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
Increase Booking Conversions with One Simple Step – Add FAQs to Your Website
Lodging Interactive | August 27, 2013
As a DIY or fully-managed service, Lodging Interactive will oversee a hotel's online FAQ listing, including developing questions people typically ask, sourcing the answers from the hotel, and allowing new questions to be asked by consumers online to help hotels increase conversion rates, maximize organic search and boost SEO rankings PARSIPPANY, N.J. - AUGUST 27, 2013 - Your hotel has a restaurant . . . does it serve menu items that are gluten free? The Titanic Exhibit is in town . . . what does it cost to get in and how long is the exhibit open? The resort offers three pools . . . are there lifeguards on duty and are pool floats permit...
U.S. Lodging Sector Performance Remains Favorable Despite Sluggish Economic Growth, Says PwC US
PwC US | August 27, 2013
NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2013 -- PwC US anticipates that positive momentum in travel activity will continue to boost revenue per available room ("RevPAR") in 2013, despite the recent sluggish pace of economic recovery. An updated lodging forecast released today by PwC US shows favorable gains in hotel performance, consistent with PwC's expectations at the start of the year. Occupancy levels at higher-priced hotels are ahead of prior peak levels, industry RevPAR is above its prior peak, and hotel construction activity, while rebounding, is still quite moderate, according to PwC. As demand continues to outpace supply growth, and economic growth...
The Components of Labor Costs by Mark Woodworth and Robert Mandelbaum
PKF Hospitality Research | August 27, 2013
August 27, 2013 - Labor and related costs have long been the single expense category in operating a hotel. In 2012, 45 percent of all dollars were spent on personnel to manage, market and, critically, deliver hospitable service to create a memorable (and hopefully positive!) guest experience. Thus, managers spend a significant portion of their time recruiting, training, and scheduling employees. In the July 2012 issue of Lodging we noted, "As the U.S. lodging industry continues along the road to recovery and occupancy levels begin to surpass long-run average levels, hotel managers will be challenged to continue to operate on austere lev...
InnRoad Names Cynthia Roberts Director of Sales, Western US
innRoad | August 27, 2013
[New York, NY - August 27, 2013] innRoad announced today the commencement of Cynthia Roberts as Director of Sales, Western US. Presently, Cynthia is coordinating sales efforts across the region to benefit the many western independent hotels in search of higher profits. Cynthia is an experienced and awarded Sales Executive, having worked in hospitality sales for the past 18 years with companies such as Hotwire.com and Travelclick. During her long career in the West, based in California, she has developed relationships with hundreds of hotels across many sub-markets and metropolitan areas. It was here she developed an affinity for indepen...
San Antonio’s Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa Completes $35-Million Expansion and Renovation
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa | August 27, 2013
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 27, 2013 -- State and local elected officials and tourism industry leaders gathered to celebrate the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa's 20th anniversary and the emergence of San Antonio as a world-class resort destination. When the resort opened in 1993, it was the first new hotel built in Texas in five years and established the "destination resort" market in San Antonio. "Hyatt Hill Country was immediately successful," said Gino Caliendo, General Manager. "We've averaged more than 200,000 guests every year since, bringing millions of visitors to San Antonio from all 50 states across the U.S. and 55 different ...
The New-Build 202-room Sheraton Dohuk Hotel to Open in Iraq in Early 2014
Brilliant Role Group | August 27, 2013
DOHUK, Iraq - August 27, 2013 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has signed an agreement with Mase Co LLC, a company managed by Brilliant Role Group, to open a new-build Sheraton hotel in Dohuk, in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region in northern Iraq. Scheduled to debut early next year, the Sheraton Dohuk Hotel will be the first of four new Starwood hotels to open in Iraq after 20 years, and will be the first internationally-branded hotel in the emerging city of Dohuk. "We look forward to a long-term partnership with Mase Co as we enter into our first hotel development together with the introduction of the Sheraton b...
SpeedRFP, the Online Direct Buying Network for Meeting Planners, Leapfrogs its Growth
SpeedRFP | August 27, 2013
SpeedRFP Surpassed 65,000 Buyer Members, and Helped Facilitate more than $100,000,000 in Bookings in the Past Year Santa Barbara, CA, August 27, 2013 - SpeedRFP, the leading cloud-based, request-for-proposal (RFP) system, grew its network of meeting planners and other buyers by more than 38,000 in the past 12 months. In doing so, it surpassed the 65,000-member mark and was involved in bookings exceeding $100,000,000 in meeting revenues in the same period. Based on these numbers and input from the planner community, it's clear that while there are many options when "shopping" for meetings, SpeedRFP has become the eRFP solution of choice ...
Mantra Group Opens the BreakFree Sing Ken Ken in Legian, Bali, Indonesia
Mantra Group | August 27, 2013
27 August 2013: Following the successful launch of Mantra Nusa Dua earlier this year, Australian hoteliers Mantra Group have announced their second property in Bali - the BreakFree Sing Ken Ken in Legian - which also marks the debut of the BreakFree brand in Asia. Formerly known as the Sing Ken Ken Boutique Hotel, the property which opened in late 2012, will officially rebrand to BreakFree Sing Ken Ken in early October. "Mantra Group is focused on growing our presence in Bali across all three of our brands and we are confident that BreakFree's combination of great service and cost effective quality accommodation will work well in this r...
$24 Million 179-room Holiday Inn Lima Airport to be Developed in Peru by the Pinasco Family
the Holiday Inn brand | August 27, 2013
MIAMI - August 27, 2013 - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), continues to increase the Holiday Inn® brand's footprint in Latin America with the signing of the new-build Holiday Inn Lima Airport hotel. The $24 million hotel will be located adjacent to the city's Jorge Chavez International Airport, and is being developed by the Pinasco family, who will also manage the hotel under the Operaciones Turisticas Peruanas S.A.C. entity. The organization has been working with IHG for many years and also owns and manages the Crowne Plaza® Lima hotel. "We see great potential for our brands in Peru," said Joel Eisemann, chief development officer...
Hotel Equities Promotes Brad Rahinsky to Chief Operating Officer
Hotel Equities | August 27, 2013
ATLANTA (August 27, 2013) -Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) recently promoted Brad Rahinsky to the position of Chief Operating Officer. With a comprehensive 20-plus year background in hospitality operations, sales and marketing and business development, Brad sets the strategic path for Hotel Equities overseeing all aspects of the organizations day-to-day activities with the assistance of an industry-best support team. Prior to HE, Brad's experience includes several executive level positions with multiple brands and hotel management firms. He joined the firm in early 2012. "Since joining Hotel Equities, Brad has becom...
Mexico’s Grand Velas Resorts Distinguished With “World’s Best” Awards From Readers of T&L Magazine
Grand Velas Riviera Maya | August 27, 2013
The Magazine's Reader Survey Ranks Grand Velas Riviera Maya and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit Amongst Best Hotels in Mexico Riviera Maya, Mexico (August 27, 2013) -Mexico's "Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare" Grand Velas Resorts in Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit are honored regionally by Travel & Leisure readers in the 18th annual World's Best Awards Survey. Making its second appearance on the World's Best Survey, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit ranks 10th amongst the Top 25 Best Hotels in Mexico. Also appearing for the second time, Grand Velas Riviera Maya ranks11th amongst the Top 25 Best Hotels in Mexico. Judging for the prest...
RateGain Assists Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Study on Hospitality Industry in India
The Center for Hospitality Research | August 27, 2013
August 27, 2103 - RateGain's support of hospitality industry thought leadership and research has been extended by assisting the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration's Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) with a major study of the hospitality industry in India. This research project examines how hotel guests in India use social media and other online distribution channels to search for information in the process of booking a hotel room. RateGain will provide the CHR research team with access to data and analytics held within its extensive database which will augment information collected from hotel companies participating i...
Lodging Insights Video Update: PKF Discusses Recent ADR Increases and What to Expect in 2014
PKF Hospitality Research | August 26, 2013
ATLANTA, Ga., August 26, 2013 - Mark Woodworth and Jack Corgel discuss recent average daily rate (ADR) increases and what to expect in 2014. ...
Vision Hospitality Opens 89-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Schererville, IN
Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. | August 26, 2013
August 27, 2013 - Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. announced the opening of the Hampton Inn & Suites – Schererville, IN. Located in central Schererville, the hotel features an indoor pool, meeting space, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, business center, and outdoor patio and fire pit. The 89-room property is the twenty-fifth hotel in Vision's portfolio. "Our continued partnership with Hilton reinforces our ongoing strategy to invest in premium brands in strong markets," Vision President & CEO Mitch Patel said. "The Hampton Inn & Suites brand is one of the best hotel brands available today." The company's partnership with...
Educational Institute Welcomes New Partner in Tunisia
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | August 26, 2013
Orlando, Florida, August 2013-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has signed a partnership agreement with Information Technology Services, a training and consulting firm serving the hospitality industry in Tunisia. The company's founder and director is Abdel Zouari, CHA, CHT, a long-time proponent of the Educational Institute's education, training, and professional certification programs. Zouari is a hospitality industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience as a general manager, regional director, vice president of operations, and training consultant at resorts in the Caribbean, United States, and Europe, i...
IHG and Makkah Real Estate Company to Build the 1,238-room Holiday Inn Makkah in Saudi Arabia
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | August 26, 2013
Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 26 August 2013: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Makkah Real Estate Company have signed an agreement to build the world's largest Holiday Inn, the 1,238-room Holiday Inn Makkah, due to open in Saudi Arabia in 2016. This landmark agreement responds to the boom in religious tourism to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over 3 million pilgrims participated in Hajj in 2012, up eight percent on the previous year, and more than half of all inbound tourists to Saudi Arabia travel to the religious cities of Makkah and Medinah throughout the year. The total number of tourists travelling to Saudi Arabia is expected to conti...
Act Now to Receive Your Free Pass to the Las Vegas Food & Beverage Event at the #1 Casino Show
G2E - Global Gaming Expo | August 26, 2013
See unique food and beverage suppliers, such as Sysco and 60 of their distributors. Discover new wines and spirits at the Ultra Lounge sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits. Check out the latest uniforms at the Uniform Fashion Show sponsored by Cintas. Learn about the latest food trends and network. If you are a food and beverage professional or restaurateur, you may register for free exhibit hall admission to the Las Vegas Food & Beverage event at Global Gaming Expo (G2E), #1 Casino event in the world. September 24-26, Sands Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada. ...
Pegasus Solutions Sees Global Corporate Bookings Surge in July
Pegasus Solutions | August 26, 2013
As +5.5% Increase in GDS Reservations Sets Stage for Promising Autumn, Leisure Bookings Lag Behind Significant 2012 Jump DALLAS (August 26, 2013) – Global corporate bookings grew +5.5% over 2012's level in July, according to Pegasus Solutions, the world's largest processor of electronic hotel transactions. The promising uptick in business travel was accompanied by substantial leisure demand that paled in comparison to strong gains achieved last year. The mid-season growth spurt in business reservations came after the corporate channel leveled out at prior year volumes at the end of the second quarter. Rates paid through the global dis...
Meliá Hotels Names Darius Deavours Regional Director of Group Sales for Global Collection
| August 26, 2013
Miami, FL. (August 26, 2013) - Meliá Hotels International is pleased to announce the hiring of Darius Deavours as Director of Group Sales for their global collection of hotels and resorts, including Gran Meliá, Meliá , ME by Meliá , Paradisus, INNside, Tryp, and Sol. Mr. Deavours will be responsible for groups, meetings, incentive sales, and conventions as well as maintaining client relationships for Meliá 's national accounts. He will be responsible for the regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Darius brings a strong background in hospitality sales. He has been in the industry since 1999 and h...
The 128-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Opens in Needham, Massachusetts
Residence Inn | August 26, 2013
Needham, Massachusetts - August 26, 2013 - The 128-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Needham, Massachusetts opened on Friday, August 23, 2013. Located at 80 B Street, the Residence Inn Boston Needham operates as a Marriott franchise, owned by SXC Needham Inn, LLC and managed by Colwen Management, Inc of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Located 25 minutes from downtown Boston and 20 miles from Logan International Airport, the Residence Inn Boston Needham offers its guests convenient access to Boston College, Babson College, Mount Ida College, Legacy Place and Chestnut Hill Mall. Rates vary depending on length of stay. "We are pleased to intro...
Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta Projects an 80% Hotel Occupancy for End of Summer Based on 2013 Arrivals
Puerto Vallarta | August 26, 2013
New York - August 26, 2013 - Mexico's Ministry of Tourism has reported that Puerto Vallarta had 1,129,649 hotel room occupancy in the months of January to May 2013, this figure is 11,115 rooms more than the same time period in 2012; the months of June and July have had an average occupancy rate of 1.8 above last year. It also reported 790,102 tourist arrivals during the first half of 2013, an 8.46% increase compared to 2012 figures. Based on a successful first half of the year and ambitious promotional campaign dedicated to local and foreign markets, Puerto Vallarta projects an 80% hotel occupancy rates and an estimated $78 million USD ...
Club Med Completes Renovation of the 346-room Rio Das Pedras Resort in Brazil
Rio das Pedras Resort | August 26, 2013
(August 26, 2013-Miami) - Club Med - the world's leading premium all-inclusive resort company - announces the relaunch of Rio das Pedras after extensive renovations to room accommodations, the main restaurant, convention center and the addition of a new adults-only quiet pool. Located southern Rio de Janeiro, this exclusive Eco-Resort is situated between the Mata Atlântica, one of the world's most ecologically diverse rainforests, and nearly 2,000 feet of private beach. Club Med presents guests with plenty of opportunities to relax and explore the carefully preserved and developed rainforest. Rio das Pedras entices guests from all over...
Michigan’s Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center to Begin $30 Million Renovation in Q1 2014
Marriott Hotels | August 26, 2013
DETROIT, MI (August 26, 2013) - More change and investment is coming to Detroit's riverfront as the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center today announced that it will begin a $30 million renovation project in February 2014, transforming 1,329 guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space. The Detroit Marriott is one of the tallest hotels in the western hemisphere and its massive makeover will take about a year to complete. Guest room renovations will start in February 2014 and are expected to take about one year to complete. Meeting room remodeling will begin in the Spring 2014 and conclude in Fall 2014. The 70-floor hotel w...
Continued Triple-Digit Percentage Growth Lands The Rainmaker Group On Inc. 5000 List
Inc. Magazine | August 26, 2013
ATLANTA, GA - August 26, 2013 - The Rainmaker Group, a world leader in automated profit optimization software and services for the multifamily housing and gaming/hospitality industries, is pleased to announce it has again earned a spot on Inc. magazine's elite list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. This is the third year in a row that Rainmaker has received this honor. Behind this year's No. 2698 ranking was the Atlanta, Ga.-based firm's remarkable 130 percent revenue growth, up 15 percent over its triple-digit percentage from a year ago. In his letter to Inc. 5000 honorees, Eric Schurenberg, Inc.'s editor-in-chief, sai...
