Results From Accounting Software Partner
Aptech | June 5, 2024
Finance & Development
General Manager Nayla Chowdhury Opens the Middle East’s First Hampton by Hilton Hotel
Hampton by Hilton | September 5, 2018
DUBAI and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) Hampton by Hilton, the global hotel brand known for its commitment to authentic service and great value, celebrates its Middle East debut with the opening of Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport, marking the largest property in Hampton's global portfolio. The opening of Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport reinforces the brand's commitment to international growth, driven by concerted efforts in China and Latin America, while deepening its reach in the U.S. and Europe. The opening bolsters Hampton's international footprint of more than 2,380 hotels in 22 countries and territories. With the largest pipel...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Igniting Your Financials by Putting Hours of Work in Your P&L
David Lund | September 4, 2018
By David Lund In hospitality we all know that payroll is by far the largest expense and therefore it has the biggest negative impact on profitability. Turn this around and know that finding ways to be more efficient with payroll can have a big impact on labor costs and a positive impact on your hotel's bottom line. If you don't have hours of work in your monthly P&L, you are missing a massive opportunity to better understand payroll and productivity leading to ways to manage your business better. You know what they say, you can't manage what you can't measure. Putting hours of labor into your financial statements is just good housek...
Embassy Suites by Hilton Kansas City Plaza Appoints Levi Seidensticker as General Manager
Embassy Suites by Hilton | September 4, 2018
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Embassy Suites by Hilton Kansas City Plaza, owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and managed by Hilton Management Services, today announced Levi Seidensticker has been appointed as the hotel's new general manager. Embassy Suites by Hilton is a global brand of upscale, all-suite hotels from Hilton (NYSE: HLT). In his new role, Seindensticker will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 266-suite hotel including guest services, hotel administration and marketing efforts. A 15-year hospitality veteran, Seindensticker began his career in hospitality at Hilton Austin. He later held positions at El Conq...
IHG and SAMHI Inaugurate the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 as the First of 14 Properties to Be Rebranded as HIE Hotels
IHG | September 4, 2018
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today inaugurated the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Gurugram. As a part of IHG's partnership with SAMHI for a portfolio of 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels, this property will be the first to open its doors to guests on September 15th. Marking this celebration, IHG®'s regional leadership team including CEO, EMEAA, Kenneth Macpherson and MD, IMEA Pascal Gauvin were present at the ceremony. The launch also marked the unveiling of a new Holiday Inn Express brand campaign in India, centered around 'More Than...
Spirides Arranges $2.33 Million Hotel Debt Refinancing for Hampton Inn Laurinburg, NC
Spirides Hospitality Finance Company, LLC | September 4, 2018
TAMPA, FL—Spirides Hospitality Finance Company has successfully arranged, and its client has closed on a $2.33 million debt refinancing with a permanent loan from a southeast U.S. headquartered lender to refinance existing debt for the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Hampton Inn Laurinburg, NC features 50 guest rooms with an interior corridor in one 3-story building and is situated on 6 acres of land. The hotel is located just off of Interstate 74 at 115 Hampton Circle, Laurinburg, Scotland County, North Carolina. It is located one mile from St. Andrews College and is near the Scottish Heritage Center. Scottish immig...
Middle East Hotel Construction Pipeline Continues Rapid Expansion With Highest Counts in Over a Decade
Lodging Econometrics | August 31, 2018
In the recent Middle East hotel construction pipeline report by analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE), the region continues to show rapid pipeline expansion in the second quarter of 2018 with the highest counts since 2007 when LE first began recording. The total pipeline stands at 603 projects/175,288 rooms, an all-time high. These numbers show a lofty 119% increase in projects and 125% increase in rooms since the region's low in the fourth quarter of 2013 when the total pipeline bottomed at 275 projects/77,772 rooms. Projects presently under construction are at 355 projects/113,635 rooms and are at an all-time high. Projects scheduled ...
HFTP Announces 2018 CHAE of the Year Recipient: Elijah Spiritoso, CHAE
HFTP | August 30, 2018
Spiritoso will be honored at HFTP's upcoming 2018 Annual Convention in October Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) will honor Elijah Spiritoso, CHAE as the 2018 Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE®) of the Year at its upcoming Annual Convention this October. The CHAE of the Year award honors the individual that scored the highest on the CHAE certification exam within a given year. HFTP's Annual Convention will be held from October 24-26, 2018 at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky USA - online registration is open now. Spiritoso started in hospitality as a busboy for a local ...
Century Group Aus to Debut St. Regis Hotels & Resort Brand in 2022 in Melbourne, Australia
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts | August 30, 2018
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts today announced the signing of The St. Regis Melbourne, marking the first hotel in Australia for the renowned luxury brand. Owned by Century Group Aus, this new-build hotel is slated to open in 2022 and will be located in the heart of Melbourne amidst distinct architecture and a dynamic arts scene. "Melbourne's vibrant mix of world-class dining, art galleries and rich history makes it an ideal destination for the debut of the iconic St. Regis brand in Australia," said Lisa Holladay, Global Brand Leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. "We are delighted to be working with Century Group Aus to open The St. R...
First Opened in 1847, Alabama’s Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa Completes Three-Year Transformation and Joins Autograph Collection Hotels
Autograph Collection Hotels | August 29, 2018
Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., together with the Resort Collection on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail today announced the rebranding of the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, an iconic Southern resort in Point Clear, Alabama. The Grand Hotel joins the brand's diverse portfolio of more than 150 one-of-a-kind hotels that champion visionary owners, thoughtful design and craft. First opened in 1847, the Grand Hotel has been known as the Queen of Southern Resorts for generations. The charming, 405-room resort is known for exceptional service, Southern charm, majestic oaks and beautiful sunsets over...
Hotel Construction Pipeline in Europe Shows Double-Digit Growth
Lodging Econometrics | August 29, 2018
Lodging Econometrics' (LE) analysts report another year of accelerating growth for Europe's hotel construction pipeline which is at the highest level since LE began recording in 2007. The total pipeline stands at 1,388 projects/219,251 rooms for the second quarter of 2018. It is an impressive 18% increase year-over-year (YOY). There are 693 projects/112,580 rooms currently under construction, 403 projects/62,538 rooms planning to start construction in the next 12 months, and 292 projects/44,133 rooms in the early planning stage. Projects currently under construction and those in early planning are also at their highest since 200...
GDF Group’s 500-Year-Old Grand Hotel Villa Torretta Milan Sesto Joins Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton | August 28, 2018
MILAN and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the opening of Grand Hotel Villa Torretta Milan Sesto, Curio Collection by Hilton. Handpicked to be a part of the exclusive collection of one-of-a-kind, independent hotels and resorts celebrated for their individuality, the stunning 16th century property joins more than 55 one-of-a-kind Curio Collection by Hilton hotels around the world, including 10 in Europe – two of which are also in Italy. "We are excited to introduce Grand Hotel Villa Torretta Milan Sesto to Curio Collection by Hilton, as we make our debut in the iconic city of Milan," said Mark Nogal, global hea...
Thorofare Capital Funds $16 Million Bridge Loan to Refinance Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel in Silver Spring, MD
Thorofare Capital | August 28, 2018
Los Angeles, CA (August 28, 2018) — Thorofare Capital (Thorofare), through its bridge lending platform, has provided an affiliate of Integrated Capital LLC with a $16 million short-term senior loan for the refinance of the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel in the Washington D.C. metro area submarket of Silver Spring, MD. Located at 8777 Georgia Avenue, the 229-room, 16-floor full-service hotel was built in 1971 and renovated in 2017. It is managed by Atlanta-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest privately held management companies in the lodging industry. Proceeds from Thorofare's 12-month, interest only, non-recourse...
The Rainmaker Group Appoints Hospitality Veteran as New Head of Sales
Rainmaker | August 28, 2018
ALPHARETTA, GA. — August 28, 2018 — The Rainmaker Group (Rainmaker), a leader in revenue management solutions for the hospitality and gaming industry, is proud to announce the appointment of Matt Curry as their new Head of Sales. Curry joined Rainmaker in 2016 to lead sales and business development for the multifamily housing division. Upon divesting that side of the business to RealPage in late 2017, he transitioned to Rainmaker's hospitality business to lead product strategy and development, integrations, and customer support. "Matt's background paired with his proven leadership and commitment to Rainmaker makes this move ...
Fairmas wins hotel Ritz Paris as financial planning software customer
Fairmas GmbH | August 28, 2018
Ritz Paris uses FairPlanner from Fairmas to optimize financial planning The traditional luxury hotel Ritz Paris, one of the two privately owned Ritz hotels apart from The Ritz London, is now using the financial planning software FairPlanner from Fairmas GmbH based in Berlin. By integrating FairPlanner into their existing IT software environment, Ritz Paris is standardizing and automating the processing of their financial data for budget and forecast planning, with the aim of making the hotel's financial planning process more efficient. By utilizing FairPlanner, the hotel management is digitizing processes that are hardly visible to ...
Hotel Equities Selected as Managing Partner to Open Aloft in Oklahoma City
Hotel Equities | August 27, 2018
Atlanta, GA – August 27, 2018 – Hotel Equities (HE) just announced their selection as the operator of the new-build Aloft hotel located at 13111 Highland Park Blvd. in Oklahoma City, OK. This new addition to HE's lifestyle division of hotels is owned by Highland Hospitality, LLC. An expected completion date is scheduled for Q1 2019. "We are proud to partner with this ownership group to open the Aloft hotel in Oklahoma's capital city", said Joe Reardon, HE's SVP of Business Development & Marketing. "Our regional team will tap into their experience and knowledge of the market to ensure the hotel is fully ramped quickly upo...
Hilton Names Danny Hughes Executive Vice President and President for Americas Region
Hilton | August 23, 2018
MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the appointment of Danny Hughes as Executive Vice President and President, Americas. Effective September 4, Hughes will oversee Hilton's interests across North, Central and South America with a focus on enhancing the managed portfolio. "Danny is a 30-year Hilton and hospitality industry veteran with professional expertise developed in property, operations, and commercial leadership roles," said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hilton. "He is a shrewd commercial leader and a consistent advocate for our guests, Team Members, and owners. Danny's successful trac...
“Designing to a Budget” Rather Than “Budgeting a Design”
DRB Development Solutions | August 23, 2018
One of the most common mistakes made by Owners is failing to provide a budget for the design team to achieve. Too often we find that an Owner has provided the designers a concept or idea of what the project is to achieve, seeking some spectacular look or feel. Then Owners let the design team create that image and feeling. I am sure there often is a "notional discussion" of a budget but in my experience that is never really heard by the designers or resurrected by the Owners until after the first pricing exercise. Please do not get me wrong, this reactionary practice has kept our firm very busy for more than 35 years. We are repeatedly c...
IHG® and Champion Hotels Open avid hotel Oklahoma City-Quail Springs Marking Brand’s First Property
IHG | August 22, 2018
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announces the official opening of its first avid™ hotels property, the 87-room avid hotel Oklahoma City-Quail Springs. IHG's newest mainstream hotel brand was created to meet the needs of 14 million travelers who are currently underserved in this $20 billion market segment. The brand was designed with input from both target consumers and an Owner Advisory Board of leading IHG hotel owners. With their valuable input, IHG designed the avid hotels experience to deliver exactly what guests have been waiting for in a mainstream hotel, while also being easy to build, operate and maintain. T...
Loyalty Begins With a Smile
Alan Young | August 22, 2018
How a trip to Budapest reignited my love of travel By Alan E. Young, CEO, Puzzle Partner Loyalty begins with a smile. It sounds simple enough however it can be a challenge to receive a smile in today's hectic, overly self-indulgent environment. We focus on selfies, Facebook, Instagram and have slowly lost touch with what is most important, creating face to face relationships that can last the test of time. The hotel industry faces this challenge daily. While reading an article on Skift titled, "Google Finds Customer Service Beats Loyalty Programs," I saw this as such a basic point. Of course, great service will trump a loyalty program e...
Paramount Lodging Advisors Launches Subsidiary, Paramount Capital Advisors
Paramount Capital Advisors | August 21, 2018
Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) is pleased to announce the launch of Paramount Capital Advisors (PCA). PCA expands Paramount's reach and expertise into the Capital Markets arena. PCA provides strategic advisory in debt financing and equity placements for institutional and individual real estate investors in the hospitality sector. Since launching the platform in July 2018, PCA's capital advisory team has successfully closed over $75,000,000 in transactions. PCA's capital advisory services further benefits Paramount Lodging Advisors' clients by providing a more extensive suite of services, such as customized capital solutions for acquis...
Tambourine: Use Data to Get More This Budget Season
Tambourine | August 20, 2018
This budget season, you'll need to prove how much hotel revenue you brought in or risk losing your funds. A successful hotel marketing budget not only requires the guts to ask for what you need, but the data to back it up. We're constantly pushing hotel marketers to attach numbers to their success and to keep track of hotel marketing metrics that matter, instead of simply touting website visitors, social media followers, ad impressions and email open rates. Nowhere does data become more critical than during budget season. Your owners care about bottom line results and hold your marketing team accountable for revenue just as much as they...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Who Inspired You?
David Lund | August 20, 2018
By David Lund Who inspired you – Who was the one person in your career you would have done anything for? Be you for a moment and re-live the experience you had when your career really took off. That place in your past that had you really growing and learning your craft at a rapid rate. You had someone in your world that was an inspiration, a bright light to follow. Some would call this person a mentor or a guide or adviser or a guru. This person took it upon themselves to help you find your way. And how exactly did they do this, what was their method or system to help you? "Show me a successful individual and I'll show you someone...
Owners, Asset Managers Emphasize Need for Leadership in Revenue Strategy
Mark Brandau | August 17, 2018
By Mark Brandau Hotel owners and asset managers led the charge at RSS 2018 for revenue-focused leadership that would help them and the major brands whose flags they carry. A more holistic Revenue Strategy that maximizes profitability is within reach, RSS attendees said, but it requires greater collaboration among all stakeholders, as well as all departments of a property. Highlights from RSS show that hoteliers recognize and emphasize the needs in the industry for greater alignment, leadership development and investment in technology. Aligning the Hotel Industry for Revenue Strategy The prevailing sentiment about Revenue Strategy, share...
IHG and Precinct Propteries Sign Agreement for 244-Room InterContinental Auckland Set to Open in 2022
IHG | August 16, 2018
Auckland will welcome a flagship InterContinental hotel in 2022 with IHG® and Precinct Properties, the largest city centre real estate owner in New Zealand, signing an agreement to open InterContinental Auckland. InterContinental Auckland will enjoy an unrivalled location on the city's waterfront, with a halo address at 1 Queen Street that will inevitably become a destination in its own right. It will complete the $1 billion Commercial Bay mixed-use development, which boasts the largest concentration of high quality retail facilities in the city and a new 39-level office tower with 39,000m2 of premium office space. The world-class w...
