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Industry Happenings
McKibbon Hospitality Adds Two Carolina Hampton Inn by Hilton Properties to Its Management Portfolio
McKibbon Hospitality | January 22, 2019
Tampa, F.L. (January 22, 2019) – McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in the hotel development and management industry, announced today that it has added two new properties to its management portfolio: the Hampton Inn Columbia Northeast Fort Jackson and the Hampton Inn & Suites Charlotte Arrowood Road. The new management contracts expand McKibbon Hospitality's presence in the Carolinas, bringing the number of hotels managed in North and South Carolina to 16. "We look forward to managing these two hotels in the Columbia and Charlotte markets," said Randy Hassen, president of McKibbon Hospitality's hotel management divi...
Could Your Storage Space Be Your Largest Source of Ancillary Revenue?
Stasher | January 22, 2019
Revenue management is fundamental to any hotel operation - so why doesn't your luggage room receive the same attention? Many hotels have embraced the "sharing economy" by offering luggage storage to non-guests through Stasher, the world's first online luggage storage platform. Indeed, while Airbnb is often thought of as the arch nemesis of hotel owners, the model is driving a market that hotels are now directly benefiting from. Backed by Hotels.com and Expedia, Stasher connects travellers looking for reliable, short-term storage with hotels, shops and businesses eager to monetise their unused storage space. For hotels, it could not be m...
Vizergy Closes Out Recording-Breaking Year With Numerous Platform Enhancements
January 22, 2019
Vizergy, the hospitality industry's leading provider in digital marketing software solutions, continues to invest in its best-in-class Vizergy Marketing System (VMS) platform. In 2018, Vizergy launched numerous upgrades to the functionality and connectivity of its marketing system, the VMS, to better position its client base for online success. The VMS is a robust client portal that allows a hotelier to access key data points and performance metrics to help them make better marketing decisions, understand competitive opportunities, and take timely action to capture more direct bookings. It is currently used by more than 1700 Vizergy cli...
The Osage Casino Hotel Sweetens the Pot for Guests With OpenKey Partnership
OpenKey | January 22, 2019
Mobile key and other features further elevate hotel's service offerings DALLAS (January 22, 2019) – The recently expanded Osage Casino Hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has partnered with OpenKey, the industry standard for universal mobile key in hotels to deliver even more comfort to their guests. The casino and hotel is operated under the Osage Nation, the 25th largest tribe in the United States. In August of 2018, the all-new Osage Casino Hotel in Tulsa reopened its doors after undergoing a major expansion project. The transformation has resulted in it becoming a prime casino hotel destination. With 80,000 square feet of gaming space,...
Brady Linen Services, LLC Installs the InvoTech Laundry System at Its Bahamas Location
InvoTech Systems, Inc. | January 22, 2019
Brady Linen Services Implements InvoTech Laundry System to process goods for high-end hotel customers in the Bahamas LOS ANGELES – January 22, 2019 – InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Laundry System, by Brady Linen Services, LLC, in Nassau, Bahamas. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for industrial laundry operations, and hotel and hospital laundries. The InvoTech Laundry System installed at Brady Linen Services interfaces with the InvoTech Uniform System at the Ba...
Meyer Jabara Hotels Selected to Manage Cambria Fort Lauderdale
Meyer Jabara Hotels | January 22, 2019
Management contract marks the sixth Cambria hotel to be operated by MJH; Scheduled to open in 2020 the property will feature views of the ocean and intercoastal [Danbury, Conn., January 22, 2018]—Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH) has been selected to manage a new construction Cambria hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., scheduled to open in 2020. Owned by Jai and Jessica Motwani, president and CEO of real-estate development group Hotel Motel Inc., the 97-room asset will be located at 2231 N. Ocean Blvd., across the street from the Auberge Beach Residences & Spa, considered to be Fort Lauderdale's most extraordinary beachfront property....
Hotel Equities Opens New Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in El Reno, Oklahoma
Hotel Equities | January 22, 2019
Atlanta, GA – January 22, 2019 – Today, Atlanta-based hotel owner, operator and developer, Hotel Equities (HE), announced the opening of the new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in El Reno, Oklahoma. The hotel, located at 1501 Domino Drive, is owned by Sky Hospitality, Inc. and managed by Hotel Equities. Jennifer Straffon serves as the hotel's general manager. "We are proud to open this contemporary new hotel in the city of El Reno," said Rob Cote, Regional VP of Operations for HE. "With Jennifer's strong leadership and operation's experience, combined with our sales and marketing team's knowledge of the market, the ho...
Auro Hotels Set to Open Dual-Branded Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites Hotel to Open in Greenville, SC
Residence Inn by Marriott | January 22, 2019
Greenville, SC – January 23, 2019 – Marriott International, Inc. announced today that a combined 286-suite Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites in Greenville, SC will open January 30, 2019. Located at 200 E. Washington Street, the Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites Greenville Downtown hotels are owned and managed by Auro Hotels of Greenville, SC. The properties will share an outdoor seasonal swimming pool, a state of the art fitness center that includes Fitness on Demand and Peloton bikes, as well as an exciting bar and restaurant, Oak & Honey, that will be open for lunch and dinner. In addition to Oak & Honey, the h...
Kimball Investment and Woodbury Corporation Open New TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Downtown Salt Lake City
TownePlace Suites by Marriott | January 21, 2019
SALT LAKE CITY (January 21, 2019) – Kimball Investment Company and Woodbury Corporation today announced the opening of a new TownePlace Suites by Marriott in downtown Salt Lake City. Located at 135 West 200 South, the 95-suite hotel is situated directly across from the main entrance of the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, making it an ideal and convenient option for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that attend conventions, exhibitions and other events at the center each year. It is also at the core of the central business district, and within walking distance from many of the downtown area's other attractions,...
The Inn at Harbor Shores Deploys Full INTELITY Platform
INTELITY | January 21, 2019
The waterfront resort sets the technology standard for Michigan hotels by implementing INTELITY's guest experience and staff management platform Los Angeles, CA (January 21, 2019) - INTELITY™, the global travel industry's first and most powerful enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform, announced today that The Inn at Harbor Shores will be implementing its expansive hospitality platform, marking INTELITY's first property in Michigan. "We are proud to announce our launch of INTELITY's in-room tablets in all our guest rooms. Implementing this technology will help us better manage our operational efficiencies and...
Hotels Talk on Social Media…but Are They Actually Listening?
Tambourine | January 21, 2019
Social listening (also referred to as 'social media monitoring') gives hotels real-time, actionable insight and an opportunity to build long-term loyalty. While hotels take guest reviews on TripAdvisor seriously, they often fail to monitor social media feedback just as closely. As a result, hotels miss out on real-time complaints (and compliments!) and the opportunity to turn angry guests into public evangelists. Here are two immediate benefits of closely monitoring your social media channels: 1. Diffusing Negative Situations Unlike TripAdvisor reviews, you can respond to social media feedback within mere seconds and engage the guest i...
Many Hotel Sellers Won Big in 2018
Rodney G. Clough | January 21, 2019
By Rodney G. Clough On average, hotel prices increased significantly in 2018, as a strong pool of buyers with favorable outlooks kept downward pressure on cap rates. A strong bidding environment for hotels, particularly those in markets where barriers to entry were high and PIPs had already been completed, kept prices strong, resulting in some big wins for hotel sellers that purchased their hotels at the right time during the last downturn. We queried our database for hotels that were sold between $10 million and $20 million during 2018, and then we compared their prior sales price to the most recent one. For those hotels that were sold...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Bring Multi-Tasking to an End for Hotel Leaders
David Lund | January 21, 2019
By David Lund I am going to begin this piece with a quote because I know there is BIG TIME pushback on the idea of multi-tasking. Being so popular in our modern work society the idea of multi-tasking is more than a fad, more than say IMU (Individual Business Units) or MBWA (Management By Walking Around). These are two of my personal all-time favorite business practices. In the hotel business, we need to be able to differentiate between when it is appropriate to do more than one thing at a time and when it is not. Here is a great quote. "Studies show that the human mind can only truly multitask when it comes to highly automatic behaviors...
Vision Hospitality Group Opens the Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown
Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. | January 18, 2019
MEMPHIS, TENN. - January 21, 2019 — Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of the seven-story Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown. The 150-room hotel, located at 201 Union Avenue, features Hilton Garden Inn's newest lobby design. Additional amenities include an indoor swimming pool, over 1,000 feet of meeting space, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The hotel also debuts The Greyhound, a premier bar with an outdoor patio, built on the site of the city's former Greyhound bus station. Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown is located in one of the most vibrant and historic areas in Memphis. "We are thrille...
Noble Investment Group Opens Dual-Branded AC Hotel Atlanta Midtown and Moxy Atlanta Midtown
Noble Investment Group | January 18, 2019
ATLANTA, Jan. 18, 2019 -- Noble Investment Group and Marriott International today announce the opening of the dual-branded AC Hotel Atlanta Midtown and Moxy Atlanta Midtown in the heart of Midtown's thriving business and arts district. With a combined 288 rooms and suites, this is the first-ever combination of the AC Hotels by Marriott and Moxy Hotels brands under one roof. These new additions mark the first Moxy Hotel in Georgia and the third AC Hotel in Atlanta (Noble's second after the AC Hotel Atlanta Buckhead at Phipps Plaza). Developed on an entire city block between 14th street and 13th street flanked by Peachtree Road an...
sbe Partners With Be Grand and CEO Nicolas Carrancedo for Ten Mondrian Hotel & Residential Projects in Mexico
sbe | January 18, 2019
Mondrian Polanco Hotel & Residences to Debut in 2021 Followed by Mondrian Del Valle in 2022 NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2019 -- sbe, a leading international hospitality group that develops, manages and operates award-winning global hospitality brands, today announced a partnership with Be Grand and its CEO Nicolas Carrancedo to continue the aggressive expansion of the Mondrian brand with the first-ever Mondrian Hotel & Residences in Mexico City. This property will also be the first of ten sbe-branded properties that sbe and Be Grand will bring to Mexico City and its metropolitan area in the next five years. The second project to be annou...
Capital Properties Appoints Michael Hoffmann as Managing Director for Perry Cabin Resorts & Golf
Inn at Perry Cabin | January 18, 2019
ST. MICHAEL'S, Md., Jan. 18, 2019 -- Capital Properties has appointed Michael Hoffmann as Managing Director for Perry Cabin Resorts & Golf. Ushering in a new era for the premier resort destination, Hoffmann, Swiss by birth, globetrotter by passion, has more than 30 years of luxury hospitality experience with some of the most sought-after industry brands, such as Claridges, Four Seasons, One&Only, Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton and Waldorf Astoria. In his expanded role, Hoffmann will spearhead the Inn's invigorated growth and expansion which includes the recently launched Tennis at Perry Cabin by iconic Cliff Drysdale, the upcom...
Hotel Equities and Owner GGDE Open 186-Room Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Airport West
Hotel Equities | January 18, 2019
Atlanta, GA – January 18, 2019 – Today, Atlanta-based hotel owner, operator and developer, Hotel Equities (HE) announced the opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Airport West, Georgia's first Four Points by Sheraton. The 186-room hotel is owned by GGDE, LLC and offers 4,500 square feet of state-of-the-art, flexible meeting space able to accommodate 400+ guests. Hotel Equities will manage the new hotel. Mark Lesser will lead the team as general manager and Stefanie Little will oversee sales and marketing as director of sales. "We are proud to open this beautiful, full service Four Points by Sheraton hotel," said Joe...
Australian Luxury Hotels Up Their Game for Chinese Tourists
JLL Real Views | January 18, 2019
With the Chinese now accounting for Australia's largest group of tourists, hotels are going the extra yard to make their visitors feel welcome. Congee at the breakfast buffet, Chinese signage, Chinese-speaking staff and bottled and hot water are common adaptations at some hotels as operators pursue the growing cohort of tourists from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Expanding wealth in China has resulted in a booming number of tourists venturing out around the world. Australia pulls in more than 1 million visitors annually, a number that will continue to grow, based on projections of China's increasing prosperity. But as their spending capa...
2019 Plea to Hotel PMS Providers for Distribution Cost Tracking Functionality
Patrick Landman | January 18, 2019
By Patrick Landman Over the last few years there has been much discussion in the the world of hotel revenue management on managing GOPPAR and NREVPAR over only REVPAR. Understanding the cost of distribution is vital to the financial success of every hotel. For this we would need our systems to support us in registering and calculating such costs. Unfortunately many hotel Property Management Systems (PMS) have not yet evolved sufficiently in this area. In a discussion on my last post on the Hotel P&L the topic came up. I have made this plea various times already to PMS providers. So I am using the start of 2019 to make a public plea ...
Your Top 10 Digital Marketing New Year’s Resolutions for 2019
HEBS Digital | January 18, 2019
By Kerryn Gower After saying goodbye to 2018, we're starting the new year with fresh priorities and goals. January is a great time for hoteliers to reflect on last year's strategies and analyze results in order to create a blueprint for a successful new year. Determining your hotel's most successful digital marketing initiatives is the first step to executing a strong plan that will achieve greater results this year than last year. With new technology and digital innovations announced daily, it can seem overwhelming for hoteliers to stay on top of trends and work them into their own strategies. With voice search and AI, omnichannel mark...
Possessory Interests in Hotel Real Estate
Erich Baum | January 18, 2019
By Erich Baum What is a Possessory Interest? A possessory interest is created when a private-sector tenant is granted exclusive use of real property (land and/or building) that is owned by a tax-exempt entity, typically a municipality or a state or federal government agency. The right to occupy and use the land and/or building is usually conferred via a lease. Examples Please? Because of the federal and municipal government's extensive ownership interests in the nation's capital, many possessory interests have been created in Washington, D.C. Two examples involving hotels follow: The Trump International Hotel opened in September 2016...
First Four Points by Sheraton in the State of Georgia to Open in Atlanta
The Sage Agency | January 18, 2019
Marriott International, Inc.® today announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Airport West, Georgia's very first hotel to boast the Four Points by Sheraton brand. Catering to the needs of today's everyday traveler, the hotel offers a unique and attractive design, stylish comfort and all the brand's popular extras including a 24-hour fitness center, heated pool, fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and the Best Brews & BBQ™ program, detailed below. POINT 2: The Four Points by Sheraton Atlanta Airport West is managed by Atlanta-based owner, operator and developer, Hotel Equities. The hotel offers 186 spac...
Black Oak Casino Resort to Implement INTELITY’s Guest Experience and Staff Management Platform
INTELITY | January 17, 2019
The state-of-the-art property looks to implement the industry's leading technology platform to streamline staff, increase guest engagement, and better connect hotel operations to the casino floor Los Angeles, CA (January 18, 2019) — INTELITY™, the global travel industry's first and most powerful enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform, announced today that it inked a deal with The Hotel at Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne, Calif. The property will be incorporating the INTELITY platform's custom-branded mobile app and in-room tablets at its hotel, giving guests the opportunity to better manage their ...
