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Industry Happenings
Tim Walker Steps Down at Island Hospitality Management
Island Hospitality Management | January 17, 2014
PALM BEACH, Fla., January 17, 2014 - Officials of Island Hospitality Management, one of the nation's largest hotel management companies, announced today that Tim Walker, previously president and CEO, has stepped down from his position to pursue other business opportunities. "Tim has been with the company for 18 years, starting as a general manager and rising to the head of the company," said Jeffrey H. Fisher, principal. "He has accomplished everything he wanted to do at Island Hospitality at the highest level and we wish him all the best and great success in his future endeavor. Fortunately, our senior management team already in place ...
Dallas King Appointed as General Manager for 24-key Pantai Inn in La Jolla, California
Pantai Inn | January 17, 2014
San Diego, La Jolla, California (January 17, 2014) - Pantai Inn in La Jolla, California is pleased to introduce Dallas King as the new General Manager. Managed by R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. (RAR), this La Jolla jewel has made significant strides over the past year including the addition of 12 suites to the property. The addition of Mr. King compliments the continued growth for this luxury boutique ocean front hotel. Dallas King joins the RAR team from the Marriott Courtyard/Marriott Residence Inn in Carlsbad, CA where he was the Assistant General Manager. With nearly a decade of hospitality experience with Marriott, King's knowle...
Managed by Interstate Hotels, the 216-room Streamsong Lodge Opens in Florida
Streamsong Resort | January 17, 2014
STREAMSONG, Fla., Jan. 17, 2014 -- Streamsong® Resort's centerpiece – a 216-room luxury Lodge – officially opened today, unlocking the full experience of the property's 16,000 natural acres and setting the stage for Streamsong to become the discerning traveler's destination of choice. Miles away from typical Florida beach hotels or theme park resorts, Streamsong features critically-acclaimed golf, world-class bass fishing, a sporting clays facility, a unique grotto-style spa, exceptional food offerings, stunning vistas, wildlife and more in a natural Florida setting. "Our mission at Streamsong is to redefine what guests, particular...
AAA Extends Five Diamond Honor to 14 Additional Hotels and Restaurants for 2014
AAA Inspections | January 17, 2014
Only 124 luxurious hotels and 59 world-class restaurants across North America were selected to receive the travel authority's highest property rating ORLANDO, Fla., (Jan. 17, 2014) – Today AAA announced the 183 select establishments that earned the AAA/CAA Five Diamond Rating in the past 12 months, qualifying them for the 2014 Five Diamond Award® lists. This exclusive group represents just 0.3 percent of the 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. Five Diamond establishments stand apart using highly personalized approaches and creativity to enhance guest comfort and provide memorable experiences. As a result...
Ron Burgett to Step Down as Head of Red Lion’s Franchise Development to Join Value Place
Red Lion Hotels Corporation | January 17, 2014
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 17, 2014 – Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE: RLH) announced its head of franchise development, Ron Burgett, has accepted an offer to become Executive Vice President of Franchise Development with Value Place, the nation's largest extended stay brand. His last day with Red Lion will be January 31. "We are pleased that a member of our senior management team has such a great opportunity," said Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Evans. "Value Place and its founder Jack DeBoer, have a tremendous reputation for developing successful extended stay lodging products. Ron has been a key member of our team and...
Educational Institute Welcomes New Hospitality Training Partner in Northern Mariana Islands
the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | January 17, 2014
Orlando, Florida, January 2014-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with its new hospitality training partner in the Pacific, Island Training Solutions, a full-service training company located in Saipan in the Commonwealth of The Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The company, which conducts safety, compliance, and staff development training for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, will initially offer EI's Guest Service Gold training and Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP®) certification and START workforce development curriculum. Tourism is...
Benchmark Names Suya Davenport Corporate Director of Leisure Sales, Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels
January 17, 2014
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 17, 2014 - Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Suya Davenport corporate director of leisure sales for the company's Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels® brand. Ms. Davenport is based in Naples, Florida, and operates out of offices within Benchmark's Naples Bay Resort, a Personal Luxury Resort located in the city. This is a new position for Benchmark Hospitality and Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels. Ted Davis, chief sales and marketing officer for Benchmark Hospitality International, made the announcement. "During her tenur...
AH&LA Convening Industry Task Force to Address 9-1-1 Calls from Hotel Guestrooms
American Hotel & Lodging Association | January 17, 2014
Washington, D.C., January 17, 2014 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is creating an internal task force comprised of key industry leadership to develop recommendations in response to the issues raised in the petition, Help Enact Kari's Law. The task force members, representing a cross-section of the lodging industry, will be drawn from among those who own and manage lodging properties across the country, as well as members who have expertise in information technology and security. "First and foremost, our sympathies are with the family of Kari Hunt Dunn," said AH&LA President/CEO Katherine Lugar. "The hotel ...
Reviews Influence Revenue: Infor’s EasyRMS Factors In Reputation with Meta-Reviews™ & TrustScores™
TrustYou | January 17, 2014
TrustYou Data Informs Strategy to Increase Analytical Accuracy & Achieve Highest Yields Dallas, USA and Munich, Germany - January 16, 2014 -TrustYou, a big data company with a focus on online reputation management (ORM) in the hospitality industry and developer of TrustScore, a barometer for guest satisfaction, is announcing the availability to view the influence and impact of social network reviews directly in the Infor EasyRMS application. Users of Infor EasyRMS, a cloud based revenue management solution specifically designed for profit maximization in the hospitality industry, will benefit from this increased analysis and data on...
ALIS Awards Finalists Named; Hospitality Investment Deals & Executives to be Honored at Conference
Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) | January 17, 2014
Washington, January 17, 2014 - Executives and companies responsible for the most influential hospitality industry developments in 2013, will be honored during a lunch on Tuesday during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 27-29 at the JW Marriott and NOKIA Theatre at L.A. LIVE. Nominees are considered for the awards based on outstanding business performance in various industry sectors. The 2013 awards finalists include: Development of the Year 2013 Opened in June 2013, in downtown Chicago's River North neighborhood, the 664-room triplex comprised of aloft, Hyatt Place, and Fairfield Inn & Suites, was developed by...
George Markantonis, President & Managing Director, Atlantis, Named ‘Caribbean Hotelier Of The Year’
Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association | January 17, 2014
George Markantonis, President and Managing Director, Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas (pictured center) was named "Caribbean Hotelier of the Year" and was presented the Golden Conch Award by Jeffrey Vasser, CHA (left), Director General & CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), and Peter C. Yesawich (right), Cice Chairman, MMGY Global. MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Jan. 17, 2014) - The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and MMGY Global presented the "Caribbean Hotelier of the Year" award to hospitality veteran George Markantonis, president and managing director, Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas ...
HSMAI to Honor David Kong & Richard Kahn with Lifetime Achievement Awards at Adrian Awards Gala
HSMAI | January 17, 2014
McLean, Va. (Jan. 17, 2014) - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its lifetime achievement awards, presented annually in conjunction with the annual Adrian Awards Gala, which celebrates excellence in travel advertising, digital marketing and public relations. HSMAI will present two lifetime achievement awards, the Albert E. Koehl Award and the Winthrop W. Grice Award, during the Gala held on Feb. 24 at the New York Marriott Marquis. The Albert E. Koehl Award is given to highlight distinction in advertising and marketing and the Winthrop W. Grice Award is presen...
The Fairmont Southampton on Bermuda to Undergo $11.5 Million Renovation of 407 Guest Rooms & Suites
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts | January 17, 2014
BERMUDA, January 17, 2014 - This winter The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda's premier resort and meeting destination, will embark on a $11.5 million renovation of its guest rooms and suites. The first phase of the renovation will be complete by May of 2014, in time for the busy summer season. The renovation includes furniture, fixtures and equipment in 407 of the hotel's guest rooms. The guest rooms design scheme will include a rich palette of island sophistication, incorporating inspiration from Bermuda's lush landscape. The new guest rooms will feature a warm chocolate brown and crisp white color scheme with pops of orange and turquoise...
All Aboard Florida Provides Project Details on New Rail Line & Impact on Tourism at Florida Huddle
All Aboard Florida | January 16, 2014
Coral Gables, FL (January 17, 2014) – All Aboard Florida, the highly-anticipated passenger rail line, addressed the international and domestic tourism community for the first time this week sharing details on this history-making project and its impact on the state's tourism future during Florida Huddle, the state's longest-running tourism symposium. For more than 20 years, there has been rising demand for high speed rail service connecting South and Central Florida, with travelers making hundreds of millions of trips between these communities each year, making it one of the most actively traveled areas in the U.S. Operating between Or...
Recession Recovery and Continued Growth in the Houston Hotel Market
Nuresh Maredia of Hotel & Leisure Advisors | January 16, 2014
By Nuresh Maredia Summary: Houston went through a devastating recession in the 1980s when the price of oil plummeted and thousands of jobs were lost. History repeated itself and the price of oil plunged again in 2008. However, this time the impact was much less for Houstonians. This was true of the Houston lodging market also, compared to other major metropolitan cities around the country. The lodging industry in Houston bounced back quickly from the recession primarily due to the expanding energy industry in the Houston area. Increased activity in southwest Texas at the Eagle Ford Shale has also benefited companies located in Houston. ...
RLJ Lodging Trust Completes Renovation of 170-key Hampton Inn Chicago Midway Airport
White Lodging Services | January 16, 2014
January 16, 2014 - BEDFORD PARK, Ill. and MCLEAN, Va. - The Hampton Inn Chicago Midway Airport today announced the completion of its newly renovated guest rooms and public space. The hotel, which is owned by RLJ Lodging Trust, completed renovations on December 23, 2013. "We are excited about the recently finished renovations at our hotel," said Anthony Marco, general manager, Hampton Inn Chicago Midway. "The new updates enhance the guest comfort level and experience, and demonstrate our commitment to providing guests with the highest quality accommodations when they stay with us." As part of the renovation, improvements included renovat...
Google+Local Pages for Thousands of Hotel Websites “Hijacked” by Third Party
| January 16, 2014
by John Atkins & David Atkins, Principals, Digital DNA Infusion, LLC On January 14th, Danny Sullivan, founder of SearchEngineLand, broke a story that the Google+Local pages for some 4,000 hotels, branded and unbranded alike. had been "hijacked" by a third party. Many of hotels in question had unverified listings on Google+Local that had been claimed by the 3rd party to steal traffic, according to Sullivan. Google has said it is aware of and addressing the issue. As important to the hotels as the Google+Local listings themselves are for branding and distribution of local information, these pages rarely see much traffic from consumers...
Gemma Keating Appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing for The Knickerbocker Opening in NY in 2014
The Knickerbocker | January 16, 2014
January 16, 2014 - Since joining The Knickerbocker in June 2013, Gemma Keating has been instrumental in the development of the hotel's overall concept and strategy leading up to its 2014 opening. In her role as Director of Sales & Marketing, Keating will oversee the strategic direction of sales and marketing, lead The Knickerbocker's leisure and group sales divisions, and manage all communications initiatives. Having worked in the luxury hospitality sector for more than a decade, Keating brings a wealth of experience in the development of international market segments - in Europe and beyond, and has held sales and marketing position...
Benchmark Names David Friedberg Director of Sales & Marketing for Florida’s Bonaventure Resort & Spa
Bonaventure Resort & Spa | January 16, 2014
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 16, 2014 - Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed David Friedberg director of sales & marketing for Bonaventure Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resort® located in Fort Lauderdale. Charles Reece, Benchmark's general manager at the resort, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to welcome David to Bonaventure," said Mr. Reece. "He brings impressive sales and leadership skills to our resort, along with strong corporate and industry contacts. We look forward to his active leadership of our sales and marketing department, and to his ...
Agilysys Introduces Innovative Mobility Option for InfoGenesis™ POS
Agilysys | January 16, 2014
InfoGenesis™ Flex Offers Full POS Functionality on the Lenovo® ThinkPad® Tablet 2 ALPHARETTA, GA. - Jan. 16, 2014 - Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading provider of innovative hospitality software solutions and services, today announced InfoGenesis Flex, a new mobility solution that offers full point-of-sale functionality on the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2. InfoGenesis Flex provides a sleek and modern alternative to traditional POS installation and rounds out the Agilysys technology offering to food and beverage outlets, which includes mobile point-of-sale, inventory and procurement and workforce management solutions. Built around ...
BBL Hospitality Opens Four Points by Sheraton Charleston, WV Completing $15 M Renovation, Conversion
BBL Hospitality | January 16, 2014
January 16, 2014 - STAMFORD, Conn. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the launch of its rapidly growing Four Points brand in Charleston, the capital of West Virginia. Owned by BBL Hospitality, Four Points by Sheraton Charleston completed a comprehensive $15 million renovation to transform the Charleston House Hotel into the newest addition to the Four Points portfolio. Offering spectacular views of the Kanawha River, the hotel is Starwood's first property to open in West Virginia. The newly renovated hotel features 176 spacious guest rooms and suites, 12,000 square feet of market-leading meeting f...
Indra Bolsters Connectivity Options for Clients with Integration to SiteMinder
INDRA Company | January 16, 2014
As part of Indra's expansive Travel Management Suite, hotels using TMS for CRS and TMS for Connectivity can enjoy expanded reach to the multitude of OTA channels [MIAMI - JANUARY 16 2014] - To cost-effectively expand its distribution reach across the globe, Indra has added SiteMinder as a channel partner. Indra's integration with SiteMinder and its crsXchange -- which was completed in less than two weeks -- expands the company's channel reach from the world's leading online booking sites to the smallest online travel agencies. Indra is a global technology company operating in more than 110 countries and the third largest IT company in E...
Starwood Capital Group Acquires UK Hotel Owner and Operator Four Pillars Hotels
Starwood Capital Group | January 16, 2014
GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 16, 2014 -- A fund affiliated with Starwood Capital Group, a leading global private investment firm, announced today that it has acquired UK hotel owner and operator Four Pillars Hotels. The transaction includes a portfolio of five owned and leased hotels and one managed hotel in Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas, comprising 863 rooms. The historic city of Oxford is one of the UK's leading business and tourist destinations, attracting more than 9.5 million domestic and international visitors annually. "Four Pillars offers high-quality, full-service, four-star hotels in superb locations," said Kevin Colket, Sen...
First Call Hospitality Names GM Joshua Wilson & DOS Rhea Hayes, Hilton Garden Inn Overland Park, KS
Hilton Garden Inn Overland Park | January 16, 2014
January 16, 2013 - OVERLAND PARK, KS. - First Call Hospitality, Inc. (FCH) has announced the hiring of Joshua Wilson as General Manager and Rhea Hayes as Director Of Sales at the Hilton Garden Inn Overland Park, Kansas, located just 20 minutes from Kansas City. Joshua and Rhea bring significant hospitality leadership experience to their positions, with both having impressive Hilton backgrounds. Each has worked at the Hilton Garden Inn Overland Park for over 5 years. "We are excited to have Joshua and Rhea lead the hotel," said Heidi Wilcox, Chief Executive Officer, First Call Hospitality, Inc., which manages the Hilton Garden Inn. "They...
