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Industry Happenings
Grand Velas Riviera Maya and Cocina de Autor Once Again Celebrate Their AAA Five Diamond Win
Grand Velas Riviera Maya | January 16, 2014
Playa del Carmen, Mexico (January 20, 2013) - For the fourth consecutive year since opening in 2008, Grand Velas Riviera Maya was awarded American Automobile Association's (AAA) Five Diamond Award for lodging, an award for excellence in quality and service. According to the AAA website, each year AAA reviews more than 30,000 lodgings, while less than one-third of one percent make the AAA Five Diamond list. Marking its fifth anniversary in the presence of special invited guests and the media, Grand Velas Riviera Maya also celebrated receiving the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award for restaurants for Cocina de Autor, the only restaurant ...
Destination Hotels & Resorts Names Shawn Jervis as GM of The Embassy Row Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy Row Hotel | January 16, 2014
Washington, D.C. January 16, 2014 - Shawn Jervis, an accomplished hospitality industry veteran with more than 25 years of luxury resort and hotel experience at notable properties worldwide, has been named General Manager of The Embassy Row Hotel, by Destination Hotels & Resorts, in Washington, D.C. Jervis will be responsible for the entire hotel operations, and leading the hotel staff to continually delight guests with its hospitality and D.C. charm. Jervis will steward the one-year $16 million renovation at The Embassy Row Hotel. "It's an honor and pleasure to join The Embassy Row Hotel in D.C., a city full of culture and iconic di...
Jeffrey Fugit Appointed as Director of Operations for the 495-key Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts | January 16, 2014
LOS ANGELES, CA, January 16, 2013 - Seasoned hospitality industry professional Jeffrey Fugit has been named director of Operations of the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel as the 495-room Starwood property prepares for a $40 million rejuvenation to include all guestrooms, meeting and public space, as well as the restaurant and lounge. In his new post, Fugit will build team morale, develop a culture of exceptional guest service and drive financial results for the high-rise hotel, which is located in the heart of the city's financial, sports and entertainment epicenter. The expansive renovation, which includes the hotel and the adjacent...
Benchmark Hospitality Names Nate Waldron Director of Operations for The Heldrich, New Brunswick, NJ
The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center | January 16, 2014
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 16, 2014 - Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Nathaniel (Nate) Waldron director of operations for The Heldrich, a Benchmark Hotel® located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Stacy Martin, Benchmark's general manager for The Heldrich, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to announce Nate's promotion at our hotel," said Ms. Martin. "He is such a vital member of our team and one of the most inspiring executives I've had the privilege to work with in my hospitality career. This is a well-deserved appointment and our property is fortu...
Starwood & The Phoenician Get an Expensive (and unnecessary) Lesson in ADA Compliance. Who’s Next?
JMBM | January 16, 2014
For the most recent update on this topic, click here Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 16 January 2014 Hotel Lawyer with observations on the DOJ's ADA investigation of Starwood Hotels and The Phoenician, and the recent ADA Settlement Agreement. In January 2009, the Hotel Law Blog reported the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Time Square Manhattan Theater District sweep of nearly 60 hotels. See ADA Defense Lawyers: ADA Sweeps by Department of Justice - Coming to a theater district or hotel near you soon? At that time, Marty Orlick, Chair of JMBM's ADA Compliance and Defense Group - who re...
Ground Broken for 103-room Hampton Inn & Suites-Dallas/Frisco North-Fieldhouse USA in Texas
Hampton Hotels | January 16, 2014
FRISCO, Texas, January 16, 2014- 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 groundbreaking of the 103-room Hampton Inn & Suites-Dallas/Frisco North-Fieldhouse USA. The property is owned by Sports Village Hospitality Realty, Frisco LLC and will be operated by HHG Frisco LLC. Construction, led by Key Construction and Glenn Griggs Architect, is expected to be completed by December 2014. "We are excited to break ground on this project and look forward to bringing a new lodging option to Frisco," said Paul L. Barham,...
Hunter Hotel Investment Conference Announces Hilton Worldwide CEO as Keynote Speaker
Hunter Hotel Investment Conference | January 16, 2014
Chris Nassetta to address nation's top hotel executives at March conference ATLANTA, January 16, 2014 - Event organizers with the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, one of the nation's top four hotel investment conferences, announced today that Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive officer for Hilton Worldwide, will be the keynote speaker at the 26th annual event. The conference will be held on March 26 - 28, 2014, at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Ga. "Mr. Nassetta has demonstrated outstanding leadership in fostering a healthy and vibrant corporate culture, and has made tremendous strides in global hotel development...
Xanterra Parks & Resorts Assumes Operations of Concessions in Glacier National Park, Montana
Xanterra Parks & Resorts | January 16, 2014
DENVER, January 16, 2014 - Effective today, Xanterra Parks & Resorts has assumed operations of lodging, restaurants, retail and the famous Red Buses in Montana's Glacier National Park. The 16-year contract includes the operations of Many Glacier Hotel, Lake McDonald Lodge, the Apgar Village Inn, Rising Sun Motor Inn and Swiftcurrent Inn featuring approximately 500 rooms and cabins, four restaurants with more than 500 seats and five retail outlets. Xanterra will also conduct tours of the park in 33 historic Red Buses. "We are all excited to work in such a spectacular park with a long and fascinating history," said Andrew N. Todd, pre...
San Francisco Developer to Build 250-Key Hotel; City’s First Full-Service Hotel Project Since 2008
Strada Investment Group | January 16, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 16, 2014 - SOMA Hotel LLC, a privately held hotel development company, today announced that it has acquired for an undisclosed amount a prime development site to build a 250-key hotel in the South of Market area in San Francisco's urban core. It will be the city's first full-service hotel project since 2008. The site was purchased from Block 1 Associates, LLC, a joint venture between Blackrock Real Estate and Strada Investment Group. Block 1 owns the adjacent land and has announced plans to build 350 units of residential condominiums and apartments. Construction on the 15-story hotel is slated to begin in ...
Mantri Developers Opens the 172-room Newly Built DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore in India
DoubleTree By Hilton | January 16, 2014
January 16, 2014 - BANGALORE, India and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the launch of the full-service, upscale DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore. Located on Sarjapur - Outer Ring Road, in the southeast region of Bangalore, the contemporary hotel is near several IT / ITES Technology Parks, commercial and business hubs, entertainment and shopping centres, educational institutions and sports facilities. A distinctive feature of the hotel is the guest accommodation, which include a range of studios and suites purpose-built to meet every guest's needs, from transient business travellers to long-st...
Marriott, Ian Schrager and The Witkoff Group to Open Second EDITION Hotel in New York City in 2017
The Witkoff Group | January 16, 2014
NEW YORK and BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 16, 2014 -- Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) together with Ian Schrager and The Witkoff Group, Winthrop Realty Trust (NYSE: FUR), New Valley LLC and Maefield Development today announced plans for a second EDITION hotel in New York City. Scheduled to open in 2017 and located in the heart of Times Square, the new hotel will follow the expected 2015 debut of Manhattan's first EDITION property located in the landmark Clock Tower building at 5 Madison Avenue. EDITION is a first class, full service, luxury lifestyle brand within the Marriott International portfolio, conceived in collaboration with le...
Hospitality Funding, LLC Arranges Purchase of Hilton in Concord, CA
Hospitality Funding, LLC | January 16, 2014
Palm Beach, FL — Hospitality Funding, LLC has sourced the equity funding for the acquisition of the 329-room Hilton Concord in Concord, California. The property has been acquired as part of a $250 million Joint Venture raised by Hospitality Funding between a leading hospitality asset management firm and a US-based investment management company for the purpose of purchasing high quality full-service assets. The property was acquired from Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Inc., which will continue as operator of the hotel. When assessing the transaction, Hospitality Funding considered the hotel's leadership in energy efficiency and green t...
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort Partners with Stash Hotel Rewards
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort | January 15, 2014
Environmentally Conscious Resort Now Part of Nation's Largest Point-Based Rewards Program LEAVENWORTH, WA – January 16, 2014 – Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, located in the heart of Washington's Cascade Mountains,announced today that it has partnered with Stash Hotel Rewards, the nation's largest point-based rewards program for independent hotels. As a result of this new partnership, Stash members are now able to earn and redeem points at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, the only resort in Washington state to receive the B Corporation certification in recognition of its commitment to social sustainability and environmental performance...
Fibra Inn to Develop 180-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Saltillo, Coahuila in Mexico
Fibra Inn | January 15, 2014
January 15, 2014 - MONTERREY, Mexico - Deutsche Bank Mexico, S.A., Institucion de Banca Multiple, Division Fiduciaria, Fideicomiso F/1616 or Fibra Inn (BMV: FINN13) ("Fibra Inn" or "the Company"), a Mexican real estate investment trust specializing in the hotel industry serving the business traveler, announced that its internal corporate governance bodies approved the development of the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott in Saltillo, Coahuila, as per a franchise agreement with Marriott International. The total investment in this development will be Ps. 198 million with a projected cap rate of 11.30%. The total investment is composed of Ps. 176...
Incentive Fees On The Rise By Robert Mandelbaum and Viet Vo
PKF Hospitality Research | January 15, 2014
The owners of the hotels that participated in PKF Hospitality Research, LLC's (PKF-HR) Trends® in the Hotel Industry survey paid management companies 5.0 percent more to operate their properties in 2012 than they did in 2011. This exceeds the average growth rate of 3.3 percent for all operating expenses during the same year. When growth of an expense item exceeds the overall average, owners become concerned. However, since management fees are designed to reward operators for positive performance, excessive growth in management fees is not necessarily unwelcome. Most management contracts include two components for compensation - a base...
DoubleTree Brand Debuts in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Opens the 153-room DoubleTree by Hilton Dhahran
DoubleTree by Hilton | January 15, 2014
January 15, 2014 - DUBAI, United Arab Emirates & MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Dhahran at the commercial heartland of Al Khobar in Eastern Province, KSA. The 153-room conversion property, becomes the first DoubleTree by Hilton branded hotel to open in Saudi Arabia. "The introduction of DoubleTree by Hilton to Saudi Arabia demonstrates the brand's global recognition and positive growth," said John Greenleaf, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. "One of Hilton Worldwide's full-service, upscale brands, DoubleTree by Hilton caters to both business and leisure tr...
Summit Hotel Properties Closes Three Acquisitions and Completes the Disposition of Five Hotels
Summit Hotel Properties | January 15, 2014
AUSTIN, Texas - January 15, 2014 - Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE: INN) (the "Company") today announced that it has closed on three previously announced acquisitions and completed the disposition of five hotels. Hotel Acquisitions The Company has closed on three previously announced acquisitions, the 213-guestroom Hyatt Place located in Minneapolis, MN, the 182-guestroom Hilton Garden Inn located in Houston, TX and the 98-guestroom Hampton Inn located in Santa Barbara (Goleta), CA. The Company acquired the recently completed 213-guestroom Hyatt Place located in downtown Minneapolis on December 31, 2013 for a total purchase price of...
What the Target Data Security Breaches Mean for Hoteliers
JMBM | January 15, 2014
For the most recent update on this topic, click here By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 15 January 2014 Hotel Lawyer: The growing problem of security breaches with sensitive customer information. The recent headlines about the Target and Neiman Marcus security breach with customer credit cards highlights a growing crisis that concerns owners and operator of hotels as well as retailers. In this article, Bob Braun, one of the senior members of our Global Hospitality Group® who focuses on data security -- when he is not working on hotel management or franchise agreements -- giv...
The 146-room Hyatt Place Houston/The Woodlands Opens in Texas
Hyatt Place | January 15, 2014
CHICAGO (January 15, 2014) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and New Horizons Hospitality today announce the opening of Hyatt Place Houston/The Woodlands, the third Hyatt Place in the Houston area. "The Woodlands is a fast-growing Houston suburb with a diverse resident and business base, as well as popular restaurants, attractions, and entertainment venues," said Elias Contreras, general manager, Hyatt Place Houston/The Woodlands. "No matter why guests are visiting the area, we are confident the Hyatt Place Houston/The Woodlands will exceed their expectations and provide them with everything they need for their multitasking lifesty...
The Brice, Kimpton’s 145-key Boutique Currently Under Construction in Savannah, GA to Open in Q2 ‘14
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants | January 15, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 14, 2014) - Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today it has hit the 50 percent completion mark on construction of its soon-to-open hotel, The Brice, located in the heart of Savannah's historic district. An adaptive reuse of one of the city's most iconic structures originally built in the 1860s, The Brice is slated to open in May 2014 and will pay homage to the building's rich history while putting Kimpton's playful and contemporary twist on the more traditional style of lodging commonly found throughout Savannah. As the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling plant in Savannah, as well as a variety of other busi...
Le Méridien Indianapolis to Open Q4 ‘14 Following $9.5 M Renovation of The Historic Canterbury Hotel
January 15, 2014
NEW YORK - January 15, 2014 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that its Le Méridien brand will soon add Indianapolis to its rapidly growing North American portfolio. Le Méridien Indianapolis will debut in November 2014 following a $9.5 million renovation of The Historic Canterbury Hotel, a landmark property in the heart of downtown. Owned by Rockbridge and managed by Azul Hospitality, Le Méridien Indianapolis will feature a timeless chic design ethos that juxtaposes the hotel's historic architecture with a contemporary, modern style. The historic Canterbury site, dating back to 1858, was rebuil...
Educational Institute Welcomes Scott Chapman as New Vice President, Training and Development
the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | January 15, 2014
Orlando, Florida, January 2014-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has hired Scott Chapman as its new vice president, training and development. Chapman will be responsible for building and sustaining a center of excellence to support EI clients' and partners' learning and development needs. He will guide a team that provides advanced expertise to help develop and implement key learning and development solutions that include face-to-face learning, online learning, virtual delivery, simulations, pre- and post- work exercises, and blended methodologies. Chapman brings more than 20 years of hotel industry experience ...
Rex Loh Appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing for the 403-key InterContinental Singapore
InterContinental Singapore | January 15, 2014
Singapore, 15 January 2014: Rex Loh has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing of InterContinental Singapore by General Manager, Shantha de Silva. He joins from The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, bringing with him over 15 years of valuable experience helming sales, marketing and revenue functions in the hospitality industry. During his tenure at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, Rex successfully developed and implemented measures to achieve growth in yield, and was responsible for the launch of the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge. Under his leadership, the hotel achieved the highest benchmark RevPAR performance since 2004. Prior...
11 Tips to Drive Revenue for your Call Center in 2014
Aspire Marketing | January 15, 2014
By Renie Cavallari Aspire just announced an expansion of our Call & Contact Center Division in 2014 to help centers attack the new year with a renewed vision to drive revenues. I asked our call center expert Christine Brosnahan for her top 11 tips to bring your center into the 21st century and see measurable results. Take a look and ask yourself: how many of her tips do you follow? 1. What you focus on comes true: stop seeing your call center as an expense and start managing it as a revenue generating profit center. 2. Content is king. Close the gap between the Internet and your CRS. Your agents should be a search engine. Give them ...
