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Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
Compass Group North America Selects MICROS Simphony Cloud Solution to Enhance Customer Experience
Compass Group North America | June 11, 2013
Columbia, MD – June 11, 2013 — MICROS Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCRS), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce Compass Group – USA has selected the MICROS Simphony Enterprise Solution for its multiple business divisions providing managed food and support services throughout the United States. The solution will include MICROS Simphony Point of Sale, Loyalty and webOrdering. Through the use of MICROS Simphony's advanced architecture and advanced business intelligence tools, Compass Group will be able to deliver its products and services anytime anywhere, i...
“iTesso Explains” Hotel Industry Jargon with Launch of Informative Video Initiative
iTesso | June 11, 2013
Global hotel software provider shares extensive industry knowledge and expertise with debut of didactic videos, aimed at simplifying hotel technology terminology. BREDA, THE NETHERLANDS AND ATLANTA, GA- JUNE 11, 2013 - iTesso, a leading global provider of advanced software solutions to the hospitality industry, announced today that it is sharing the extensive collective knowledge of its experienced team through a set of videos called "iTesso Explains" hosted on the company's website, www.itesso.com. These educational videos are designed to explore both the traditional and rapidly evolving technological jargon used in the hotel technolog...
The 321-room Millennium Hotel Minneapolis, Minnesota Reopens After Extensive $22 Million Renovation
Millennium Hotel Minneapolis | June 11, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS, June 11, 2013 -- Millennium Hotel Minneapolis, an iconic landmark in downtown Minneapolis for the past 50 years, has re-opened after more than $22 million in extensive renovations throughout the property. The hotel, which had a soft opening in April, closed in December 2012 to undergo a complete transformation. The hotel has been remodeled from top to bottom including all 321 guest rooms and public spaces. Guest rooms now offer a modern, relaxed and refined look with upgraded technology and amenities. In addition, there is now a club floor and lounge allowing guests to conduct business in a private setting. A new food &...
Hilton Worldwide Opens the 109-room Hampton by Hilton Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania
Hilton Worldwide | June 11, 2013
June 11, 2013 - CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania - Travellers to the Romanian region of Transylvania will now be able to enjoy the world renowned hospitality of Hampton by Hilton, following the opening of the brand's first hotel in the country. Located in Cluj-Napoca, a popular tourism destination, the new build 109 guestroom hotel makes for a superb base from which to explore the region made famous by Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. Simon Vincent, president, EMEA, Hilton Worldwide, said, "Hilton Worldwide has enjoyed a presence in Romania since 1997, when we opened our first hotel in Bucharest. Since then and against a backdrop of growing tourism arr...
MJS Hotels Selected to Operate the Historic Mayfair Hotel in Los Angeles, California
MJS Hotels | June 11, 2013
PHOENIX, Ariz., - June 11, 2013 - Officials with the Historic Mayfair Hotel today announced the selection of MJS Hotels, a nationally recognized owner and operator of full service hotels, to manage the 1920's era downtown Los Angeles hotel. The hotel will undergo a substantial renovation, as part of an overall repositioning strategy. The hotel was the site of the first official Academy Awards after party in 1929, and, over the years, has been featured in numerous movies and television shows including "True Lies", and "Weeds". "Los Angeles hit a new record high for tourism in 2012, welcoming 41.4 million visitors who occupied 26.6 millio...
London’s Montcalm Hotels Obtain Global Sales Support with Pegasus Solutions
Pegasus Solutions | June 11, 2013
Two Award-Winning Boutique Properties Target International Buyers with Pegasus Connect+ DALLAS (June 11, 2013) – Two award-winning Montcalm Hotels in London have chosen Pegasus Solutions to grow international business through Pegasus Connect+ Premium. The Montcalm London, recently awarded a prestigious five-star rating by the Automobile Association (AA), and the Montcalm at the Brewery London City, will gain preferred access to an international community of hotel buyers under the "UI" chain code. "London's Montcalm Hotels are unique and offer tremendous consumer value in the world's most popular tourist destination. Ensuring that cons...
The 133-room BEST WESTERN Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad Opens in Suzdal, Russia
Best Western International, Inc. | June 11, 2013
Suzdal, Russia - June 11, 2013 - Best Western International, the World's Biggest Hotel Family®, continues its global expansion with the addition of the company's fifth hotel in Russia, the BEST WESTERN Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad, in the Golden Ring of Russia, Suzdal. "The addition of the BEST WESTERN Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad underscores the strength of the Best Western brand, as it is the first internationally branded property in Suzdal. We believe that it will be the first of many future Best Western hotels in the historically important Golden Ring. Our pipeline in Russia has additional projects in Ivanovo, Zelenogradsk and Kaluga...
Educational Institute Completes Year 2 of New High School Hospitality Program
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | June 11, 2013
Orlando, Florida, June 2013 -The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has announced the publication of Year 2 of its new high school curriculum, the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP). This two-year program introduces high school juniors and seniors to the hospitality and tourism industry, a high-growth career sector with a need for qualified employees. The program is delivered with graphic-rich textbooks, workbooks that give students the opportunity to apply what they've learned, and optional online coursework ideal for tech-savvy teens. The Year 2 textbook focuses on the leadership and managerial aspe...
The 110-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Lincoln Airport Opens in Nebraska
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | June 11, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS (JUNE 11, 2013) - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced the further expansion of the Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM brand in Nebraska. The opening of Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Lincoln Airport, NE marks the brand's growth in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 strategy. "The brand is making strides in growing its footprint in Nebraska," said Scott Meyer, senior vice president, Midscale Brands, Americas. "The continued growth in this region is another step forward in our plan to expand the brand primarily in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico....
Chatham Lodging to Acquire the Hyatt Place Pittsburgh/North Shore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Chatham Lodging Trust | June 11, 2013
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 11, 2013 -Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing in upscale extended-stay hotels and premium branded select-service hotels, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the 178-room Hyatt Place® Pittsburgh/North Shore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a cash purchase price of $40 million, plus customary pro-rated amounts and closing costs. The Pittsburgh Hyatt Place opened in December 2010 and is located in Pittsburgh's North Shore neighborhood, next door to PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates) and near such attractions as Heinz...
Vizergy® Client Websites Named Interactive Media Awards Winners for Third Consecutive Year
June 11, 2013
Modern, ROI Focused Hotel Websites Win Awards Jacksonville, FL (June 11, 2013) - Vizergy Digital Travel Marketing recently won two Interactive Media Awards™ (IMA) on behalf of their clients for their impressive custom website designs. The IMA recognize the highest standard of excellence, honor, and outstanding achievement in website design and development. Vizergy's Outstanding Achievement award winners in the Hotel/Resort category include: Cabo Villas Beach Resort & Spa and the Inn of Chicago. "It is a privilege to be honored by the IMA again this year," said Philip Faircloth, Vizergy's Director of Operations. "Our design team pr...
Public Notice of RFP’s for Development and Operation a Limited Service Micro-Hotel at MSP Airport
Metropolitan Airports Commission | June 11, 2013
June 11, 2013 - The Metropolitan Airports Commission ("MAC") is issuing a Request for Proposals for qualified firms interested in financing, developing, constructing, managing, and operating a Limited Service Micro-Hotel at the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport. To obtain a copy of the Request for Proposals ("RFP"), please go to the following website: http://www.metroairports.org/business/solicitations/default.aspx. The RFP is to be released on June 5, 2013. Airport Contact for the RFP is Jennifer Prihoda at 612-726-8138 or jennifer.prihoda@mspmac.org. A mandatory informational conference will be held June 24, 2013 at 1:00 pm...
Hilton to Debut in Macedonia with the Development of the 172-room DoubleTree by Hilton SkopjeNew
DoubleTree By Hilton | June 11, 2013
June 11, 2013 - SKOPJE, Macedonia - Hilton Worldwide's expanding presence in South Eastern Europe will see it enter Macedonia with the signing of a franchise agreement with Ajdovan Ademoski to open the upscale DoubleTree by Hilton Skopje. The hotel is expected to open in early 2016 and joins further properties under development in the region in Croatia and Montenegro. As a new build property, DoubleTree by Hilton Skopje's design will make it the ideal venue for conference and events in a location with easy access to the city centre and international airport and in close proximity to the city's main exhibition centre which is more than 5...
HVS Beijing Releases the China Hotel Investment Watch 2013: A China Overview
HVS | June 11, 2013
June 11, 2013 - HVS Beijing has announced the publication of the China Hotel Investment Watch 2013: A China Overview. HVS Beijing has announced the publication of the China Hotel Investment Watch 2013: A China Overview. The annual bilingual publication highlights the latest tourism and hotel trends for the country. Based on extensive HVS research, the publication provides insight, observations and projections regarding the China hotel arena. Some HVS findings include: China's economic development strategies for the future will include policies concerning people's livelihood, fair distribution of social wealth, expansion of the middle cl...
First Hospitality Group Selected to Manage the 145-room Hyatt Place in Champaign, Illinois
First Hospitality Group | June 11, 2013
June 11--CHAMPAIGN -- Rosemont-based First Hospitality Group will manage the new Hyatt Place Hotel in downtown Champaign, the company announced Monday. The company provides services for 50 hotels in 10 Midwestern states, including 23 properties in Illinois. The 145-room Hyatt Place Hotel is scheduled to open next spring at the southwest corner of Neil and Church streets. It is being developed by Champaign-based YG Financial Group. The new hotel will be the fifth hotel in downstate Illinois served by First Hospitality Group. The company's portfolio already includes the Country Inn and Suites in Champaign and Bloomington, the Hampton Inn ...
Morgans Hotel Group Presents Clear Choice For Shareholders: Sale Or Stalemate
Morgans Hotel Group | June 10, 2013
NEW YORK, June 7, 2013 -- Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) ("Morgans" or the "Company") yesterday held a webcast for shareholders to discuss the commitment of the Company's board slate to promptly initiate a process to sell the Company upon reelection at the Company's 2013 annual shareholder meeting on June 14th. This announcement presents shareholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting with a clear choice: Elect Morgans' slate, which currently provides for proportional representation of OTK Associates LLC ("OTK"), to immediately begin a sales process designed to maximize value for shareholders; or Elect the Taubman and Ols...
HSMAI Names Gopakumar Menon as 2013 Revenue Management Professional of the Year
HSMAI | June 10, 2013
MCLEAN, Va. (June 10, 2013) - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is pleased to announce Gopakumar Menon, director, revenue management, Highgate Hotels / Park Plaza Boston, has been awarded the Revenue Management Professional of the Year Award for his outstanding achievements in hospitality revenue management. The award will be presented by HSMAI and Rainmaker on June 24 during the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) in Minneapolis, Minn. Menon was selected from a talented field of finalists, which included Eddy Braucht, director of revenue, Vail Marriott Mountain Resort; Steve Mulder, directo...
Service Excellence Teleseminar: It’s About Your Heart
B. Williams Enterprise, LLC | June 10, 2013
June 10. 2013 - Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to my latest article (It's About Your Heart), I will be offering a complimentary tele-seminar next week. Join me on Tuesday, June 18th at 2PM (Eastern Standard Time) for a special, 30-minute session based on the article's key points. NEW! Click here to download an AUDIO version of the article Click here to register! *This tele-seminar will be ideal for anyone, in any industry, regardless of department or position. Here are the three key points that will be covered: Five key points to make your heart the central focus in delivering engaging service. The role of tactics and s...
Interwest Capital Selects HRI Lodging to Manage Tutwiler Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama
HRI Lodging | June 10, 2013
NEW ORLEANS, LA (June 10, 2013) - HRI Lodging will manage the historic Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham, AL, following its acquisition by Interwest Capital Corporation, announced Gary Gutierrez, president of HRI Lodging. Interwest Capital, a national leader in the hospitality sector, acquired the Tutwiler earlier in June. The Tutwiler is the sixth hotel property in Interwest's diverse commercial real estate portfolio. HRI Lodging and Interwest Capital Corporation have an existing relationship from a joint venture in which the two firms purchased the Hotel New Orleans in 2011, renovated and re-branded it as Hyatt Place New Orleans C...
New Orleans W Hotel to be Converted to a Le Meridien New Orleans by 2014
BuildCentral | June 10, 2013
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 274 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Chicago, IL. June 10, 2013 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have reported 274 changes in personnel, property management and ownership in the Hotel Profiles database over the last two weeks. Many hotels are getting a fresh start with a new Owner, Property Manager or General Manager. Recommend your product or service to someone who might be looking for a change. Hotels Under New Management: Courtyard San Diego Downtown (San Diego, CA) Residence Inn Columbus Worthington (Columbus, OH) Clarion Hotel Dela...
Digital Alchemys eMarketing Tools Help Hotels Provide Critical, Time-Sensitive Information to Guests
Digital Alchemy | June 10, 2013
Minneapolis - June 10, 2013 - When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), the hospitality industry is one of the world's most challenging businesses. Since hotels operate 24 hours a day, they are often forced to deal with rapidly evolving situations and events that are sometimes out of their control. When a crisis occurs, hoteliers require a means to quickly and professionally communicate critical, time-sensitive information to both current and arriving guests who may be affected by a given situation. From unscheduled road construction or weather alerts to security emergencies, efficient guest communication is a critica...
Latin American Hospitality & IHG to Develop Two New Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Central America
Holiday Inn Express | June 7, 2013
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel companies, today announces the signing of two new Holiday Inn Express® hotels in Managua, Nicaragua and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Both properties are slated to open in 2014. Managed by Latin American Hospitality Management S.A., a subsidiary of Grupo AGRISAL, the hotels will be franchised by an affiliate of IHG. "Managua and Tegucigalpa are excellent examples of emerging cities that support the growth of the Holiday Inn® brand family in the region," said Joel Eisemann, chief development officer, IHG, the Americas. "Both cities are generating g...
Will IRS Scandal Spark Repeat of AIG Effect? by David Brudney
David Brudney & Associates | June 7, 2013
Will it be déjà vu for the hospitality industry? A newsworthy scandal exposed leading to thousands of roomnights canceled and millions of dollars lost? Let's hope this newly released report by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General does not trigger the same corporate event cancellation and travel expense cutting that caused so much of the financial damage after American International Group's lavish corporate retreat. The report scrutinizes the already embattled Internal Revenue Service for holding a $4.1-million training conference at the 1,572-room Hilton Anaheim in California in 2010 that featured luxury rooms, free drinks and room upg...
A Returning Talent to Guest-tek Good News for CALA Hotels
Guest-tek | June 7, 2013
CALGARY, June 10, 2013 - Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., welcomes back Jorge Orozco as their new Manager of Sales Engineers. He is based in Guadalajara, Mexico where he will now be serving client hotels in the CALA region for the technology solutions provider. In his new role Mr. Orozco will not only oversee sales but also securing agreements with contractors for equipment installations and property surveys. He returns to Guest-tek from DOCOMO interTouch where he worked as their Business Development Manager for the past three years. "With his technical expertise and excellent client care, Jorge is a natural choice for this rol...
