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Industry Happenings
Independent Hotel, The Durham, Elevates Revenue Strategy With IDeaS’ Continuous Pricing
The Durham Hotel | March 22, 2018
Throwing out the spreadsheets, The Durham Hotel upgrades to automated revenue management system MINNEAPOLIS – March 22, 2018 – In July of 2015, The Durham Hotel opened its doors for the first time as an independent hotel property; its historic building previously operated as a local bank for decades. Being in the heart of downtown Durham, NC—amidst a revitalization, increase in market hotel inventory and pricing instability in the market—The Durham Hotel saw the opportunity to change from a manual pricing system to an automated revenue management solution, continuing their efforts to maximize overall revenue oppo...
Icon Lodging Set to Open New TownePlace Suites by Marriott Fort Worth University/Medical Center in Texas
TownePlace Suites by Marriott | March 22, 2018
Fort Worth, TX – March 22, 2018 – Get ready to be real and be you on long stays. Marriott International's TownePlace Suites by Marriott Fort Worth University/Medical Center is scheduled to open for business on Friday, March 23, 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 Fort Worth area. The all-suite hotel located at 3450 West Vickery Boulevard, continues to exemplify the brand's rapid growth. The new hotel will operate as a Marriott franchise, managed by Icon Lodging of Irv...
Newly Constructed Hilton Des Moines Downtown Opens for Business at the Iowa Events Center
DMCC | March 21, 2018
DES MOINES, Iowa - Today, the newly constructed Hilton Des Moines Downtown opens its doors as the only hotel directly connected to the Iowa Events Center, which comprises a world-class convention center and the Wells Fargo arena. The opening of this landmark hotel will further attract large-scale meetings and events to Des Moines and in turn, increase economic activity throughout the community. "As the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the city, we look forward to introducing the brand's world-renowned hospitality to Des Moines and fully integrating into the fabric of the community," said Dave Marr, senior vice...
Paving the Way to the Future: Round up of the Award-Winning Hotel & Travel Tech Startups to Watch
Alan E. Young | March 21, 2018
By Alan E. Young Today's world is constantly changing, and the travel and hotel industry is facing many technological challenges and intense competition. When competition is at such a fever pace, innovation is everything. Across various platforms and specialties, we are seeing the enthusiastic embrace of ambitious thought leaders, entrepreneurs and start-ups who are fearlessly carving out their vision of the future. In the past, there were yearly events that enabled travel and hotel technology providers to showcase their current solutions to prospective buyers. Now, due to the rapid change of technology and its impact on the industry, a...
The National Conference Center Hosts 15th Annual Virginia ProStart Student Invitational
The National Conference Center | March 21, 2018
LEESBURG, VA — March 21, 2018 Virginia ProStart, a division of the national ProStart career-building program for high school students interested in the culinary arts and restaurant management, hosted its 15th Annual Virginia ProStart Student Invitational (VPSI) earlier this month at The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia. ProStart in Virginia is sponsored by Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA). This was the first year the program was hosted in Northern Virginia since its inception in 2005. The full-day cooking competition and business plan presentation included 65 students representing 13 te...
Commonwealth Hotels Names Megan Gabriel as Field Director of Sales & Marketing
Commonwealth Hotels, LLC | March 21, 2018
COVINGTON, Ky., March 21, 2018 -- Commonwealth Hotels, LLC. is pleased to announce the hire of Megan Gabriel as Field Director of Sales and Marketing. In this role, Gabriel will be responsible for maximizing hotel revenues through creative sales, marketing and revenue management strategies. She will be providing sales and revenue support to hotel property leaders in the Midwest and Florida region. "I'm thrilled to work alongside dynamic hospitality innovators and have the opportunity to support hotel leaders in such lively areas of the country," Gabriel stated. "From the beautiful bays of Tampa, Florida, to the up-and...
5-Star Royal Orchid Sheraton Specifies I Series Phones
Cetis | March 21, 2018
The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Bangkok has installed Teledex I Series phones. The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, an elegant 5-star hotel located on the Chao Phraya Riverside in Bangkok, Thailand, has purchased 134 Teledex I Series single-line analog cordless telephones through Cetis channel partner NeoNet Bangkok. The Phase 1 installation of 134 phones is being followed by a Phase 2 installation of I Series cordless phones that will complete the update to all 726 rooms. Each of the Royal Orchid 726 guest rooms showcase unobstructed river views, luxury amenities and unparalleled service. Dine with business associ...
Hilton and Plateno Sign Agreement for Hampton by Hilton Dalian Labor Park in Greater China
Hampton by Hilton | March 21, 2018
SHANGHAI and MCLEAN, Va., March 21, 2018 -- Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Plateno Hotels Group today celebrated the signing of the 200th hotel in Greater China as part of a master licence agreement, first announced in 2014. Hampton by Hilton Dalian Labor Park hotel becomes the 200th signing, with nearly 30 having already opened across China. Since launch, a new hotel has been signed on average every six days, with sites located across 120 first and second-tier cities, provincial capitals and popular tourism destinations. Alan Watts, President, Asia Pacific, said, "We are incredibly proud of the remarkable success of Hampton by Hilton in C...
Brand Building: A More Cost-Effective Way to Raise Your Company’s Profile?
Stuart Pallister | March 21, 2018
By Stuart Pallister When Arnaud Bertrand and Junjun Chen finished their studies at Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne in 2008 they went on to set up HouseTrip, an alternative accommodation start-up which would compete head-to-head with Airbnb and other online travel agencies. Initially the couple had just a laptop, an internet connection and an idea. They went literally from zero to annual revenues of 100 million dollars within just five years or so. Junjun takes up the story. "We were still in school, doing our second internships. We were in London and wanted to go to Scotland but we were students so didn't want to spend too much money....
Four Seasons to Develop Resort and Residences on Caye Chapel, a Private Island in Belize, Set to Open in 2021
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel, Belize | March 21, 2018
TORONTO, March 21, 2018 -- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world's leading luxury hospitality company, announced plans for the development of Caye Chapel, a private island in Belize featuring magnificent oceanfront estates, private residences and overwater bungalows. Scheduled to open in 2021, the project is in partnership with Thor Urbana, Inmobilia Desarrollos and GFA Grupo Inmobiliario, three leading real estate development groups based in Mexico. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel, Belize will transform the intimate private island of Caye Chapel into a luxury destination for residence owners and leisure travelle...
LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA) Appoints Eric B. Hansen as Director
LWHA | March 21, 2018
New York, March 21, 2018 -- Daniel H. Lesser, President & CEO and Evan Weiss, COO, Principal of LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA) today announced the appointment of Eric B. Hansen as Director of the firm. Mr. Hansen, who is domiciled in the Cleveland/Akron Ohio area, has twenty-five years of experience providing an array of hospitality real estate advisory services including: expert testimony, site evaluation, highest and best use analysis, market and feasibility studies, and appraisals. "Eric's combined valuation and architectural experience are unique, and his capabilities in lodging real estate are wide and deep, which further enhan...
CRM + PMS = Time to Wake up and Smell the Coffee
Kevin McCarthy | March 21, 2018
By Kevin McCarthy Think about all your possessions, all your worldly belongings, how you travel, and where you stay. I have just walked through my house in my mind and thought of brands that exist in my life for more than 3 years, and persist in their presence. One stands out, a coffee, George Clooney is a fan too of this brand, we have one of their coffee machines in our kitchen in Dubai that we bought 4 years ago when we lived in Switzerland. It works. Never broke down, never falters. The coffee tastes as good today as it did back then and the flavor variety increasing ensures our trust remains. Last Christmas we received complimentar...
Expanding Your Career Options Beyond Hospitality
Alan Massarsky | March 21, 2018
by Alan Massarsky Many upper management hospitality professionals who have spent their working lives in the field arrive at a stage in their careers when they wonder about the next step. Increasingly, companies outside the hospitality industry are seeking candidates with hotel backgrounds to bring their skills to fields as diverse as healthcare, fitness, and luxury residential management. Moving beyond a hotel environment presents certain challenges, but opens up numerous opportunities for career growth and greater achievement. To offer advice for hospitality professionals considering making career transitions, I've gathered some valuab...
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Appoints New Executive Chef Richard Goldberg
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach | March 21, 2018
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – March 21, 2018 – Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton, continues to evolve into the city's hottest oceanfront destination with the appointment of its new executive chef, Richard Goldberg. Chef Rich is well known for developing new culinary concepts throughout South Florida's top country clubs and hotels. He was selected by Bahia Mar's ownership, Tate Capital, to lead the creation of new menus at the property's full-service restaurant, Breezes, its rooftop bar, Waves Rooftop Pool Bar & Grill, as well as its innovative catering department. "Chef Rich has a great vision and ...
The Changing Dynamics of Hotel Ownership (Video Link)
HVS | March 21, 2018
On 13 March 2018 Russell Kett, chairman of the London office of HVS, moderated a panel at the Young Hoteliers Summit, held at EHL, the Lausanne hotel school. Panellists were Giovanni Forni (Cedar Capital Partners), Marc Socker (Invesco), Henri Wilmes (A&O Hotels & Hostels) and Oliver Judge (Park Hotels & Resorts). ...
Virginia’s The Blackburn Inn Appoints John Maly as General Manager and Blake Fisk as Director of Sales
The Blackburn Inn | March 21, 2018
STAUNTON, VA (March 21, 2018) – The Blackburn Inn, a boutique hotel slated to open late spring 2018 in the historic Downtown Staunton neighborhood, announced today the appointment of two new members to its property team. The Blackburn Inn welcomes John Maly as General Manager and Blake Fisk as Director of Sales. The pair will lead the opening of the newly renovated, 49-room luxury boutique hotel and ensure the continued success of the property, overall. Maly will oversee day-to-day operations of the hotel and contribute fresh ideas for local, community partnerships and ongoing initiatives that create unique guest experiences for l...
Frontier Development & Hospitality Group Selects Crestline Hotels & Resorts to Manage The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport – BWI
Frontier Development & Hospitality Group LLC | March 21, 2018
FAIRFAX, VA – March 21, 2018 Frontier Development & Hospitality Group has selected Crestline Hotels & Resorts, LLC to manage its latest hotel acquisition, The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport - BWI. The upscale, full-service hotel includes 260 guestrooms and suites, as well as more than 10,000 square-feet of meeting and function space. Crestline now manages sixteen hotels serving the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. Evens Charles, Founder & Managing Principal of Frontier Development & Hospitality Group, said "We are excited to work with Crestline because of its excellent reputation for delivering outstan...
North Point Hospitality Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Atlanta Midtown
Hampton by Hilton | March 21, 2018
Atlanta, GA – March 21, 2018 – North Point Hospitality, an award-winning Atlanta based hotel development and operations company, celebrated the groundbreaking of its Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Atlanta Midtown yesterday with a private ceremony. Senior executives from Hilton Worldwide, Fifth Third Bank, First Tennessee Bank, and North Point Hospitality were in attendance. In celebration of today's groundbreaking ceremony and North Point's commitment to the hospitality community, the company added $25,000 to the North Point Hospitality Scholarship in the School of Hospitality, Robinson College of Business at Georgia Sta...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 193: Hotel History: John McEntee Bowman*(1875-1931)
Stanley Turkel | March 21, 2018
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: John McEntee Bowman John McEntee Bowman, president of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotel Corporation, had no easy boyhood. Born in 1875 in Toronto to Irish-Scottish immigrants, Bowman came to New York in 1892 when he was seventeen years old with the traditional lack of funds. He carried a letter of introduction to the manager of the old Manhattan Hotel at Madison Avenue and Forty-second Street. After waiting hours for an interview, he left without seeing the manager. He subsequently mailed the letter, asking for an appointment but received no reply and no returned letter. He got his first experience in the ...
Stoney Creek Hospitality Relies on Maestro Analytics to Create Targeted Marketing Campaigns and Effective Performance Reporting
Maestro PMS | March 21, 2018
Maestro Analytics Pulls Data by Hotel, Date, Market, or Guests for 15 Property Independent Hotel Group Markham, Ontario – March 21, 2018 – Stoney Creek Hospitality wanted a new multi-property software system that would centralize operations for its 15 hotels. "We needed to automate property management and easily collect and utilize property performance data and guest information from our hotels. The bottom line goal was to manage our chain better and provide intelligence to support more effective marketing. Maestro PMS property software delivers all this perfectly," said Holly Martin, Stoney Creek's Training and Development ...
10 Step Guide to Attracting the New Digital Traveler
StayNTouch | March 21, 2018
Everywhere we turn, we are faced with 'new' — new trends, new technology, new guest expectations. This constant evolution is as exciting as it is, at times, stressful for industry leaders hoping to stay ahead of the curve while helping to establish new and improved industry standards. At the heart of this on-going evolution exists the new aged digital traveler, and hoteliers' desire to understand better what they look for within their hospitality experience. Implementing a strategy to nurture the next generation of guests is essential for any property, and the task of winning the hearts and minds of this highly profitable guest is...
Casablanca’s Hospitality Market Is Largely Dependent on Business Travellers, and Has Relatively Limited Hotels in the Luxury Segment, Says JLL
JLL | March 21, 2018
Occupancy rates recovered in 2017 from 62% in 2016 to 66% in 2017, owing to the performance of the 4-start hotel segment catering to conferences and exhibitions across the city CASABLANCA, Morocco, March 21, 2018/ -- Earlier this year, the Moroccan Central Bank (Bank Al-Maghrib) introduced the gradual floatation of the Moroccan Dirham, providing more flexibility to real estate investors and paving the way for a more buoyant real estate market in the year ahead. According to JLL's (www.JLL.com) Morocco 2018 report, the bank widened the official band within which the dirham may fluctuate to 5 percent, with a maximum daily move of 2.5 perc...
Ten Steps to Revitalizing Your Coffee Experience
Larry Mogelonsky | March 21, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) We all love caffeine and coffee happens to be among the most components in your F&B arsenal. Let's start by recapping what should you already know or have gone through with your team prior to starting to think about this ten-step process. Firstly, you've reviewed your brew and you're convinced it is a contender to of note to guests as well as locals. Next, you've done your best to include a great decaf companion. And lastly, you're offering, at a minimum, espresso, cappuccino and lattes to flesh out your menu beyond mere percolated beans. Now, how do you lever this into creating...
Tyson Hospitality Consulting Principal Joins Industry Advisory Board
the School | March 21, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Peter Tyson, principal of Tyson Hospitality Consulting, LLC, has joined the Penn State School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Industry Advisory Board. Prior to his retirement as a managing director of CBRE Hotels, Tyson was a senior vice president of PKF Consulting, chief operating officer of Smith Analytics and a partner in Laventhol & Horwath. A majority of his work consisted of the provision of consulting services to clients in the hotel and gaming sectors of the industry. "Over a period of many years, I had the pleasure of hiring, training and working with many Penn State SHM alumni and was always im...
