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
Revenue Managers Flock to 5 International Cities for HSMAI’s ROC
HSMAI | March 15, 2018
For the first time in its history, the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will host its Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) in a total of five major cities around the world in 2018: Amsterdam, Singapore, Houston, Sao Paolo, and Dubai. The conference convenes hotel revenue executives for education, collaboration, and innovation. Each year, ROC delivers the most compelling and comprehensive revenue management event for the hotel industry. "Building upon the value of continuing to offer these conferences in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific, HSMAI is proud to be able to extend the reach of ROC's p...
NAVIS Raises the Bar to Achieve Highest Level of PCI DSS Level 1 Certification
NAVIS | March 15, 2018
Top designation reflects NAVIS' adherence to the highest industry requirements for ensuring the security of its hotel and vacation rental clients' guest data BEND, Ore. (March 15, 2018) – NAVIS, the leader in reservation sales and marketing technology for the hospitality industry, today announced that it achieved Level 1 Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). The company has now reached the highest industry rating any business can attain for payment data security. The PCI standard is the most rigorous payment-card security standard available globally and is designed to minimize the exposure o...
Keeco Hires Industry Veteran Brett Rife to Lead Hospitality Division
Keeco, LLC | March 15, 2018
New York, NY. – Keeco, LLC is bolstering its presence in the Hospitality market segment with the addition of industry veteran Brett Rife as Vice President/Sales Manager Hospitality Division. In this new role, Rife will oversee the Hospitality Division reporting directly to Keeco CEO Chris Grassi. Speaking of this increased focus on hospitality, Grassi said "Keeco is a perfect fit for a market that requires not only innovation and durability, but also the ability to deliver superior value. Our sourcing strengths and industry leading product development and quality assurance teams uniquely qualify us to service the hospitality chann...
Agilysys to Sponsor Crescent Hotels & Resorts Leadership Conference
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | March 15, 2018
ALPHARETTA, GA. — March 15, 2018 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that the company is a sponsor of the 2018 Crescent Hotels & Resorts Leadership Conference to be held March 19-21 at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort in Florida. Crescent Hotels and Resorts is an award-winning, premier hotel management company in North America. The annual Leadership Conference is attended by a variety of corporate as well as regional leaders in hospitality, such as general managers and sales directors, and the three-day event features a tr...
A Hotel Marketer’s Guide to CRM
Cendyn | March 15, 2018
Typically, the marketing department plays the lead role in CRM, acting as the primary user and key operator of CRM software and managing guest communications and data. As the guardian of the hotel's brand, the marketing manager ensures that all guest communications are on brand and on message. Additionally, as a primary generator of demand, they use the CRM system to find opportunities to drive revenue and increase profits. The marketing manager also acts as data scientist, extracting data and running reports to keep colleagues informed of trendsand patterns in guest behavior and preferences. Key areas of responsibility for the hotel ma...
ALICE Shares Everything They Learned About GDPR Compliance
ALICE | March 14, 2018
by Alex Shashou Introduction ALICE has been working hard to fully understand the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and its obligations on us and our customers. We'd like to share what we've learned in order to help hoteliers and anyone else who has to figure out what is going on. 1. What's the GDPR and why should I care? In essence, the GDPR was brought into effect to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU). Building upon the 1995 Data Protection Directive (Directive 95/46/EC), the GDPR was approved by the European Parliament, the Council of the European ...
GF Management’s DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs Completes Extensive $9 Million Renovation
GF Management | March 14, 2018
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 14, 2018 -- The DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs Hotel, located off I-25 and just minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport, has just completed a $9 million renovation, and now features a brand-new restaurant, The Mill House, and The Bar, the largest hotel bar in Colorado Springs. The 299-room hotel is owned by an operating affiliate of, and managed by, GF Management, one of the nation's leading hospitality management and ownership companies based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company acquired the property in January 2016. As the closest full-service hotel to Fort Carson, and conveniently located...
Switzerland’s Grand Hotel Quellenhof to Undergo Five-Month $42 Million Renovation in Early 2019
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz | March 14, 2018
In July 2019, the Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz (Switzerland) will reopen after extensive renovations: Complete Renovations mark 150 years of the Bad Ragaz Grande Dame Bad Ragaz, 13th March 2018 - After over 20 years of ageing gracefully it is time for a complete renovation: the Grand Hotel Quellenhof, which opened in 1869, will open once again in July 2019 to celebrate its 150th anniversary after 5 months of renovations. This complete overhaul to be undertaken by the renowned architect Claudio Carbone, points to the future and is part of an extensive investment programme of around 40 million Swiss Francs. Between February and Jun...
The Statler Dallas Celebrated as the 300th Hotel Inducted Into Historic Hotels of America
Historic Hotels of America | March 14, 2018
The Statler Dallas, a true historic preservation success story, marks the 16th historic hotel from Curio Collection by Hilton to be inducted into Historic Hotels of America® WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 14, 2018 – Historic Hotels of America® is proud to celebrate the 300th hotel inducted into membership: The Statler Dallas (1956) in Texas. The 300th hotel inducted marks a significant milestone in the history and growth of Historic Hotels of America. Historic Hotels of America was originally founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to increase the recognition and celebration of historic hotels. "We ...
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Promotes Lisa Namour to General Manager
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach | March 14, 2018
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – March 14, 2018 – Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton, announces the promotion of Lisa Namour to General Manager, where she will oversee all operations and continue rolling out the property's new programs and offerings. Namour first joined Bahia Mar as its sales and marketing director in 2015 and has since been integral to the property's repositioning and redesign. She will be responsible for elevating guest experiences and plans to take the 296-room hotel to the next level in terms of service and programming. "I'm thrilled by the opportunity to lead Bahia Mar as General Mana...
IHG Acquires 51% Stake in Regent Hotels & Resorts Through Joint Venture With Formosa for $39 Million
IHG | March 14, 2018
InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG") [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] today announces that it has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in Regent Hotels and Resorts ("Regent") for $39 million in cash. IHG will have the right to acquire the remaining 49% interest in a phased manner from 2026. IHG will bring Regent into its brand portfolio at the top end of the luxury segment and will accelerate its growth globally, supported by IHG's powerful enterprise. IHG's intention is to grow the brand from six hotels today to over 40 hotels in key global gateway city and resort locations over the long term. Synonymous with timeless modernity, understa...
DoveHill Capital Management and Wurzak Hotel Group Acquire Sheraton Reston Hotel and Plan Massive Renovation
DoveHill | March 14, 2018
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 14, 2018 -- DoveHill Capital Management, LLC and Wurzak Hotel Group announce today that the combined venture has acquired the Sheraton Reston Hotel, expanding its vertically integrated investment platform. Located at 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston Virginia, the 298-room hotel marks DoveHill's first investment in the Washington DC region. The full service hotel will be managed by DoveHill's related company Wurzak Hotel Group and is the first in a series of new additions coming to the group's growing portfolio in 2018. Upon acquisition, DoveHill will begin execution of a major renovation and re...
Xenia Hotels & Resorts Sells Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel for $200 Million ($310K per Key)
Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | March 14, 2018
ORLANDO, Fla., March 14, 2018 -- Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) ("Xenia" or the "Company") today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of the leasehold interest in the 693-room Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel ("Hotel" or "Aston Waikiki") in Oahu, HI for a sale price of $200 million, or approximately $310,000 per key. The price represented a 12.6x multiple on the Hotel's 2017 EBITDA. "We are pleased to have completed the sale of the Aston Waikiki at an attractive price," commented Marcel Verbaas, Xenia's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "A...
Hersha Hospitality Trust Sells Hampton Inn Financial District for $32.4 Million
Hersha Hospitality Trust | March 14, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, March 14, 2018 -- Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE:HT), "Hersha" or the "Company"), owner of high quality hotels in urban gateway markets and coastal destinations, today announced the sale of the 81-room Hampton Inn Financial District for $32.4 million. "This transaction highlights Hersha's ability to successfully execute accretive dispositions and upgrade the portfolio with higher growth hotels in our core markets. While we remain bullish on the Manhattan lodging market, this was an opportunistic sale, representing a trailing twelve-month economic capitalization rate of 4.4% and a hotel EBITDA multiple of 19.8x. Our capital...
Study Reveals ‘OTA Premium’: Travelers Who Book Through OTAs Stay Longer, Spend More During Trips
Oxford Economics | March 14, 2018
Oxford Economics and Expedia analyzed nearly 100,000 trips to ascertain spending habits of travelers by booking type Seattle, Wash., March 14, 2018 – Expedia, Inc., the world's largest online travel company, partnered with Oxford Economics to analyze hotel guest spending during more than 98,000 trips, segmented by guests who booked part or all of their trip using an online travel agency (OTA) and non-OTA guests – and the results are telling. Travelers who booked via an OTA spent more per trip than non-OTA guests across all categories, regardless of whether they were traveling for business or leisure, making them a ...
Cloud5 Adds Vertical Booking USA to Its Growing Roster of Contact Center Clients
Vertical Booking | March 14, 2018
Fast, seamless takeover of voice reservations for select Vertical Booking USA properties ensures guest service, increases revenue Chicago, IL (March 14, 2018) — Cloud5 Communications Contact Center, the leading provider of voice reservations and enhanced agent services exclusively for the hospitality industry, today announced that Vertical Booking USA has implemented Cloud5 Voice Reservation Services across 45 of its properties. The addition of these properties expands Cloud5's established relationship with Vertical Booking USA, making it one of the company's largest distribution and revenue management partners. Cloud5 provides hi...
Meyer Jabara Hotels Adding Horsepower to Its Business Development Team
Meyer Jabara Hotels | March 14, 2018
To assist in its portfolio expansion, MJH enters into a strategic partnership agreement with Rick Moceri of Moceri Capital, LLC [Danbury, Conn., March 14, 2018]— Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH) is on the move. The hotel ownership and management company with 27 hotels on the East coast has three more properties under construction and plans to announce three more deals in the first quarter. Aiding the 40-year hospitality company in its growth effort will be Rick Moceri, founder of Moceri Capital, LLC, a private hospitality investment and asset management platform and co-founder of B&M Hospitality Advisors, a due-diligence consulting p...
Milestone Announces Spring 2018 Edition of Milestone Digital Presence Cloud With New User Interface
Milestone | March 14, 2018
New unified user interface and modular functionality provides greater flexibility and power for both self-service and full-service clients. San Jose, CA | March 14 2018. At the annual SMX West Conference today, Milestone Inc. announced the upcoming launch of the Spring 2018 edition of Milestone's Digital Presence Cloud. "We are very excited about this new release," Said Milestone CEO, Anil Aggarwal, "The new user interface is gorgeous, and provides advanced features at a click," continued Mr. Aggarwal. Milestone's Digital Presence Cloud helps multi-location or multi-person businesses with their digital market...
Vivo Resorts & Residences Celebrates Completion of Residences and Clubhouse
Vivo Resorts & Residences | March 14, 2018
Oaxaca, Mexico – Vivo Resorts, a luxury oceanfront resort and real estate development located along the picturesque beaches of Puerto Escondido, today announced the completion of its first 100 residences and newly opened Clubhouse. Vivo Resorts which launched sales in 2009, was the vision of two-time Olympian downhill skier and World Cup champion Cary Mullen. After methodically searching for the perfect location in over 30 different destinations, Mullen decided Puerto Escondido checked off all the boxes, including investment potential of an emerging market, ideal weather, world-class recreational activities, incredible cuisine and...
Amazon’s Influence on Online Travel Agencies
HEBS Digital | March 14, 2018
By Max Starkov Background: A recent analysis of Amazon's ability to disrupt online travel agencies by Morgan Stanley was recently in the news with a number of opinion articles on the subject being published. "Online travel has proven immune to Amazon disruption so far. But as we have seen with other categories, that doesn't mean Amazon won't try again, and they should. Amazon's focus on selection/service, pricing, and frictionless payment that drive conversion and stronger user economics also translate directly to travel," said analyst Brian Nowak from Morgan Stanley. Many hospitality industry experts chimed on the subject, with opinion...
Country Inn & Suites Opens New Hotel Near the University of Kansas
March 14, 2018
MINNEAPOLIS - March 14, 2018 - Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson, a leading upper midscale hotel brand, today announced the opening of Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lawrence, KS located at 2176 East 23rd Street. The new hotel features the brand's latest design, which includes modern interiors, stylish furnishings and spacious guest rooms and suites. The hotel is also located within three miles of the University of Kansas adding convenience for visiting sports teams and the friends and family of students. "Not only are we proud to announce the opening of this newly constructed hotel, but we are also thrilled to open it un...
Strand Hospitality Services Names Michael Halpner as Regional Director of Operations
Strand Hospitality | March 14, 2018
(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) March 14, 2018- Strand Hospitality Services, a leading provider of hospitality operations, consulting and advisory services, recently announced that Michael Halpner has been hired as a Regional Director of Operations. "I am very excited to join Strand Hospitality Services," said Halpner. "This is a wonderful opportunity for my career and I look forward to building new relationships at each of the hotels in my region." Prior to joining Strand Michael served as the Regional Director at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group where he was responsible for the support of 48 hotels throughout Georgia, South Carolina and Nor...
A Story of How Handwritten Notes Increase Service
Larry Mogelonsky | March 14, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) On a recent domestic flight, I was surprised by a folded paper napkin handed to me by the flight attendant. Odd, I thought, as I had not made any requests. Handwritten was a simple instruction providing details regarding my connecting flight. Legibly signed, I could not help but be both appreciative and duly impressed. Handwritten notes are an excellent way to build a rapport with guests – this we should all be well-familiar with by now. But they can also be counterproductive if done wrong. Looking back, there was nothing out of the ordinary on that flight. As expected, the bu...
Why I STILL Pick up Trash in Hotel Lobbies
Cathy Cook | March 14, 2018
By Cathy Cook I have worked in the hotel industry for 35 years (27 of them at Marriott International) where my mentors indoctrinated me to the philosophy of taking ownership of the physical hotel product. It became intuitive to me to be keenly aware of the smallest details such as spotting the one burned out light bulb in the chandelier, a paperclip on the floor, or a gum wrapper in a potted plant. Most importantly, I was trained to spot and then clean-up litter in the lobby and public areas. Over the years I became famous at each of the Brand properties I worked at for going around and picking up the smallest scrap of paper or candy wr...
