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Industry Happenings
Dorchester Collection Appoints Philip Morris as Director of Revenue
Dorchester Collection | January 15, 2014
January 15, 2014 (London) - Philip Morris has been appointed director of revenue at Dorchester Collection with a responsibility for aligning brand revenue and online strategy. Having worked in revenue management for over 15 years, Morris joins Dorchester Collection from his previous position at the Waldorf Astoria & Towers, New York where he worked as director of revenue management since 2011. His past positions include regional director of revenue management at Hilton Worldwide and progressive revenue management roles in the UK and Europe with Rocco Forte Hotels and Marriott Hotels. "We are delighted that Philip is on board to ensu...
PolyU Study Finds Chinese Outbound Tourism Policy a Form of Diplomacy
PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management | January 15, 2014
15 January 2014 - The Chinese government uses tourism as a form of 'soft diplomacy in its dealings with other countries writes Dr Tony Tse of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in a recently published research paper. By exerting control and influence over the development of outbound tourism, the government inextricably links tourist flows to its political agenda. Dr Tse surveys the use of tourism in Chinese international relations, showing how the country uses it to both offer support to and impose sanctions on other countries. Given the sheer size of the Chinese outbound tourism ma...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $41,100,000 of First Mortgage Financing for Two Properties
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company | January 15, 2014
The Hilton Concord, Concord, California and Sheraton Orlando North, Maitland, Florida Beverly Hills, California - January 15, 2014 - Sonnenblick-Eichner Company announced today that it has arranged $41,100,000 of first mortgage acquisition financing for the Hilton Concord and Sheraton Orlando North hotels, located in Concord, California and Maitland, Florida, respectively. The LIBOR-based loan was funded by a money center commercial bank. The Hilton Concord is an 11-story, 329-room, full service hotel that was recently recognized by the Governor of the State of California for the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards (...
Charlestowne Hotels Assumes Management of the 118-room Foundry Park Inn & Spa in Athens, Georgia
Charlestowne Hotels | January 15, 2014
JANUARY 15, 2014 (Charleston, SC) - Charlestowne Hotels has assumed management of Foundry Park Inn & Spa in Athens, GA. The Inn joins 24 independent properties out of the 30 currently managed by Charlestowne and is the second property in Georgia to be included in the firm's portfolio. Management officially began December 1, 2013 and encompasses all aspects of operations, including accounting, marketing, ecommerce and revenue management. Located just steps away from downtown Athens and the University of Georgia, the handsome 118 room inn is nestled among historic landmark buildings dating back to the 1830s creating a quaint village s...
Knowland Offers Training on How to Sell to Organizations with SMMP
About The Knowland Group | January 15, 2014
(Strategic Meetings Management Programs) Major corporate and association meetings management has changed more in the last ten years than in the previous fifty. SMMP is a big part of that. What does it mean? Why should you care? How do you profit from it? Washington, D.C. (January 15, 2014) - The Knowland Group, the largest data company in the global meeting and event industry, announced today the launch of expanded training, dedicated to the art and science of meeting and event sales. "Our industry has evolved tremendously in a very short amount of time." Said Jim VanDevender, Knowland's Chief Development Officer. "Preferred vendor agre...
Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage Georgia’s 400-room Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria
Aimbridge Hospitality | January 15, 2014
Owned by Garrison Investment Group DALLAS (January 15, 2014) - Aimbridge Hospitality, the nation's second largest independent hotel investment and management firm, is pleased to announce that it has been chosen to manage the Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria, located in the bustling Marietta/Northwest Atlanta area just minutes from some of Atlanta's largest corporations. The hotel is owned by Garrison Investment Group and represents Aimbridge Hospitality's sixth transaction with Garrison. The Atlanta Marriott Northwest recently began a multimillion dollar refresh project, which includes updates to guest rooms and the roof. The 400...
The 278-room Las Vegas Marriott Completes $4.3 Million Guest Room Renovation
Marriott Hotels & Resorts | January 15, 2014
Las Vegas, NV (January 15, 2014) - In light of Marriott Hotels' goal to create the Future of Travel, the Las Vegas Marriott has just completed a $4.3 million guest room renovation, it was announced today by Keith Gamberg, General Manager. Additionally, the hotel has transformed two Hospitality Suites on the second floor into 600 square feet of new meeting space. "Our company has a focus on the Millennial Consumer - the person seeking spaces as expansive as their imagination, who can mix work and personal time seamlessly, and who seeks a property that meets personalized experiential needs, whether it be the latest technologies, an ambian...
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to Debut it Malaysia with Fairmont Kuala Lumpur to Open in 2017
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts | January 15, 2014
TORONTO, January 15, 2014 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand in the FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) portfolio, today announced an agreement with CITITOWER SDN BHD, a joint venture between Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and KLCC (Holdings) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned company of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), to open its first property in Malaysia. Building on the brand's growing presence in Southeast Asia, Fairmont Kuala Lumpur is set to debut in 2017. The 62-story luxury hotel will offer 750 well-appointed guestrooms along with an executive lounge and Fairmont Gold, the luxury brand's hotel within a hotel of...
Blueprint RF Selects Terrence Mitchum as Vice President of Operations
Blueprint RF | January 14, 2014
ATLANTA, GA - Blueprint RF is pleased to announce that Terrence Mitchum has been promoted to Vice President of Operations, reporting to Blueprint RF COO, James Tubo. "In his new role Terrence will now be responsible for managing two teams, Engineering and Technical Support. This is a newly created position designed to further refine alignment of our systems design, installation processes and long term support objectives," said Tubo. "We are pleased that Terrence has accepted this new and challenging position. He is absolutely the right choice for managing our rapidly expanding client-base of hotels and airports. He is organized, meticul...
Crowne Plaza in Greenville, SC Reopens Following Complete Multi-million Dollar Renovation
| January 14, 2014
GREENVILLE, S.C., Jan. 14, 2014 -- Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, developer of distressed real estate, partnered with Valor Hospitality Partners to celebrate the completion of a full renovation of the Crowne Plaza in Greenville on January 9th. Rialto invested more than $5 million to renovate the hotel, which is located directly off Greenville's I-385 inner loop. The hotel offers 6,500 square feet of first class meeting and banquet space, including a 4,200 square foot Grand Ball Room that accommodates up to 500 people. The hotel also features meeting spaces, including two new executive board rooms. "We value community investment and are e...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 119; Is Marriott’s Edition Brand Outlook Bright? What Makes a City Great?
Stanley Turkel, CMHS | January 14, 2014
Quote of the Month; My New Book By Stanley Turkel, CMHS January 14, 2014 1. Is Marriott's Edition Brand Outlook Bright? With the recent $815 million sale of three Edition hotels by Marriott to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, hotel analysts were bulllish over the development prospects of the Edition brand. However, I am more doubtful about the future success of this new brand for two major reasons: 1) the partnership of Marriott and Schrager is so outlandish that it has failure written all over it 2) with only two Edition-branded hotels in operation (London and Istanbul), guest reaction is unknown and unreliable. Let's wait and see w...
Sonny Kerstiens Appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa in CA
Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa | January 14, 2014
NAPA, Calif., Jan. 14, 2014 -- The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa is proud to announce Sonny Kerstiens as the Napa Valley hotel's new director of sales and marketing. Kerstiens brings 12 years of group sales, marketing strategy, event management, top-line revenue growth, revenue management, customer service and owner relations experience to the position. Kerstiens began his career in hospitality when he moved to the four-diamond Lodge at Vail ski resort in 2001 and accepted a position as a sales and marketing coordinator. The next summer, Kerstiens joined the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort family as a sales manager. He quickly move...
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Appoints Jane Mackie Vice President, Fairmont Brand
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts | January 14, 2014
TORONTO, January 14, 2014 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Jane Mackie as vice president, Fairmont Brand. In her new role, Mackie will lead the Fairmont brand, developing brand strategy, focusing on refining and articulating the brand positioning and communicating Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand messaging. As part of her responsibilities, Mackie will also define strategies to further enhance Fairmont's competitive position in the luxury hotel segment. She will lead a dedicated brand team in setting brand standards for product, service and communications and will personally lead Fairmont's sustainabili...
AHLA Testimony to Senate Details Impact of Arbitrary Cuts on Hotel Business and Workforce
AH&LA | January 14, 2014
Urges Leaders to Take "Thoughtful, Collaborative Approach" To Government Travel Washington, D.C. - January 14, 2014 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) submitted testimony to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs urging Congress to take a "thoughtful, collaborative approach" together with the hotel industry when considering future actions to rein in spending on government travel. The association's statement was submitted to the Committee for this morning's hearing, "Examining Conference and Travel Spending Across the Federal Government," convened by Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE). Along wi...
Hilton Worldwide Deploys “getplanning” – an Interactive Event Planning Platform
Hilton Worldwide | January 14, 2014
MCLEAN, Va. - January 14, 2014 - Continuing to make connections and large-scale events easier, Hilton Worldwide invites meetings professionals to check-in to the cloud. Today the hotelier announces the deployment of getplanning™ – an interactive planning platform created by experienced meeting professionals – to its portfolio of Connect+ properties globally. Using secure cloud-based technology, getplanning allows planners to connect with hotel staff, vendors and partners in real-time, making event management easier and keeping everyone on the same page. "We're always listening to meeting professionals around the world as we evolve...
Loews Regency Hotel in New York City Completes Year-Long $100 million Renovation, Set to Re-Open
Loews Regency Hotel | January 14, 2014
NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2014 -- Loews Regency Hotel, the landmark hotel in Midtown Manhattan, steps away from Central Park, Madison Avenue, and Museum Mile, welcomes guests back to the beloved New York institution following a year-long $100 million transformation. The redesign of the 379-room hotel represents the dynamic vision of Jonathan Tisch, Chairman of Loews Hotels & Resorts. The hotel features 328 apartment-styled guestrooms and 58 suites boasting crisp lines and a fresh aesthetic, four private meeting spaces equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and introduces The Regency Bar & Grill serving lunch, dinner and the highly ...
The MODERN Honolulu in Hawaii Promotes Michelle Fujii to Sales & Marketing Coordinator
The MODERN Honolulu | January 14, 2014
HONOLULU, HI (January 14, 2014) - The MODERN Honolulu is pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of talented and dedicated employee, Michelle Fujii. Previously executive assistant to the Managing Director of The MODERN Honolulu, Gerald Glennon, Fujii will now be integrated into the sales and marketing team and has been named Sales & Marketing Coordinator of the Waikiki hotel. During her tenure supporting Glennon, Fujii accelerated in her position by assisting and supporting the sales and marketing team with key projects and initiatives. She holds a degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and earned...
Josh Herman Named Marketing Director for CA’s La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
January 14, 2014
LA QUINTA, Calif. - January 14, 2014 - La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort announced the appointment of Josh Herman as marketing director of the legendary 1926 desert escape effective December 9, 2013. Herman will oversee all aspects of marketing and communications for the renowned desert resort featuring 796 elegantly-appointed casitas and suites, Spa La Quinta®, three restaurants, 23 tennis courts and famed PGA WEST which includes five award-winning public golf courses. A veteran of the leisure hospitality industry with over 15 years of experience, Herman previously served as regional director of marketing for KSL R...
Pier House Resort & Spa in Key West, Florida Appoints New Executive Chef Maria Manso
Pier House Resort & Spa | January 14, 2014
Key West, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2014) - Pier House Resort & Spa, an adventurous haven presenting classic Key West charm with a storied past, welcomes Maria Manso as the new executive chef. Overseeing all food and beverage for multiple resort venues, Manso brings more than two decades of epicurean expertise to lead the resort's waterfront dining restaurants, catering service and in-room dining. "Chef Manso's culinary pursuits have landed her in various kitchens across the world," says Joe Dantoni, general manager Pier House Resort & Spa. "Not only does she bring a wealth of cultural experience to Pier House, but a passion for preparing ...
Building Value – Now and for the Future #1 in a Series
Dr. John Hogan | January 14, 2014
Dr. John Hogan CHA CMHS CHE CHO January 14, 2014 "Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention." Jim Rohn (1930-2009 - American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker.) In our ongoing work with literally hundreds of hotel owners and general managers each year in training sessions and in one on one discussion, it is apparent that there is a challenge and struggle to balance the strategies to meet both short and long goals. Competition in the marketplace continues, while state and federal government regulations and the uncertainty of Health Care reform provide ongoing questions on the best appro...
Andrea Carneiro Named Director of Sales & Marketing at The 189-key St. Regis Mexico City
The St. Regis Mexico City | January 14, 2014
MEXICO CITY (January 14, 2014) - Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Latin America Division today announced that Andrea Carneiro has joined The St. Regis Mexico City as director of sales and marketing. Formerly the Director of Sales and Marketing at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, Andrea brings more than a decade of experience in the Mexican luxury hospitality industry and is perfectly suited to expand the Hotel's Sales and Marketing strategies. In her new role, Andrea will be tasked with solidifying the hotel's position in the market by developing and implementing innovative initiatives in order to drive revenue and awareness while simultane...
Lisa Kershner Named Area General Manager for Oakland, California Marriott Hotels
the Oakland Marriott City Center | January 14, 2014
Oakland, CA (January 14, 2014) - Lisa Kershner has been named area general manager for Oakland Marriott hotels. Her responsibilities include management of the Oakland Marriott City Center, Courtyard Oakland Downtown, and Oakland Convention Center. A San Francisco native, Ms. Kershner comes to the Oakland area from The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa where she was general manager. She was also previously general manager of the Renaissance San Francisco Stanford Court Hotel, interim executive director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, and regional vice president of hotel operations for Kimpton Hotels. Throughout her impr...
Greg Mount Appointed President & CEO of Red Lion Hotels Corporation
Red Lion Hotels Corporation | January 14, 2014
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 14, 2014 – Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE: RLH) announced Greg Mount has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 27. Mount will succeed James P. Evans, who has served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since August 2013. Evans will remain a member of the company's Board of Directors and will work closely with Mount to support a seamless transition. Greg Mount brings more than 25 years of experience to Red Lion and prior to joining the company served as President of Richfield Hospitality, Sceptre Hospitality and Richfield Hospitality China, where he executed a number ...
Sales and Operations DO Work Together Indeed – a Rebuttal by David Brudney
David M. Brudney | January 14, 2014
"Sales and operations will never get along?" Has the author been living and working on Mars? I had to double-check the date of Steve DiGioia's article "Why sales and operations will never get along" posted last week on Hotel-Online. I thought Steve was writing about sales and operation issues back in the '70s and '80s, but certainly not today. To be sure, there was always that disconnect between sales and accounting, sales and the front desk, and yes, sales and catering/F&B during my career in hotel sales that spanned the late '60s through the early '80s. And I must admit a mindset did exist in sales back then that putting business ...
