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Industry Happenings
Single Digits’ Open Network Exchange Wins Again
Single Digits | November 20, 2013
BEDFORD, NH--(Nov 20, 2013) - For the second time in as many months, Single Digits' Open Network Exchange found itself in the spotlight. The Open Network Exchange won the 2013 New Hampshire High Tech Council Product of the Year (POY) Award before a packed room of more than 200 business, community, and political leaders. Following a speech by Governor Maggie Hassan, who stressed the importance of technological innovation to the state's economy, Single Digits' founder and president Stephen Singlar presented on the need for -- and benefits of -- the Open Network Exchange. Following Singlar's presentation, along with those of the three othe...
BC LYND and CrossHarbor Capital Partners Acquire Six Marriott Hotels in the Midwest and Southwest
BC LYND Hospitality | November 19, 2013
SAN ANTONIO, BOSTON - (November 19, 2013)-- BC LYND Hospitality, a full service hotel management and investment company, and CrossHarbor Capital Partners LLC, a seasoned investor in a variety of opportunistic and value-oriented commercial real estate transactions, have joined together to extend their respective national hospitality footprints with the acquisition of six Marriott-branded properties. "We see a strong upside with the implementation of our business plan and management strategy, which coupled with CrossHarbor's outstanding acumen in the real estate business provides an excellent platform for creating value in the hotel space...
$20 Million Transformation Begins on Iconic North Hollywood, CA Hotel; The Garland Opens Next Summer
The Beverly Garland | November 19, 2013
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (November 19, 2013) - Next summer, a long-standing and beloved icon of the valley, The Beverly Garland, will make its debut as North Hollywood's newest boutique hotel, The Garland. This will take place after the completion of a $20 million dollar, multi-phase redesign and renovation that began this month. In addition, the property will shed the Holiday Inn flag November 30, 2013. Marcus Hotels & Resorts will continue to manage the property. The original design of The Beverly Garland was heavily influenced by and named for actress Beverly Garland by her husband, Fillmore Crank. The real estate developer and co...
Today’s Modern Guests Want Life Experiences Not Luxuries – Hotels Must Adapt, Urges HVS London Study
HVS | November 19, 2013
19 November 2013 - Hotels are in danger of failing to adapt to a new breed of guest whose needs and demands are entirely different to those of previous generations. This is the conclusion of a new study in the changing nature of hotel guests undertaken by global hotel consultancy HVS London. The report, 'A New Breed of Traveller', says the impact of rising affluence, globalization and technology has led to modern hotel guests valuing experiences and the feeling of 'being connected' over traditional hotel luxuries. "It seems that many hotels have barely changed over the last decades still consisting of the same in-room amenities, the sam...
Niagara’s College of Hospitality & Tourism Honors Jeremy M. Jacobs, Carsten Rath & Danilo Zucchetti
Niagara University | November 19, 2013
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. (November 19, 2013) - Three titans of the hospitality and tourism industries were recognized at Niagara University on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. Niagara's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management honored Buffalo-born Jeremy M. Jacobs, Carsten K. Rath and Danilo Zucchetti during its 13th annual convocation, which began at 4 p.m. in the university's Alumni Chapel. Sponsored by the Maid of the Mist Corporation, the convocation is the college's showcase event, during which it annually honors national and international leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry. An honorary doctor of commercial science was con...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Welcomes Gretta Brooks as Corporate Director, Global Sales
Omni Hotels & Resorts | November 19, 2013
DALLAS - Novemer 19, 2013 - Omni Hotels & Resorts announced today that Gretta Brooks will join the Dallas-based hotel brand as the corporate director, global sales. Brooks comes to Omni with over 26 years of experience in hotel operations, sales and marketing, and in her new role, will be responsible for leading the Global Group Sales team from the Dallas Corporate office. "We're pleased to welcome Gretta to this new position and to our team," said Tom Faust, vice president, sales at Omni Hotels & Resorts. "Her leadership in developing effective, sales strategies and her proven track record in driving revenue growth through depl...
The 288-key DoubleTree by Hilton Salt Lake City, Utah Opens Following $5.3 Million Transformation
DoubleTree By Hilton | November 19, 2013
SALT LAKE CITY and MCLEAN, Va. - November 19, 2013 - DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport, a modern, lakeside hotel located two miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. The 288-room hotel opens following a $5.3 million property-wide renovation to update guest rooms and public spaces with new furnishings and design throughout. Formerly the Hilton Salt Lake City Airport, the hotel remains part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio under the leadership of new owner and operator, Aimbridge Hospitality and now will greet guests with an oven-baked chocolate chip cookie, a welcomin...
Heritage Hotel Group Opens the 90-key BEST WESTERN PLUS Irvine Spectrum Hotel in California
Best Western International, Inc. | November 19, 2013
LAKE FOREST, Calif., November 19, 2013 - Best Western International announces the opening of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Irvine Spectrum Hotel, located at 23192 Lake Center Drive. Owned and operated by the Heritage Hotel Group, the hotel features 90 guest suites. Hotel amenities include a made-to-order complimentary hot breakfast, outdoor pool, hot tub and a fitness center. Each room is equipped with two 40" flat screen televisions, mini-refrigerator, microwave and free wireless Internet access. For business travelers, the hotel offers a business center with printing services, and free wireless Internet access in all public areas. "We are pro...
Hoteles Cacique Internacional Opens 187-room New-Build Holiday Inn Bucaramanga Cacique in Colombia
Holiday Inn Hotels | November 19, 2013
MIAMI – 19 November, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], today announced the opening of the 187-room Holiday Inn® hotel in the northeastern city of Bucaramanga, Colombia. Bucaramanga's first Holiday Inn® hotel brings IHG's hotel portfolio for Colombia to nine including two hotels in Bogota - the Holiday Inn Express® Bogota and Holiday Inn® Bogota Airport, Holiday Inn® Cartagena Morros, Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Medellin and properties in the pipeline to be developed in Barranquilla, Cucuta, and Cartagena. "The Holiday Inn Bucaramanga hotel is just one example of IHG's vision for ...
Moran & Bewley’s Hotels Selects Pegasus Solutions
Pegasus Solutions | November 19, 2013
Growing Group of 10 Irish and UK Hotels Leverages Pegasus Connect+ Premium DALLAS (November 19, 2013) – Moran & Bewley's Hotels of Ireland and the UK has selected Pegasus Connect+ Premium from Pegasus Solutions to drive traffic to its portfolio of 10 hotels. The growing group of independently owned and operated hotels under the two Moran and Bewley's brands is now available through the Pegasus Connect+ "UI" chain code. "Our hotels appeal to a broad range of travelers that requires us to diversify our sales and marketing efforts," said Karen Moran, sales and marketing director for Moran & Bewley's Hotels. "The four-star Moran b...
Development Launched for 329-key Ritz-Carlton Nanjing to Open in Eastern China in Q1 2015
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. | November 19, 2013
HONG KONG – November 19, 2013 -The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is set to open in the former Chinese capital of Nanjing in the first quarter of 2015, marking the luxury hospitality operator's continued drive to bring its brand of iconic luxury experiences to China's vibrant and important cities, in addition to current locations throughout Asia Pacific Nanjing, in Jiangsu Province, sits astride the Yangtze River basin and has enjoyed a reputation as a vital commerce center for Eastern China. The city of eight million people is home to many UNESCO heritage sites, including tombs from the Ming dynasty. The name Nanjing means "south...
Meliá Hotels and Baha Mar Sign Agreement for the 694-room Meliá Nassau Beach Resort in The Bahamas
Baha Mar | November 19, 2013
The All-Inclusive Resort Opens Next Month through Conversion with Renovations Occurring Through Q4 2014 NASSAU, The Bahamas, November 19, 2013 -- The Chairmen of Baha Mar Ltd. and Meliá Hotels International today signed an agreement for Meliá to operate the all-inclusive Meliá at Baha Mar, in the luxury leisure development Baha Mar. The $3.5 billion (U.S.) investment, comprised of 1,000 acres with more than 3,000 feet of pristine ocean front, is just twelve minutes from Nassau International Airport. Meliá's extensive experience and international footprint have been key qualifiers for the expanding Spanish global group to be selecte...
Analysis of Over One Million Online Comments Reveal Travelers’ Most Mentioned Hotel Rants & Raves
TrustYou | November 19, 2013
TrustYou Data Reveals Service, Cleanliness, Food, Room Size, Price, Bed & Bathroom Are Mirror Image of Top Compliments & Complaints & Many Are One in the Same DALLAS, TX - November 19, 2013 - Sing your praises or seething mad are typically polar opposites. Yet when it comes to hotel feedback there is a common thread between the two. TrustYou, a travel data company that is an aggregator and analyzer of online reviews, scoured over a million sentiments from online reviews and discovered, once again, that travelers' top compliments and complaints are often mirror images of one another. TrustYou's second annual Rants & Raves...
Portrait of American Travelers® Shows Number of Affluent Travelers Rises as do Travel Intentions
MMGY Global | November 19, 2013
Women Now Represent Majority of Affluent Travelers ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 19, 2013) - The 'one percent' just got a little bigger - among active travelers, that is. Specifically, six percent of leisure travelers now have an annual household income of $250,000 or more, compared to four percent in 2010. And in an interesting demographic shift, women now make up the majority (54 percent) of these affluent travelers, up from 42 percent in 2010. This is according to the 2013 Portrait of American Travelers® study published by MMGY Global, the world's largest integrated travel marketing agency, and the Harrison Group. Affluent travelers are plann...
Hoteliers Getting ‘In’ on Social Media, Reputation Management Conversations with Lodging Interactive
Lodging Interactive | November 19, 2013
A new, invitation-only LinkedIn Group is positioned to become the foremost interactive forum for social media marketing and online reputation management discussions PARSIPPANY, N.J. - NOVEMBER 19, 2013 - Lodging Interactive and CoMMingle recently launched an "invitation only" LinkedIn Group to provide hoteliers with an interactive forum to discuss news and updates concerning social networks. The "Hospitality Social Media Marketing & Reputation Management" discussion group is a viable resource for hotel employees looking to engage in conversations about what is working or not working with their social media campaigns and capitalize o...
The Greenbrier Increases Reservation Revenue 100%
The Greenbrier | November 19, 2013
Effective Processes Pay Off: The Greenbrier Tracks ROI on All Marketing Campaigns, Strengthens Reservation Agent Training and Caller Information Gathering November 19, 2013 - The Greenbrier is an award-winning resort with a fabled past and a great future. It opened its doors in 1778 as America's first resort. Since then, The Greenbrier hosted six sitting presidents and acted as a hospital during the War Between the States and World War II. It also houses the secret congressional bomb shelter built during the Cold War. Today the luxury destination is home to four championship golf courses, a beautiful casino, and the best reservation tea...
The Allerton Hotel Chicago & The Joule Dallas: Winners in More Ways than One
November 19, 2013
Vizergy® Partnership Results in Awards for Web Design & Marketing Strategy Jacksonville, FL (November 19, 2013) - Vizergy - Digital Travel Marketing proudly announces the addition of more highly regarded awards to its diverse portfolio of hotel and resort design work. The details of the awards and the results of Vizergy's marketing efforts, which are based on creative excellence and awarded to Vizergy on behalf of their clients, are as follows: The Allerton Hotel Chicago | W³ Silver Award | Hotel/Lodging Category Since going live in October of 2012, the Allerton has already seen over 350,000 visits to their new website, has d...
Hotel Ella Selects InfoGenesis™ POS System from Agilysys
Agilysys | November 19, 2013
Luxury Property Implements Point-of-Sale System as a Subscription-Based Solution ALPHARETTA, GA. - Nov. 19, 2013 - Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading provider of innovative information technology and hospitality software and services, today announced that Hotel Ella in Austin, Texas has selected the Agilysys InfoGenesis™ POS system to increase efficiency and enhance guest service at the 48-room luxury property. The hotel recently reopened following a multimillion dollar renovation. "We selected the InfoGenesis POS system based on its features and functionality as well as its track record in the hospitality industry," said Steven...
Hotel AG Closes 6 Hotel Transactions in Last 18 Days
Hotel AG | November 19, 2013
ATLANTA - November 19, 2013 - Hotel AG announced today the firm closed 6 hotel transactions over the past 18 days. The hotels sold consist of a Austin, Texas Hampton Inn & Suites located at the Austin International Airport; a 2-property Hilton portfolio including a Hilton Garden Inn and a Hampton Inn & Suites; a hotel for Wells Fargo located in northern Florida; a hotel in a New England state for a CMBS special servicer; and an independent hotel for Ameris Bank located in the Southeast. Hotel AG partners involved in the transactions were Wendy Blissett, Michael Bernath, Andy Broad, Scott Foster, Tom Huegel, Bill Bowen and Rex Ca...
Phase 3 Underway at Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa | November 18, 2013
Los Cabos, Mexico (November 18, 2013) - As 2014 quickly approaches, Solmar Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce that Phase 3 of the resort group's newest property, Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa is well underway with the addition of spacious oceanfront suites, new swimming pool, a brand new lobby and a Kids Club, scheduled to be open by February 2014. The Cabo San Lucas-based property plans to open 17 new units in building C on February 7 and 26 more by the end of that month, with full completion expected by May 2014. The new units will include studio suites, master suites, presidential suites and two bedroom Penthouses. ...
Readying Your Hotel for Sale
William G Sipple | November 18, 2013
By William G Sipple Nov 18, 2013 With transaction volumes in early 2013 50 percent ahead of the level in early 2012, many owners today are asking themselves if this is the right time to sell. Previously published in www.LodgingMagazine.com 11/12/2013 With transaction volumes in early 2013 50 percent ahead of the level in early 2012, many owners today are asking themselves if this is the right time to sell. They see very low cost capital that is abundantly available, contributing to higher values. Yes, interest rates have ticked up from their recent lows, but long term, fixed rate debt is still priced in the low five percent range on a 2...
Q1 2014 Conversion to Open the 120-key Radisson Blu Palace Hotel Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | November 18, 2013
18 Nov 2013 - Carlson Rezidor, one of the most dynamic and largest hotel groups worldwide, strengthens its portfolio in The Netherlands and announces the Radisson Blu Palace Hotel Noordwijk aan Zee in one of the most famous seaside resorts of the country. The existing property with 120 rooms will fly the Radisson Blu flag in February 2014 and bring Carlson Rezidor's portfolio in the Benelux region to 15 properties in operation and under development. Radisson Blu is Europe's largest upper upscale hotel brand. "We are delighted to welcome the Palace Hotel which is a local landmark and flagship in Noordwijk. Such high quality conversions a...
The 260-room New-Build Hilton Santa Fe Mexico City on Schedule to Open in Early 2014
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | November 18, 2013
MCLEAN, Va. - November 18, 2013 - Guests looking to book their next visit to the bustling city of Santa Fe in Mexico City will find luxury and convenience at Hilton Santa Fe Mexico City. Hilton Worldwide announced today that its newest hotel in Santa Fe, Mexico City is on schedule to open in early 2014, and is already accepting reservations for arrivals as of April 4. This 260-room new-build Hilton hotel will form part of Samara – one of the five largest mixed-use complexes in the country, and will welcome guests with rates starting at $99* per night. With contemporary and dynamic architecture, designed by Diametro Arquitectos, the ho...
Clint Greenebaum of The Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Raises $4000 for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel | November 18, 2013
Recognized by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine as one of the Twin Cities' Finest Young Philanthropists Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2013 ... Clint Greenebaum, Director of Group Sales & Extended Stay for the landmark Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, was celebrated this month in Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine as one of the 20 "Twin Cities' Finest Young Philanthropists". The honor was in recognition of Mr. Greenebaum's initiative to raise $4000 in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by soliciting friends, colleagues, family and his customers using the social media platforms of LinkedIn and Facebook. The Depot Renaissance Minn...
