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
Aptech Business Intelligence and Accounting Selected by 9 Hotel Companies with 120 Properties
Aptech Computer Systems | September 9, 2013
Multi-Property Operators Tap Aptech for Execuvue® Enterprise Business Intelligence with Easy to Use Reporting; Targetvue Corporate Budgeting; Profitvue® and Webvue® Centralized Back Office Accounting to Manage with Real Numbers for Growth and Better Business Decisions Pittsburgh, PA - September 9, 2013 - Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., the leading provider of hospitality software for business intelligence and enterprise financial accounting, announced 9 hotel companies with a total of more than 120 properties selected Aptech's business intelligence, budgeting and accounting solutions. Click here for more on Aptech's products and servi...
Forbes Travel Guide Releases Inaugural Mid-Year Update to Star Ratings
Forbes Travel Guide | September 9, 2013
Includes the First Ever Five-Star Hotels in Seattle and Vancouver, and a New Five-Star Hotel in London ATLANTA, Sept. 9, 2013 -- Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled the inaugural mid-year update to its official 2013 list of Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended properties worldwide, including three new hotels, four new restaurants and a new spa that achieved the Five-Star rating. "We are rapidly expanding our Star Rating coverage, and it's more important than ever that consumers receive timely updates to our official list of Star Rated properties," said Michael Cascone, President of Forbes Travel Guide. "We will continue to have an annual...
The 129-room Courtyard Glassboro Rowan University to Open this Week in New Jersey
Courtyard by Marriott | September 9, 2013
Glassboro, New Jersey - September 9, 2013 - Courtyard by Marriott is rolling out its innovative lobby and room design in Glassboro, New Jersey. This is the first Courtyard in the area featuring the Refreshing Business lobby environment, where guests can enjoy an open and flexible space. Along with media pods, Wi-Fi and a variety of seating zones, the redefined space is ideal for everything from pop-up meetings to social gatherings. Scheduled to open on Thursday, September 12, 2013, the 129-room Courtyard Glassboro Rowan University also offers a refreshing and stylish room design that helps guests stay connected, productive and comfortab...
Building Your 2014 Strategy: The Change Model in Hospitality Strategy Sessions / Renie Cavallari
Aspire Marketing | September 9, 2013
Every year smart organizations come together to reflect, think and prepare for the upcoming year(s). Hours are spent on understanding their SWOT, distribution channels, prior year results and their implications, customer trends, product and operational gaps, and competitor performance. As a strategist, it was a tough day when I learned that though great strategy is a must for effective organization's evolution, it was just one piece of building a framework for future and sustainable success. Over the past 10 years, Aspire has studied what it takes to continue to move an organization and its team members to their fullest potential. This ...
HMC Chosen to Manage the New-build 53-room Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Gonzales, Texas
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) | September 9, 2013
Dallas, TX, September 9, 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 Gonzales, Texas adding to HMC's growing portfolio of managed properties. The Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Gonzales, Texas has a total of 53 guest rooms and was opened by HMC in late June of 2013. Some of the hotel...
The 125-room BEST WESTERN PLUS Saint Charles Inn Opens in Missouri; Owned by Iwala, Inc.
BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC. | September 6, 2013
SAINT CHARLES, Mo., September 6, 2013 - Best Western International announces the opening of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Saint Charles Inn, 1425 S 5th Street. Owned by Iwala, Inc., the hotel features 125 guest rooms and eight two-room suites. Hotel amenities include a complimentary full hot breakfast, indoor heated pool and an onsite fitness center. Each room is equipped with a 32" flat screen television, refrigerator, Bath & Body Works products and free hi-speed, wireless Internet access. Hotel also has an onsite market, outdoor sundeck area with BBQ grill and is pet friendly. For business travelers, the hotel offers a complimentary busin...
Marcus® Hotels & Resorts Names New GMs for Skirvin Hilton Hotel and Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
The Skirvin Hilton Hotel | September 6, 2013
MILWAUKEE - September 6, 2013 - Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), today announced two hotel general manager appointments. Martin van der Laan, former general manager of the historic AAA Four Diamond Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been appointed general manager of the company's Westin Atlanta Perimeter North hotel in Atlanta, Ga. and industry leader Roseann Grippo has been named the new general manager of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Van der Laan joined Marcus Hotels & Resorts in 2008. During his time with the company, he has served as general manager of the Platinum Hote...
Urban Commons Purchases the 110-room Comfort Inn & 110-room Holiday Inn in San Mateo, CA
Urban Commons | September 6, 2013
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 6, 2013 - Urban Commons, LLC, announces today the purchase of the 110-room Comfort Inn and the 110-room Holiday Inn in San Mateo ("The Hotels"). The Hotels are located in the city of San Mateo, located in the high-tech enclave Silicon Valley which surrounds the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco Bay Area is a region with 7.4 million people and an annual economic output of $300 Billion. The Bay Area is the sixth-highest populated region in the U.S. and includes the cities of San Francisco, San Mateo, San Jose, and Oakland, along with smaller urban and rural areas. Urban Commons will be converting and merging the...
Polynesian Themed, 361-room Sofitel The Palm Dubai Opens; Christophe Schnyder, General Manager
Sofitel, Manged by Accor | September 6, 2013
September 6, 2013 - Located on Dubai's must visit destination, the iconic Palm Jumeirah, the hotel boasts 361 island chic inspired guest rooms and suites, as well as 182 fully serviced apartments. Nestled within the tranquil groves of the Palm Jumeirah, the resort is encapsulated by a private 500m stretch of pearlescent beach, enabling guests to indulge in breath-taking sea views. Trumping a total of 100,000 square metres, Sofitel The Palm Dubai's distinct French luxury offering is embraced by rich and iconic elements of Polynesian culture and civilization. With an organic architecture and lush vertical gardens created by the French bot...
Through a Conversion, IHG to Open First Hotel in Turkey, the Holiday Inn Diyarbakir – City Center
IHG | September 6, 2013
September 6, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the largest hotel companies in the world, continues to grow its presence in Turkey with the signing of its sixteenth hotel in the country and its first in Diyarbakir: Holiday Inn Diyarbakir – City Center. The 161-room hotel will be converted from an existing building under a franchise agreement with BED Turizm Company and coordinated by POYA Hotel Project Management Company. Due to open in 2015, the hotel's facilities will include a gym, spa, bar, restaurant, five meeting rooms on the mezzanine level, and a banqueting area on the roof terrace. The hotel will also feature ...
Benchmark Hospitality Names Ender Oktayuren Executive Chef at World of Whirlpool in Chicago, IL
Whirlpool Brand | September 6, 2013
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, September 6, 2013 - Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Ender Oktayuren executive chef for World of Whirlpool, located in the historic Reid Murdoch Building in the River North area of Chicago. Ken Jesina, conference center manager for World of Whirlpool, Whirlpool Corporation's flagship brand and product experience center for influencers in the appliance industry, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to welcome Ender to the leadership team here at the World of Whirlpool," said Mr. Jesina. "He has been with us for a year and a half as so...
Radisson Blu Warwick Philadelphia Appoints Shannon Munley-Foster as Director of Sales and Marketing
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | September 6, 2013
PHILADELPHIA (September 6, 2013) -- The new Radisson Blu Warwick Philadelphia today announced the appointment of Shannon Munley-Foster as director of sales and marketing. Munley-Foster will oversee all sales, marketing and public relations functions for the 301-room historic property. "Shannon will play a crucial role as we complete the conversion of the Radisson Plaza - Warwick Hotel Philadelphia to a Radisson Blu property," said Joanne Cunningham, general manager of the hotel. "Her extensive background in developing and executing sales and marketing initiatives for hotels throughout the US is vital to the property during this exciting...
Jeffery Burrell Named General Manager of the 230-key Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek, Colorado
Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain | September 6, 2013
AVON, Colo. (Sept. 6, 2013) - The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is pleased to announce that Jeffery Burrell is now serving as the General Manager of the award-winning resort. With more than 15 years of hospitality experience, Burrell helped open The Westin Riverfront in 2008 as the Director of Operations, a position that he held for more than 4 years and where he oversaw the sustainable luxury efforts that helped the resort become Colorado's first Silver LEED certified hotel. Burrell most recently served as the General Manager of Virginia's historic Mountain Lake Lodge, which completed an extensive multi-mi...
Choice Hotels Appoints Thomas Song as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development
Choice Hotels | September 6, 2013
ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 6, 2013 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, today announced it has named Thomas Song as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. Mr. Song will report to Patrick Pacious, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Operations at Choice Hotels. In his new role, Mr. Song will direct strategic initiatives that drive growth and profitability. He also will lead the company's efforts to identify and evaluate corporate investment opportunities, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic business alliances. "In today's global marketplace, companies with unique...
Honey, I Shrunk The Ritz: Historic Greenwich Village, NY Building Reborn as The 107-room Marlton
The Owners | September 6, 2013
New York City, September 5, 2013 - Built in 1900, the building once known as the Marlton House has long attracted bold-faced names and counterculture icons. From Lillian Gish to Neal Cassady, the building's past is as storied as the neighborhood it sits in. Valerie Solanas was living in the Marlton House when she shot Andy Warhol, and Lenny Bruce lived here while standing trial for obscenity. Dame Maggie Smith, John Lithgow, and Mickey Rourke all spent time here, while Jack Kerouac wrote two novellas, The Subterraneans and Tristessa, while living in the hotel. In more recent years, the building has served as a freshman dormitory for The...
HFTP Extends the Next Version of GUESTROOM 20X
GUESTROOM 20X | September 6, 2013
Austin, Texas, USA (September 5, 2013) - Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) announces an extension to the GUESTROOM 20X project schedule. A new version of the special exhibit was set to debut at the 2014 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), which displays the hospitality industry's most innovative technologies for the guestroom. Instead it will be moved to a future date to allow time for the development of a wider range of game changing guest technologies. The most recent version was shown at HITEC 2012 in Baltimore, Md. The additional time for the exhibit's production allows for ...
EI Signs GAP Agreement with Human Capital Hotel & Tourism Training Institute in Kenya
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | September 6, 2013
Orlando, Florida, September 6, 2013 - The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has established a Global Academic Partner (GAP) agreement with Human Capital Hotel & Tourism Training Institute (HCHTTI), an academic institution established in Mombasa, Kenya, in January 2013 to provide short- and long-term training programs in hospitality and tourism. Under the direction of David Kimanthi, CHT, the institute prepares students for hospitality and tourism training careers in East Africa. The school is strategically affiliated to Human Capital Experts Limited, a leading consultancy firm in recruitment, capacity building and...
Founders of La Quinta, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises to Enter Hospitality Hall of Honor
Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management | September 5, 2013
HOUSTON—Pioneering hotelier Sam Barshop and successful restaurateur Richard Melman will be inducted into the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor this year at the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. The Hall of Honor, which is housed at Hilton College, was created in 1995 to recognize industry leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to American and international business and society. Barshop, founder of La Quinta Inns & Suites and creator of the limited-service hotel concept, is a Texas native whose lodging career began in San Antonio in 1963. In 1968, he opened the first tw...
RFR Holding Selects Interstate Hotels to Manage New York’s Landmark Paramount Hotel
RFR Holding LLC | September 5, 2013
September 5, 2013 - The Paramount Hotel, a landmark property in the heart of New York's Theater District, is proud to announce its new management company, Interstate Hotels & Resorts. RFR Holding LLC, which owns the hotel, chose Interstate Hotels & Resorts as it is the leading U.S. - based global hotel management company, with over 50 years of success that is unmatched in the hospitality industry. Built in 1928, The Paramount was recently upgraded with a spectacular design and new amenities, and requires a game-changing management team to elevate the growing Paramount brand. The new management company will enhance operations at ...
New California Hotels Corp. to Open The OCEAN ONE Resort in Lauderdale By The Sea, FL in Spring 2014
New California Hotels Corporation | September 5, 2013
LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA, Fla., Sept. 5, 2013 -- After two years of planning and development, New California Hotels Corporation plans to unveil OCEAN ONE in the Spring of 2014. The venture brings two new boutique concepts to Lauderdale By The Sea, OCEAN ONE Resort and The Bungalows. The OCEAN ONE Resort is located at 4116 Ocean Avenue. The Resort will be Lauderdale By The Seas' largest comprised of 186 guest rooms located on 3.5 acres of land adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and 26 Bungalows directly on the beach. The former Holiday Inn is undergoing a complete transition, two brand new restaurants, a pool with cabanas, and other amenities c...
New California Hotels Corp. Brings 17-Acre Mixed Use Development with 192-room Hotel to Troy, MI
California Hotels Corporation | September 5, 2013
TROY, Mich., Sept. 5, 2013 - New California Hotels Corporation together with Park Avenue Investments LLC, is developing a new concept for the Detroit area. The 17 Acre mixed use development will be named LA SQUARE, a brainchild of CEO Remo Polselli. The development was inspired by The Grove in Los Angeles, California. Originally, the site of the Northfield Hilton, it is currently, the Met Hotel Troy. LA Square will be located off of the I-75 and Crooks Exit at 5500 Crooks Road in the City of Troy, Michigan. The hotel access road from Crooks Road, once a boulevard directly to the hotel will be converted into a 200 yard long 60 ft. wide p...
Vancouver Based Executive Hotels & Resorts Starts Construction on Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York
The Executive Group Of Companies | September 5, 2013
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Sept. 4, 2013 - The Executive Group announced today it has started construction on the Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York; a 163 suite boutique luxury hotel which will be a sister hotel to its already successful Executive Hotel Le Soleil Vancouver. Building off the popularity of the Executive Le Soleil brand and style of design, this new location is under construction in the heart of Mid Town Manhattan at the prime intersection of 5th Avenue and W 36th St. The projected completion date for the Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York is late 2014 and when completed, will be the 17th location in the Executive Hote...
Renovations are on the Rise: How Owners and Operators are Getting Creative & Adding the WOW Factor
InnValue Hospitality | September 5, 2013
September 5, 2013 - During the Great Recession, the decline in hotel operating performance left very limited, if any, funding for hotel renovation reserves. In recognition of these challenging times, hotel brands were more flexible with their franchisees in enforcing property improvement plans and capital renovation cycles, resulting in the deferral of capital expenditures. Today, lodging demand has recovered and hotels are busier than ever, thanks to the strengthening economy and increased travel. According to Smith Travel Research, overall occupancy rates across the U.S. were reported to be as high 71.0%, up 1.7% from the same time las...
Accor Signs Agreement for Three Moscow, Russia Hotels that Will Add 700 Rooms to Group’s Portfolio
Accor | September 5, 2013
September 5, 2013 - Accor, the world's leading hotel operator, announces that it has entered into a long-term Management Agreement with one of the largest Russian development companies PATERO Development* to manage a hotel complex as part of a multi-functional center to be constructed next to Kievsky Railway Station, in the center of Moscow. This development will add 700 rooms to the capital of Russia and confirms the Group's commitment to Russia, as Accor celebrates its 21st anniversary on the Russian market. The Group currently operates 5 hotels in Moscow and a network of 18 hotels in Russia and the CIS. "Russia is one of the most imp...
