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
Tambourine’s Friday Freebie: Stop Hidden Costs From Driving Customers Away
Tambourine | July 20, 2018
Welcome to the Friday Freebie! Each week, we share one impactful hotel marketing tactic that you can implement immediately to drive more conversions and more revenue. This week's Freebie: Don't wait until guests press 'Book Now' in your booking engine to announce new charges. Present all costs, including resort fees, as soon as possible. Nothing kills a customer's trust and transaction faster than hidden costs. By now, we all know that travelers are looking for a seamless purchase, as well as full transparency in their transactions. They want to know that by the time they pull out their credit card, they're certain how much their room w...
Home2 Suites by Hilton Portland Airport Opens in Maine With General Manager Abraham Rivas at the Helm
Home2 Suites by Hilton | July 20, 2018
South Portland, Maine and MCLEAN, Va. - Home2 Suites by Hilton part of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) All Suites portfolio, announced today its newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton Portland Airport. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 111 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. The opening of Home2 Suites by Hilton Portland Airport complements the state's continued tourism growth, which saw a 2.5 percent growth last year with roughly 36.7 million visitors*. "Following a strong 2017 in which we opened more than 70 properties, we're excited to open our first-ever...
Peachtree Hotel Group Set to Open 117-Room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Charlottesville, Virginia
Fairfield Inn & Suites | July 20, 2018
Charlottesville, VA – July 20, 2018 – The 117-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Charlottesville, Virginia is scheduled to open on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 with its smart, inventive public space and guest room design, and its bright and inviting décor. Located at 401 Cherry Avenue, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlottesville Downtown/University Area will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Peachtree Hotel Group of Atlanta, Georgia. Whether traveling for business or leisure, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlottesville Downtown/University Area offers guests convenient access to the Univ...
Owned and Managed by Glacier House Hotels, TownePlace Suites by Marriott Whitefish Opens in Montana
TownePlace Suites by Marriott | July 20, 2018
Whitefish, MT – July 20, 2018 – Get ready to be real and be you on long stays. Marriott International's TownePlace Suites by Marriott Whitefish is set to open for business on Friday, July 20, 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 Whitefish area. The new hotel located at 300 Akers Lane, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Glacier House Hotels of Scottsdale, Arizona. "We are excited to introduce the TownePlace Suites brand to the Whitefish area," said D...
How Many Followers Did Resorts and Hotels Lose During the Recent Twitter Purge?
Inntopia | July 20, 2018
We've all heard about bots and spam on Twitter, but when Twitter detects suspicious behavior (even if it's not a bot) they will "lock" those accounts until they can confirm everything is a-okay. Locked accounts haven't been much of a talking point thus far, but on July 11, 2018 Twitter announced: This week, we'll be removing these locked accounts from follower counts across profiles globally. As a result, the number of followers displayed on many profiles may go down. The New York Times claimed this could reduce the combined follower count on Twitter by up to 6%, so how did resorts' and hotels' follower counts fare? Take a look. The ...
The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa Restores Its 200-Year Legacy and Debuts Resort-Wide Renovation
The Equinox | July 20, 2018
MANCHESTER, VT (July 2018) – The Equinox, a Luxury Collection Golf Resort and Spa, a destination resort in Vermont, completes a multi-phase renovation in July 2018, revitalizing its storied history and enhancing its legacy for loyal guests and future generations to enjoy. The property will unveil redesigned and refreshed guest rooms, restaurants, and public spaces that will epitomize its reputation as a classic New England experience driven by tradition. The renovation is being led by Carey Watermark Investors in collaboration with Studio 11 Design, an award-winning, full-service, international design, art, and branding firm provi...
RIU Hotels & Resorts Reopens Riu Palace Punta Cana Hotel Following Extensive Renovation
RIU Hotels & Resorts | July 20, 2018
RIU Hotels & Resorts has just reopened the Riu Palace Punta Cana hotel after an extensive renovation of all its facilities and services. The renovation project introduced new restaurants, swimming pools and amenities, as well as new interior design. At the same time, it preserved the most emblematic elements of the building, originally built in 2006, like its towers and domes, thanks to which it continues to resemble an authentic European palace. With this investment, RIU is completing the renewal of its offer in Punta Cana, where in recent years it has built or renovated its six hotels, in addition to building two water parks. One ...
Omni Richmond Hotel Completes $10-Million Guest Room Renovation
Omni Hotels & Resorts | July 20, 2018
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – Omni Richmond Hotel announced the completion of a $10-million guest room renovation. The hotel renovated décor and amenities in each of its 359 guest rooms, including hallway corridors and five luxurious suites. "With this multimillion-dollar project complete, Omni Richmond Hotel is truly the destination of choice for convention, business and leisure travelers alike," said Jay Sheldon, general manager of Omni Richmond Hotel. "Our customers have always recognized us for our Southern hospitality and unrivaled location, but now we have an in-room and suite experience that compliments the renaissance of our...
On the Rise: Hospitality in Latin America
Dr. Achim Schmitt | July 20, 2018
By Dr. Achim Schmitt The hospitality industry has shown great dynamism in Latin America over the past five years and that trend looks set to continue in 2018. While tourism growth in Central and South America can be partly explained by the region's diversity and natural resources, most of its progress stems from the continuous commitment of governments to promote the sector. So it did not come as a surprise that last year's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, published by the World Economic Forum, listed six Latin American countries among the top 50 most competitive globally. While Mexico has traditionally been the strongest touri...
AHC+Hospitality Promotes Nicholas Remes to General Manager of JW Marriott Grand Rapids
AHC+Hospitality | July 20, 2018
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – July 20, 2018 – JW Marriott Grand Rapids is pleased to announce the promotion of Nicholas Remes from assistant general manager to general manager. An 11-year AHC+Hospitality veteran and member of the original hotel opening team, Remes will now oversee day-to-day operations of the iconic hotel and its signature food and beverage outlets: six.one.six, Mixology Lounge and jdek. "Nick embodies everything the JW stands for – impeccable service, quality experiences and heart. If Nick were a superhero, his uniform would have a huge JW on the chest," said George Aquino, vice president and managing director, ...
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando- Airport Completes Extensive Renovation
Embassy Suites by Hilton | July 20, 2018
Orlando, FL – July 20, 2018 –The 174-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando- Airport completed a renovation of its guest suites and public spaces, including the lobby, restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, business center and fitness center. The all-encompassing redesign of the hotel's seven-story atrium and lobby now offers guests a more welcoming sense of arrival with convenient spaces to conduct business, meet friends and family or relax. The hotel's modern, new design's textures and colors are inspired by eye-catching elements of Florida nature, which is punctuated by an impressive two-story wooden trellis and water feature, w...
MCR Acquires 160-Room Hilton Garden Inn Providence Airport/Warwick at Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport
MCR | July 20, 2018
NEW YORK / JULY 20, 2018 MCR, the seventh-largest hotel owner-operator in the United States, has acquired the 160-room Hilton Garden Inn Providence Airport/Warwick at Rhode Island's T.F. Green International Airport (PVD), which serves 4 million passengers annually. Since 2017, T.F. Green International Airport has added six new carriers, many overseas routes and nearly 8 percent more passengers. Ranked the sixth-best U.S. airport in 2018 by Money magazine, PVD was praised for its on-time arrival rate of 82 percent. The airport's growth is nonstop: In 2021, JetBlue founder David Neeleman is expected to launch his start-up airline, Moxy, a...
AHLA Joins White House For “Investing in America’s Workforce”
the American Hotel & Lodging Association | July 20, 2018
Washington, D.C. (July 20, 2018) – The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Katherine Lugar and hotel industry employees today joined President Donald Trump and representatives from more than a dozen companies and associations at the White House to announce a workforce initiative to provide enhanced apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, focusing on continuing education and on-the-job training. The Pledge to the American Worker, which was signed by Trump and representatives from U.S. companies, represents a commitment from a range of industries to invest in current and future employees through ...
HSMAI Welcomes Nominations for Lifetime Achievement and Top 25 Minds Awards
HSMAI | July 20, 2018
MCLEAN, VA. JULY 20, 2018 The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas is accepting nominations for its Lifetime Achievement Awards and The Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization. Awards will be presented to honorees during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception & Gala on January 22, 2019 at the New York Marriott Marquis. HSMAI's Lifetime Achievement awards, the Albert E. Koehl Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Marketing and the Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations, recognize individuals who have spent a sign...
Hotel Industry Commits $75,000 Grant for LA Opportunity Youth Training
AHLA | July 19, 2018
Los Angeles, CA (July 19, 2018) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF), in partnership with the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA), Hotel Association of Los Angeles and Grads of Life, a national nonprofit, today celebrated the first graduating class of 27 local youth who received training in a hospitality industry program with local community-based organizations LeadersUp and iFoster. As part of the training program, each youth has earned the AHLA Certified Guest Service Professional designation, the highest acknowledgement of guest s...
Ian Schrager With Marriott International Opens The Bodrum EDITION Overlooking the Aegean Sea
EDITION Hotels | July 19, 2018
From the next chapter in the growing EDITION legacy comes Ian Schrager's latest visionary concept: The Bodrum EDITION. Schrager, in partnership with Marriott International, acts to redefine the contemporary luxury hotel experience with his expanding global influence. Bringing a new energy to Bodrum, Schrager is responsible the concept, programming and creative direction of The Bodrum EDITION, an Aegean utopia within the Yalikavak bay. Born for the world stage, the hotel is a natural Amphitheatre acting as a venue for 21st century recreation, socializing, and networking with an unparalleled vista overlooking the azure waters of the Turki...
Companies Increasingly Exposed to Financial Loss and Duty of Care Violations as the Number of Meetings Grow
the Global Business Travel Association | July 19, 2018
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--Globally, half of company-held meetings are simple meetings, yet roughly half of survey respondents report their organizations do not use a "managed" meetings channel for simple meetings, according to new research released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with HRS. This first-of-its-kind study focuses exclusively on simple meetings management, which are small meetings with basic, replicable requirements. For the first time, both GBTA and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) members were surveyed for the same study to provide perspectives from both travel buyers and meeting plan...
IHG and TSUKADA GLOBAL HOLDINGS to Debut Kimpton Brand in Japan With 2020 Opening of Kimpton Tokyo Shinjuku
July 19, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, U.S.A. (July 19, 2018) -Travelers to Tokyo looking for the ultimate boutique hotel experience will have their wishes granted in 2020 with the opening of Kimpton® Tokyo Shinjuku by IHG and TSUKADA GLOBAL HOLDINGS Inc. The 162-room hotel will feature bold, playful design, award-winning dining and unique amenities, with three inventive meeting spaces that accommodate up to 300 people, a well-equipped wellness studio, and a multi-function chapel that will bring Kimpton flair to a couple's special day. As the industry pioneer that first introduced the boutique concept to the US more than 35 years ago, Kimpton Hotels &a...
Wellness and Hospitality Resilience in Economic Uncertainty
Mia A. Mackman | July 19, 2018
By Mia A. Mackman This article reviews important keynotes to protect wellness and hospitality investments after a decade of significant market and industry change. The recent U.S. tax cuts in 2018, have given many households and companies, a sense of relief from taxation with an improved economic outlook and sense of stability. This has ignited a swell in travel, business, and consumer spending. This article reveals how recalibrating investment outlines, management and strategic planning can increase the life-cycle and sustainability of the business, and how to prepare for the increasing speed of change in the years to come. Lessons fro...
Hoteliers Self-Operating Their AV Services Are ‘All Ears’ When It Comes to AVaStar by EMD
AVaStar | July 19, 2018
From brands to independents, multi-property owners to casino operators, hoteliers say they need support when trying to manage their audiovisual programs on their own [Gaithersburg, Md.—July 19, 2018]—Electro-Media Design (EMD) President Jeff Loether was "all ears" at HITEC Houston last month as he listened to hoteliers' tales of woe when self-managing their hotel's audiovisual operations. Conversations with multi-property owners and operators representing more than 30 hotels (including brands, independents and casinos) are continuing. Operators are eager to learn even more about AVaStar and how the patent-pending solution de...
Flagship Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Slated for October 2018 Opening on Gulf of Papagayo in Costa Rica
Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica | July 19, 2018
Barbados, July 19, 2018 – An iconic lifestyle brand born of the 1990's, Planet Hollywood is excited to announce its foray into the all-inclusive space with with its first resort, Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, slated to open October 1, 2018 on the Gulf of Papagayo Gulf in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province. Located at the base of tony, exclusive Peninsula Papagayo, Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica is set amidst one of the most extraordinary coastal landscapes and biological corridors on the planet. A hill-side property, the resort takes advantage of its natural setting with a design based on the understanding of the local en...
BENCHMARK® Appoints Keith McManis as Director of Sales & Marketing for The Essex – Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa
July 19, 2018
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, July 2018… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has appointed Keith McManis director of sales and marketing for The Essex - Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa and a Gemstone Collection property located minutes from Burlington, Vermont. Nic Barger, Benchmark's general manager at the resort, made the announcement. "It is with such pleasure that I announce Keith's promotion at our resort and within our company," stated Mr. Barger. "He is a terrific leader and a highly skilled sales and marketing professional. This is a well-deserved promotion and we congratulate him!" Keith McManis' new...
Salamander Hotels & Resorts Appoints Darin Riggio as Director of Sales and Marketing at Reunion Resort, Central Florida
Reunion Resort | July 19, 2018
MIDDLEBURG, VA. – July 19, 2018 – Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the luxury hotel company founded by Sheila Johnson, has appointed Darin Riggio as director of sales and marketing at Reunion Resort, Central Florida's premier vacation destination. Riggio will oversee the Orlando property's sales and marketing strategies, including driving business, revenue and overall brand awareness to the resort. Riggio joins Reunion Resort from Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, where he was director of sales and marketing. He has over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, including working as associate director of sales at Hyatt R...
Almanac Hotels Appoints Stefan Ludwig as Two Key Roles in Vienna
Almanac Hotels | July 19, 2018
Almanac Hotels is proud to announce and welcome Stefan Ludwig in two key roles for the group. He will serve as Executive Director of Sales and Marketing for Almanac Hotels and as Pre-Opening Director of Sales & Marketing for Almanac Vienna. Mr. Ludwig brings 16 years of hospitality experience to his role in the company in sales and marketing as well as in the food and beverage operations of some of the world's finest hotels. Most recently, he joined from 5* Ritz-Carlton in Vienna where he served as the Director of Sales and Marketing as well as a Member of the Guidance Team. "Almanac Hotels has an aggressive growth plan over the nex...
