HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
Tourism Tidbits – Traveling to and with the Sound of Music by Dr. Peter Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | November 4, 2013
Tourism has many forms, and the niche tourism market is not only a growing market, but also understanding one niche helps tourism and travel professionals to apply the same principles to other niche markets. One such market is the music and music festivals as a travel and tourism motivator. Although often overlooked, both music and tourism share a great deal in common. Both are good for the soul, both attempt to lift a person's spirits and both help the person leave the doldrums of everyday life and enter into new and challenging worlds. Certain areas of the world have done an excellent job of using music both as a way to create special...
Morgans Hotel Group Confirms Unsolicited Acquisition Proposal from The Yucaipa Companies
Morgans Hotel Group | November 4, 2013
NEW YORK--)--Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ:MHGC) ("Morgans Hotel Group" or the "Company") today confirmed that it has received a letter from The Yucaipa Companies, LLC, ("Yucaipa") containing an unsolicited and conditional proposal to acquire Morgans Hotel Group for $8.00 per share. The Company's Board of Directors will carefully review the proposal with its financial and legal advisors and will determine the appropriate response in due course. The Company advises its shareholders not to take any action at this time in response to Yucaipa's proposal, and instead to wait for the response of the Company's Board of Directors. ...
Inland American Real Estate Trust Purchases Three Hotel Monaco Properties for $189 Million
Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc. | November 4, 2013
OAK BROOK, Ill. - November 4, 2013 - Inland American Lodging Group, Inc. ("Inland American"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Inc., today announced the acquisition of three luxury boutique hotels from Kimpton's Hotel Monaco collection for a purchase price of $189 million. The acquisition includes the Hotel Monaco Chicago, the Hotel Monaco Denver and the Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City, totaling 605 rooms. All three properties are part of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants' prominent boutique brand, Hotel Monaco, a collection of high quality, luxury boutique hotels that are converted from iconic, historic buildi...
Kana Hotel Group Opens 96-key Springhill Suites by Marriott Jackson North / Ridgeland, Mississippi
Kana Hotel Group | November 4, 2013
Ridgeland, MS - November 4, 2013 - Kana Hotel Group opened the 96-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Jackson North / Ridgeland, Mississippi on Thursday, October 31, 2013. Located at 121 Southtowne Avenue, the SpringHill Suites Jackson North / Ridgeland will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Kana Hotel Group of Knoxville, Tennessee. Located at 121 Southtowne Avenue, off Interstate 55 just north of Steed Road, the Springhill Suites by Marriott is situated in The Township at Colony Park, an upscale, mixed-use development founded on the concepts of New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Design. The Township at Col...
The 4th Annual European Hospitality Awards Presented for 2013 in London
| November 4, 2013
4th November 2013, London, UK - The 2013 winners of the Forth European Hospitality Awards were presented on November 1, 2013. The 4th Annual European Hospitality Awards proved to be a huge success, attracting a whole host of recognisable faces from the hospitality community. EHA is proud to be the awards show for hoteliers voted for and celebrated by their peers. Arena-International produced the live event bringing together the European hotel community for a fun filled evening to celebrate the best in the industry. The 2013 shortlist included some of the world's most iconic hotels and hoteliers. The lucky winners of the evening were: Eu...
8th European Golf Business Conference Provides Golf Industry Insights and Golf Facility Solutions
The European Golf Business Conference | November 4, 2013
November 4, 2013 - The 8th European Golf Business Conference hosted by the European Golf Course Owners Association last week in Lisbon Portugal has been hailed as a huge success with over 500 golf courses represented from 21 countries. The event provided a refreshing insight into the global golfing industry, offering realistic, modern day solutions to the issues facing golf facilities around the world. Day one opened with the 5th European Multi Course Owners meeting. The meeting played host to representatives of the Europe's leading multi course owning organisations who gathered to discuss and collaborate on solutions to run more profit...
Hotel Assets Group Closes 5 Hotel Transactions in October
Hotel AG | November 4, 2013
ATLANTA - November 4, 2013 - Hotel AG announced today the firm closed 5 hotel transactions in the month of October. The hotels sold consisted of a Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites in Nanuet, NY; a StayBridge Suites in Mt. Laurel, NJ; a bank-owned hotel located on the west coast and a Best Western located in Jacksonville, Florida. Hotel AG senior partners involved in the transactions included Andy Broad, Brad Sinclair, Tom Huegel and Michael Bernath. Keith Thompson, principal of the firm, commented, "These 5 recent transactions were all private owned and private buyers and continue to represent the strength of this current ...
Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square – ‘perfect in every way’
iRiS Software Systems | November 4, 2013
November 4, 2013 - TripAdvisor named Kempinksi Hotel Cathedral Square as one of the Hot New Hotels and number one in Europe. In the inaugural list TripAdvisor recognized 33 hotels in 18 countries worldwide that opened within the last year. These properties have provided guests with memorable experiences and have earned a minimum of four out of five bubble rating on TripAdvisor. Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania has an ongoing commitment to enhance the guest experience. According to reviewers its focus has made it 'simply perfect in every way'. TripAdvisor reviews focused on customer services, professionalism, brand,...
Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Unveils Strategic Plan & Marketing Initiatives
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) | November 4, 2013
MIAMI (November 4, 2013) - At the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau's (GMCVB) Annual Meeting today, its staff and 500 of its partners learned that the destination's Travel & Tourism Industry is on target for another record year including welcoming more than 14.1 million overnight visitors. Setting its sights on the future, the GMCVB presented its new five-year Strategic Plan, Destination Miami, resulting from a year-long study taking a comprehensive look at the Travel & Tourism Industry in Greater Miami and the Beaches commissioned by the GMCVB. Five key recommendations were presented including the unveiling of two ...
TravelClick Hosts Complimentary Webinar on Q3 2013 Hotel Industry Performance
TravelClick | November 4, 2013
Insight to Action - Effectively Using Business Intelligence to Gain Competitive Advantage Webinar Taking Place November 19 & 20, 2013 NEW YORK (November 4, 2013) - TravelClick, global provider of innovative cloud-based solutions that enable hotels to grow revenue, will present three free webinars on November 19 and 20 to review third quarter 2013 hotel performance results and trends. Findings will be presented by TravelClick executives John Hach, senior vice president, global product management, and Tim Hart, executive vice president, business intelligence. The webinars will be moderated by Barbara Taylor Carpender, president and CE...
Best Western Opens Eight Properties in October 2013
Best Western International | November 4, 2013
PHOENIX (November 4, 2013) Property name: BEST WESTERN Lake Cumberland Inn (18108) Property location: Monticello, KY # of rooms: 60 Conversion (from independent) Property name: BEST WESTERN Campus Inn (50141) Property location: River Falls, WI # of rooms: 80 Conversion (from independent) Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Minneapolis Northwest (24140) Property location: Brooklyn Center, MN # of rooms: 83 Conversion (from AmericInn) Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Orchid Hotel & Suites (05706) Property location: Roseville, CA # of rooms: 174 Conversion (from independent) Property name: BEST WESTERN Germantown Inn (50140) Property loca...
COMO Hotels Chooses AAA Parking For First US Property
AAA Parking | November 4, 2013
Miami, Florida - November 4, 2013 - Singapore-based COMO Hotels plans to open its first US property in Miami Beach in November and AAA Parking will provide 24 hour full service valet parking to guests. Metropolitan by COMO is located at the site of the former Traymore Hotel that was originally built in 1939 and will be the first of several new hotel projects coming soon from this emerging corridor of Miami Beach. COMO purchased the nine-story building in 2012 for $17.5 million and promptly gutted it down to bare concrete. A top-to-bottom renovation of the property will offer 74 guest rooms, two pools, a seafood restaurant and a several ...
Partnership Acquires Hawaii’s OHANA Waikiki West Hotel; Renovation Planned to Start Spring 2014
Rockpoint Group | November 4, 2013
Honolulu, HI November 4, 2013 - A partnership formed by Rockpoint Group with BlackSand Capital (including local developers Kobayashi Group and The MacNaughton Group) and Evolution Hospitality today announced it has purchased the building and improvements that comprise the OHANA Waikiki West Hotel and entered into a long-term ground lease for the property with Queen Emma Land Company. The partnership plans to completely renovate and reposition the hotel under a phased renovation schedule. Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, which has overseen the hotel since the early 1970s, will continue to manage the property and any transition of management will...
MICROS Subsidiary, JTECH Communications, Appoints Discover Systems New Master Distributor
JTECH Communications, Inc. | November 4, 2013
For Europe, Africa and Middle East, Discover will elevate service levels and product access to industry leading JTECH wireless solutions. Columbia, MD - November 4, 2013 - JTECH Communications, wholly-owned subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc., a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, today announced the appointment of Discover Systems A/S as new master distributor for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EAME). Discover Systems is based in Odense, Denmark, with offices in Sweden and Germany. From this north-central continental European location, Discover Systems will sell and suppo...
Accor Sells its 19.4% Stake in Tourism Asset Holdings Ltd. (TAHL) to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Accor | November 4, 2013
November 4, 2013 - As part of its asset management strategy, Accor announces the sale of its 19.4% stake in the Tourism Asset Holdings Ltd. (TAHL), Australia's largest hotel owning Company, to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for a value of AU$66m (€46m), and a repayment of AU$76m (€53m) loans. TAHL owns 31 hotels in Australia (4,097 rooms), all of which are operated by Accor through lease or management contracts under the ibis, ibis budget, ibis Styles, Mercure, Novotel and Pullman brands. All contracts will be maintained. ...
AC Hotel in Cincinnati Announces Marriott As Brand
BuildCentral | November 4, 2013
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 136 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Chicago, IL. November 4, 2013 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have added or updated 136 hotel projects in the last two weeks to Hotel Construction, a nationwide database of hotel construction projects, openings, and key decision makers (Owner/Developers, Architects and Contractors). These proposed hotels are still in the planning stages. Now is the perfect time to have your product drawn into plans, or offer construction services: The Vine Inn and Suites (Los Angeles, CA) Dallas Midtown Hotels (Dallas, TX) 8 Maiden Lane Hotel ...
Rainmaker Implements GuestREV® Revenue Management System at Chickasaw Nation Properties in Oklahoma
WinStar World Casino and Resort | November 4, 2013
Two-Way Go-Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort, the Inn at WinStar, and the Artesian Hotel, Casino & Spa ATLANTA, GA - November 4, 2013 - Only weeks after receiving Info-Tech Research Group's Trend Setter Award for its "innovative approach of introducing gaming revenue to the revenue management modeling" and for having the "perfect system for cutting-edge casino-hotels looking to make decisions based on total guest value," The Rainmaker Group today announced that it has successfully implemented its GuestREV® revenue management system at WinStar World Casino and Resort, the Inn at WinStar in Thackerville, Okla., and the Artesia...
Former Cruise Liner Queen Elizabeth 2 to Become Luxury Hotel in Asia; 2015 Completion Planned
Strand Development | November 4, 2013
Nov. 04--DUBAI -- The former cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 is to be turned into a luxury hotel, according to the German cruise portal Cruisetricks, which reports the Cosco shipyard in Zhoushan, China has been contracted for the refit. The refurnishing is due to be completed in 2015. The 990 cabins will be changed into 400 suites ranging from 60 to 150 square metres in size. In addition, the public areas will be renovated and a museum and a shopping arcade will be added. It is not clear yet where the ship will be permanently docked as a hotel. The owner only confirmed it will be somewhere in Asia. ...
Germany’s Biggest Hotel to Get Even Bigger: The Estrel in Berlin Plans 700-room Expansion
Holiday Inn Express hotels | November 4, 2013
Nov. 04--BERLIN -- Germany's largest hotel is about to get even bigger. The Estrel in Berlin is planning the construction of a new conference centre as well as an adjoining 700-room hotel which will be integrated into a 176-metre-tall tower, says Visit Berlin. That will also make Estrel the tallest hotel in Germany. The Marriott Hotel in Westend Gate in Frankfurt currently holds that distinction. The ground and top floors of the tower will be accessible for non-guests. The Estrel currently has 1,125 rooms, conference space and event space. Berlin's hotel market is fiercely competitive. A number of new buildings have opened in recent yea...
Napa’s Milliken Creek Inn and Spa Joins Four Sisters Inns Collection
Four Sisters Inns | November 1, 2013
(NAPA, CALIF.) – Napa Valley's acclaimed Milliken Creek Inn and Spa has joined the Four Sisters Inns collection, it was announced today by Four Sisters Inns President Shelley Post. The boutique property will be managed and marketed by the company, which has several other inns in the wine country, as well as other California destinations. Connie Gore will continue as General Manager of the inn. Secluded on three acres overlooking the Napa River, Milliken Creek Inn and Spa is known for its sumptuous accommodations and luxurious spa. Its 12 stylish rooms offer plush king beds outfitted with top-quality linens, marble baths with oversized...
The 159-room Hyatt Place Omaha/Downtown Old Market Opens in Nebraska Led by GM John Tysdal
Hyatt Place | November 1, 2013
CHICAGO (November 1, 2013) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announces the opening of Hyatt Place Omaha/Downtown Old Market, the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Nebraska. The hotel's 35 new associates join an existing Hyatt family in Omaha of more than 500 associates in the company's Worldwide Reservation Center, which provides reservation assistance, customer service and sales support for all Hyatt-branded hotels worldwide. "Omaha is not just a great place to travel for baseball, entrepreneurship, great steak, and more, but it has also been a great home to Hyatt's reservation center for more than 40 years," said John Tysdal, ge...
Orient-Express Hotels Reports Q3 2013 Adjusted Net Earnings of $18.5M; Same Store RevPAR Up 20%
Orient-Express Hotels | November 1, 2013
October 31, 2013 05:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time Third quarter same store revenue per available room ("RevPAR") up 20% in US dollars and 19% in local currency compared to prior-year quarter Third quarter total revenue up 19% to $191.2 million from $161.0 million in prior-year quarter Third quarter adjusted EBITDA up 28% to $53.1 million from $41.6 million in prior-year quarter Net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 4.0 times at September 30, 2013, down from 4.8 times at December 31, 2012 For the full earnings statement and tables please visit: http://www.orient-expresshotelsltd.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=122664&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=18711...
HFTP 2013-2014 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors Begin Term
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) | November 1, 2013
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (November 1, 2013) - Today, the Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) officially begin their 2013-2014 term. The association leaders represent a variety of hospitality industry segments (clubs, hotels, academics and management companies), and will use their professional expertise to help guide the association as it carries out its strategic plan. Upcoming goals for the association include growing globally, successfully serving the current global membership and continued development of the Global Hospitality Accounting Common Practices (GHACP), a...
Jerry Trieber Begins Term as HFTP Global President
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) | November 1, 2013
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (November 1, 2013) - Today, Jerry Trieber, CPA, CHAE, CFE, CFF, CGMA officially starts his term as Global President for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), with a directive to lead the association in carrying out its strategic goals. Trieber is regional director of accounting for Crestline Hotels and Resorts based out of Virginia. A member for 16 years, Trieber was recently honored at the HFTP Annual Convention & Tradeshow this past October in Dallas, Texas. "I am looking forward to working with the Global Board of Directors and Executive Committee to continue 'to lead and advance the hospit...
