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Industry Happenings
Hyatt Hotels Reports Q2 2013 Net Income of $112 Million; Systemwide RevPAR Increased 3.9%
Hyatt Hotels | July 31, 2013
CHICAGO (July 31, 2013) - Hyatt Hotels Corporation ("Hyatt" or the "Company") (NYSE: H) today reported second quarter 2013 financial results as follows: To download the second quarter 2013 earnings release with tables, please visit the Hyatt Investor Relations wesbite. Adjusted EBITDA was $212 million in the second quarter of 2013 compared to $180 million in the second quarter of 2012, an increase of 17.8%. Adjusted for special items, net income attributable to Hyatt was $70 million, or $0.43 per share, during the second quarter of 2013 compared to net income attributable to Hyatt of $39 million, or $0.24 per share, during the second...
Hersha Hospitality Trust Reports Q2 2013 Net Income of $14.3 Million; Consolidated RevPAR up 3.6%
Hersha Hospitality Trust | July 31, 2013
PHILADELPHIA--)-- Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT, the "Company"), owner of upscale hotels in urban gateway markets, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013. View the full press release with tables. Consolidated Hotel RevPAR Improved 3.6% Same Store Consolidated Portfolio-Wide Occupancy of 82.2% Same Store Consolidated EBITDA Margins Expand to 42.0% Second Quarter 2013 Financial Results Adjusted Funds from Operations ("AFFO") in the second quarter increased by $2.0 million to $28.7 million, compared to $26.7 million for the second quarter of 2012. AFFO per diluted common share and unit of limited partn...
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Brand Debuts in Peru, Opening the Wyndham Cusco Saqsayhuaman in Cusco
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts | July 31, 2013
CUSCO, Peru (July 31, 2013) – Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with approximately 7,410 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the opening of the full-service Wyndham Cusco Saqsayhuaman in Cusco, Peru, the first property to fly the upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® brand flag in the South American country. The 79-room Wyndham Cusco Saqsayhuaman becomes the second full-service Wyndham® property in South America and the fifth Wyndham Hotel Group property in Peru, following the expansion of the Ramada® brand in the country last year to four hotels. The new Wyndham® hotel,...
The 257-room Hyatt Chicago The Loop to Open in Chicago’s Central Business District in 2015
Hyatt | July 31, 2013
CHICAGO (July 31, 2013) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Integrated Clark Monroe, LLC for Hyatt Chicago The Loop, a hotel to be located at 100 West Monroe Street in Chicago's central business district. The project will be developed by Integrated Clark Monroe, which is led by John T. Murphy. Construction is expected to commence in late 2013, and Hyatt Chicago The Loop is slated to open in 2015. "Chicago is a world-class city and key business and leisure destination, and while we have Hyatt-branded hotels throughout the city, Hyatt Chicago The Loop wi...
Omni Hotels & Resorts and USA Place Plan to Build 330-room Hotel at USA Place in Tempe, Arizona
Omni Hotels & Resorts | July 31, 2013
IRVING, Texas - July 31, 2013 - Omni Hotels & Resorts today announced it has entered into a development agreement with USA Place, LLC, to develop a new hotel in downtown Tempe, Ariz. This luxurious Omni property will be one of the cornerstones to USA Place, a robust, concentrated commercial and residential urban district. The multi-use development will soon be home to USA Basketball's national headquarters, Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) events, a 4,500-seat multipurpose events center, 500 luxury apartments, 160,000 square feet of retail and up to 200,000 square feet of office space. The principals of USA Place, LLC, include...
Mexico’s 507-room Hotel Riu Yucatan Reopens Following Extensive Renovation
RIU Hotels & Resorts | July 31, 2013
Palma de Majorca. 31st July 2013 - Following an extensive renovation, RIU Hotels & Resorts reopened this Saturday July 27th the hotel Riu Yucatan. This resort, situated in the Riviera Maya, was the hotel chain's first property in Mexico and since 1997, has been a favourite with families, thanks to its 24 Hour All Inclusive service and vast range of activities. The pools and gardens; restaurants and bars; and rooms and bathrooms have been completely renovated. The Riu Yucatan has now an attractive and modern image, which thanks to its excellent sea front location, makes this hotel a landmark on the Riviera Maya. RIU has invested 20 m...
Google+ to Surpass Facebook by 2016 – Hotels Need to Get Into the Game
Lodging Interactive | July 31, 2013
With Google+ jockeying to replace Facebook as the No. 1 social media channel in the not-too-distant future, hoteliers need to expand their social media circles; Hospitality's full-service digital marketing and social media engagement agency will create a Google+ Business Page on behalf of a hotel while CoMMingle enhances organic search and improves SEO positioning PARSIPPANY, N.J. - JULY 31, 2013 - Google+ has taken over the No. 2 social media position from Twitter, according to reports, and from all indications it may even be a contender for the no. 1 spot in a few years, replacing Facebook. What does this mean for hotel companies? Hot...
JW Marriott Chicago Names Anthony Biasetti as Senior Sous Chef
JW Marriott Chicago | July 31, 2013
CHICAGO (July 31, 2013) - The JW Marriott Chicago (151 W. Adams St) announces the appointment of Anthony Biasetti to senior sous chef at the landmark, luxury hotel in Chicago's bustling financial district. In his new role, Biasetti will oversee the banquet business of the JW Marriott Chicago's culinary department which includes corporate meetings, private events, and more. A 17-year veteran with the Marriott brand, Biasetti brings extensive culinary knowledge of menu design and food production to his new position. "There is a serious focus at the JW Marriott Chicago on highlighting local farmers and artisans. This combined with the JW M...
Diana Kamper Appointed as Director of National Accounts for Maui, Hawaii’s Grand Wailea Resort
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort | July 31, 2013
WAILEA, HI., July 31, 2013 - Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort on Maui appoints Diana Kamper as the new director of national accounts in its group sales department. Kamper's primarily goal is to expand the franchise and franchise association business to the resort. She will be based in Arizona serving as an "in-market" sales director. "Kamper's new position is crucial to meeting and exceeding the resort's business objectives," said Pepper Dombroski, director of sales for Grand Wailea. "Franchise and franchise associations are unique market segments with tremendous growth potential. She will have no limits in her geographic territor...
The Hotel Group Promotes Gregory Teune to GM of Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Lewiston, Idaho
The Hotel Group | July 31, 2013
Edmonds, Wash. (July 31, 2013) - The Hotel Group promoted Gregory Teune to general manager of its Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Lewiston, Idaho. In this role, Teune is responsible for all hotel operations including guest services, staff supervision and motivation, budget and overall financial performance. Teune brings experience in multiple areas of hotel operations to the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Lewiston, Idaho. Prior to this role, Teune served as front office manager at The Hotel Group's Hilton Garden Inn in Springfield, Ore. His previous experience includes positions as accounts receivable clerk and assistant front offi...
Demand for Maestro from Casino Hotels; NORTHWIND Announces Konami Casino Gaming System Interface
Maestro Property Management Solution | July 31, 2013
Maestro Ideal for Independent Resort Casinos; NORTHWIND-Konami Relationship Creates Greater Guest Convenience; Total-Property Rewards Tracking and Guest Recognition Build Loyalty Markham, ON – July 31, 2013 – NORTHWIND, provider of Maestro™ Enterprise Property Management, announced its launch of a 2-way interface with SYNKROS™, Konami Gaming, Inc.'s casino management system. The interface communicates casino player reward point data tracked by SYNKROS with the Maestro Property Management System (PMS) to enable property guests to easily redeem points throughout a casino resort. NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS develops and supports hotel so...
Department of Commerce Seeks Applicants for Corporation for Travel Promotion Board of Directors
| July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013 - The following notice was published in the Federal Register on July 24, 2013. If you are interested in being considered for one of the four positions available on the Corporation for Travel Promotion Board of Directors and meet the qualifications as outlined, please follow the procedures outlined in the Federal Register Notice to apply. Please note that only applications received according to the process outlined below will be considered. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Corporation for Travel Promotion (dba Brand USA) AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce ACTION:...
New Castle Opens Dual-Branded Marriotts in Downtown Syracuse, New York
The Courtyard by Marriott | July 31, 2013
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - July 31, 2013 - Officials of New Castle Hotels and Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, and RHS Holdings, LLC, a prominent, Syracuse-based real estate development firm, today unveiled the first new-build hotels in downtown Syracuse in more than five decades with the official ribbon cutting of the new Courtyard by Marriott/ Residence Inn Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square. The combination hotel, a 78- room Residence Inn and 102-room Courtyard by Marriott constructed under one roof, is located in the heart of the city's historic Armory Square district and anchors the Connective Corridor that links downt...
Johnson & Wales Student Receives CHART Scholarship
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | July 31, 2013
Orlando, Florida, July 2013- Jasmine Hurt, a senior in the hotel and lodging management program at Johnson & Wales University's Miami, Florida, campus, is the winner of a $2500 scholarship awarded by the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF). The scholarship was presented by American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) vice president for research and development Monique Donahue during the CHART summer conference in Miami, Florida (pictured, above). Hurt is a 2010 graduate of the Monroe Career & Technical Institute in Bartonsville, Pennsyl...
Renovation Launched for Boca Raton, Florida’s Waterstone Resort &Marina – a DoubleTree by Hilton
AWH Partners, LLC | July 31, 2013
BOCA RATON, Fla. - July 31, 2013 - DoubleTree by Hilton, AWH Partners, LLC and The Lane Organization, LLC today announced the launch of a dramatic renovation of the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel, a waterfront hotel in Boca Raton, Fla, scheduled for completion in late 2013. The hotel's transformation will be centered upon a bold redesign and new name that celebrates its distinctive waterside location - Waterstone Resort & Marina - a DoubleTree by Hilton. The property will continue to be managed by Spire Hospitality. "The Waterstone Resort & Marina - a DoubleTree by Hilton will offer the perfect convergence of forward design, intuitive hos...
Oxford Capital Group with Angelo, Gordon Plan to Transform Chicago Landmark into a Lifestyle Hotel
Oxford Capital Group, LLC | July 31, 2013
CHICAGO, IL - Jul 31, 2013 - Oxford Capital Group, LLC with Angelo, Gordon & Co. have acquired the landmark London Accident & Guarantee Building designed by famed architect Alfred S. Alschuler at 360 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago along with an adjacent parcel of land at 77 East Wacker Drive. The plan is to convert the properties into a new lifestyle hotel above two stories of upscale retail. Built on the site of historic Fort Dearborn in 1923, the 280,000 square foot, 21-story London Accident & Guarantee Building is a Chicago Landmark located on the southwest corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. It is one of the...
Valencia Group Launches New Lone Star Court Website – Texas Nostalgia Meets Modern Day
Valencia Group | July 31, 2013
Vizergy® Paints Unique Digital Canvas to Ramp Up Revenue Jacksonville, FL (July 31, 2013) - Vizergy Digital Travel Marketing has designed a new custom website employing the latest design concepts and best practices for Lone Star Court, Valencia Group's newest addition to an award-winning hotel collection. Lone Star Court is an authentic Americana hotel that represents true Texas hospitality, and the comfort and convenience every Valencia Group hotel guest has come to value and appreciate. True to Austin, Lone Star Court will feature live music by an outdoor fire pit, a dipping pool reminiscent of Hill Country swimming holes, and an ons...
Transhotel Becomes eRevMax Distributor; 2-way Connectivity Will Help Hotels Improve Online Sales
Transhotel | July 31, 2013
London, 31 July 2013: Global travel services provider Transhotel has joined the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem - a collection of certified demand partners having two way XML connection pre-configured for rate, inventory and reservation distribution to help hotels take online sales to the next level. Transhotel, which collaborates with 78,800 travel agencies and offers a portfolio of more than 60,000 hotels internationally, will be a great platform for eRevMax's hotel clients looking to expand their visibility by promoting inventory globally and creating incremental business opportunities. "This integration will enable eRevMax hotel users to ...
New DVD Captures The Story Of South Beach; SOUTH BEACH: Stories of a Renaissance; a Planner Must
Tropic Moon Media | July 30, 2013
Miami Beach, Florida (August 1, 2013) – Tracing South Beach from its earliest pioneer days to today's high-energy global resort, an exciting new DVD is bringing the remarkable comeback story of this historic district to life. With historical photos as well as on-location scenes, 'SOUTH BEACH: Stories of a Renaissance' offered by Tropic Moon Media provides a unique look at one of the world's most popular travel destinations. "Our new 36-minute video recalls the booms, busts and personalities responsible for turning an isolated, mosquito-infested island into a glamorous beachfront resort in less than a century," said DVD producer Eleano...
“The Times They Are a-Changin’” (again) / Dr. John Hogan
Dr. John Hogan | July 30, 2013
By Dr. John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO Wikipedia describes the song "The Times They Are a-Changin' as the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Written in the fall of 1963 and released in January 1964, it was Dylan's 1st collection to feature only original compositions. The album dealt with serious issues of the day, including racism, poverty, and social change and the title song remains of Dylan's best in the way it captured the spirit of social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s. This song created awareness in a wide range of people on a range of concerns including civil rights, government actions, ...
Alexandra Barcelona – a DoubleTree by Hilton to Open in Spain in Early 2014 Through a Conversion
DoubleTree By Hilton | July 30, 2013
July 30, 2013 - BARCELONA, Spain and MCLEAN, Va., U.S.A. - Hilton Worldwide has today announced that DoubleTree by Hilton, the fast growing upscale hotel brand which now has more than 350 hotels worldwide, has signed a deal for its fourth property in Spain that will mark its arrival in Barcelona and become the third Hilton Worldwide hotel in the city. The announcement continues a trend of the brand entering prime locations in key European destinations, including recent deals in Lisbon, Dublin and Edinburgh. Through a franchise agreement with A. Hotels S.A, the existing Alexandra Barcelona Hotel on Carrer de Mallorca will convert to Alex...
Ken Peduzzi Returns as General Manager of Hunt Valley Inn in Suburban Baltimore, Maryland
Wyndham Hotel Group | July 30, 2013
Property Undergoing $10 Million Renovation and Conversion to Wyndham Grand HUNT VALLEY, Md., July 30, 2013- Officials for Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the top-ranked hotel operators in North America, today announced that Kenneth Peduzzi will return to the 392-room Hunt Valley Inn in suburban Baltimore, Md., as general manager. The hotel was purchased earlier this year by Laurus Corporation and is in the midst of a $10 million renovation to become the first Wyndham Grand hotel in Maryland. "Ken is a seasoned general manager with a proven track record for building a strong service culture in hotels and ensuring they are a signi...
Lodging Insights: PKF’s Mark Woodworth Discusses Q2 2013 and What Could Derail Recovery, if Anything
PKF Hospitality Research | July 30, 2013
ATLANTA, Ga., July 30, 2013 - Mark Woodworth and Jack Corgel discuss Q2 2013 results and what, if anything, could derail the current recovery. ...
Kevin Kelly Appointed CEO for Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California
Two Bunch Palms | July 30, 2013
Greater Palms Springs, CA - July 30, 2013 - Kevin M. Kelly, former President & Chief Branding Officer of Canyon Ranch, recently joined Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort, the legendary adult resort and spa known for its restorative hot springs, as its Chief Executive Officer. Kevin is also the founder of Civano Living, a lifestyle oriented resort real estate advisory and development firm specializing in tapping into the emerging consumer values of sustainability, wellness and community as a point of differentiation. In his new position, Kelly will spearhead the long-anticipated renovation and expansion of this iconic 52-room destination res...
