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Industry Happenings
The 97-key Home2 Suites by Hilton Queretaro, Mexico Opens; A Brand Debut Outside the U.S.
Home2 Suites by Hilton | December 10, 2013
QUERETARO, Mexico and MCLEAN, Va. - December 10, 2013 - Home2 Suites by Hilton, the award-winning mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand designed for modern business travelers and extended stay guests, today announced the opening of its 24th hotel, Home2 Suites by Hilton Queretaro, Mexico. This is the first Home2 Suites by Hilton to open outside of the United States. "Expanding our footprint internationally is a milestone achievement for a young brand like Home2 Suites, and we could not be more excited to share our hip and humble concept with guests in Mexico," said Bill Duncan, global head, Home2 Suites by Hilton. "Queretaro's centralized loc...
Crestron FlipTops™ Set New Standard in Modern Conference Room Cable Management and Control
Crestron | December 10, 2013
Ingenious, easy-to-install, recessed tabletop FlipTops turn any room into a smart conference room Now shipping, the new family of configurable Crestron FlipTops redefines conference room cable management and control. Recessed in any conference room table or lectern, Crestron FlipTops provide a sleek, hidden solution for accessing cables, connectors, power outlets, and room control. You can connect devices such as a laptop or tablet and start presenting in seconds. Cables are stored neatly out of sight when not in use. FlipTops are easy to configure and order, too, using the convenient online configuration tool. Neat, complete FlipTops f...
Two Hilton Orlando Hotels Enhance Cellular Signal Coverage and Loyalty with RoamBoost
RoamingAround | December 10, 2013
BOSTON, MASS. - DECEMBER 10, 2013 - Two Orlando hotels are seeing guest satisfaction and loyalty soar after dramatically enhancing cellular signal coverage. Recently the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista/Orlando and the Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Buena Vista/Orlando installed RoamBoost, the exclusive Distributed Antenna System (DAS) solution offered by RoamingAround. RoamBoost enhances the local geography's coverage inside the building for all carriers, ensuring that all mobile calls, data transactions and communications are conducted quickly and securely. The properties are located at 11400 Marbella Palm Court, and both are owned ...
Nominations Open for the Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards 2014
EyeforTravel Ltd. | December 10, 2013
December 10, 2013 Do you know a travel brand that is investing intelligently in mobile? If so EyeforTravel wants to hear from you. The mobile story and its impact on the travel industry is one that EyeforTravel has told often in recent times. One of the clearest trends in travel, according to our most recent Social Media & Mobile in Travel Distribution report 2013*, is that cross-device shopping is on the rise. Indeed, travellers today are researching, planning and booking travel using a variety of devices including mobile, tablet and desktop at each stage of the process. It seems, too, that many are becoming more comfortable with b...
Tourism Tidbits: Traveling Safely in a Turbulent World by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | December 10, 2013
The year 2013 may be known as a year of travel insecurity. From airline crashes to cruise ships, international events and alerts around the world, along with terrorism threats should serve to remind all of us, that travel is never without risks. Although no one can guarantee total safety, and the tourism industry continually works to improve its security, there is and there will always be an element of risk. Furthermore, no matter how much security is provided, it is still the traveler's personal responsibility to do everything possible to insure his/her own level of safety. Assuring personal safety and security is not always an easy ta...
Stash Hotel Rewards Expands Its New England Footprint by Partnering with The Lane Hotel
Colwen Hotel Management | December 9, 2013
Boutique Hotel Becomes First Independent Property in New Hampshire to Offer Stash Rewards Points KEENE, NH – December 10, 2013 – The Lane Hotel, one of New England's most historically unique hotels, 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 partnership, Stash members are now able to earn and redeem points at The Lane, the first independent hotel in the state of New Hampshire to offer a rewards program to its guests. "Partnering with Stash allows us to offer our guests a points program that's extremely competitive with t...
The Scarlet, an 80-room Boutique Hotel in Singapore, Completes Extensive Refurbishment and Re-opens
The Scarlet Singapore | December 9, 2013
SINGAPORE - 9 December 2013 - The Scarlet, Singapore's first luxury boutique hotel and a well-loved icon by guests and locals alike for nearly a decade, re-opens its doors today after undergoing an extensive five-month renovation. Redefining the lavish, bold and elegant look signature to The Scarlet, the interior rejuvenation enhances the hotel's unique personality and conjures an ambience that will enthral and indulge the senses once again. Showcasing luxurious touches and bespoke pieces that belie the discerning style of Scarlet, the gracious hostess, the 80-room property looks forward to welcoming guests and patrons to experience its...
GB Group & Hilton Worldwide to Develop 206-key Hilton Leeds Arena to Open in the U.K. by 2016
GB Group | December 9, 2013
December 09, 2013 - LEEDS, U.K. and McLEAN, Va. - Following September's opening of the First Direct Arena, Leeds' state-of-the-art entertainment venue, Hilton Worldwide and GB Group have reached an agreement to bring the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to the site by 2016. Under a franchise deal over £30m will be spent on the new development of the upscale Hilton Leeds Arena, due to be managed by Redefine|BDL Hotels. Located just 300m from the 13,500 capacity arena, which has already hosted the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Sir Elton John, the hotel will add its own touch of stardust for visitors to the complex. Rob Pallesc...
Amrit Bottlers & Hilton Worldwide to Develop 125-key Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow Gomti Nagar in India
Hilton Garden Inn | December 9, 2013
NEW DELHI & LUCKNOW, India and MCLEAN, Va. - December 09, 2013 - Hilton Worldwide today announced the signing of a management agreement with Amrit Bottlers Private Limited for a Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Hilton Garden Inn, part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of ten brands, is award-winning brand of upscale yet affordable hotels. Strategically located in Gomti Nagar, the business, financial and entertainment district of Lucknow, Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow Gomti Nagar will offer easy access to the technology parks, government institutions, commercial and business hubs, and entertainment and shopping centres in...
Valencia Group’s Marketing Investment & Commitment to Digital Produces Positive Impact on Revenue
Valencia Group | December 9, 2013
Vizergy® Honored with HSMAI Adrian Award on Behalf of Valencia Group's Hotel Portfolio Jacksonville, FL (December 6, 2013) - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has recognized Vizergy - Digital Travel Marketing with a Silver Adrian Award for digital marketing excellence for its Valencia Group entry. Valencia Group's collection of hotel properties have seen a 38:1 ROI and continued positive growth across their entire portfolio since partnering with Vizergy less than two years ago. The Adrian Awards, now in their 57th year, is the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition on the globe. ...
Resorts World Bimini Plans 350-key Marina Hotel on North Bimini Island, Bahamas; To Open Mid-2014
Resorts World Bimini | December 9, 2013
December 9, 2013 - MIAMI, FL - Panoramic windows, wooden accents and contemporary furnishings will greet guests of a new 350 room luxury hotel set to open at Resorts World Bimini in the Spring of 2014. The Marina hotel, which is part of the 750-acre Resorts World Bimini property on North Bimini Island in The Bahamas, will comprise 325 standard rooms and 25 Garden Villa Suites, two restaurants, a rooftop bar and lounge and state of the art meeting space. Each room will offer guests expansive views of Bimini Lagoon and direct access to the world-class Resorts World Bimini casino. The hotel is currently under construction and expected to d...
Maureen Holden and Mara Bonfeld Welcomed to Team for Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Florida
The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa | December 9, 2013
December 9, 2013 (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida) - The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa has announced the appointments of Maureen Holden as Director of Marketing and Mara Bonfeld as Director of National Accounts. Together they bring nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality realm, with success in sales, meeting operations, marketing, advertising, public relations, promotions and special events. "We are pleased to welcome Maureen and Mara to The Sawgrass Marriott family. Their background, experience and passion for the hospitality industry makes them great additions to our team and the Ponte Vedra community," said Tom Manno...
Mike Gallagher of CityPASS & Disney’s Randy Garfield Named to U.S. Travel Assoc. Hall of Leaders
The U.S. Travel Association | December 9, 2013
WASHINGTON (December 9, 2013) - Mike Gallagher of CityPASS and Randy Garfield of The Walt Disney Company are the newest members of the U.S. Travel Association Hall of Leaders, a recognition bestowed by the association for "sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry, stimulated greater achievement and raised industry-wide standards." "U.S. Travel's Hall of Leaders, the highest of our industry's honors, gained two truly notable additions with the induction of Mike and Randy," said U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow. "For many years, these two gentlemen have gone above and beyond to help make...
Hospitality Upselling Specialist TSA Solutions Launches Corporate Dashboard Functionality
TSA Solutions | December 9, 2013
Leading provider of revenue-enhancing solutions for the global hospitality market adds ROI reporting tool for multi-property portfolios. Minneapolis - December 9, 2013 - TSA Solutions, a leading global provider of revenue enhancing solutions for the hospitality industry, has launched a major enhancement to its Front Desk Upselling solution. The addition of myDashboard, now a standard feature of TSA Solutions' flagship product, delivers at-a-glance key performance indicators of upsell performance across all hotels in a company's portfolio, including impact on RevPar performance. With myDashboard, hoteliers can view year-over-year perform...
Marriott CEO, Arne Sorenson, Discusses Company’s Move to NASDAQ and African Hotel Deal (Video)
Marriott International | December 9, 2013
Arne Sorenson talks about why Marriott made the switch to NASDAQ and the company's plan to become the largest hotel company in Africa. ...
Hotel Equities Selected to Manage Four La Quinta Hotels in Tampa, Florida
Hotel Equities (HE) | December 9, 2013
Atlanta, GA - December 9, 2013 - Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) has been selected to manage four La Quinta Inn & Suites hotels in the greater Tampa, Florida metro area with a total of 265 rooms. The four hotels include La Quinta Inn & Suites Clearwater South, La Quinta Inn & Suites St. Petersburg Northeast, La Quinta Inn & Suites Tampa Central and La Quinta Inn & Suites Tampa South. "Adding four additional properties in Tampa brings us to a total of 10 hotels in Florida and gives us great flexibility and synergy here," said Joe Reardon, Vice President of Business Development for HE. "We are work...
Pacifica Hotels Transitions San Diego, CA’s Best Western Plus Blue Sea Lodge to Blue Sea Beach Hotel
Pacifica Hotels | December 9, 2013
Irvine, CA (December 9, 2013) - Pacifica Hotels announced today the de-flagging of Best Western Plus Blue Sea Lodge to become the independently branded Blue Sea Beach Hotel. The de-flagging and name change coincide with a significant, $5 million renovation, in which the guestrooms, lobby, and common areas will be completely renovated. The hotel will remain open during the renovation, and all work is scheduled to be completed by April 2014. The new Blue Sea Beach Hotel will boast an atmosphere centered on surfer chic, with bold graphics, vibrant colors, and surf elements, including vintage style wooden surf boards and surf photography - ...
Hotel Construction Financing Arranged By Pacifica Capital & Brokerage, Inc.
Pacifica Capital & Brokerage, Inc. | December 9, 2013
DANA POINT, CA: December, 2013 - Chris A. Chiotis, Principal of Pacifica Capital & Brokerage, is pleased to announce his firm arranged the construction and permanent financing for the Hampton Inn & Suites, which is under development in Southern California. Pacifica arranged the financing through one of their many relationship lenders. "Pacifica's entrepreneurial approach and strong network of third party consultants together with their established banking relationships, allowed us to achieve the leverage we wanted and also provide assurance that we would be successful in developing our most recent Hilton product" according to Ch...
The Briad Group is Set to Open the 125-suite Residence Inn Long Island Islip/Court Complex in NY
Residence Inn by Marriott | December 9, 2013
Central Islip, New York - December 9, 2013 - The 125-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Islip, New York is scheduled to open on Saturday, December 14, 2013. Located at Seven Courthouse Drive, the Residence Inn Long Island Islip/Courthouse Complex will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by The Briad Group of Livingston, New Jersey. Located adjacent to the Cohalan Courthouse Plaza and Bethpage Ballpark, the Residence Inn Long Island Islip/Courthouse Complex offers its guests convenient access to MacArthur Airport, Hauppauge Industrial Park, Sunrise Business Center, Long Island beaches and museums. Rates vary depending on l...
Former Hyatt Regency Irvine Changes to Hotel Irvine & Conference Center
BuildCentral | December 9, 2013
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 135 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Chicago, IL. December 9, 2013 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have reported 135 changes in personnel, property management and ownership in the Hotel Profiles database over the last two weeks. Many hotels are getting a fresh start with a new Owner, Property Manager or General Manager. Recommend your product or service to someone who might be looking for a change. Hotels Under New Management: The Westin Columbus (Columbus, OH) Courtyard San Diego Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, CA) Hilton Garden Inn Saras...
Guestroom Renovations Underway for 73-key Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Solvang, California
Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort | December 9, 2013
(Solvang, CA; December 9, 2013) -Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort is proud to unveil plans for renovated guestrooms slated for completion in May 2014. The most recent groundbreaking began in October, and marks the second major addition to the guestrooms at the nearly 70-year-old working cattle ranch. Last March, Alisal finished renovations of 12 pool suites adding an approximate 70 square feet to the main bathrooms including new tile flooring, lighting and fixtures. The newly renovated suites boast a wide range of updates, while maintaining the Western flair that guests have become accustomed to. Alisal began renovating 20 of the origina...
Development Begins for the 350-key Lakeside Shangri-La, Yangon Slated to Open in Myanmar in 2017
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | December 9, 2013
HONG KONG, Dec. 9, 2013 -- Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. will open its second hotel in Yangon, Myanmar in 2017. With a prime location on the banks of Kandawgyi Lake, the 350-room Lakeside Shangri-La, Yangon will command magnificent views of the glittering Shwedagon Pagoda and unparalleled vistas over the lake. The official groundbreaking ceremony for Lakeside Shangri-La, Yangon took place on 8 December. The hotel site is near the new Shangri-La Residences, Yangon, which are also managed by Shangri-La. The Hong Kong-based hotel group has been operating in Myanmar since 1996 when it opened the 334-room Traders Hotel, Yang...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 117; Hotel History: InterContinental Hotels Company; Quote of the Month
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | December 9, 2013
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. Hotel History: InterContinental Hotels Company A recent story on the Hotels website stated "IHG's history in Latin America dates back to 1946, when the first InterContinental Hotel opened in Brazil. Today, the Company has more than 200 hotels in 22 countries, not to mention a pipeline of more than 50 properties." In my book "Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry" (AuthorHouse 2009), I wrote about Juan Terry Trippe, the founder of Pan American World Airways, the InterContinental Hotels Company, Charles Lindbergh and Raymond Orteig, an unknown New York City hotel owner. In the history of...
Disney’s New Fantasyland opens at Magic Kingdom (Orlando Sentinel)
December 7, 2013
By Dewayne Bevil, Orlando SentinelMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News Dec. 07--After years of planning, it took just 12 minutes to officially open the latest addition to Fantasyland, the largest expansion in the Magic Kingdom's 41-year history. Walt Disney World rolled out fireworks, a cavalcade of Disney characters and princesses, and a "Welcome to New Fantasyland" banner at Thursday's grand-opening ceremony in front of Cinderella Castle. Afterward, thousands of Magic Kingdom guests made their way to the new section behind the castle. Among them were Danielle Vanden Avond and Ben Hebel of Green Bay, Wis., who explored Fantasyland with their 4-ye...
