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Industry Happenings
sbe Appoints Alvaro Valeriani as SVP of Sales and Marketing
sbe | June 4, 2018
NEW YORK, June 4, 2018 -- sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company, announced today that it has appointed Alvaro Valeriani as its Global Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. As SVP of Sales and Marketing, Alvaro will oversee all sales and marketing operations for sbe's worldwide portfolio. Based in Miami, he will also support the development of a robust sales culture that allows sbe to continue expanding its operations globally. CEO and Founder at sbe, Sam Nazarian, stated: "We are excited that Alvaro is joining us in this crucial role. We're on a journey of expansion across our hotel and restaurant brands an...
Palladium Hotel Group Announces New Brand, ‘BLESS Collection Hotels’
Palladium Hotel Group | June 4, 2018
IBIZA, Spain, June 4, 2018 -- Spanish hotel company Palladium Hotel Group has revealed plans for a new brand, BLESS Collection Hotels, targeted at the contemporary luxury market. The brand builds on the company's city center and beachside hotel portfolios. Set to open in November 2018, BLESS Hotel Madrid will be located in the heart of the city on Calle de Velázquez and will comprise 111 rooms, a rooftop pool, spa and gym, a gourmet restaurant, three bars and conference spaces. A second BLESS Collection Hotel will open in Ibiza in 2019. The restaurant will be led by world-famous Basque chef Martin Berasategui. With eight Mich...
Tishman Select Partners Acquires Three Orlando Select Hotel Properties From Kalson’s Hospitality
Tishman | June 4, 2018
NEW YORK, June 4, 2018 -- Tishman today announced the acquisition of three Orlando area select service hotel properties by its [Tishman Select Partners (TSP)] affiliate, from Kalson's Hospitality. The three properties, Homewood Suites Orlando, Homewood Suites Lake Buena Vista and Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista, offer guests key amenities and quality stays convenient to local parks. Tishman has a long history in the Central Florida area, and currently owns the nearby Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin Resorts. "Adding these properties to our growing hotel portfolio continues our diversification of room offe...
Vizergy Sees Record Breaking Growth in First Half of 2018
June 4, 2018
Agency achieves strong year-over-year growth in revenue, profitability, client count, and product development, with deliberate shift toward technology. Vizergy Digital Marketing, the industry's leading provider of digital marketing software and services, announced record-breaking sales and client growth through May of 2018. The company, based in Jacksonville, FL, attributes its success to several different factors. "Vizergy has always put our technology at the heart of our value proposition," said Joe Hyman, CEO of Vizergy. "For many years, we have invested heavily in our proprietary platform, a SaaS solution built for hospitality marke...
Condor Hospitality Trust Announces Sale of a Non-Core Legacy Hotel, the Comfort Suites in Fort Wayne, Indiana for $7.1 Million
Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. | June 4, 2018
BETHESDA, Md -- Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE American: CDOR), a hotel-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered and incorporated in the state of Maryland, today announced the closing on the sale of a legacy hotel asset, the 127-room Comfort Suites located at 5775 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne, IN, for $7.1 million. Net proceeds from the sale will be applied to outstanding debt on the Company's $150 million secured credit facility. "With the sale of the Comfort Suites Fort Wayne, there are only two legacy hotels owned by Condor," said Bill Blackham, Condor's Chief Executive Officer. "Of the two legacy assets remaini...
Stratus Development Partners, LLC Signs Multi-Unit Agreement with Choice to Develop Five New Cambria Properties
Cambria Hotels | June 4, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 4, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), franchisor of the Cambria Hotels brand, entered into a multi-unit agreement with Stratus Development Partners, LLC to develop five Cambria properties, beginning with a 180-room new construction hotel in Santa Clara, Calif. "The Cambria Hotels brand is experiencing tremendous success and our strategy centered on multi-unit development is accelerating the brand's growth," said Mark Shalala, vice president, development, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. "Choice Hotels is currently collaborating with Stratus Development Partners on three Cambria h...
Hilton Honors Its Top Owners and Developers; Awards Presented at NYU International Hospitality Conference
Hilton | June 4, 2018
MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today recognized its top owners and developers as winners of the 2017 Hilton Owner Awards. In addition to the annual Development Awards announced each year at the NYU conference, Hilton added a "Top Performer" category to celebrate owners achieving excellence in guest experience and business performance. "Our owners are incredible partners and we are deeply appreciative of their many contributions to our nearly 100-year legacy of spreading the light and warmth of hospitality," said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. "Today we are honored to unveil our 2017 Hilton Owner Awards, which cele...
Mews Raises €6M to Advance Hotel Automation and Enhance Customer Experience
Mews | June 4, 2018
Series A round was led by Notion, with participation from HenQ and Thayer Ventures London, 4 June - Mews, the cloud-based Property Management Software platform, has announced the close of its €6m Series A funding round. The round was led by Notion, with participation from HenQ and Thayer Ventures. The funding will be used to accelerate its mission to automate the hotel, democratise knowledge aroundthe hotel technology ecosystem and encourage connectivity within travel to enhance the overall guest experience. The funds will also be used to open new offices around the world to support its fast-growing customer base. Mews' intuitive h...
Chesapeake Lodging Trust Enters Agreement to Sell Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara for $90.0 Million, or Approximately $450,000 Per Key
Chesapeake Lodging Trust | June 4, 2018
ARLINGTON, Va.-- Jun. 4, 2018 -- Chesapeake Lodging Trust (NYSE:CHSP) (the "Trust") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell the 200-room Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara located in Santa Barbara, California for a sale price of $90.0 million, or approximately $450,000 per key, subject to customary pro-rations at closing. Completion of the proposed sale is expected to close within the next 60 days, subject to customary closing requirements and conditions. The Trust acquired the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara in June 2013 for $61.0 million, or $305,000 per key. In April 2016, the Trust sold a separate, five-room villa buildin...
Coffee Chat: Pure Salt & HEBS Digital
HEBS Digital | June 4, 2018
Our newest blog series, Coffee Chats, gives us the opportunity to sit down with our partners and other people in the travel industry to learn more about what they do and hear some tips for success. HEBS Digital's Executive Vice President Jason Price connected with Pure Salt's Director of Sales and Marketing Miguel Amengual Delgado to discuss his career, Pure Salt, and some of the ways in which the multi-property group is engaging with digital marketing and CRM. What do you do and what was the path that led you not only into the hospitality industry, but the career you have now? At the moment I lead a young and dynamic group of excellen...
Why Women Are the Answer to America’s Labor Shortage
JLL Real Views | June 4, 2018
The latest jobs numbers show the massive labor shortage in the United States is getting worse before it gets any better. There were 6.6 million positions sitting vacant without qualified people to fill them as of March 2018 – an increase of roughly 300,000 in two months. Some of the most qualified people to fill these skilled roles have one thing in common: X chromosomes. A look at the pool of unemployed workers of "prime age" – between 25 and 45 – reveals a much higher percentage of educated women than educated men. There were 1.4 million prime-age American women with master's or other advanced degrees that weren't in...
Europe’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Is Healthy and Continues to Rise
Lodging Econometrics | June 4, 2018
June 4, 2018 – PORTSMOUTH, NH According to a recent Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report for Europe, analysts at Lodging Econometrics state that the Total Pipeline is climbing steadily with 1,366 Projects/214,792 Rooms, a 29% increase by projects Year-Over-Year (YOY). The pipeline in Europe has nearly doubled since the cyclical low of 687 Projects/116,272, recorded in Q3 of 2010. There are 715 Projects/115,869 Rooms Under Construction, up 36% by projects YOY. Projects Scheduled to Start Construction in the Next 12 Months are at 391 Projects/61,928 Rooms, up 35%, while projects in Early Planning are at 260 Projects/36...
MCR Appoints Executive Team to Oversee Independent Hotels Across the Country
MCR | June 4, 2018
NEW YORK, NY (June 4, 2018) – MCR, the seventh-largest hotel owner-operator in the United States, today announced the appointment of executives to oversee MCR's independent hotels across the country, including the highly-anticipated TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and The High Line Hotel in Manhattan. "It's an incredibly exciting time at MCR as we build upon our existing independent and experiential hotel portfolio," said Tyler Morse, CEO and Managing Partner of MCR and MORSE Development. "Our new hires add a deep level of expertise to our executive leadership team." MCR's executive hires includ...
Waldhaus Flims Alpine Grand Hotel & Spa Appoints Burkhard Wolter as General Manager
Waldhaus Flims | June 4, 2018
NEW YORK and FLIMS, Switzerland, June 4, 2018 – The Waldhaus Flims Alpine Grand Hotel & Spa ("Waldhaus Flims") today announced the appointment of Burkhard Wolter as General Manager, effective immediately. Mr. Wolter brings more than 22 years of management experience at leading hotel properties across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to the Waldhaus Flims. Most recently, he served as the General Manager of The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah, a five-star luxury hotel and resort in Ajman, UAE, where he oversaw the property's opening and managed a team of 170 employees. Prior to that, he served as the General Manager at several pro...
Enchantment Group Promotes Lindsay Curry to Vice President of Sales and Ashley Sheen to Corporate Director of Communications
Enchantment Group | June 4, 2018
Scottsdale, AZ (June 4, 2018) – Enchantment Group, a leader in the development, management and experiential programming of luxury resorts, is proud to announce the promotions of Lindsay Curry and Ashley Sheen to Vice President of Sales and Corporate Director of Communications, respectively. Both seasoned professionals in sales and marketing for luxury brands, the pair will continue to lend their expertise to Enchantment Group's distinguished collection of award-winning properties, including Enchantment Resort and Mii amo, a destination spa, in Sedona, AZ; the Tides Inn in Irvington, VA; and The Cove, Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Curr...
AccorHotels Sells 57.8% of the Capital of AccorInvest
AccorHotels | June 4, 2018
AccorHotels today announces that it has completed the sale of 57.8% of the capital of AccorInvest to sovereign wealth funds Public Investment Fund (PIF) and GIC, institutional investors Colony NorthStar, Crédit Agricole Assurances and Amundi, and other private investors. For AccorHotels, the transaction results in a gross cash contribution of €4.6 billion, which is slightly more than the €4.4 billion announced in February and in line with the higher percentage of capital finally sold. AccorHotels will therefore hold 42.2% of the capital of AccorInvest, which will no longer be included in the Group's consolidated financi...
BENCHMARK®, A Global Hospitality Company, Makes Strategic Investment in UK’s etc.venues
etc.venues | June 4, 2018
Investment Expands Benchmark's Reach to over 80 locations Across Three Continents The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 4, 2018 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, and its capital partner, Gencom, have made a strategic investment in the UK-based etc.venues, a pioneering non-residential day meetings company with 15 properties in London, Birmingham and Manchester. The move and positioning significantly increases Benchmark's global footprint and creates exceptional opportunities for international expansion for both companies. The partnership means that Benchmark will now operate across three continents, with a total o...
Indian Tourism Landscape – Spiritual and Religious Tourism
Hotelivate Private Limited | June 4, 2018
Spirituality is entrenched into the very core of Indian culture. The country is the destination of choice for many who embark on a journey of spiritual growth and enlightenment. The Beatles put India on the world map when they ventured to Rishikesh to learn Transcendental Meditation at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram back in 1968. Today, spiritual tourism is a growing industry, with travel companies and hotel chains beginning to recognise its immense potential and opportunities. Spirituality is often confused with religion, with the words "spiritual" and "religion" often being used interchangeably. Spiritual tourism involves people trave...
Grand Pacific Resorts, ARDA Finalists Rise to the Top at ARDA World 2018
Grand Pacific Resorts | June 4, 2018
CARLSBAD, CA, (June 2018) – Grand Pacific Resorts, a timeshare management company, is proud to announce that it won five (5) Gold awards at the 2018 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Awards, held May 9, 2018 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ARDA Awards Program recognizes top industry professionals for their excellence and accomplishments in categories that enhance vacation ownership. Grand Pacific Resorts' Gold Award Winners included Kelly Brady-Snyder – Inventory Revenue Management Manager, Sarah Fant – Housekeeping Manager, and Wisam Al Saffar – Maintenance Manager at MarBrisa Carlsbad R...
Create and Deliver Itineraries Without Leaving The Lobby With ALICE and Percipia
ALICE | May 31, 2018
ALICE, the leading hospitality operations platform, and Percipia, the industry innovator in telephony solutions, software, and services, have partnered to provide The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston with convenient in-room digital signage to enhance the guest experience. Now, with the ALICE-Percipia partnership, when a concierge creates an itinerary for the guest, this itinerary can be displayed on an in-room device. This provides the guest with a convenient way to stay on top of their schedule, and the concierge with a user-friendly way to share their work with the guest. Percipia's LATITUDE mobile application brings in-room controls,...
Latin America’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Is Stalling; Down 8% by Projects YOY
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | May 31, 2018
May 31, 2018 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – According to the recent Latin America Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), the Total Construction Pipeline in Latin America has 776 Projects/134,143 Rooms, down 8% by projects Year-Over-Year (YOY). There are 365 Projects/64,004 Rooms Under Construction, down 4% by projects YOY. Projects Scheduled to Start Construction in the Next 12 Months are at 213 Projects/33,536 Rooms, up 28%, while those in Early Planning are at 198 Projects/36,603 Rooms, down 32% YOY. ...
Does Your Hotel Stand Out?
Chamberlin Public Relations | May 31, 2018
Brand standards can make a hotel seem…well, standard. And with so many hotels flooding the market, it can be hard for travelers to tell one apart from the next, making it even more challenging to establish customer loyalty. But by carefully targeting specific types of guests and incorporating clever design and programing, a few hotel brands are standing out from the pack. Business & Leisure To attract business travelers, IHG's Crowne Plaza brand has been updating its guestrooms and public spaces, adding touches that working professionals need. Hotels now have studio spaces off of the lobbies that guests and locals can rent by...
The Hidden Costs of Sold-Outs
Max Chertkov | May 31, 2018
By Max Chertkov Did you know that securing a new customer costs between 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing client? Although several factors can lead to losing a customer, booking failures and sold-outs have a major impact on customer loyalty. Strong businesses are built on the fundamental understanding of customer lifetime value - a customer once won can become a customer for life. Today's highly competitive travel market, especially online, bears numerous challenges when it comes to winning a customer. In fact, the revenue from the first customer booking often barely covers the acquisition cost. For this reason, customer...
Facilities Management in Offices and Hotels: Same, Same but Different
Remy Rein | May 31, 2018
By Remy Rein The management of office facilities has been undergoing a revolution of sorts, thanks to disruptors such as the private social network Nextdoor and co-working spaces WeWork and Workspace2go, as well as a slew of new practices. Nowadays office space is being optimized in terms of square meters and usage per hour. According to a report on Coworking by Arthur Loyd in July, the number of coworking spaces was expected to grow eightfold worldwide to some 14,000 in 2017 from 1,780 in 2015. It added that, in Paris alone, coworking floorspace was expected to increase by 167 percent to an estimated 155,200 square meters in 2017 from ...
