HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
InvoTech and T-Y Group Partner to Simplify Linen Supply and Control for Grand Beach Hotel Surfside
InvoTech Systems | January 22, 2014
Miami's Luxury Grand Beach Hotel Surfside Opens with Easy-Install UHF-RFID Linen System to Protect Valuable Assets LOS ANGELES, CA - January 22, 2014 - InvoTech Systems, Inc. announced that the Grand Beach Hotel Surfside installed InvoTech's UHF-RFID Linen System to protect the property's high-value linen investment. T-Y Group provided the hotel with 50,000 linen items pre-tagged with durable UHF-RFID laundry tags to enable instant, simplified linen inventory and tracking. InvoTech is a leading provider of systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, casinos, hospitals, and commercial laundry o...
Cornell Hospitality Research Summit 2014 Seeks Presentations on the Future of Service Innovation
CHRS 2014 | January 22, 2014
Ithaca, NY, January 22, 2014 - The Cornell Hospitality Research Summit 2014 has opened its search for forward-looking presentations on the future of service innovation. Designed as a forum for direct, research-based dialog between industry and academe, CHRS 2014 will focus on innovations and facilitate innovative networking throughout the entire hospitality and tourism industry. With a theme of "The Future of Service Innovation: The New Science of People, Organizations, Data, and Technology," CHRS 2014 is scheduled for October 2014 at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. "Innovation is the lifeblood of the hospitality, travel, an...
CSM Lodging’s Kip’s Irish Pub Places in Top 5 Restaurants in St. Louis Park on TripAdvisor
CSM Lodging | January 22, 2014
Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2014 ... CSM Lodging, a division of CSM Corporation, announced that the company's acclaimed restaurant, Kip's Irish Pub, has placed in the Top 5 restaurants on TripAdvisor® within its market, St. Louis Park, in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. Kip's Irish Pub placed at #5 out of 60 restaurants rated in the market. Kips was aided by glowing consumer comments about the restaurant's outstanding service, beverages and cuisine. Known by locals as an authentic Irish pub, Kip's opened in 2006 and is located in the Minneapolis Marriott West Hotel at 9970 Wayzata Boulevard in St. Louis Park. "I think Kips is so...
TripAdvisor Names World’s Best Accommodations With 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards For Hotels
TripAdvisor | January 22, 2014
12th Annual Global Awards Honor Top Hotels Overall and in Categories Including Bargain, B&Bs and Inns, Family, Luxury, Romance, and Small Hotels NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 22, 2014 -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2014 Travelers' Choice® awards for hotels. In the 12th year of the awards, the world's most outstanding properties were identified in the categories of Top Hotels, Bargain, B&Bs and Inns, Family, Luxury, Romance, and Small Hotels. "We're excited to recognize the world's best properties, based on the opinions of those who know them best – the millions of travelers around...
Stepstone Hospitality Awarded Renovation Excellence Award From Marriott International
the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest | January 22, 2014
Renovations to the Newly Branded Minneapolis Marriott Northwest Honored for "Dynamic, Thoughtful and Polished Transformation" PROVIDENCE, R. I. (January 2014) - StepStone Hospitality received the prestigious Renovation Excellence Award from Marriott International for its outstanding renovation of the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. The award was announced during the Marriott International annual MINA & Full Service Owners Conference, which honors Marriott's top owner and franchise companies. Rhode Island-based StepStone is a hospitality management company specializing in hotel and restaurant operations. During the recognition, the h...
Forbes Travel Guide Releases 2014 Star Ratings; Includes Most Five-Star Hotels in Guide’s History
Forbes Travel Guide | January 22, 2014
ATLANTA, JANUARY 22, 2014-- Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled its 56th list of Star Rating recipients worldwide, including 15 new Five-Star hotels,16 new Five-Star restaurants and five new Five-Star spas. The total number of Five-Star hotels now numbers 97 worldwide, the most in Forbes Travel Guide's history. Forbes Travel Guide also recognized 296 Four-Star hotels, 186 Four-Star restaurants and 149 Four-Star spas, as well as its list of 82 Recommended hotels and 42 Recommended restaurants in the markets it rates, the United States, Canada, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Singapore. This year's list includes newly-opene...
Starwood Sells Miami’s St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort to Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Co. for $213 M
Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company | January 22, 2014
Will Remain a St. Regis Property January 22, 2014 - STAMFORD, Conn. & DOHA, Qatar - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company ("ARTIC"), the international hospitality subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Company, one of Qatar's largest private diversified industry groups, today announced that ARTIC has acquired The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami, Florida for $213 million. The property will continue to be managed under a long-term agreement by Starwood Hotels and also continue to fly the St. Regis flag. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is located at 9703 Collins Avenue, direct...
Chesapeake Hospitality Assumes Management of Three Turnaround Hotels; Portfolio Now at 27 Properties
Chesapeake Hospitality | January 22, 2014
GREENBELT, Md., Jan. 22, 2014 -- Greenbelt, Md.-based Chesapeake Hospitality, one of the country's fastest growing third-party hotel management companies ranked in the top 50 largest independent U.S. operators, announced today that it has taken over management of the InnPlace Hotel Bensalem in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, the Comfort Suites BWI in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and the Holiday Inn Express Mt. Holly in Westampton, New Jersey, bringing its management portfolio to 27 properties. Kim Sims, president of Chesapeake Hospitality, made the announcement. Each of the three new properties boasts an advantageous location: the 76-room Holid...
The Rainmaker Group Names Chris Clement Director, Hospitality Sales
Rainmaker | January 22, 2014
Veteran Ex-Marriott International Sales and Revenue Management Executive Calls GroupREV® One of Industry's Hidden Gems ATLANTA, GA - January 22, 2014 - The Rainmaker Group, a world leader in automated profit optimization software and services for the gaming/hospitality industry, is pleased to announce the addition of veteran executive Chris Clement as Director, Hospitality Sales. In his new position, he will spearhead sales initiatives of GroupREV® - Rainmaker's sophisticated, yet to simple-to-use sales empowerment tool for group forecasting and pricing - a product Clement maintains is one of the industry's "hidden gems." "There is no...
McLaren Technologies and REX Makes for Highbrow Housekeeping at Novotel Melbourne On Collins
McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd | January 22, 2014
22 January 2014 – If there is one word to describe the Novotel Melbourne On Collins, it would be "smart," with a prime city address and sharp new look following its comprehensive makeover in February 2013. Smart is also the perfect way to describe the four and a half star hotel's newest update behind the scenes, courtesy of Novotel's contracted housekeeping supply company and staffing agency, AHS. "AHS has made an investment in one of the industry's top-line housekeeping management tech tools, REX from Newmarket International, Inc. ("Newmarket") to enhance Novotel's guest experience," said AHS Managing Director Craig Coughlin. "In ...
Benchmark Hospitality Named to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies
Benchmark Hospitality International | January 21, 2014
Third Year Benchmark Has Made the List The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 2014 ... Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has been named to the prestigious "Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest Growing Privately-held Companies." The list, presented by Inc. Magazine, represents a comprehensive look at one of the most important segments of the United States economy - independent entrepreneurs and the companies they've built. The Inc. 5000 list is an expansion of the popular Inc. 500 list. "It is an honor for our company to once again achieve placement on this important list of Ameri...
What You Need to Know About In-Building Cellular Signal Enhancement with RoamBoost
Ali Farahani Rad of RoamingAround | January 21, 2014
By Ali Farahani Rad If you have perfect cellular signal reception in every corner, room, and space in your hotel, you should stop reading this now. However, if you do have reception problems, this article is just the thing for you. RoamBoost by RoamingAround is an in-building cellular signal enhancement solution that will allow you and your guests to remain connected to the voice and data cellular networks that are important parts of how we operate in a modern society. So what do you need to know? You're losing money If you have poor or non-existent cellular signal reception in your hotel, you are losing money because your guests w...
To Open Late in 2014, The 365-key Westin Doha Hotel & Spa Will be Brand Debut in Qatar
Westin Hotels & Resorts | January 21, 2014
January 21, 2014 - DOHA, Qatar - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that it will soon introduce its Westin Hotels & Resorts brand to Qatar. Owned by Ghanem Al Thani Holdings, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa is scheduled to open in late 2014 and will enjoy a prime location in the city's central business district, comprising a total landscaped area of 49,000 square meters. Just 15 minutes from Doha International Airport, The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa will be in close proximity to the Museum of Islamic Art, Education City and the Al Mushreib rejuvenation project in Doha's downtown area. "I would ...
Hotel Equities to Develop $52 Million 175-key Residence Inn in Miami Beach/Surfside, Florida
Hotel Equities (HE) | January 21, 2014
Atlanta, GA-January 21, 2014 - Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com), an Atlanta-based hotel management, ownership and development company, announced the execution of a Marriott franchise agreement to develop a new construction $52 million resort-style Residence Inn by Marriott in Miami Beach/Surfside, Florida. Industry veteran and award-winning hotelier Fred Cerrone founded Hotel Equities and serves as the President and CEO. The firm has grown from one hotel in Atlanta to a nationally recognized portfolio of more than 45 properties. Hotel Equities will co-develop the 175-room one-of-a kind hotel in conjunction with Hotel Development P...
The Top 10 Questions Hoteliers Should Be Asking Their Website Design Vendor
the Authors and HeBS Digital | January 21, 2014
By Max Starkov and Sara O'Brien In the multi-screen world we live in today, hoteliers must meet the needs of their guests on every device. This means investing in technology that allows for the best user experience on the three screens: desktop, mobile and tablet. The difference between an ordinary hotel, resort or casino website and a great one could be measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars of missed revenue a year. Some hoteliers are mistakenly led to believe that 'going cheap' when re-designing their property's website will save money. Wrong! Not investing in the correct property website will cause you to lose money and severe...
Jan Lucas Named Regional Vice President of Sage Hospitality’s Select Service Division
Sage Hospitality | January 21, 2014
DENVER, Jan. 21, 2014 -- Sage Hospitality, one of the top hotel management and investment companies in the U.S., is pleased to announce the internal promotion of Jan Lucas as Regional Vice President of the Select Service Division. In this role, Lucas will oversee 15-20 hotels nationwide, driving operational excellence while supporting Sage's aggressive growth strategy which includes its division of Select Service hotels. Lucas has been with Sage Hospitality for 11 years, most recently serving as the general manager of the JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek in Colorado. Other positions with Sage include divisional vice president of the Prem...
The New York Palace Hotel Discovering Guests’ Every Desire via ZMail from ZDirect
ZDirect | January 21, 2014
To improve guest communications and enhance service following its recent $140 million transformation, this now modern midtown masterpiece turns to hospitality's leading Email Service Provider and pioneer of Hotel Marketing Automation [HALLANDALE BEACH, FL- JANUARY 21, 2014] - Recently The New York Palace hotel underwent a thorough transformation from a historic Madison Avenue gem to Midtown's premier modern hotel. To prepare for its reveal and to take personalized luxury service to even higher levels, property owner Northwood Investors Inc. turned to the industry's premier Email Service Provider and pioneer of Hotel Marketing Automation...
Hotel Owners Must Remain Involved and Aware, Regardless of Brand, Location, Hotel Size or Market
John Hogan | January 21, 2014
By Dr. John Hogan, CHA CMHS CHE CHO January 21, 2014 "I can walk through a hotel lobby and watch people at the desk and see what they're doing. People don't look at me. They don't even know I'm there." Jerry Seinfeld Owning a hotel can be either a delight or a nightmare, as it requires both capital investment and an ongoing commitment to paying attention to what your guests want and need. As the CEO of a company that serves and interacts with literally hundreds of hotel owners annually, I am cognizant of many of the challenges facing them, but not all. Early in my career, I learned the concept behind what I came to call Hotel Common ...
IHG Report Shows Hotel Brands Need to be ‘3D’ – Global, Local and Personal – to Win Future Guests
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | January 21, 2014
21 January, 2014 - A new report published today by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), 'Creating Moments of Trust – the key to building successful brand relationships in the Kinship Economy', suggests that to win guest loyalty in the future, hotels need to deliver a global, local and personalised experience. The research also shows that personalised brand experiences which resonate with the local culture are particularly important for the fast-growing number of international travellers from emerging markets. The collision of these three dimensions, accelerated by the rapid rise of technology-enabled personalisation in recent years, i...
The Top Trends in Search for 2014
Milestone | January 21, 2014
By Benu Aggarwal Founder and President of Milestone Internet Marketing First and foremost we wish our readers a happy and prosperous New Year. In 2013, searchers evolved the way they sought information on the Internet, and towards the end of the year, search engines released their updates to better meet modern queries such as voice and conversational search. In 2014, we will clearly be able to see the effects of these new ranking methods. Social outreach, conversational intent, authority of the site, relevancy of the content to query and overall content quality will significantly impact the way your websites perform. Some key changes in...
Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel Appoints Jesse Suglia Director of Sales & Marketing
The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel | January 21, 2014
The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel has appointed Jesse Suglia as Director of Sales and Marketing. Suglia joins the newly- renovated hotel from Omni Hotels & Resorts, Kempinski Hotels and The Global Hotel Alliance and where he was Director, Travel Industry & International Sales and leading the New York Global Sales Center. An experienced leader with more than 15 years working in the domestic and international group, business travel and leisure hotel travel segments, Suglia has held hotel sales positions in major cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Suglia's prior roles with Omni Hotels & Resorts...
Newly Renovated 159-key Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Bloomington – West Opens in Minnesota
January 21, 2014
Owned by Bloomington Hotel Acquisition and Managed by Madison Hospitality Group ATLANTA (Jan. 21, 2013) - InterContinental Hotels Group, (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of the newly renovated Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Bloomington - West located a short distance from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. With 23 other Holiday Inn Express hotels in Minnesota, the 159-room newly renovated hotel is one of the largest Holiday Inn Express® hotels in Minnesota, by number of rooms. Located at 7770 Johnson Ave. in South Bloomington, the hotel has undergone a multi-million dol...
The Brown Hotel’s New E-Commerce Strategy Delivers 31:1 ROI
The Brown Hotel | January 21, 2014
Vizergy® Wins Gold HSMAI Adrian Award on Behalf of The Brown Hotel Jacksonville, FL (January 21, 2013) - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has recognized Vizergy - Digital Travel Marketing with a gold Adrian Award for digital marketing excellence for its work on the Brown Hotel. Vizergy recommended that the Brown invest in a new custom website design to achieve higher rankings on major search engines, increase website traffic and deliver a higher percentage of relevant and ready-to-book guests. Since going live with their new site in June of 2013, the Brown Hotel has already seen significant year-o...
The Newly Built 130-room Hampton Inn & Suites Destin Opens in Florida
Hampton Hotels | January 21, 2014
Owned by Northumberland Hotel Partners and Operated by Chartwell Hospitality January 21, 2014 - DESTIN, Fla. and MCLEAN, Va. - Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide's global brand of more than 1,900 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton hotels, today announced the official opening of its newest property, the 130-room Hampton Inn & Suites Destin, located at 1625 Highway 98 East. "Hampton combines quality, innovation, comfort and plenty of value-added extras, making it the brand of choice in the marketplace today," said Richard Butler, general manager, Hampton Inn & Suites Destin. "Quality accommodatio...
