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Industry Happenings
Rudolf Tröstler Appointed as General Manager of the 302-room Hilton Pattaya in Thailand
Hilton Pattaya | October 22, 2013
PATTAYA, Thailand - October 22, 2013 - Hilton Worldwide today announced the appointment of Rudolf Tröstler as new general manager of Hilton Pattaya. In this role, he will oversee hotel operations and lead the team in delivering upscale quality and exceptional guest experiences at this award-winning property. "Tröstler is one of Hilton Worldwide's great assets due to his outstanding successful track record and strong network in Austria, Australia, United Kingdom and Asia. His passion for people and his in-depth global hospitality knowledge will continue to drive Hilton Pattaya's aim to be the hotel of choice for both business and leisu...
Luxury Hotels Group Launches Private Label with Pegasus Solutions
Pegasus Solutions | October 22, 2013
New London-based Representation Company Gains Branded Access to Global Distribution Channels DALLAS (October 22, 2013) – London-based Luxury Hotels Group has introduced a private label chain code through Pegasus Solutions. The new company is now offering three hotels in the global distribution systems (GDSs) under the LU chain code, including the London City Suites by Montcalm, The Marble Arch by Montcalm and The Park Grand London Hyde Park Hotel. "With three distinct collections, Luxury Hotels Group caters to the specific needs of the luxury traveler," said Mark Jones, vice president, sales and marketing for Luxury Hotels Group. "Lau...
Les Clefs d’Or USA Accepts Austin, TX Hotel Concierge, Michael Sandoval, as New Member
The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center | October 22, 2013
AUSTIN, TX (October 22, 2013) - The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center today announced that Chief Concierge Michael Sandoval was accepted as a new member of Les Clefs d'Or USA, a prestigious international organization focused on the professional development of hotel concierges. Sandoval is one of five hotel concierges in Austin to receive the honor. After fulfilling the required five years of concierge service in the same hotel and a lengthy exam testing service knowledge, among other requirements, Les Clefs d'Or USA awarded Sandoval membership. In the United States, there are 550 members in 250 four and five-star proper...
Travel Intentions of Americans Continue to Improve According to Latest TRAVELHORIZONS™ Survey
October 22, 2013
Orlando (Oct. 22, 2013) - The travel intentions of U.S. adults are on the rise according to the latest travelhorizons™ survey of 2,300 active travelers conducted by marketing services firm MMGY Global. Six in ten U.S. adults (59 percent) expect to take at least one leisure trip between now and January 2014, versus five in ten (53%) at the same time last year. The percentage of U.S. adults planning to take at least one leisure trip during the next six months was six points higher than recorded in July of 2012 (53 percent), and three points higher than in pre-recession Aug 2007. In other positive news for the travel industry, the overal...
DoubleTree by Hilton Gatineau-Ottawa Opens in Quebec, Canada Following Comprehensive Renovation
DoubleTree By Hilton | October 22, 2013
QUEBEC, Canada and MCLEAN, Va. - October 22, 2013 - DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Gatineau-Ottawa, marking entry of Hilton Worldwide's globally-renowned hotel brand into the Canadian province of Quebec. Formerly the Château Cartier, the stunning landmark located in the National Capital Region unveils an updated look and enhanced amenities following an 18-month, $3 million revamp of the hotel's guest rooms, public areas and amenities. The hotel is owned and managed by Ken Pierre Investment LPD. "We are delighted to introduce guests to our new look and name as a part of the distinguished DoubleT...
Travelers Writing Fewer Reviews & Being (Somewhat) Kinder, While Hoteliers Are Responding More
TrustYou | October 22, 2013
Per New Report Analyzing of Over 250,000 USA-Based Hotel Reviews TrustYou's New Quarterly Report Uncovers Review Trends Encompassing Scores, Volume, Management Response Rates, Service, Pricing & More New York, New York and Munich, Germany - October 22, 2013 - Fewer reviews, marginally higher scores and it is far more difficult to score five stars are the latest findings that compare user-generated hotel reviews over a year-long period. The team at TrustYou, working in conjunction with Donna Quadri-Felitti, Ph.D., at New York University, Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, has developed its fi...
Operadora ALRO and IHG Open the 143-room Holiday Inn® Mexico Buenavista Hotel in Mexico City
Holiday Inn Hotels | October 22, 2013
Mexico City, Mex. - October 22, 2013 – InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Operadora ALRO, announced the opening of the 143-room Holiday Inn® Mexico Buenavista hotel in Mexico City to expand IHG's family hotels in Mexico. "This is IHG's fifth opening in Mexico City this year, demonstrating the confidence that investors and franchisees have in our brand family," said Gerardo Murray, vice president, Marketing Strategic Services, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG. "The convenient location of this newly renovated property makes it an excellent choice for travelers who visit Mexico City for business or leisure." The scale and d...
Regatta Travel Solutions Selected by Visit Knoxville
Regatta Travel Solutions Inc. | October 22, 2013
To Provide Leisure, Group, Convention and Sport Housing Solutions Charlottesville, Virginia (October 22, 2013) - Regatta Travel Solutions announced today that Visit Knoxville has signed an agreement to use the Regatta booking engine on its official website, visitknoxville.com, scheduled to launch on November 1st. Visit Knoxville will also use Regatta's new groups, convention and sports housing solutions. "I first heard about Regatta at the DMAI Annual Convention in Orlando and knew right away that I had to invite them to meet our board," said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. "Their presentation was so engaging and our board go...
Multi-Million Dollar Renovation Underway at the 372-room Westin Atlanta Perimeter North in Georgia
the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North | October 22, 2013
MILWAUKEE - Oct. 22, 2013 - Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), today announced that its multi-million dollar renovation at the Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in Atlanta, Ga. is underway. The extensive project includes renewed guestrooms and public spaces designed to rejuvenate and inspire well-being - a theme across the full suite of Westin signature amenities. The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North is managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts. The hotel is owned by Carey Watermark Investors, The Arden Group and Marcus Hotels & Resorts. The renovation will completely transform all 372 spaciou...
IHG Signs Three Hotels in Russia and the CIS; One Complete, Two Under Development with 2015 Openings
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | October 22, 2013
22 October, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's largest hotel companies, is delivering more growth across Russia and the CIS with the signing of three more hotels in the region: Holiday Inn Express® Naberezhnye- Chelny, Holiday Inn Express® Samara and Staybridge Suites® Baku. Holiday Inn Express Naberezhnye- Chelny is the third hotel to be signed as part of the multiple development franchise agreement signed in March 2013 with Regional Hotel Chain (RHC), a portfolio company of VIY Management (VIYM), to develop 15 new hotels in Russia by 2019. The 145-room new-build property is due to open in the second qu...
Ceres Enterprises & Consolidated Construction Break Ground on 113-suite Cambria Suites in Avon, Ohio
Cambria Suites | October 22, 2013
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 22, 2013 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, Ceres Enterprises, LLC, and Consolidated Construction Company are set to break ground on a new Cambria Suites hotel at 35600 Detroit Road in Avon, Ohio on October 21, 2013. The 113-suite hotel, expected to be completed in early fall 2014, will be designed for guests who want to take their lifestyle with them when they travel. The rooms, typically larger than traditional hotel rooms, will exude a more intimate decor and offer separate work and living areas with ergonomic chairs, moveable desks and upscale linens. Ea...
Flip.to Ramps Up in Europe – Exhibiting at World Travel Market in London; New Hire in Madrid
Flip.to | October 21, 2013
New York — October 23, 2013 — Flip.to, the brand advocate platform for the global hospitality industry, will be one of the exhibitors at the 2013 World Travel Market Conference at the ExCel, London November 4-7, 2013. The newest member of the Flip.to team based out of Madrid, Alfredo Moreno de la Santa, Senior Director of Sales, will also be at WTM. Reed Travel Exhibitions Exhibition Director World Travel Market Simon Press said: "We are delighted to welcome Flip.toto WTM 2013 and are sure their attendance will prove to be a wise decision. WTM is showing consistent and strong growth in the business deals generated there and with thi...
Cornell Study Finds That Sustainability is Overall Revenue Neutral for Hotel Industry
The Center for Hospitality Research | October 21, 2013
Ithaca, NY, October 21, 2013 - An analysis of sales and rates for 9,000 hotels has demonstrated a net neutral effect for the hotel industry's efforts to implement sustainability. The analysis was made possible by a massive database maintained by Sabre Holdings, including Travelocity. The Cornell study concluded that the hotel industry's fears of losing business due to implementing "green" operations is unfounded. However, on average, hotels also don't see a revenue boost from going green. The study, "Hotel Sustainability: Financial Analysis Shines a Cautious Green Light," by Howard G. Chong and Rohit Verma, was published by the Cornell ...
The Joule Dallas Hotel in Texas Nears Completion of $78 Million Renovation and Expansion
The Joule | October 21, 2013
DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2013 -- The Joule Dallas hotel is nearing the completion of its two-year, $78 million renovation and expansion of five interconnected downtown Dallas buildings, slated for September of 2013. The Joule, named for the international unit of energy, occupies a revitalized 1920's neo-gothic landmark building on Main Street. A visual masterpiece from award-winning designer Adam D. Tihany, the hotel is filled with thoughtful architectural details, rich furnishings and original artwork from Andy Warhol, Tony Cragg, Adam Fuss, Richard Phillips and more. Tihany's contribution to the recent expansion of The Joule builds on a sensu...
White Lodging Names New General Managers for Seven Properties Located in Texas, Illinois and Indiana
White Lodging | October 21, 2013
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Oct. 21, 2013 -- White Lodging is pleased to announce the following individuals have been named general managers within the last month across the company. Nicki D'Entremont has been promoted to general manager of the Courtyard Austin South. Previously, D'Entremont was the general manager at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Austin South. Before becoming a general manager with White Lodging, D'Entremont was the sales manager at a Residence Inn in Austin. She also gained a variety of experience in the disciplines of sales, operations and front office starting as a guest service representative in 2005 at the Courtyard Aust...
Healthy Hotel Guests Drive Spa Revenues and Profits
PKF Consulting USA, LLC | October 21, 2013
October 21, 2013, Boston, Mass. - While U.S. hotel guests are curbing their appetite for hotel restaurants and room service, they appear to be expressing a desire for pampering and wellness. For the second consecutive year, hotel spa revenues and profits have increased at a pace greater than other non-rooms department sources of hotel revenue. According to the recently released 2013 edition of PKF Consulting USA, LLC's (PKFC) Trends® in the Hotel Spa Industry report, spa department revenue increased by 5.0 percent at the properties in the survey sample. For reference purposes, this compares favorably to the 2.3 percent increase in food...
Oaks Hotels & Resorts Adds Australia’s 126-key Cypress Lakes Resort to its Portfolio
Oaks Hotels & Resorts | October 21, 2013
21 October 2013 - Leading accommodation provider Oaks Hotels & Resorts has expanded its presence in Australia's most popular holiday destination, with the official opening of its first New South Wales Hunter Valley property today. Joining Oaks Hotels & Resorts' portfolio of more than 40 properties throughout Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, the former 'Cypress Lakes Resort' will now be known as Cypress Lakes Resort by Oaks Hotels & Resorts. Oaks Hotels & Resorts' Chief Executive Officer Brett Pointon said this exciting property acquisition demonstrates the company's commitment to providing a...
United Construction and Urgo Hotels Set to Open Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Downtown
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott | October 21, 2013
New York, New York - October 21, 2013 - The 95-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in downtown Manhattan is scheduled to open later this month. Located at 95 Henry Street, the Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Downtown will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by United Construction and Development Corporation and managed by Urgo Hotels and Resorts. Located in the heart of downtown and centrally located between Chinatown and the Lower East Side, the hotel offers guests convenient access to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and World Trade Center Memorial/Freedom Tower. "We are pleased with the continued growth of...
Lack of Directional Signage In Major US Airports A National Disgrace For Tourism and Hospitality
Doug Kennedy | October 21, 2013
by Doug Kennedy As a conference speaker and hospitality industry trainer, I have often experienced the anxiety of flying into a foreign country with a different language for the first time. Although I (regrettably) have not yet managed to learn any languages beyond my American English, I cannot once remember flying into an airport that I could not easily find my way around. Whether landing in Sao Paulo Brazil, Sophia, Bulgaria, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kiev, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Singapore, and more westernized cities such as Paris, London, Frankfurt and Florence, I have never once had a problem finding my connecting gate and/or findi...
Jiaxing Yongxin Development Co. Opens the 274-room DoubleTree by Hilton Jiaxing in China
DoubleTree By Hilton | October 21, 2013
JIAXING, China and MCLEAN, Va. - October 21, 2013 - Hilton Worldwide today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Jiaxing, the brand's 16th property in China and the first internationally-branded full service hotel in Jiaxing. The stylish and upscale six-story, 274-room hotel boasts three diverse restaurants, a luxurious grand ballroom and nine multi-functional meeting rooms. The hotel is owned by the Jiaxing Yongxin Development Co., Ltd. Located in the city center, close to key business and shopping areas, DoubleTree by Hilton Jiaxing is situated just 7.5 kilometers from Jiaxing Railway Station and 8 kilometers from China's five...
150-Room AC Hotel Development Announced for Miami Beach
BuildCentral | October 21, 2013
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 158 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Chicago, IL. October 21, 2013 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have added or updated 158 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: Upmarket Hotel (Hackensack, NJ) 10-12 Maiden Lane Hotel (New York, NY) Gulfview Hotel Development...
The 398-room Crowne Plaza Greater Noida Opens in India’s Delhi (NCR) Region
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | October 21, 2013
New Delhi, India, 21 October 2013: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the opening of Crowne Plaza Greater Noida in India's Delhi (NCR) region. The hotel is the newest addition to IHG's growing portfolio in India and is the sixth Crowne Plaza hotel in the country. The 398-room hotel is located in an upcoming commercial hub, just off the Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway, a few minutes away from the Buddh International Race Circuit and India Expo Centre. The hotel offers a range of facilities to suit travellers on business, transit or leisure with five different food and beverage outlets to choose from and more than 1000sqm of event...
300 Schermerhorn Realty and IHG to Develop $80 Million Holiday Inn in Brooklyn, NY to Open in 2015
the Holiday Inn brand | October 21, 2013
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - 21 October, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced its newest hotel development for downtown Brooklyn, minutes from the famed Barclay's Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a variety of shopping and entertainment venues. In partnership with 300 Schermerhorn Realty LLC, the new-build $80 million Holiday Inn® hotel will join the neighborhood at 300 Schermerhorn Street. Construction is expected to complete by the end of 2014, with an anticipated opening in early 2015. Owned by K.K. Mehta and his son Sanjeev Mehta, the Holiday Inn Brooklyn Nevins Station is their second IHG property in the metro Ne...
MCR Development Acquires 26 Marriott and Hilton Hotels from Western International for $430 Million
MCR Development LLC | October 21, 2013
NEW YORK - October 21, 2013 - MCR Development LLC announced today that it has acquired 26 Marriott and Hilton hotels from Western International for $430 Million. MCR will own and manage all 26 hotels, each of which will continue to operate under its respective Marriott or Hilton brand affiliations, with long-term franchise agreements in place. "We are excited to expand our partnership with the Marriott and Hilton brand families. The Western International hotels are built to a very high standard, and stand out amongst the competition. This investment provides great growth opportunities for our team members, and for our company to expand ...
