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Industry Happenings
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Welcomes Marshall Hilliard as Director of Sales and Marketing
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | February 6, 2018
NEW ORLEANS – Feb. 6, 2018 – Hilton New Orleans Riverside announces today the appointment of Marshall Hilliard as the new director of sales and marketing. In his new role, Hilliard will lead all aspects of sales and marketing strategies at the 1,622-room property, including the planning and implementation of sales strategies for maximizing hotel revenue and occupancy. "With more than 25 years of experience, Hilliard brings a wealth of expertise in hospitality," said David Piscola, general manager at Hilton New Orleans Riverside. "His excellent leadership and successful track record will be invaluable as we continue to welcom...
Crescent Hotels & Resorts Unveils Radisson Downtown-Inter Harbor Major Renovation, Crowne Plaza Tower Opening Soon
February 6, 2018
Baltimore, MD (February 6, 2018) – Crescent Hotels & Resorts has announced the Radisson Hotel Baltimore Downtown–Inner Harbor is now in the final stages of a multi-million-dollar renovation that began earlier this year. The top-to-bottom transformation of both hotels has been comprehensive, including improvements to all guest rooms and suites, public space, event space, fitness facilities, and food and beverage outlets. Representing a significant hospitality presence in the market, the newly renovated 323 room Radisson Hotel Baltimore Downtown–Inner Harbor and soon to open 385 room Crowne Plaza Downtown-Inter Harbo...
Ben Tish Joins The Stafford London as Culinary Director
The Stafford London | February 6, 2018
The Stafford London has announced the appointment of Ben Tish as Culinary Director, overseeing the entire food offering, including The Game Bird restaurant, the celebrated American Bar, Wine Cellars, private dining, suites and in-room dining. Ben joins from his previous role as Chef Director of Salt Yard Group, launching the renowned Soho sites of Dehesa, Ember Yard and Opera Tavern. In his new role at The Stafford London, Ben will evolve the menus throughout the hotel, in keeping with the modern British comfort cooking for which The Game Bird has become renowned. In addition, the move will see Ben and The Stafford London launch new res...
Costa Rica’s El Mangroove Resort Appoints Nicolás Di Paolo as Executive Chef
El Mangroove | February 6, 2018
PAPAGAYO, COSTA RICA – February 2018: El Mangroove, Autograph Collection, announces the appointment of Nicolás Di Paolo as Executive Chef at the 85-suite boutique beachfront property, located on 17 acres of virgin mangrove forest in Costa Rica's coveted Gulf of Papagayo. As Executive Chef at El Mangroove, Di Paolo will be responsible for overseeing daily food and beverage operations, menu conceptualization, managing back-of-house operations, and implementing new culinary programming and F&B concepts for both of the resort's on-site restaurants, Matiss and Makoko, in addition to a new restaurant concept slated to open in...
Paligroup Reveals Plans for Five New Properties Set to Debut in 2018 and Early 2019
Paligroup | February 6, 2018
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Paligroup, a renowned boutique hospitality company led by founder and president, Avi Brosh, has announced the development of five new properties, including its first openings outside of Los Angeles, set to debut in 2018 and early 2019. The company's brands, known for their bespoke approach to modern-day hospitality, seek to provide guests with a truly unique and aspirational experience rooted in creative, sophisticated design, personalized service, creative social experiences and authenticity. Each property the group develops has a distinct personality specifically tailored to best serve its local market and ...
Ballston Hotel Associates Selects Chesapeake Hospitality to Manage Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston
Chesapeake Hospitality | February 6, 2018
GREENBELT, Md., February 6, 2018 – Chesapeake Hospitality, a dynamic third-party hotel management company, announced today it has been selected to manage the Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston, owned by Ballston Hotel Associates, LLC. Chesapeake Hospitality President Kim Sims made the announcement. The 221-room hotel features an outdoor pool, 5,000 square feet of meeting space, business center, fitness center, and an on-site restaurant, The Silver Leaf Restaurant, which serves freshly prepared regional American favorites incorporating local produce. In addition, the hotel's cocktail lounge, Silver Leaf Lounge, offers a variety of s...
Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) Names Suzanne Saunders Vice-President of Design & Construction
HVMG | February 6, 2018
ATLANTA (February 6, 2018) – Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), an Atlanta-based, private hotel investment, ownership and management company, has named Suzanne Saunders its vice-president of design & construction. In her new role, Saunders will be responsible for the planning and execution of new development and renovation projects, as well as capital expense planning and execution. "With more than twenty-five years of experience in commercial construction management in various hospitality disciplines, Suzanne is the ideal candidate to assist HVMG as we pursue additional hotel development opportunities," said Richar...
Adaptive Reuse: A Growing Trend in High-Density Markets
Bill Wilhelm | February 6, 2018
By Bill Wilhelm Adaptive reuse refers to the redevelopment or use of an old site or building for a purpose other than what it was originally built or designed for. The demand for adaptive reuse projects has increased significantly in the last few years, becoming more prevalent for hotel construction projects in high-density, urban areas. A majority of our company's projects are now adaptive re-use or large-scale renovations – a significant shift from just a few years ago when ground-up construction was more widespread. In addition to solving for a lack of land supply for new construction, adaptive reuse offers a wide range of bene...
What Winter Trends Do Hoteliers in the US Need to Know?
Lenka Trckova | February 6, 2018
By Lenka Trckova Boasting a large variety of climatic regions and geographic features, including mountains and deserts, the US offers travelers extensive options for finding their ideal winter getaway. In this article, we will uncover who the visitors to the US are this season*, what are the most popular destinations for domestic and international visitors, and what are the prices travelers are searching for. Insights into user search behavior and preferences go hand in hand with following ascertained best practices for hoteliers when marketing their hotel online. Where do visitors to the US come from? From frosty sleigh rides and cross...
Meisel Holdings Managed Services – Driven by Data, But Powered by Professionals
Meisel Holdings Managed Services | February 6, 2018
Rockville, MD – February 07, 2018 - Meisel Holdings Managed Services is expanding its hotel management division to offer hospitality management services to hotel owners and asset managers in the U.S. Founded by Marc Meisel, a long-time hotel management/development and commercial real estate leader, Meisel Holdings Managed Services specializes in yielding above-market profits and building long-term asset value for hotels and resorts. "We take a fresh approach to hotel management," Meisel said. "We don't blindly rely on "automated intelligence" to analyze data and make decisions. Instead, we collect your hotel's data and market info...
Deutsche Hospitality Names Gondra Wettley and Claudia Feuß “General Managers of the Year”
Deutsche Hospitality | February 6, 2018
Frankfurt am Main, 06 February 2018 Deutsche Hospitality has once again recognised outstanding performances by hotel directors by announcing its "General Managers of the Year". This time, the awards go to Gondra Wettley (Steigenberger Hotel Berlin) and Claudia Feuß (IntercityHotel Hanover). Gondra Wettley has just celebrated 25 years with Steigenberger Hotels AG. Before taking up the position of General Manager of the Steigenberger Hotel Berlin in 2014, she had spent 17 years as Director of the Steigenberger Hotel Sanssouci in Potsdam. "Despite operating in a challenging market environment, Gondra Wettley has succeeded in improvin...
Daniel Roger Named Managing Director of Fattal Hotels Europe & UK; Yoram Biton Named Managing Director of Central Europe for Leonardo Hotels
Leonardo Hotels | February 6, 2018
Berlin, Germany, 6 February 2018. Leonardo Hotels, one of the leading hotel operators in Europe and Israel, with hotels in more than 170 locations, has strengthened and restructured its management team: Daniel Roger, previously known as the Managing Director of Leonardo Hotels Europe, was appointed the new Managing Director of Fattal Hotels Europe & UK with effect from 1st of January 2018. At the same time, Yoram Biton took over the position of the Managing Director of Central Europe. He was previously responsible for Leonardo Hotels in southern Germany, Switzerland and the UK as the clusters General Manager. "Thanks to this new str...
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, Celebrates Cupid with a Sweet Selection of Decadent Desserts for Valentine’s Day
Gemstone Collection | February 6, 2018
Top Chefs Create Glorious, Amorous Sweets for Sweethearts The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 2018 … Desserts are the divas of the culinary world – dramatic, intense, and irresistible. Infused with lush liqueurs, topped with peaks of cream, nuts and berries and drizzled with fine chocolate, they are top performers at any time of year, ending a memorable meal in singular style. On Valentine's Day, desserts do double duty, setting a seductive scene with decadent dishes that are, indeed, the food of love. The chefs from Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Collection love lovers. These creative cooks come to the ai...
Apple Hospitality REIT Acquires Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Atlanta-Downtown and Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Memphis-Beale Street
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. | February 6, 2018
RICHMOND, Va.-- Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) ("Apple Hospitality" or the "Company") today announced that it acquired the 119-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton® Atlanta-Downtown and the 144-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton® Memphis-Beale Street for a combined purchase price of $63 million, or approximately $240,000 per key. "Memphis and Atlanta are dynamic cities with tremendous appeal for both business and leisure travelers, and we are pleased to strengthen our presence within each market," said Nelson Knight, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Apple Hospitality REIT. "Each of thes...
Choice Hotels Promotes Brian Kirkland to Chief Technology Officer
Choice Hotels | February 6, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 6, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, announced the promotion of Brian Kirkland to the position of Chief Technology Officer. In this new leadership role, Kirkland will oversee the company's overall information technology strategy, development and operations. He will report directly to John Bonds, senior vice president, enterprise operations and technology. Kirkland has been a key member of Choice's technology innovation team since 2015, which is based in Phoenix, Ariz. He previously served as vice president of engineering. Recently, Kirkland...
SiteMinder Unveils the Top 15 Revenue-Generating Booking Channels of 2017 for Hotels in the USA & Canada
SiteMinder | February 6, 2018
Dallas, USA – The global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, today reveals the 15 booking channels that generated the greatest revenue for hotels in the USA, Canada and other key tourism destinations in 2017. The lists are based on the 72 million hotel reservations that passed through SiteMinder's channel management solution during the year to produce US$21.53 billion in gross revenue for the company's 28,000 hotel customers around the world. Reaffirming the value of having a diversified hotel distribution strategy, the lists of the top-performing booking channels once again feature a range of both B2B and househo...
U.S. News & World Report Releases 2018 Best Hotels Rankings
U.S. News & World Report | February 6, 2018
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2018 -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today announced the 2018 Best Hotels, which evaluate more than 24,000 luxury hotels across the USA, Europe, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. In the Best Hotels in the USA rankings, Hawaii's Four Seasons Resort Lanai took the No. 1 spot, followed by The Peninsula Chicago at No. 2 and The Langham, Chicago at No. 3. U.S. News awards the top 10 percent of ranked hotels with a Gold badge. These four destinations are home to the highest number of Gold badge-winning hotels for 2018: New York City has 24 Gold badge winners out of 231...
Art Ovation Hotel Appoints Matthew Simone as New General Manager
Art Ovation Hotel | February 6, 2018
SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 2018 - Art Ovation Hotel, slated to open early this year in Sarasota, Florida, announced the appointment of Matthew Simone as General Manager of the 162-room boutique property. Simone brings an unparalleled knowledge of the market to his new role and will be responsible for all departments with duties that include managing daily operations, staff development, budgeting and financial planning, increasing sales and revenue, ensuring guest satisfaction, as well as the incorporation of hotel programming and initiatives upon its opening. "We are excited to have Matthew on board and feel he will make a valuable contrib...
Oregon’s Newest Beachfront Hotel Opens with Intelity
Intelity | February 6, 2018
The Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa is giving guests direct access to hotel services and information via its mobile app and bedside tablets powered by Intelity [Orlando, Fla. – February 6, 2018] — When the Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa opened its doors last month in Pacific City, Oregon, Intelity was there powering the property's mobile app and providing direct access to property information. Equipped with the Intelity Guest Service Platform, Headlands is enabling its guests to control their experiences and engage with the Lodge and Spa from their mobile devices even before they arrive on property. Once checked in, the...
Carver Companies Finalize Expansion into Canada
the Carver Companies | February 6, 2018
Carver Hotel Group and Carver-Olson Search Expand Services into Canadian Market and Prepare for United Kingdom ATLANTA, GA – February 6, 2018 – In an aggressive growth move, Carver Hotel Group (CHG) and Carver-Olson Hospitality Search (CO) have announced the finalization of expansion of their services into Canada. The completion of this process will allow for Canadian clients to assure utilization of Canadian citizens on their assignments, to be invoiced and transact business in Canadian Dollars (CAD); and for Task Force Consultants to invoice and be paid in CAD, utilizing the same "Five Day Pay" commitment that has set Car...
Willow Street Capital Signs Franchise Agreement for Florida’s First Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a Design-Focused Hotel in Melbourne, FL
Willow Street Capital | February 6, 2018
Anticipated to Open in Early 2020, the New Build Melbourne Downtown Property Marks First Tapestry Collection in Florida MELBOURNE, Florida – February 6, 2018 – Willow Street Capital, Duke Hospitality, The Charre Group, and their capital partners, through a joint venture, announced they have signed a franchise agreement with Hilton (NYSE: HLT) for a new Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel in Melbourne, Florida. The signing represents the first property in Florida for Hilton's 14th brand created for travelers looking for a unique, upscale hotel experience. The property will join Tapestry Collection hotels in Washington, DC, Ch...
Training Your Hotel Staff on a New PMS Should Take Minutes, Not Days
February 6, 2018
By Jos Schaap Time is an incredibly valuable currency, especially in the hospitality world. Running a hotel effectively requires efficiency and guest-focus to always be top of mind — which means your staff, internal processes, guest observations (and more) all have to be firmly intact, supported and operating smoothly to ensure ongoing success. While aiming to work smarter, not harder, hoteliers frequently find themselves searching for advanced solutions to enhance daily operations and streamline management efforts. After all, the more time these solutions can save a hotel, the better. This is where the consideration of PMS soluti...
Agilysys CEO Ramesh Srinivasan to Participate on Gaming Industry Panel at ICE Totally Gaming 2018 in London
Agilysys | February 6, 2018
Panel Discussion to Focus on Non-Gaming Revenue Trends for Casinos LONDON, UK — February 6, 2018 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Ramesh Srinivasan, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, will be featured on an executive industry panel at the ICE Totally Gaming 2018 tradeshow February 6-8 at ExCel in London. The panel session, "Gaming vs. Non-Gaming Trends: Making Profit on Non-Gaming Amenities", takes place on February 6. The session will feature a discussion on non-gaming revenue sources and ways to ...
Hotel Beacon Taps Guestware for Fast Guest Response, Personalized Property Experience
Guestware | February 6, 2018
Higher TripAdvisor Scores Show Hotel Beacon Guests Value Personal Service, Fast Request Fulfillment February 6, 2018 – When the Hotel Beacon completed its most recent upgrade it wanted a way to fulfill guest requests fast. The busy 278-room Upper West Side property installed Guestware to seamlessly connect guests with hotel team members to improve the guest experience. The result today is higher TripAdvisor scores and a new ranking in the top 60 best NYC hotels. "Our guests are experienced travelers who expect a comfortable stay. Many are here for the Metropolitan Opera and New York Ballet. Guestware helps us respond to any reque...
