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Industry Happenings
Room Service More than a Revenue Generator
David Sangree & Hotel & Leisure Advisors | August 28, 2013
by David J. Sangree, MAI, CPA, ISHC as published by Hotel News Now, August 2013 Thinking about that breakfast you just ordered at your hotel, delivered to you on a cart and white tablecloth by a smiling waiter? Think again, as some hotels are considering eliminating this loss leader department. Hotels are constantly transforming in order to keep up with the ever-changing needs and expectations of guests. One of the newer trends some hotels are exploring to meet today's guest needs is to eliminate room service at full-service hotels and collaborate with local delivery restaurants or add their own 'grab-n-go' cafeteria-style eateries. So...
Hotel Indigo to Debut in Finland with the 2015 Opening of 120-room Hotel Indigo Helsinki – Boulevard
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | August 28, 2013
August 28, 2013 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) one of the world's largest hotel companies, is delighted to announced the signing of its first Hotel Indigo in Finland: Hotel Indigo Helsinki - Boulevard. Due to open in 2015, the 120-room hotel is a conversion of an existing building. It will open under a franchise agreement with International Restel Hotels Ltd; a trusted partner who already operate all eight of IHG's existing hotels in Finland. The hotel will be located in the Kamppi/Punavuori districts of Helsinki which are famous for 19th Century art and architecture, nestled in amongst trendy restaurants and art galleries. Hotel...
The 175-room Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan Opens in India
Courtyard Brand | August 28, 2013
Pune - August 28, 2013 - A renowned automobile and manufacturing hub in Pune, Chakan now, has its first International business hotel with the launch of Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan. The hotel will mark the opening of the 10th Courtyard by Marriott property in India, and the 4th Marriott property in Pune city. This premium, business hotel brand of Marriott International Inc. has been designed to suit the needs of today's business traveler and is poised to serve guests looking for a unique and contemporary hospitality experience. The 175 subtly stylish and spacious rooms include twelve residence suites, come thoughtfully designed to ...
Pacifica Hotels Closes Iconic CA Marina Del Rey Hotel to Begin $20 Million Renovation
Pacifica Hotels | August 28, 2013
Plans Spring 2014 Reopening Marina del Rey, CA (August 28, 2013) - Pacifica Hotels, California's largest owner and operator of boutique hotels, announced today the full renovation of the Marina del Rey Hotel, the Marina's very first hotel. The historic and iconic waterfront property will re-open with the same name in Spring 2014 after a $20 million renovation. The new, 160-room Marina del Rey Hotel will boast 4-star amenities, including a full-service restaurant, 24-hour room service, concierge assistance, an outdoor, marina-facing pool and sundeck, an outdoor wedding venue, and a roster of additional offerings. Originally opened in the...
Construction of the 194-room Embassy Suites Oklahoma City Begins in Oklahoma
Embassy Suites Hotels | August 28, 2013
MCLEAN, Va. - August 28, 2013 - Hilton Worldwide today announced the recent groundbreaking with an Oklahoma City-based partnership to bring its full service, all-suites Embassy Suites Hotels brand to Oklahoma City. Partners Bob Howard, Mickey Clagg and Chris Fleming have teamed up with the Presbyterian Health Foundation and the University Hospitals Trust to develop the six-floor, upscale hotel at 741 N. Phillips Ave. Prism Hotels & Resorts is serving as project manager on the development. Embassy Suites Oklahoma City will feature 194 rooms, 7,000 square feet of meeting space and an on-site restaurant, the brand's new dining concept ...
Hotel & Resort Digital Marketing Budgets: Avoid the Headaches & Get it Right! – Part 2 of 3
August 28, 2013
By: William Bellis III, Senior Corporate Marketing Manager at Vizergy®, with contributions from Joe Hyman, President & CEO, and Paul Fraser, Director of Product Management __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part one of this series helped you get confidently set up for your 2014 digital marketing budget planning. It shed light on key issues that you must consider. Part two now delves into hot topics (aka online channels/tools) that you should heavily focus on, while part three will recommend dollar percentage allocations for said channels...
San Francisco’s 236-room Serrano Hotel Acquired by LaSalle Hotel Properties for $71.5 Million
LaSalle Hotel Properties | August 28, 2013
BETHESDA, Md. - August 28, 2013 - LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) today announced that it acquired the Serrano Hotel in San Francisco, CA. The purchase price was $71.5 million. The Company funded the transaction with borrowings from its Senior Unsecured Credit Facility. The 236-room, full-service Serrano Hotel is located at 405 Taylor Street in the heart of San Francisco's Theater District, three blocks from Union Square and within a few blocks of the Moscone Convention Center. The hotel is surrounded by numerous amenities, including restaurants, retail offerings and vibrant nightlife. The Financial District, Chinatown, Grace Cathe...
LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires Southernmost Hotel Collection in Key West, FL for $184.5 Million
LaSalle Hotel Properties | August 28, 2013
BETHESDA, Md. - August 28, 2013 - LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) today announced that it acquired the 260-room Southernmost Hotel Collection in Key West, Florida. The purchase price was $184.5 million. The Southernmost Hotel Collection consists of the Southernmost on the Beach, Southernmost Hotel in the USA and La Mer Hotel & Dewey House. The Company funded the transaction with borrowings from its Senior Unsecured Credit Facility. The property is situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean in Key West, Florida, one of the strongest and most supply-constrained hotel markets in the United States. The hotel is located on the southern...
NORTHWIND Launches Maestro PMS RevGen Suite for Independents
Maestro Property Management Solution | August 28, 2013
Maestro PMS RevGen Suite is Powerful Business Toolset to Drive Guest Retention, Shift Bookings to Hotel Websites, Increase Marketing ROI, and Maximize Profits Markham, ON - August 28, 2013 - NORTHWIND, provider of Maestro™ Enterprise Property Management announced its groundbreaking RevGen Suite. Maestro's RevGen gives independent operators a unified set of Business Intelligence (BI), Yield Management, and e-Marketing tools that enable them to be more successful. NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS provides hotel software and reservation software solutions for the industry's leading independent hotel, resort, and multi-property groups. Click here t...
Hyatt to Acquire Florida’s 1,641-room Peabody Orlando Hotel for $717 Million
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | August 28, 2013
To be Rebranded as Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center Upon October 1st Transaction Closing CHICAGO - August 28, 2013 - Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that a wholly owned Hyatt subsidiary plans to purchase the 1,641-room Peabody Orlando hotel for $717 million from UST Hotel Joint Venture, Ltd., comprised of affiliates of Belz Enterprises and Estein & Associates USA, Ltd. The transaction is expected to close on October 1, 2013, and the hotel will be rebranded as Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center upon closing. "This transaction brings us a very high-quality hotel in one of the most popular cities in the w...
Creativity “on” the Job – 25 Outlandish Excuses Americans Use To Get More Vacation Time
Choice Hotels | August 28, 2013
New Survey From Choice Hotels: Most Americans Are Planning End-of-Summer/Fall Getaways ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 28, 2013 -- Heading into the long Labor Day weekend, most Americans (66 percent) report they plan to take a leisure trip for the end of the summer or fall this year, according to a nationwide survey conducted this month by Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies. As the peak summer travel season draws to a close, nearly two-thirds of Americans polled (63 percent) said they could use more vacation time. The top things they would do with their extra time off: just relax (58 percent)...
iRiS Software Systems to Launch New In-app Phone Feature
iRiS Software Systems | August 28, 2013
August 28, 2013 - iRiS Software Systems, the award-winning hospitality technology provider, has launched an integrated phone system through their iRiS Valet application. The iRiS Guest Valet application now supports integration with PABX systems via SIP servers, allowing guests to make internal and external phone calls from within the app- a world first! "We're all very excited about this new integration, the fact that this is a world first cements our position as the leading innovators in the industry and the Palais Hansen Kempinski is the ideal place to trial it." Said Jason Jefferys, CEO of iRiS Software Systems. This new integration...
Five Things You Can Do to Prepare Your Business for Same-Sex Weddings
14 Stories | August 28, 2013
The 14 Stories Gay Wedding Institute (GWI) announces a free PDF: Five Things You can do to Prepare Your Business for Same-Sex Weddings - just click here for the free download. Over 300 wedding and hospitality professionals from top hotels around the world are graduates of the world's first gay wedding certification course, presented by the GWI. Our next GWI course by webinar will be offered again on September 10, 17 and 24. Registration is now open and the early bird rate expires on September 1. Our next live course will be held in San Diego on November 3, Los Angeles on November 4 and in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City on...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 108 Is It Fair?; After Two Years in the Making; A Preview of My New Book
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | August 27, 2013
Quote of the Month By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. Is It Fair? So you bought a Hilton franchise because you believed that the Blackstone Group was a strong owner. Now, Blackstone has begun preparations for an initial public offering and has hired the Goldman Sachs Group, Bank of America's Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley to find appropriate buyers. What recourse does a Hilton franchisee have? None at all. While the franchisee can't sell his hotel without Blackstone's approval, Blackstone can sell the entire Hilton Corporation without the approval of its more than 4000 franchisees: (consisting of Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, DoubleTr...
Knowland Group Executive Awarded CFO of the Year
The Knowland Group | August 27, 2013
Innovative cloud computing and data firm's CFO, Jeff Haslow, receives recognition from financial industry community Washington, DC (Aug 27, 2013) - The Knowland Group is proud to announce that Jeff Haslow, Knowland's Chief Financial Officer has recently been award CFO by the Year (Private Company) during Proformative's CFO Dimensions Awards for Excellence. At the award ceremony held at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on August 22nd, winners in four categories were honored during Proformative's premier conference for chief financial officers and corporate finance leaders. Haslow, in great company, shared the stage with the CFO or fin...
Thomas F. Kissinger Promoted to Senior Executive Vice President for The Marcus Corporation
The Marcus Corporation | August 27, 2013
Steven S. Bartelt and Mary Beth Castino Also Named for New Legal Department Positions MILWAUKEE, Wis. - August 27, 2013 - The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) today announced the promotion of Thomas F. Kissinger, 53, to senior executive vice president of The Marcus Corporation. In addition, the company announced the promotions of Steven S. Bartelt to director of legal affairs and Mary Beth Castino to director of risk management. Kissinger will continue to serve as The Marcus Corporation's general counsel and secretary, and will assume added responsibilities for the human resources and corporate real estate departments. He will also work ...
AH&LA Appoints Vanessa Sinders as Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) | August 27, 2013
Washington, D.C. - August 27, 2013 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) announces the appointment of Vanessa Sinders as senior vice president of governmental affairs, effective September 16, 2013. In this role, Sinders will oversee the association's advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with key administration policymakers, and will be responsible for directing the governmental affairs department in the development and execution of key strategies for addressing the key issues facing the lodging industry, including immigration reform, tax, healthcare, and labor. She also will oversee the expansion of the association'...
Hay Creek Hotels Promotes George F. Soderberg II to Vice-President of Operations
Hay Creek Hotels | August 27, 2013
EXETER, New Hampshire (August 27, 2013) - Hay Creek Hotels is pleased to announce the promotion of George F. Soderberg II to Vice-President of Operations. In this capacity, he will be responsible for the overall operations direction of all Hay Creek properties. George joined Hay Creek Hotels in 2009 as Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing. He quickly demonstrated his ability to improve revenue and GSI while simultaneously controlling costs. He took on a variety of responsibilities, including cost controls, design and implementation of service and operational standards, marketing, sales, market analysis, revenue management analysi...
Denihan Hospitality Group Promotes Patrick Chiappetta to Corporate Director of Restaurants and Bars
Denihan Hospitality Group | August 27, 2013
New York, NY (August 27, 2013) - Denihan Hospitality Group, a full-service hotel management and development company that owns and operates boutique hotels in major urban markets in the U.S., has announced the promotion of Patrick Chiappetta to Corporate Director of Restaurants and Bars. In his new role, Patrick directs the culinary, catering, staff training and marketing efforts throughout Denihan's companywide restaurant and bar operations. Chiappetta joined Denihan in 2010 as Director of Operations for Art and Soul, helmed by two-time James Beard award-winning Chef Art Smith. During Chiappetta's tenure at Art and Soul, the restaurant ...
Lite Hotels Names Paul Dun & Lendy Ma Hotel Managers for Pagoda and White Sands Hotels in Honolulu
August 27, 2013
August 27, 2013 - Honolulu, Hawaii - Lite Hotels, a division of Aqua Hospitality, named Paul Dun, hotel manager, for the 360-room Pagoda Hotel. Most recently, Dun was hotel manager for the White Sands Hotel where he was instrumental in helping the property achieve improved ADR and a higher ranking on the popular consumer travel site, TripAdvisor. Prior to joining Aqua in 2006, Dun worked in Special Events at the Royal Hawaiian Center. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and has a B.A. from the University of Redlands in California. Replacing Dun at the 93-room White Sands Hotel as hotel manager is Lendy Ma. With nearly ten years of ex...
Denver’s Curtis – a Doubletree by Hilton Completes $3.4 Million Meeting Space Expansion
the Curtis - a Doubletree by Hilton | August 27, 2013
Denver, Colo. (Aug. 27, 2013) - Line up and start practicing your serve - the Curtis - a Doubletree by Hilton has expanded its playground with a $3.4 million renovation that includes the new Four Square Ballroom, a unique 7,000 square feet indoor/outdoor event space in the heart of downtown Denver. At 4,200 square feet, the new Curtis Four Square ballroom boasts upscale finishes, tons of natural light, cool modern art elements and the latest in advanced technology. A large retractable nano glass wall separates the modern indoor space from a sizeable outdoor patio complete with a private bar, custom lounge furniture and a fireplace. The ...
Embassy Suites Baltimore Installs FlyteBoard; Enhances Service with Real-Time Airline Information
Flyte Systems | August 27, 2013
Historic Property Renovates with High-Tech Flyte Systems Services that Keep Guests On Time and On Property; New InfoBoard Provides Global Property Information, Airline Schedules, and More CHICAGO, IL August 27, 2013 - Flyte Systems, the leading provider of airport travel information displays and digital signage content for the hospitality industry, digital signage, convention centers and related businesses, announced the Embassy Suites Baltimore Downtown installed its FlyteBoard airline schedule display. FlyteBoard gives guests accurate, real-time airline flight information for travel confidence that keeps them comfortably on property l...
Denihan Hospitality Group Names Three New VPs: Cheryl Franz, Wendy Pong and Susan Weigel
Denihan Hospitality Group | August 27, 2013
New York, NY (August 27, 2013) - Denihan Hospitality Group, a full-service hotel management and development company that owns and operates boutique hotels in major urban markets in the U.S., has announced the appointment of three new vice presidents, according to David Duncan, Denihan's president. They include: Cheryl Franz, Vice President, Learning & Organizational Development; Wendy Pong, Vice President, Asset Management; and Susan Weigel, Vice President, Revenue Management. In a newly created position, Franz is responsible for managing and supporting the assessment of organizational needs and the design, implementation and evalua...
Sébastien Bazin Appointed as Accor’s Chairman and CEO
Accor | August 27, 2013
Paris, August 27, 2013 - The Board of Directors of Accor that convened on August 27, 2013, chaired by Philippe Citerne, decided to appoint Sébastien Bazin as Chairman and CEO of Accor. To take on this new role, Sébastien Bazin has ended all his duties at Colony Capital, which he had been heading since 1997. Philippe Citerne has been appointed as Vice-Chairman of Accor's Board of Directors. Philippe Citerne declared: "following the selection procedure, the Board has considered Sébastien as the best choice for Accor, among all high quality candidates that have been examined. His perfect understanding of the Group, his experience in the...
