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Industry Happenings
Anna Geraty is ALICE’s New England Ambassador
ALICE | March 12, 2018
New York, NY – ALICE, the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, welcomes Anna Geraty as Senior Sales Executive of New England. Anna joins ALICE at a time of rapid growth for the company, following its $26M Series B funding in August, and the company's acquisition of concierge technology rival GoConcierge the following month. Anna is a hospitality professional who has worked on property for more than 15 years, amassing a deep understanding of hotel operations, revenue management and sales. With a proven track record at the Pyramid Hotel Group since 2006, Anna excelled in a variety of sales and business developme...
Suncadia Resort, A Destination Hotel, Appoints Jacob Brenchley as Executive Chef
Suncadia Resort, A Destination Hotel | March 12, 2018
CLE ELUM, WA – February 12, 2018 – Suncadia Resort, A Destination Hotel, located 80 miles east of Seattle, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jacob Brenchley to Executive Chef. As Executive Chef, Brenchley will oversee all of the resorts restaurants and culinary staff, while ensuring guests dining satisfaction. Brenchley, a member of the James Beard Association, was most recently the Executive Chef at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, FL. Starting his career more than 15 years ago; Brenchley has honed his culinary expertise while working at several upscale restaurants in Orlando and Indiana. Brenchley was the Corporate Exe...
Miraval Group Appoints Mark Stebbings General Manager for Miraval Arizona and Robert Berrey General Manager for Miraval Austin
Miraval | March 12, 2018
March 12, 2018 – (Tucson, AZ) – Mark Stebbings and Robert M. Berrey, Jr. have been appointed as general managers of Miraval Arizona and Miraval Austin, respectively. In these roles, Stebbings and Berrey will use their astute leadership skills and health and wellness expertise to build on Miraval's longstanding reputation as a thought-leader in the industry. "Throughout their impressive careers, both Mark and Robert have demonstrated unwavering dedication and passion for wellness," said Marc W. Ellin, global head of Miraval Group. "We are pleased to have them at the helm of Miraval's two wellness destinations, and we are...
Great Wolf Resorts Names Murray Hennessy as Chief Executive Officer
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. | March 12, 2018
CHICAGO – March 12, 2018 – Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. announced today that Murray Hennessy will serve as the company's next Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Hennessy has a great deal of familiarity with the family-friendly collection of indoor water park resorts, having served as advisor to Great Wolf Resorts' senior management team during his tenure on the company's board of directors. Mr. Hennessy was serving as interim CEO following the departure of Rubén Rodriguez in December and now officially assumes the permanent role. Mr. Hennessy brings to Great Wolf Resorts a broad array of leadership and expansion experience from...
Club Med’s Global Expansion Plan Will Introduce 15 New All-Inclusive Resorts by the End of 2020
Club Med | March 12, 2018
MIAMI (March 12, 2018) – On the heels of the official December openings of Club Med's new mountain resorts of Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif in France, and Tomamu Hokkaido in Japan, the company announced the continuation of its international growth strategy today. Club Med's Global CEO and President, Henri Giscard D'Estaing, aims to open five new resorts per year, on average, over the next five years. The company also has plans to execute five major renovations to its current resorts per year to offer new and refreshed experiences. With the expansion plan, Club Med is poised to retain its title as the worldwide leader in premi...
Briony Quinn Promoted to Senior Vice President & Treasurer at DiamondRock Hospitality Company
DiamondRock Hospitality Company | March 12, 2018
BETHESDA, Md., March 12, 2018 -- DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") (NYSE: DRH) today announced that Briony Quinn has been promoted to Senior Vice President & Treasurer. "We are pleased to announce that Briony Quinn has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Treasurer," stated Mark W. Brugger, President and Chief Executive Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality. "I am confident that she will excel in her new role. Briony has been an integral part of the growth of DiamondRock for over a decade and brings a wealth of knowledge about the Company and the portfolio to her new role. Over the past few ...
DiamondRock Names Jay Johnson New Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
DiamondRock Hospitality Company | March 12, 2018
BETHESDA, Md., March 12, 2018 -- DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") (NYSE: DRH) today announced that it has named Jay Johnson as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "Jay is a rare talent and brings an excellent background as a former banker and public company executive with experience in managing complex balance sheets, interfacing with external stakeholders, and appreciating capital allocation decisions that drive shareholder value. He will be a great addition to our team," stated Mark W. Brugger, President and Chief Executive Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality Company. Prior t...
Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton Coming to France Through Franchise Agreements With Naos Hôtel Groupe and NT Hotel Gallery
Hilton | March 12, 2018
CANNES, France & MCLEAN, Va.--March 12, 2018--Having announced the launch of its focused service Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands in France at last year's MIPIM conference in Cannes, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is continuing to expand in the French mid-market segment with two new properties. The group has signed a Hilton Garden Inn hotel to open in the Parisian suburb of Massy and a Hampton by Hilton property near Toulouse Airport under franchise agreements with Naos Hôtel Groupe and NT Hotel Gallery respectively. Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton, said: "Both of these new projects suppo...
Hilton Signs With BC Hospitality Group to Develop New Hilton Copenhagen City Centre in Denmark
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | March 12, 2018
March 12, 2018 - COPENHAGEN, Denmark and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE:HLT) today announced plans to open a new hotel in Copenhagen, following a franchise agreement with BC Hospitality Group A/S (BCHG). Hilton Copenhagen City Centre, a Hilton Hotels & Resorts property, will open in the heart of the city in 2020. "Frequently hailed as one of the world's most liveable cities, Copenhagen is praised for its culture, global connectivity, transport system and green spaces. By 2027, Denmark is expected to attract more than 14 million international arrivals, making it one of Europe's fastest growing travel destinations," said...
Tourism Tidbits: Tourism and Health
Dr. Peter Tarlow | March 12, 2018
by Dr. Peter Tarlow With the Northern Hemisphere's winter soon to become spring, on some level tourism officials can take a sigh of relief that there were no major pandemics. This season was however in many parts of the world an extremely difficult flu season that resulted in a great deal of discomfort, days missed at work, and even in some extreme cases deaths. Tourism is especially vulnerable to contagious illnesses. People are in close contact, often both tourism employees and travelers are subjected to filtered, rather than fresh air. Additionally we are all subject to issues of jet lag, disrupted sleep patters and irregular eating....
AAM 15 Management Acquires 99-Room Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Freeport, Maine
AAM 15 Management, LLC | March 12, 2018
BURLINGTON, Mass., March 12, 2018 -- Continuing the expansion of its hotel portfolio, Burlington, MA based AAM 15 Management, LLC recently celebrated the acquisition of its 5th hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Freeport, located minutes from I-295 in the heart of Freeport, Maine. "We are very pleased to announce this acquisition," commented David R. Masse, Founder and CEO of AAM 15 Management. "The hotel is a great fit for our strategic east coast growth plan. The Hilton Garden Inn Freeport is our first Hilton branded hotel as well as our first property in the state of Maine. The hotel acquisition checked all of our b...
Hotels Are Bringing Enhanced Style to Increase Their Guest Experience
Kacey Bradley | March 12, 2018
By Kacey Bradley Today's consumer is flooded with choice when it comes to finding the perfect lodging. It could be a hotel, or it could be a rental property, and either would be simple to preview and book online. One huge advantage that hotels have over personal property rentals — think: Airbnb — is that they tend to have larger budgets to provide the updates consumers crave. Both interior design and technology fall under the umbrella of a place's overall style, and a boost in this realm can make your property much more appealing to potential customers. With better guest experiences and reviews, a hotel's prestige can grow, ...
AJ Capital Partners and Cornell University Begin Construction for Graduate Roosevelt Island Hotel at Cornell Tech Campus
AJ Capital Partners | March 12, 2018
New York, Ny. - AJ Capital Partners and Cornell University are pleased to announce the start of construction for Graduate Roosevelt Island at the Cornell Tech campus, part of the Graduate Hotels collection. AJ Capital selected Emigrant Bank to provide a $60 million five-year floating-rate construction loan. Jones Lang LaSalle acted as broker for the financing. Cornell Tech, which opened its first phase of the new campus last year, is a revolutionary model for graduate education, extending Cornell University's research and academic prowess to the heart of New York City. Created for travelers who seek memory-making journeys, Graduate Hote...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – How to Read Hotel Financial Statements and The Link
David Lund | March 12, 2018
By David Lund The first thing you need to know about reading a hotel financial statement is there are basically two different statements you will want to get comfortable with. The two are the income statement—some call it the P&L or profit and loss statement—and the second is the balance sheet. Now I know what you are thinking, balance sheets are for the accounting types and they are complicated. Nothing could be further from the truth and I am going to give you a new understanding and share a secret about the balance sheet and the relationship to the P&L. Let's start with the income statement Something to note here:...
The Cool Hoxtons Partner With Knowcross
Knowcross | March 12, 2018
London, March 12, 2018 – KNOWCROSS, the global leader in providing software solutions for hospitality operations, is thrilled to announce its partnership with The Hoxton Group. The luxury group looks to accomplish both service and operational excellence across its hotels with this association. In all the Hoxton hotels i.e. Hoxton Shoreditch, Hoxton Holborn, Hoxton Amsterdam and Hoxton Paris, the Knowcross platform has been implemented in a way that facilitates automatic handling of guest requests, complaints and maintenance jobs, helps in capturing, tracking and significantly reducing service breakdowns and automates daily houseke...
For Successful Marketing, Content Is King
John R. Hendrie | March 12, 2018
by John R. Hendrie Go ahead, tell your story. That is really what your future guests want. Write it down. Cast that story line out, reel them in, land them and deliver on your promise. Ms. Bronyon White, a strategic consultant, had a wonderful take on this evolution with an article about how marketing efforts must use content to influence. Printed collaterals and material really are a waste of money if they are your major marketing focus. Everyone is Wired. We are smashed by those visceral visionary senses, knocked out; we become suspended in reality. You got our attention but missed the connection. A picture is fleeting; I see so many....
Provenance Hotels Partners With Eleven and Blueport to Deploy Personal Area Networks for Seamless Casting in the Guestroom
Provenance Hotels | March 12, 2018
Portland, Ore. (March 12, 2018) – Provenance Hotels announced today its partnership with Eleven Software and Blueport Inc., both leading hospitality technology providers, to enable seamless casting from guests' mobile devices to in-room TVs at its award-winning Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Ore. The solution brings together secure personal area networks (PANs) from Eleven and Blueport's deployment of X2 cutting-edge casting capabilities to create an at-home experience in the guestroom. "At Provenance Hotels, we are focused on creating guest experiences that are unique and personalized," said Klaudio Simic, vice president of operations...
Why Customer Service Is the New Marketing and How Live Chat Makes It Possible
Lodging Interactive | March 12, 2018
At any given moment, there's a half dozen marketing buzzwords floating around in the advertising industry. We hear about growth hacking and gamification and wearables, all of which are (or have been) popular strategies designed to help businesses build their brand and market themselves. That's all well and great, but sometimes the most effective forms of marketing are also the most straightforward. This is true when you embrace customer service as an essential component of your hotel's marketing strategy Why Is Customer Service Important for Marketing? Customer service and marketing have traditionally been two very separate departments,...
Managed by Veridea Group, New 75-Room Courtyard by Marriott Opens in Albion, Michigan
Courtyard by Marriott | March 12, 2018
Albion, MI – March 14, 2018 – Courtyard by Marriott Albion opens its doors in Albion, Michigan this week. Featuring an innovative lobby space as well as Courtyard's latest contemporary room design, the new hotel provides flexibility and choices that allow guests to optimize and elevate their travel experience. Located at 200 South Superior Street, the 75-room hotel will operate as a Marriott franchise, managed by Veridea Group, LLC of Marquette, Michigan. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Courtyard Albion offers guests convenient access to Albion College, the Bohm Theatre, Albion Malleable Brewery and Kids 'N' ...
Winning the Direct Booking: Combat the Effect of Airbnb on Your Hotel’s Bottom Line
HEBS DIGITAL | March 12, 2018
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo and Max Starkov Background: Recently Airbnb announced the formation of a technology partnership with SiteMinder, a cloud-based channel management platform used by more than 28,000 hotels around the world. Now, hotels that use SiteMinder and meet certain criteria from Airbnb can easily list their inventory on Airbnb.com. This includes real-time availability, rates, and content on Airbnb thanks to this new partnership. If there were any doubt as to Airbnb's true intentions of entering the OTA space and start aggressively competing with online travel agency giants such as Booking.com and Expedia, they need to be l...
Angie Hospitality Introduces New and Enhanced Features in Next Generation Voice-Enabled Guest Room Assistant
Angie Hospitality | March 12, 2018
Latest version of industry's only purpose-built interactive AI-powered guest room assistant provides enhanced functionality and added features SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 12, 2018 – Angie Hospitality, developer of the world's first voice and AI solution purpose-built for the hotel environment, announces the release of its next generation enterprise-class, cloud-managed interactive guest room assistant, Angie. After winning the HTNG TechOvation Award in 2017 for its initial release, Angie has since been outfitted with a variety of enhancements and additional features that are designed to make the solution even more robust and au...
Why Hotels Shouldn’t Abandon Facebook Despite Latest Algorithm Changes
Founders Media | March 11, 2018
Yet again, Facebook has changed their algorithm to the dismay of us Social Marketers and, in particular, to those in the Hotel industry relying on Facebook for increased traffic and bookings. Rather than give up on Facebook and putting all your eggs in another basket (probably Instagram), there are a few strategic changes to make to your Facebook strategy which will make the algorithmic change less concerning. Facebook is, and always will be, essential Facebook's recent changes have made organic brand growth more difficult, in an attempt to (unsurprisingly) further increase their advertising revenue. Despite this, Facebook remains, and ...
Sheraton New York Times Square Appoints Achilles Poliviou as New Executive Chef
The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel | March 9, 2018
NEW YORK (March 12, 2018) – The Sheraton New York Times Square is proud to announce the appointment of Achilles Poliviou as Executive Chef. A classically trained chef with deep experience leading culinary programs in New York City hotels, Chef Poliviou brings more than 25 years of trademark food and beverage excellence from brands including Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott and St. Regis, among others. "Chef Poliviou is already bringing a depth of experience to our team, offering an upscale yet approachable culinary style to groups and leisure travelers alike," said Stephen Batta, General Manager. "For his first major event at the hotel, ...
General Manager CJ Clayton Welcomes Guests to New Courtyard by Marriott Longview North, Texas
Courtyard by Marriott | March 9, 2018
Longview, TX – March 9, 2018 – Courtyard by Marriott Longview North will open its doors in Longview, Texas today. Featuring an innovative lobby space as well as Courtyard's latest contemporary room design, the new hotel provides flexibility and choices that allow guests to optimize and elevate their travel experience. Located at 1125 East Hawkins Parkway, the 104-room hotel will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by J Longview Hospitality and managed by 281 Lodging Group of Longview, Texas. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Courtyard Longview North offers guests convenient access to Longview Regional Hospit...
