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
How Experimenting With Social Events Can Only Be Good for Your Hotel’s Bottom Line
Dean Minett | July 25, 2018
By Dean Minett The reimagining of common areas in hotels is really part of a larger question: How and why is the social function of hotels changing? We know that work habits have become more fluid in recent years. We know that "being alone together" has become a favoured way of working for many young professionals. Work may require us to concentrate on a laptop for hours at a time, but doing so in vibrant communal spaces feels healthier than sitting alone in our room. Whether or not it's actually healthier is unclear. An oft-cited book by an MIT professor bears the title Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from E...
Rockbridge and Musselman Hotels Set to Open Residence Inn Louisville East/Oxmoor in Kentucky
Residence Inn by Marriott | July 25, 2018
Louisville, KY – July 25, 2018 – The 110-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Louisville, Kentucky is scheduled to open on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Located at 401 Bullitt Lane, the all-suite Residence Inn Louisville East/Oxmoor is owned in a joint venture between Rockbridge and Musselman Hotels. Musselman led the development and will manage the hotel. Located in East Louisville, near the Oxmoor Center and 10 miles from the Louisville International Airport, the Residence Inn Louisville East/Oxmoor offers its guests convenient access to St. Matthews, The Parklands of Floyds Fork and downtown Louisville. Rates vary depending on le...
Enchantment Group Appoints Stephanie Cross as Vice President of Marketing
Enchantment Group | July 25, 2018
Scottsdale, AZ (July 25, 2018) – Enchantment Group, a leader in the development, management and experiential programming of luxury boutique resorts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Cross to Vice President of Marketing. A tenured marketing and communications specialist with over 15 years of corporate and consumer-facing experience, Stephanie will lend her e-commerce and digital marketing expertise to Enchantment Group and its distinguished collection of award-winning properties including Enchantment Resort, Mii amo, destination spa, and Seven Canyons Golf Club and luxury residential community in Sedona, AZ; the ...
Providing a Positive Experience Across the Entire Guest Journey
Robert Reitknecht | July 25, 2018
By Robert Reitknecht Twenty percent of hotel guests say their customer experience (CX) expectations are higher than they were two years ago. So, what's changed between now and then? Greater demand for quality, consistent service organization-wide. Consider these three real guest reviews I found on TripAdvisor: · "The first night was horrible. At [midnight], kids were shouting and making noises outside my room. I called reception to get security to come and do something and tried to sleep. No one came." (source) · "The breakfast buffet staff was horrible. Whenever we would simply ask for some food to be restocked, they woul...
Hyatt Signs With Városház Utca Projekt Ingatlanforgalmazó Kft for First Hyatt Regency in Budapest, Hungary
Hyatt Regency | July 25, 2018
CHICAGO--Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Városház Utca Projekt Ingatlanforgalmazó Kft. for the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Budapest, Hungary. The 231-room property is expected to open in early 2020. Hyatt Regency Budapest will be located in the landmark building Postapalota, the former postal office on Petőfi Sándor Street. Situated near the vibrant Váci Street and a five-minute walk to the Danube river, this upscale hotel will provide the perfect setting for business and leisure travelers to connect with the city....
IHG Signs With Mulpha Australia Limited for Management and Rebranding of 166-Room Hayman Island, by InterContinental Opening in 2019
IHG | July 25, 2018
The Whitsunday Islands will welcome a new era of luxury in 2019 with the signing of a management agreement that will see IHG take over management of Hayman Island, rebranding it as Hayman Island, by InterContinental. Hayman Island, by InterContinental will be an oasis at the northernmost point in the Whitsunday Islands that shows off the best of the InterContinental brand when it opens in 2019, following significant investment to refurbish the product. The 166-room hotel is the only property on the 400-hectare island and will showcase world-class facilities, rooms and suites in one of the world's most unique locations, accessible via Ha...
Frontier Hospitality Group and Choice Hotels Break Ground on New Cambria Hotel Bettendorf in Iowa
Cambria Hotels | July 25, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 25, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) and Frontier Hospitality Group, Inc. have broken ground on the Cambria Hotel Bettendorf. Slated to open in 2019, the 112-room property will be the first Cambria property to open in Iowa. The hotel is located at 5061 Competition Drive in the heart of Iowa's Quad Cities region as part of the 75-acre TBK Bank Sports Complex "BettPlex" and High Five Lanes & Games. In addition to its proximity to the Quad City International Airport, the new upscale hotel offers guests convenient access to several businesses, including Rock Island Arsenal, Deere &...
GCP Hospitality, a Member of Gaw Capital Partners, Expands Its Footprint in Europe Through a Joint Venture With Omega Capital by Acquiring Hospes Hote
GCP Hospitality | July 25, 2018
HONG KONG, July 25, 2018 -- Real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners today announced that the firm, through its European Hospitality Fund I managed by GCP Hospitality, acquired a 50% stake in Spain's leading boutique hotel brand, Hospes Hotel Group, of which its total asset is valued at EUR125 million, forming a joint venture with a Spanish investment company, Omega Capital. Hospes Hotel Group is a highly respected brand in Spain with 10 properties. The group is recognized as a highly acclaimed brand and operator within the luxury and heritage boutique hotel segment. Each hotel has been crafted in an artisan fashion, com...
MCR Acquires 140-Key SpringHill Suites Fairfax Fair Oaks in Northern Virginia
MCR | July 25, 2018
NEW YORK / JULY 25, 2018 MCR, the seventh-largest hotel owner-operator in the United States, has acquired the 140-room SpringHill Suites Fairfax Fair Oaks in Northern Virginia, which received a $1.4 million top to bottom renovation last year. Just 20 minutes from Dulles International Airport (IAD), Fairfax, Virginia offers something for everyone in the family. See the first supersonic airliner, a Concorde jet, at the nearby Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, learn how George Washington made whiskey in 1799 at Mount Vernon's working distillery and ride Cannonball Slides at SplashDown Waterpark. When business ...
IHG Appoints Angelo Zuccala as General Manager for InterContinental Sofia
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts | July 25, 2018
July 25, 2018 / Sofia, Bulgaria. InterContinental Sofia is pleased to announce the appointment of Angelo Zuccala as its new General Manager. Angelo Zuccala's hospitality experience spans close to 23 years. Holding a Master in Business Studies and Finance from Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle in France, he brings his knowledge and expertise in the hospitality industry to InterContinental Sofia. Angelo has built a strong career within InterContinental Hotels Group where he spent 15 years progressing through several management roles and countries around the world. He worked in the UK, France, Egypt, Malta and Romania. Angelo Zuccala is a dual ...
HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe Honored as Most Influential Hospitality Association CEO 2018
HFTP | July 25, 2018
Honor awarded by AI Global Media, a European Digital Media Publication Frank I. Wolfe, CEO for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), was recognized as Most Influential Association CEO 2018 in Hospitality by the European-based corporate finance publication Acquisition International (AI). Published by AI Global Media, AI is a monthly magazine that seeks to inform and shape the global corporate conversation through a combination of high quality editorial rigorous research and an experienced and dedicated worldwide network of advisors experts and contributors. "This is truly an honor, but is really a testament...
Flight Centre Travel Group Appoints Peter Lucas as Its New CEO of BHMA
BHMA | July 25, 2018
Bangkok, 25 July 2018 – Peter Lucas has been appointed chief executive officer of the Flight Centre Travel Group's (ASX: FLT) hotel management business, BHMA. Mr. Lucas is a highly experienced hotelier who has an extensive track record of operating hotels across Asia. Before joining BHMA, he was Boutique Corporation's senior vice president of asset operations and oversaw hotel, serviced apartment and food and beverage portfolios. Prior to this, he was chief operating officer with Destination Properties, where he asset-managed hotels operated by Accor, Starwood, Hilton and Swissotel, as well as food and beverage operations for fran...
HITEC 2018 Reveals the True Importance of Integration
Larry Mogelonsky | July 25, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) HITEC this year took place in the hot and humid town of Houston, but the weather was never a deterrent for the 7,000 some odd attendees from all aspects of hospitality. Held during the third week of June, this foremost hospitality technology show was truly enlightening for where our industry is headed. As the convention starts to resemble the famed Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in breadth and scope, the good news this year is that software capabilities are becoming near-universal. Integrations are commonplace and vendors have taken on a 'spirit of partnership' where they recognize ...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $50,000,000 of First Mortgage Financing for Hotel Theodore, Seattle, Washington on Behalf of Provenance Hotels
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company | July 25, 2018
Beverly Hills, CA (July 25, 2018) – Sonnenblick-Eichner Company announced today that it has arranged $50,000,000 of interim first mortgage financing to refinance Hotel Theodore, a 20-story, 153-room, full-service, luxury boutique hotel located at the corner of 7th Avenue and Pine Street, in the heart of downtown Seattle, Washington, one block west of the Washington State Convention Center. The floating rate loan was sized to a debt yield of less than 6% and priced over LIBOR at a spread in the mid-300s. Loan proceeds are being used to refinance the existing acquisition and renovation loan as well as provide a return of equity to the borr...
BirchStreet Systems Announces Steve Markle as the New CEO to Drive Scale, Growth and Execution
BirchStreet Systems, Inc. | July 24, 2018
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – BirchStreet Systems Inc., the leading cloud-based Procure-to-Pay platform serving the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce the promotion of Mr. Stephen Markle to Chief Executive Officer. Markle will replace Sushil K. Garg, Founder and CEO, who will remain Chairman of the Board and will continue in his role driving the Company's technology innovations and working with its major enterprise customers. In his new position, Mr. Markle will work closely with the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors to drive the Company's strategic plan to scale for revenue growth and profitability. As CEO, Mr. M...
After Mastering Product Offerings, Hotels Must Turn Attention to Services, J.D. Power Study Finds
J.D. Power | July 24, 2018
COSTA MESA, Calif., July 24, 2018 -- It's a good time to be a hotel guest. Across the board, hotels are making their customers happier than ever, according to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study,SM released today. Driven by increased approval of guest rooms and hotel facilities, overall satisfaction for the industry increases 8 points to 825 (on a 1,000-point scale). "Hotels in all price ranges have excelled at ensuring their customers have a top-notch experience," said Jennifer Corwin, Associate Practice Lead for the Global Travel and Hospitality Practice at J.D. Power. "Yea...
Ireland’s 16th Century Dromoland Castle Completes €20 Million (US $23.3M) Refurbishment
Dromoland Castle | July 24, 2018
JULY 24, 2018 – Dromoland Castle, the 16th century luxury castle hotel in County Clare, Ireland has completed its final phase of a full-scale €20 million refurbishment. Steeped in Irish history, the Castle's owners worked under the guidance of members of the Irish Georgian Society to respect Ireland's architectural heritage and used traditional skills and craftsmanship while incorporating the most up-to-date technology. The focus was to preserve the historic charm while enhancing the future legacy of the Castle for generations to come. Included in the extensive refurbishments were the following: Castle guest rooms and bathroo...
The Magic Potion and the Gallic Village
Georges Panayotis | July 24, 2018
By Georges Panayotis Once upon a time there was a Gallic village that continued to resist the invader. Not content with being just an extremely popular tourist destination, it wanted to be able to boast of being the first in the world. However, the Gallic chiefs had spent decades looking for a recipe to make a magic potion that not only made their ultimate dream come true, but could also count the tourists who visited. The leaders also wanted to keep control over their flock at all costs, to control and ultimately to curb their villagers' businesses. But the villagers were not satisfied, because the costs of maintaining the village ...
Owned and Managed by Kinseth Hospitality Companies, TownePlace Suites by Marriott Set to Open in Grafton, Wisconsin
TownePlace Suites by Marriott | July 24, 2018
Grafton, WI – July 24, 2018 – Get ready to be real and be you on long stays. Marriott International's TownePlace Suites by Marriott Milwaukee Grafton is set to open for business on Thursday, July 26, 2018. On average, a TownePlace Suites opens every six days. Built for travelers looking for a simple and friendly place where they can settle-in, keep their routine, and easily connect to the Grafton area. The new TownePlace Suites Milwaukee Grafton located at 1601 Gateway Drive, continues to exemplify the brand's rapid growth. The new hotel will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Kinseth Hospitality Compa...
Buoyant Global Economy Means Higher Hotel and Air Prices in 2019
Global Business Travel Association | July 24, 2018
ALEXANDRIA, Va. & MINNEAPOLIS—July 24, 2018--Travel prices are expected to rise sharply in 2019, with hotels going up 3.7%, and flights 2.6%, driven by a growing global economy and rising oil prices, according to the fifth annual Global Travel Forecast, published today by GBTA and CWT with the support of the Carlson Family Foundation. "While most major markets appear to be trending in the right direction, downside risks remain for the global economy given the rise of protectionist policies, the risk of stoking trade wars and Brexit uncertainty," said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. "This forecast provide...
Sagamore Pendry Baltimore Appoints New Director of Sales and Marketing, Mark Robertson
Pendry Hotels | July 24, 2018
Baltimore, Maryland. (July 24, 2018) – Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, the latest Pendry Hotels property that embodies Baltimore's rich history, vibrant personality and idyllic harbor setting with character, inspiration and style, is proud to announce the appointment of Mark Robertson as director of sales and marketing. Robertson will bring a wealth of hospitality knowledge and expertise to the 128-room luxury hotel and will be responsible for overseeing Sagamore Pendry Baltimore's marketing, sales and catering teams, as well as assisting in growing existing accounts and generating new business. His tremendous background in catering, s...
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Names LeAnn Davis as New Director of Sales
the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort | July 24, 2018
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – July 24, 2018 – The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has named LeAnn Davis a new director of sales. Davis, in conjunction with Director of Sales Aaron Weegar, will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day efforts of the resort's group sales team. She has 25 years of hospitality sales experience including extensive experience within the Marriott corporation and Orlando market. She has been recognized with several awards both individually and for her sales teams, including The Americas Sales Leadership Award in 2015 and 2016 and Florida Sales Team of the Year for 2015. Davis graduated from...
HFTP Annual Convention 2018 Online Registration Now Open, Keynotes Announced
HFTP | July 24, 2018
HFTP's 2018 Annual Convention is October 24-26 at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky USA Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has opened online registration for its Annual Convention, which it has produced since 1952. Following the traditional event format, the event will offer a variety of educational sessions, networking and vendor opportunities. HFTP has secured two keynote speakers who will discuss topics relating to productivity, engagement, collaboration and communication in the workplace: Colette Carlson and Curt Steinhorst. The HFTP Annual Convention will take place from October 24-26 at ...
Bayview Hotel Partners Debuts the Hampton Inn by Hilton Baltimore Bayview Campus as First Hampton Inn With New Prototype Elements
Hampton by Hilton | July 24, 2018
BALTIMORE, Md. – July 23, 2018 – Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) Hampton by Hilton, the global upper mid-scale brand known for its commitment to providing authentic service and great value, today announced the opening of its newest property, Hampton Inn by Hilton Baltimore Bayview Campus in Baltimore, Maryland. This 115-room hotel is an early adopter of Hampton's new innovative design and the first to incorporate features of the brand's new prototype. "As the first hotel to integrate elements of Hampton by Hilton's new North America prototype we are proud to provide guests a property that feels modern, yet is built on the successfu...
