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Industry Happenings
Starwood Hotels’ Aloft Brand Debuts in Panama with the 139-room Aloft Panama
Aloft Hotels | September 18, 2013
STAMFORD, Conn. - September 18, 2013 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) today announced that its rapidly expanding Aloft brand has arrived in Panama, one of the most important travel markets in the Americas. Aloft Panama is the fourth Aloft hotel to open in Latin America, since the brand made its debut less than two years ago. It is owned and operated by Nuevos Hoteles de Panama S.A. under a franchise agreement. Aloft Panama offers 139 spacious loft-like rooms, tech forward innovation and a buzzing, social atmosphere. By 2014, it will offer an additional 186 rooms as part of an expansion phase. "Aloft's growth ...
Ascend Hotel Collection Adds the gibson hotel, Dublin, Ireland and Lindenwarrah at Milawa, Australia
Ascend Hotel Collection | September 18, 2013
PHOENIX, Sept. 18, 2013 -- Ascend Hotel Collection from Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, continues its global expansion with the announcement today that two boutique hotels have joined the portfolio. These properties are the gibson hotel, Dublin, Ireland and Lindenwarrah at Milawa, Australia. The announcement was made to industry insiders at the 19th annual meeting of The Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Ascend Hotel Collection is a portfolio of upscale independent hotels with rich local character. With its latest additions, the group now has 108 properties in North Americ...
Brad C. Mettler Appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing for the 1,306-key Grand Hyatt New York
Grand Hyatt New York | September 18, 2013
NEW YORK (September 18, 2013) - The iconic Grand Hyatt New York in Midtown Manhattan proudly appoints award-winning hospitality professional Brad C. Mettler as its new Director of Sales and Marketing. Mettler brings over 15 years of experience to his new post, and almost all of it within the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Most recently, he spent four years as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, where he managed that resort's sales initiatives throughout a $13 million renovation. During Mettler's time in Honolulu, Hyatt Hotels Corporation named his sales staff the Sales Team of the Year in 2012. ...
Florida’s Fontainebleau Miami Beach Names Bridget Ryder Vice President of Information Technology
Fontainebleau Miami Beach | September 18, 2013
Miami Beach, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2013) - Fontainebleau Miami Beach announces the appointment of Bridget Ryder to the position of Vice President of Information Technology. In this position, Ryder is responsible for establishing and maintaining information technology infrastructure and operations, as well as information security. Additionally, she is responsible for analyzing and predicting trends, proactively researching and recommending courses of action, and departmental management and decision making at the iconic 20 acre, 1,504 room oceanfront resort. "Bridget's knowledge and experience are ideally aligned with the information technology...
Benchmark Hospitality Names Bobby Moore Recipient of the Bob Zappatelli Award, Culinary Excellence
Willows Lodge | September 18, 2013
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, September 2013 ... Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading US-based hospitality management company, has announced Executive Chef Bobby Moore as the recipient of the 2013 Bob Zappatelli Award for Culinary Excellence. Bobby Moore is executive chef at Willows Lodge, a Personal Luxury Hotel® located in Woodinville, Washington, near Seattle. Benchmark Hospitality established the Award in 2009 in honor of Mr. Zappatelli, the company's first vice president of food & beverage and a noted chef, who passed away suddenly during that year. The award is given annually to a member of the Benchmark Hospitali...
PolyU Study Seeks to Enhance the Role of Travel Trade in Reducing Tourism’s Carbon Footprint
PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management | September 18, 2013
18 September 2013 - The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (17 September) announced the findings of a study on "Enhancing the Role of the Travel Trade in Reducing Tourism's Carbon Footprint". The study found that though senior management and owners of travel agencies are aware of tourism's contribution to carbon emissions, the limited provision of carbon efficient products is hindering their frontline staff from promoting low carbon tourism to their clients. The study also found that frontline travel trade staff are equally concerned about the environmental issues, but man...
Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center Earns Prestigious TripAdvisor Green Leader
TripAdvisor | September 18, 2013
Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 2013 ... CSM Lodging, a division of CSM Corporation, has announced that its property, the Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center, has been awarded the prestigious Bronze GreenLeaders™ Award from TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel website. The GreenLeaders program helps travelers plan greener trips by identifying environmentally-friendly lodging accommodations throughout the United States. The Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center is situated in the heart of one of the nation's greenest cities, Portland, Oregon, which is renowned for its sustainability init...
Deadline to Submit to Hotel Association of Canada Hall of Fame Awards Nears; Submit by October 18th
the Hotel Association of Canada | September 18, 2013
September 18, 2013- Ottawa, ON - The October 18, 2013 deadline for the Hotel Association of Canada's (HAC) 2013 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence is fast approaching. Don`t miss out on the opportunity! The awards program proudly recognizes those individuals, companies or properties that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to our industry in the following divisions: The Humanitarian Award Given for individuals/programs that demonstrate to residents that the individual property is responsive to the local community. The Human Resources Award Given for programs/individuals that develop...
HHM Selected to Operate Larkspur Landing Brand with 11 Hotels in Northern CA and US Pacific NW
Larkspur Landing | September 18, 2013
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 18, 2013 -- HHM has been chosen to manage the prestigious Larkspur Landing brand, best known for its upscale extended stay hotels. The 11 all-suite hotels are located in major Northern California and Pacific Northwest cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento and San Jose. Each of these hotels will continue to be owned by affiliates of Starwood Capital Group ("Starwood"), the private investment firm which made its initial investment in 2007 and completed a successful refinancing and related purchase of the Larkspur Landing brand. "We are honored and delighted to be associated with such an innovative...
KeyLime Cove Implements NAVIS; Caller Data Boosts Revenue, Identifies Most Profitable Promotions
KeyLime Cove | September 18, 2013
Reservation Sales System Provider NAVIS Creates New Revenue Source, Raises Conversions 10%, Improves Guest Service, Increases Promotion ROI Bend, OR - September 18, 2013 - NAVIS, the leading reservation sales system provider for the resort, hotel, and vacation rental markets, announced the successful implementation of its system and services at KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort. With NAVIS, the property generated $80,000 of outbound call revenue in one month and increased conversions by 10%. The system also enabled accurate ROI measurement for promotions and advertising while improving guest satisfaction scores. KeyLime Cove is a 404...
Conrad Hotels & Resorts Debuts in United Arab Emirates with Opening of the 555-room Conrad Dubai
Conrad Hotels and Resorts | September 18, 2013
September 18, 2013 - DUBAI, United Arab Emirates & MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide brings its global brand for the new generation of smart luxury travellers, for whom life, business and pleasure seamlessly intersect, to UAE today with the official opening of Conrad Dubai. The 555-room luxury hotel marks the entry of Conrad Hotels & Resorts into the region, after the company's luxury brands regional opening of the Waldorf Astoria Ras al Khaimah hotel, which began welcoming guests in early August. Located amid upscale living in Dubai's bustling cosmopolitan business and shopping district, Conrad Dubai offers the epitome of discreet...
Cornell Issues Studies on International Hotel Guests’ Preferences
J.D. Power | September 18, 2013
Ithaca, NY, September 18, 2013 - The Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at the School of Hotel Administration has issued two studies that examine the hotel and marketing preferences of international travelers. One study, conducted by J.D. Power, compares guest satisfaction levels of hotel guests in eight nations. Another study compares the attitudes toward flash sales of consumers in five Asian nations. Cornell Study Finds that Flash Sales for Hotels Are Popular in Many Asian Nations A new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research finds that the response to flash sales varies for consumers from different Asian co...
Newmarket to Provide Android Support for N2GO
Newmarket International, Inc. | September 18, 2013
September 18, 2013 - Portsmouth, NH - Newmarket® International, Inc. ("Newmarket"), the proven business solutions provider for empowering hospitality organizations to lower costs and increase revenue while improving customer satisfaction and guest loyalty, today announced the availability of support for Android devices on N2GO, the mobile application for its Delphi sales and catering solution. Continuing to build on its global success, Newmarket is proud to announce that N2GO support on the Android V4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and higher is now available. This is in addition to the current support of IOS devices on N2GO. Android certified...
HMC to Manage the New Build 83-room Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cotulla, TX Opening in Q4 2013
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) | September 18, 2013
Dallas, TX, September 18, 2013: Leo Spriggs, President/CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), one of the country's largest third-party privately held hotel management companies ranked in the top 40 (of all third party and owner operated) largest independent U.S. Hotel Operators is pleased to announce the signing of a property management agreement for a new build Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, located in Cotulla, Texas adding to HMC's growing portfolio of managed properties. The Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham will have a total of 83 guest rooms and is to be completed in November of 2013. Some of the Hotel amenities...
Buffalo Ventures II Opens the 100-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton Kalispell in Montana
September 18, 2013
KALLISPELL, Mont. - September 18, 2013 - Homewood Suites by Hilton, the international brand of upscale, all-suite, extended-stay hotels, announced today the opening of its newest property in Kalispell, MT. Creating 20 permanent jobs, the four-story, 100-suite hotel is owned by Buffalo Ventures II, LLC. and will be managed by Homewood Suites Management LLC. General Manager Angela Bowman has been in the hotel industry for 10 years, and will be supported by Director of Sales, Vanessa Nordahl. "Homewood Suites provides business and leisure travelers tremendous bundled value, which is especially important as fuel costs continue to fluctuate ...
$13 Million Restoration of RI’s Providence Biltmore Underway
Finard Coventry | September 18, 2013
Owner, Finard Coventry Hotel Management, Forms Joint Venture with Angelo Gordon September 18, 2013 (Providence, RI) - Finard Coventry Hotel Management, owner and operator of the Providence Biltmore Hotel in Providence, RI, has entered into a joint venture with Angelo Gordon (AG), an investment firm based in New York, NY. AG is making a capital investment, joining Finard Coventry to restore the historic character of this landmark hotel. A $13 million restoration of guest rooms and public spaces is underway. "Angelo Gordon's investment in the Biltmore is in effect an investment in the city of Providence," said Todd Finard, a principal of ...
Choice Hotels Breaks Ground on 121-room Cambria Suites Phoenix-Desert Ridge in Arizona
Cambria Suites | September 18, 2013
PHOENIX, Sept. 18, 2013 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, and O'Reilly Hospitality Management, LLC, a prominent hotel and restaurant developer and management company based in Springfield, Mo., today announced the expansion of the upscale hotel brand, Cambria Suites, into the Phoenix market. The four-story, 121-room Cambria Suites Phoenix-Desert Ridge is the first of the brand in Arizona, and is the second of two Cambria Suites to be developed and managed by O'Reilly Hospitality Management. The announcement also revealed that Cambria Suites Phoenix-Desert Ridge will be home to t...
The 446-room Kempinski Hotel Yixing Opens in China’s Pottery Capital
Kempinski Hotels | September 17, 2013
Toronto, September 17, 2013 - Kempinski Hotel Yixing, the first international five-star hotel in the city is now fully operational after its soft opening in January 2013. Guests are invited to experience savoir-vivre through modern facilities, superb European service and international gourmet cuisine in the heart of Yixing. Yixing is one of the most culturally significant cities in Chinese history, and is famous for its long tradition of handmade zisha teapots, majestic bamboo forests and mysterious caves. In addition, Yixing is the birthplace of thousands of scholars and scientists. Kempinski Hotel Yixing is located on the banks of Lak...
Urbana Varro, LLC Acquires 95-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Greenville, South Carolina
Urbana Varro, LLC | September 17, 2013
DALLAS - September 17, 2013 - Urbana Varro, LLC, on behalf of the Urbana Varro Opportunity Fund I (the "Fund"), has acquired the 95-suite TownePlace Suites in Greenville, SC. Conveniently located near the super-regional Haywood Mall, the largest in the state with more than 1.3 million square feet of retail space, this extended-stay hotel targets extended-stay, corporate, group and leisure business. Urbana Varro, LLC is a venture between Urbana Realty Holdings, LLC, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate investment, development and management company, and Varro Hospitality, LLC, a Dallas-based hotel investment and management company. Th...
Olympia Hotel Management and Hyatt Open 131-room Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center
Hyatt Place | September 17, 2013
CHICAGO (September 17, 2013) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Olympia Hotel Management today announce the opening of Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center, the first newly built hotel to open in Hyde Park in 50 years. On the heels of June's opening of Hyatt Place Chicago/River North, this marks the brand's second location in the city. "As a native of the South Side of Chicago, I am proud to have the honor of opening this hotel in historic Hyde Park," said Anthony Beach, general manager, Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center. "This beautiful neighborhood is enjoying re-development which will further...
MetWest Terra Names Jim Gerney as Regional VP and GM; Will Now Lead Both Toll House and Hotel Abri
TOLL HOUSE HOTEL | September 17, 2013
SAN FRANCISCO (September 17, 2013) - MetWest Terra Hospitality announces the appointment of Jim Gerney as regional vice president and general manager for Hotel Abri. Gerney has been the general manager of Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos since October 2012, coming on board with more than 26 years of hospitality experience. His extensive knowledge of the Bay Area market is of great importance to his new role, as he will now oversee Hotel Abri in San Francisco's Union Square from a regional capacity, as well as continue to manage Toll House Hotel. "Jim's passion for hospitality and depth of experience is unmatched," said Gary Gutierrez, MetW...
Mohamed Abdelrehim Named as General Manager for the 91-room Homewood Suites by Hilton in Ithaca, NY
Homewood Suites by Hilton Ithaca | September 17, 2013
ITHACA, NY (September 17, 2013) --- Waterford Hotel Group recently announced the promotion of Mohamed Abdelrehim to General Manager for the 91-room Homewood Suites by Hilton in Ithaca, NY. The Homewood Suites Ithaca is managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm. Abdelrehim joins the Homewood Suites Ithaca as General Manager from his most recent position as Front Office Manager for the Residence Inn by Marriott in Hartford, CT. In his new role, Abdelrehim will be responsible for all phases of the hotel's operations, sales and administration. He joined Waterford in 2009 as the Front Desk Super...
IHG Appoints Oliver Bonke as Chief Commercial Officer for the Americas
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | September 17, 2013
ATLANTA, GA - 17 September, 2013 – InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the recent appointment of Oliver Bonke to the position of Americas Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective September 3, 2013. He will be responsible for leading Brand Management and Sales and Marketing in the Americas, as well as will serve on the region's senior leadership committee. Oliver comes to IHG after 24 years with Starwood® Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. He most recently served as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a position he held since 2008. During his tenure, his innovative and perfor...
The Kessler Collection Plans Brand Expansion with Four New Hotels Expected to Open by 2015
The Kessler Collection | September 17, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 17, 2013 -- The Kessler Collection, a portfolio of ten artistically inspired boutique hotels and restaurants, is excited to announce its continued expansion with upcoming developments throughout the United States. The brand continues to create a re-defined "Bohemian Experience" with four new hotels in Charleston, S.C., Birmingham, Ala., Savannah, Ga. and Healdsburg, Calif. expected to open between 2013 and 2015. The dynamic growth furthers the luxury hotel collection's position as a discernible leader in the boutique lodging industry. "The Kessler Collection looks forward to creating new guest experiences in emergin...
