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Industry Happenings
Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront Debuts New Oceanfront Tower & $25 million Restoration
Courtyard Marriott | November 26, 2013
Miami Beach, FL. (November 26, 2013) After the completion of a $25 million dollar restoration endeavor, the historic Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront is pleased to announce its new LEED certified 93-guestroom oceanfront tower which will be completed December 2013. The Cadillac will now offer a total of 356 guest rooms, including 19 oversized suites with unparalleled ocean views, a new oceanfront salt-water pool, a state of the art gym, an updated lobby and indoor/outdoor meeting space, the renovated Carrabba's Surfside Tiki Bar and new poolside cabanas. "The addition of the oceanfront tower along with our private beach and leng...
Orlando, Florida’s 229-key DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Completes Renovation
DoubleTree By Hilton | November 26, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. - November 26, 2013 - DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Orlando - Lake Buena Vista, the only all-suite Downtown Disney® hotel located inside the Walt Disney World® Resort, has completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the resorts 229-oversized guest suites, the hotel's pool & recreation area and 4,000 square feet of public space. A short walk to the Downtown Disney® area with complimentary shuttle to all Disney Theme Parks and Water Parks, this convenient hotel provides guests with the comforts of home with newly renovated one or two-bedroom suites with separate living room and wet bar, two televisions and of c...
Investment Consortium Acquires New York’s Helmsley Park Lane Hotel for $660 Million
The Witkoff Group | November 26, 2013
New York - November 26, 2013 - An investment consortium led by The Witkoff Group, and majority backer Jynwel Capital and its investors ("Jynwel Capital"), today closed on the acquisition of the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel® at 36 Central Park South for $660 million. Other consortium partners include New Valley LLC, Highgate Holdings and Macklowe Properties. The investment group intends to make upgrades to enhance the efficiency of operations of the 47-story, 605-key, 446,000-square-foot luxury hotel, and rebrand it as the Park Lane New York. "The Park Lane sits at the very center of retail and culture in Manhattan, with sweeping views of C...
Grupo AGRISAL Opens the 196-room Holiday Inn Express Panama Distrito Financiero in Panama City
November 26, 2013
26 November, 2013 - MIAMI – InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the newest addition to its Latin America portfolio with the opening of the 196-room Holiday Inn Express® Panama Distrito Financiero hotel located in Panama City, Panama. In partnership with Grupo AGRISAL, this is Panama City's first Holiday Inn Express® hotel. Owned by Grupo AGRISAL, the Holiday Inn Express Panama Distrito Financiero hotel is their fourth IHG®-branded property with others open and under construction in Costa Rica and El Salvador. "Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest-growing hotel brands in the world, and we are thrilled to now hav...
Rex Trivedi Opens the 66-key BEST WESTERN PLUS Woodland Hills Hotel & Suites in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Best Western International, Inc. | November 26, 2013
TULSA, Okla., November 26, 2013 - Best Western International announces the opening of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Woodland Hills Hotel & Suites, located at 10143 E 62nd Street S. Owned by Rex Trivedi., the 100% smoke free hotel features 48 guest rooms and 17 suites. Hotel amenities include a complimentary hot deluxe breakfast, indoor heated pool, hot tub and a fitness center. Each guest room is equipped with a 37" flat screen television and suites with 42" flat screen televisions, mini-refrigerator, microwave and free wireless Internet access. For business travelers, the hotel offers a 24-hour complimentary business center with printing a...
TrustYou And Genares Partner Providing Hoteliers A Complete, Holistic Reputation Management Toolset
TrustYou | November 26, 2013
Partnership Brings Genares Clients Cutting-Edge Review Analysis and Semantic Technology Dallas, Texas and Munich, Germany -- November 26, 2013-- TrustYou, the market leader in online reputation management for the hospitality industry has partnered with Genares Worldwide Reservations Services, Ltd. to provide hotels with integrated, 360-degree online reputation management solutions to analyze online reviews and social media content, increase volume of reviews, distribute content across sales channels and ultimately drive revenue. TrustYou's data-driven, revenue-building approach has a proven track record of delivering results when used t...
Construction Underway for 164-key Staybridge Suites Al Andalus Mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | November 26, 2013
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 26 November 2013: IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a 15 year management agreement with Al Andalus Property for a Staybridge Suites hotel in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Staybridge Suites Al Andalus Mall is due to be the first Staybridge Suites property to open in Saudi Arabia. The announcement follows closely after IHG announced plans for a Staybridge Suites property on Hira Street in Jeddah, demonstrating the increasing demand for extended stay properties in this important commercial hub. These two Jeddah properties mark the entrance of the Staybridge Suites brand into Saudi Arabia. As...
Andrew Sanders Joins RoamingAround as COO
RoamingAround | November 26, 2013
Hospitality veteran bringing expertise in sales, operations and mobility BOSTON, MASS. - NOVEMBER 26, 2013 - RoamingAround announces that Andrew Sanders has joined the company as chief operating officer. Previously Sanders served as VP business development at OpenWays, developer of Mobile Key technology that enables hotel guests to bypass the front desk and optionally use their mobile devices as a room key. RoamingAround provides guest-engagement driven mobile solutions, such as Mobile Key by OpenWays, Mobile Apps, Mobile Offers and RoomBoost (which solves the problem of poor cellular coverage in areas of many hotels). "Andrew brings a ...
Operadora Decori Orizaba SA de CV. Opens the 103-room Holiday Inn Orizaba Hotel in Veracruz, Mexico
November 26, 2013
Orizaba, Ver. – 26 November, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the opening of the Holiday Inn® Orizaba hotel, bringing its total number of hotels in Veracruz to eight including: two Crowne Plaza® hotels, one Hotel Indigo® property, three Holiday Inn® hotels and one Holiday Inn Express® hotel. "This market has vast potential and we are happy to grow the IHG brand family here," said Gerardo Murray, vice president, Strategic Marketing Services, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, IHG. "The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that our hotels can meet our guests' needs whatever the occas...
Aspire Wins Bronze Stevie® Award in 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business
Aspire | November 26, 2013
Winners Announced at Event in New York City Aspire has been awarded a Bronze Stevie® Award in the "Most Innovative" category in the 10th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run. All individuals and organizations worldwide are eligible to submit nominations-public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The 2013 awards received entries from 18 nations and territories. Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 240 executives worldwide who participated in the judgin...
Groundbreaking Celebrated for 185-key Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
November 26, 2013
Hermosillo, Son. – 26 November, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Posadas Cantabria, S.A. de C.V., announce the ground breaking of the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Hermosillo, Sonora. Slated to open before the end of 2014, the hotel is expected to generate at least 150 employment opportunities. Once open, this will be the fourth IHG®-branded hotel in Sonora which is currently home to two Holiday Inn® hotels and one Holiday Inn Express® hotel. The 185-room hotel is being developed by Posadas Cantabria, S.A. de C.V., with an investment of more than $12 million and is a testament to IHG's growing presence in M...
Excellence Award Winners Named by California Lodging Industry Association
the California Lodging Industry Association | November 25, 2013
SACRAMENTO, CA - November 25, 2013 - California Lodging Industry Association recognized three outstanding hospitality professionals and an outstanding lodging property at the California Lodging Expo and Conference on November 19, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Concord. The CLIA Scholarship and Excellence in Lodging & Hospitality Awards presented annually are the highlight of the Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony at the Expo. Acknowledged for their accomplishment and superior performance in the hospitality field were the following: Scholarship Winner: Tracy Judge, graduate student at San Diego State University L. Robert Payne School of H...
Heidi Scartozzi Appointed as Director of Sales for the 405-room Hilton Memphis in Tennessee
Davidson Hotels & Resorts | November 25, 2013
Memphis, TN, November 25, 2013 - Hilton Memphis is proud to welcome Heidi Scartozzi as its new Director of Sales. Heidi, a 15-year hospitality veteran is a valued addition to Davidson Hotels & Resorts, who manages the hotel. The Spokane native most recently was regional director of sales for JQH Hotels and Resorts servicing 13 hotels on the west coast and has also worked in Charlotte and Albany. "I am looking forward to bringing the Hilton Memphis to the next level," Heidi said. "Our team is becoming a big presence in Memphis." The Hilton Memphis is a 405 room hotel with well-appointed guestrooms and 30,000 square feet in meeting sp...
Hawaii’s 1,241-key Hilton Waikoloa Village Welcomes Simon Amos as Director of Food and Beverage
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | November 25, 2013
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii - November 25, 2013 - Hilton Waikoloa Village, the 62-acre oceanfront resort on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii, proudly welcomes Simon Amos to the hotel team as director of food and beverage. Amos will help lead the food and beverage operations at Hilton Waikoloa Village encompassing 14 restaurants and lounges, including the award- winning Kamuela Provision Company. Amos has more than 20 years in the hotel industry and for the past five years was the director of operations for Hilton Beijing. Prior to his position as director of operations, he was the food and beverage manager at Hilton Beijing where he oversaw the turnover...
Jamie Jordan Named Director of Sales and Marketing for FL’s 814-room Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista | November 25, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. - November 25, 2013 - Jamie Jordan has been appointed director of sales and marketing of Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, effective immediately, according to James Grosso, general manager of the 814-room resort located in Orlando, Florida. Jordan, whose 23-year career in hospitality and convention sales has spanned national markets, will be responsible for directing a sales team of 10 managers as well as managing the sales and marketing operations for the hotel conveniently located inside WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. "We are thrilled to have Jamie join our team and apply her strengths and expertise to promote and market our...
Benchmark Hospitality International Names John MacMullen Area Director of Sales and Marketing
November 25, 2013
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, November 25, 2013 - Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed John MacMullen area director of sales and marketing. Mr. MacMullen is based in Benchmark's Miami office. Eric Gavin, Benchmark's regional vice president of sales & marketing officer, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to welcome John to Benchmark Hospitality International," said Mr. Gavin. "He comes to us with a solid background of leadership success within sales and marketing for numerous luxury hotels and resorts. He is a terrific addition to our team." In his new posit...
American Realty Capital NY Recovery REIT Acquires Newly Constructed Viceroy Hotel for $148.5 Million
NYRR | November 25, 2013
NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2013 -- American Realty Capital New York Recovery REIT, Inc. ("NYRR") announced today that it has acquired a leasehold interest in Viceroy New York located on West 57th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, in Manhattan. NYRR acquired this newly constructed hotel for $148.5 million, exclusive of closing costs. The hotel commenced operations and opened to guests in October 2013, with 240 rooms in 29 stories, Kingside, a new Marc Murphy and Gerber Group restaurant based in the hotel at street level, a rooftop lounge expected to open in 2014, a fitness center, an indoor pool and meeting spaces. The hotel was designed by a...
John Q. Hammons’ 243-key Sheraton Sioux Falls in SD Completes Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
the Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel | November 25, 2013
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - November 25, 2013 - The Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel is showcasing completion of the majority of its multi-stage, $6.5 million renovation, transforming the look and feel of the 243-room/suite upscale South Dakota property. A significant component of the hotel's impressive capital improvements is a redesign of its lobby, restaurant and lounge areas to enhance guests' social experience. In addition, most of its guest rooms/suites have been beautifully refurbished along with the hotel's meeting space and fitness facilities. Located next to the Sioux Falls Convention Center, the Sheraton Sioux Falls is owned and operated b...
Hilton Worldwide Appoints Heinrich Grafe as General Manager of Conrad Tokyo, Japan
Conrad Tokyo | November 25, 2013
Tokyo, JAPAN, November 25, 2013 - Hilton Worldwide has appointed Heinrich Grafe as General Manager of Conrad Tokyo with effect from November 18, 2013. Heinrich joins Conrad Tokyo from the award winning Conrad Centennial Singapore where he served as General Manager since 1998. Under his leadership, Heinrich steered the hotel on a path of continued growth and development, with Conrad Centennial Singapore now recognised as a leading property in one of the most prominent Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) destination in the region. Under Heinrich's strong direction, Conrad Centennial Singapore has won numerous prestigious ...
Triumph Hotels Announces Cyber Monday Sale Details
HeBS Digital | November 25, 2013
Triumph Hotels announces its first brand-wide promotion, a Cyber Monday sale offering 30-50% off stays in New York City. The hotel company, which operates six distinctive hotels in unique neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, is providing 24 hours of savings on multi-night stays, valid through March 2014. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 2, 2013, users can book via the Triumph Hotels Cyber Monday Sale page and save up to 30% on stays of two nights or more at any of the company's collection of six New York City hotels. As an added bonus, Triumph Hotels is offering exclusive rates on suites and premium rooms at all properties during its ...
Melia Hotels Selected to Manage Melia Jamaica; Currently Known as Braco Village Hotel & Spa
Melia Hotels International | November 25, 2013
PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain, Nov. 25, 2013 -- The Chairman of Melia Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer, and the Ministers of Tourism and of Labour & Social Security of Jamaica, Wykeham McNeil and Derrick Kellier, yesterday formalized the contract by which the Government of Jamaica entrusts Melia to operate the flagship resort currently known as "Braco Village Hotel & Spa" in Braco, on Jamaica's north coast. The resort consists of 226 rooms within colonial-style buildings facing one of the most stunning beaches in the Caribbean, and features five restaurants and a variety of bars, pools and spas. The property will undergo a comp...
The Chestnut Hotel to Participate in Local Small Business Saturday Events
The Chestnut Boutique Hotel | November 25, 2013
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – The Chestnut Boutique Hotel announced participation in the upcoming Small Business Saturday on November 30, 2013. The brand-new hotel is showcasing their local connections, as part of Main Street Morgantown's efforts to encourage area residents to support businesses within the Morgantown community. The hotel company is wholly owned by Morgantown natives Joe and Cathy Panico. Over the past few years, much of the new venue's construction, design and services have been sourced through local companies. The unique crafted wood furnishings in the hotel guest rooms including the headboards, desks, and wardrobes we...
New York High Court Ruling on OTCs Good News for Lodging Industry; Step towards Equal Playing Field
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) | November 25, 2013
Washington, D.C. - November 25, 2013 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, praises today's ruling issued by the New York State Court of Appeals in Expedia, Inc. v. City of New York Dept. of Fin. The ruling overturns an earlier decision by the state Appellate Division that New York City had exceeded its constitutional authority through a 2009 amendment to the city's hotel occupancy tax targeting online travel company (OTC) fees. Today's ruling confirms that all fees imposed by the OTCs during the 2009-2010 time...
Pricing Systems 2.0 Part One
Jean Francois Mourier | November 25, 2013
By Jean Francois Mourier The end of every year brings a time for everyone to look back on the year prior and make resolutions for how we will live and what we will accomplish in the coming year. As we near the beginning of 2014, many hoteliers will be doing the same. Before deciding on their action plan for 2014, they will need to first examine the successes and failures of the year prior, in order to improve future performance. One of the first priorities of a hotel business should be to examine your revenue and distribution strategy from the previous year. Did you earn as much profit as possible from each room, every single day of the...
