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
General Manager Ellen Betzold Set to Welcome Guests to 84-Room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Duluth, Minnesota
Fairfield Inn & Suites | June 20, 2018
Duluth, MN – June 20, 2018 – The 84-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Duluth, Minnesota is scheduled to open this Friday, June 22, 2018 with a new décor that provides guests with a feeling of warmth and calm while traveling. Located at 1000 Minnesota Avenue, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Duluth Waterfront will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Lakehead Hotel Partners, LLC and managed by Golder Hospitality of St. Paul, Minnesota. Located on the Duluth Harbor, one mile from downtown and seven miles from Duluth International Airport, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Duluth Waterfront offers guests con...
Excel Group Acquires 165-Key Hampton Inn Newark-Harrison-Riverwalk in Harrison, New Jersey
Excel Group | June 20, 2018
ARLINGTON, Va., June 20, 2018 -- Washington DC-based real estate investment firm Excel Group has announced its recent acquisition of the 165-key Hampton Inn Newark-Harrison-Riverwalk located in Harrison, NJ adjacent to downtown Newark, NJ. "Newark is experiencing a remarkable revitalization with over $5 billion of real estate development in the pipeline. We are excited to be a part of Newark's growth story and to add this property to our portfolio," remarked managing partner Shoham Amin. "This transaction typifies our current investment strategy of acquiring premium-branded select-service assets in strong high barrier...
Choice Hotels Signs With Four Raines to Develop Two Cambria Hotels in Greenville and Summerville, South Carolina
Cambria Hotels | June 20, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 20, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has signed two agreements with Four Raines, LLC to develop Cambria hotels in Greenville and Summerville, S.C., both rapidly growing business regions. The Cambria Hotel Greenville and the Cambria Hotel Summerville are both slated to open in October 2019. The Cambria Hotel Greenville will have 125 rooms and is located in an upscale mixed-use retail area with access to Whole Foods, Total Wine, and Ann Taylor LOFT. The property is within walking distance to the headquarters of TD Bank and BMW North American Technology, Hubbell Lighting, ICAR, and facilities opera...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Selects Cendyn for CRM and Loyalty
Cendyn | June 20, 2018
June 20, 2018 – Boca Raton, Florida – Omni Hotels & Resorts, a leader in the luxury hospitality marketplace, has selected Cendyn, the best in class customer relationship management and loyalty solution provider for hotels, as the group's CRM and loyalty technology partner. Cendyn will implement a state-of-the-art solution that will collect data from multiple property systems to provide real-time personalized communications, loyalty services and guest intelligence at 60 hotels within the Omni Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Omni aims to deliver world-class, personalized service to all guests and a heightened level of reco...
Soul Community Planet Opens First SCP Hotel in Colorado Springs Following Nine-Month Renovation
SCP Hotel Colorado Springs | June 20, 2018
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--Soul Community Planet (SCP) announced today the opening of its first SCP Hotel in Colorado Springs after a nine-month, $6 million renovation. The 98,000 square-foot, 176-room property, located at the base of the majestic Pikes Peak, is in its final stages of renovation with a soft opening scheduled for June 27. Guests can begin booking their reservations now. SCP Hotels represents a fresh holistic hospitality concept for both travelers and the surrounding community. Inside each SCP Hotel, guests will find opportunities to recharge their minds, refresh their bodies and re-center their souls, while connecting with...
U.S. Project-Based Business Travel Spend Topped $45 Billion in 2017
the Global Business Travel Association | June 20, 2018
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--In 2017, project-based business travel spending reached $45.4 billion USD, comprising 15 percent of all U.S. business travel spending, according to a first-of-its-kind study from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group. In total, 66 million trips were taken last year for project-based purposes, representing 12 percent of all U.S. business trips and 19 percent of all U.S. business trips taken for transient purposes. To be considered project-based travel, the travel must revolve around a project, have both a start and end date, and have a duration of at least four n...
Renaissance Dallas Hotel by Marriott Appoints Chris Pilavakis as General Manager
Renaissance Dallas Hotel | June 20, 2018
DALLAS, TEXAS (JUNE 20, 2018) – The Renaissance Dallas Hotel by Marriott announces it has appointed Chris Pilavakis as General Manager. Pilavakis brings more than 28 years of hotel management experience to the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, located downtown near Dallas Market Hall. Most recently, Pilavakis served as general manager of Dallas Marriott City Center. Prior to that position, he worked in Orlando where he held many leadership positions including General Manager at Marriott Village at Lake Buena Vista, Resident Manager at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, Director of Operations at Marriott's Grand Vista Vacation Ownership Reso...
Garden of the Gods Collection Appoints Stephen McLean as Director of Food and Beverage
Garden of the Gods Collection | June 20, 2018
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – (JUNE 20, 2018) - Garden of the Gods Collection, a private club and luxury resort, today announced the appointment of Stephen McLean as director of food and beverage. McLean joins the team with 30 years of experience in club management, property management and hospitality industries. He started his career in 1988 with Ritz Carlton, as a banquet supervisor and director for properties in Buckhead, Ga., and Palm Beach, Fla. During his time at these properties, McLean managed more than 25,000 and 31,000 square feet, respectively, of meeting space and generated more than $12 million in banquet revenue. From 19...
Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ Promotes Sasa Milojevic to President of Hotel Operations and CEO of Mexico and Caribbean Region
Karisma Hotels & Resorts | June 20, 2018
MIAMI (June 20, 2018) – Karisma Hotels & Resorts, an award-winning luxury hotel collection which owns and manages properties in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, is pleased to announce the promotion of Sasa Milojevic to President of Hotel Operations and CEO of the Mexico and Caribbean region. Milojevic brings a wealth of expertise to his new role along with a deep understanding of the company's key pillars through his tenure with Karisma Hotels & Resorts over the past decade. "Sasa has been instrumental in the success of Karisma Hotels & Resorts' global expansion; his strength in executing seamless business oper...
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Opens New Hotel Near Glacier National Park
June 20, 2018
Minneapolis - June 20, 2018 - Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson, a leading upper midscale hotel brand, today announced the opening of Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Kalispell, MT – Glacier Lodge. Located at 4150 U.S. Highway 2 East, the hotel is the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts being just a short drive from the hiking trails and picturesque views of Glacier National Park, also known as the Crown Jewel of the Continent. It is also conveniently located minutes away from Glacier Park International Airport, along with offering an airport shuttle for guests. "We are thrilled to welcome this beautiful addit...
What Do Top Hotel Executives See on the Horizon for 2018?
Jim Butler | June 20, 2018
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 20 June, 2018 Meet the Money® is a productive conference with a casual atmosphere; the executives and other hotel industry representatives who attend often speak candidly about their expectations for hotel finance, development and investment throughout the upcoming year. The short video below highlights how some of our attendees feel about 2018—watch and find out what some of the industry's most well-known brands, banks, consultants, mangers and developers have to say about what's on the horizon. For more in-depth data and resea...
BENCHMARK® Names Jarred Bryant General Manager for Tivoli Lodge, Vail, Colorado
Tivoli Lodge | June 20, 2018
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 2018… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has appointed Jarred Bryant general manager for Tivoli Lodge, a Gemstone Collection property located in Vail, Colorado. Benchmark's president and COO, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to announce Jarred's new position within our company," said Mr. Champion. "He has performed superbly in his previous role with Benchmark and our Gemstone Collection brand and has a keen understanding of our 'Be The Difference' service culture. This is a well-deserved promotion." Jarred Bryant was most recently the director of operations for Benchmar...
Midas Capital Acquires Dual-Branded Residence Inn/Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott-Charlotte Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina
Midas Hospitality | June 20, 2018
(St. Louis, Mo., June 20, 2018) Midas Capital, an investment company specializing in hotel acquisition and development, recently acquired its first property only four months after opening for investor subscriptions. Midas Capital has raised $18 million, calling $15 million during its first phase with the help of 60 investors. The company purchased the dual-branded Residence Inn/Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott-Charlotte Airport located at 2220 W. Tyvola Road in Charlotte, NC. Midas Capital – the sister company of premier hotel management group Midas Hospitality which is headquartered in St. Louis, MO – was created in O...
Hawkeye Hotels Set to Break Ground on Marriott Moxy in City of Omaha’s Old Market Entertainment District
Hawkeye Hotels | June 20, 2018
OMAHA – This week Iowa-based firm Hawkeye Hotels' plan to develop a new six-story hotel in the heart of the Old Market Entertainment District received final authorization from the Omaha City Council. Branded as Marriott's affordable boutique hotel line, Moxy, the new property will be located at the corner of 12th and Harney Streets. This is the first Nebraska property for Hawkeye Hotels. Several stages of approval began in April when Council members unanimously voted to authorize the Moxy. Hawkeye Hotels has worked with city officials to meet historic preservation standards and stay true to the historic legacy of the area....
MWSRC Plans Fall 2018 Opening for The Glen House at the Base of Mt. Washington
The Glen House | June 20, 2018
June 20, 2018. Green's Grant, NH. The Glen House, the new 68-room hotel at the base of Mt. Washington, the highest summit in the Northeast, pays respect to the legendary White Mountain hotels of the 19th century in both its architecture and design. It is scheduled to open in Fall 2018. The current hotel is the fifth iteration of The Glen House to be built near this site since the original hotel was erected in 1852. The new property is owned by the Mt. Washington Summit Road Company (MWSRC) and located near the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, which the family-owned MWSRC has operated since 1906. "We looked at the backdrop of Mt. Wa...
What Prix Fixe Menus Can Teach You About the Psychology of Choice
Larry Mogelonsky | June 20, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Choice is a tricky thing. Confronted with too much of it and you are stymied by indecision. Yet faced by too little and you feel shortchanged or indifferent to the whole buying process. It's all about finding that happy medium, and to help you decipher this golden mean there's better place to start than by examining how prix fixe menus subtly work to build revenue and customer satisfaction. The best prix fixe menus not only feature a restaurant's signature dishes as selected and perfected by your chefs, but they also offer a few options within broader course grouping. For instance, ...
The Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA Are the Top World Regions in the Global Hotel Construction Pipeline
Lodging Econometrics | June 20, 2018
June 20, 2018 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – Lodging Econometrics (LE) has released its global construction pipeline trend report, which compiles the construction pipeline for every country and market in the world, where currently the regions by project count are: The Americas with 6,268 projects/800,298 rooms, Asia Pacific with 4,205 projects/907,867 rooms and EMEA with 2,241 projects/430,837 rooms. The top countries by project count are the United States with 5,255 projects/636,274 rooms and China with 2,481 projects/546,424 rooms. The U.S. accounts for 41% of the projects in the global pipeline while China accounts for 20%, resulting...
Is Europe on a Rebound?
Georges Panayotis | June 20, 2018
by Georges Panayotis 200 years later, Europe could once again become a great world power. With its millenary history, it could return to the big leagues through the digital field. Emmanuel Macron has made it very clear: he wants to push French start-ups and promote the influence of digital companies. France and its European neighbors may be late in the game, but we have our card to play. In France, the game is changing, and we are shifting up a gear. Europeans, especially France, are starting with 20 years of lag time compared to the United States in the development of digital entrepreneurship! Fair enough! But we have our strengths... ...
Update Your 800 Message on Hold to Encourage Direct Bookings and Cross-Sell
Doug Kennedy | June 20, 2018
by Doug Kennedy On many levels, marketing in the hotel industry has advanced rapidly, yet at most hotels and brands, the "message on hold" (MOH) scripting is stuck in the 1990's. Whether you call a hotel directly or call into its central reservations office, after the auto-attendant places you in queue the MOH nearly always direct callers back online again and again throughout the scripting. Here are some common phrases: "Did you know that the fastest way to book a reservation is online? It's the easy and convenient way to plan your experiences." "For faster service, you can make a new reservation online at www.ourhotelname.com " "H...
dormakaba Brings a Total Hospitality Access Solution Suite to HITEC
dormakaba | June 20, 2018
At HITEC in Houston Visit dormakaba in Booth #2401 JUNE 18-21, 2018 George R. Brown Convention Center dormakaba Solutions Include New Saffire LX and Quantum Pixel BLE locks, Ambiance Access Software, Messenger LENS™ Network, Data Analytics and More MONTREAL, QC, CANADA – June 20, 2018 – dormakaba, the provider of Saflok™ and Ilco™ electronic door locks, brings a total hospitality access solution suite to HITEC booth 2401 in Houston, TX. dormakaba solutions include the new Saffire LX and Quantum Pixel electronic locks, Ambiance access management software, Messenger LENS wireless network with Data Analytics c...
Springer-Miller Systems Launches Teres™ POS
June 20, 2018
Elevate your Food and Beverage/Retail Operations STOWE, VT — June 20th, 2018 — Springer-Miller Systems (SMS), the leading provider of guest-centric hospitality and spa management systems is proud to announce the launch of their newest product and Point-of-Sale (POS) solution, Teres POS. Springer-Miller Systems brings over 30 years of hospitality expertise to the table with the launch of Teres POS. Teres provides a premium, guest-centric, point-of-sale solution for both food and beverage and retail operations at your luxury hotel, resort or casino. The product is built on a contemporary .NET Framework and a Microsoft SQL data...
Hotel Live Chat Instant Gratification Wins Every Time
Lodging Interactive | June 20, 2018
PARSIPPANY, NJ – June 20, 2018 - There's a lot of debate about the best way to handle the huge influx of guest messages happening through private message and live chat platforms. Should we be using more automation? More resources in house? More outsourcing? There are a number of different services and solutions out there-- not all of which are created equal-- but there's one thing that everyone agrees on: Answering customer messages quickly and thoroughly is essential. And by fast, we mean lightning fast. Chief of Marketing of Booking.com Pepijn Rijvers put it perfectly when he recently stated that a slow response or no response t...
New Doug Pitcock ’49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Brings An Authentic Aggie Experience to Exceptional Meetings and Events
June 20, 2018
Conference Center Celebrates Opening with 25% Savings on All Meetings Booked by August College Station, Texas, June 2018 … The richness of Texas A&M University's legendary "Aggie Experience" will clearly mark meetings and events at the new Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center (www.TexasAMHotelCC.com), scheduled to open in August. A world-class destination, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, a luxury hotel and the exceptional resources of a renowned research university, combine with a vibrant and unique university "Aggie" spirit in the new Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center. The $134 million proj...
McLaren Technologies Makes Investment in Idem Hospitality
McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd | June 19, 2018
HITEC Houston, 20 June 2018 – The McLaren Group, headquartered out of Singapore and Sydney, Australia, has invested in Idem Hospitality. McLaren Technologies specializes in the distribution, implementation, development and customization of solutions and services for the hospitality industry and visitor based environments. McLaren is excited to expand their relationship with Idem with this official announcement. Matthew Howden, Co-CEO at Idem was quoted, "We feel this is a really positive and exciting step in Idem's development. Having a partner like McLaren allows us to offer a multi-channel approach to sales, support & implem...
