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Industry Happenings
Adrian Oyekanmi Appointed as Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group | November 22, 2017
BRUSSELS - November 22, 2017 Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the most dynamic hotel groups in the world, today announced the appointment of Adrian Oyekanmi as Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing. Adrian will report to Iñigo Capell, Executive Vice President & Global Chief Resources Officer. Adrian joined Carlson in April 2017 as Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing. Since then, he has worked to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic sourcing strategy build to improve value proposition for the entire hotel portfolio and its owners, focusing on cost reductions and promoting the company's responsibl...
Indirect Benefits Of LED Conversions
Bedford Lodging | November 22, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Converting to LED lighting is a standard practice these days with numerous benefits beginning with energy savings and reduced unit costs. And unlike the curlicue CFCs and other traditional filament bulb predecessors, LEDs now offer a myriad of variations. One of the experts in this field is Douglas Schwartz, the CEO of Planet Awaken (www.planetawaken.com), a worldwide leader in municipal and large-scale installations. In looking to convert my own home to LED lighting, I contacted him for some advice. Our conversation quickly turned away from unit cost or specific manufacturer and on...
5 Things Hotel Marketers Are Thankful for This Thanksgiving According to Tambourine
Maestro PMS | November 22, 2017
For most, Thanksgiving is a time for football, traveling to see relatives and diet-busting feasts. It's also the time of year we ask clients, colleagues and industry experts what they are feeling good about. And once again, we heard that the economy, industry dynamics and hotel consumer behavior are working in our favor like never before. Based on our informal survey, here are 5 things hoteliers are feeling thankful for this Thanksgiving: 1. Evidence That Direct Booking Campaigns Are Working In 2016, major hotel brands and smaller hotels went after OTAs with a fervor and pushed aggressive campaigns to convince travelers that booking dir...
Robert Finvarb Companies Opens the New Build $65 Million Residence Inn Miami Sunny Isles Beach
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit | November 22, 2017
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL (November 22, 2017) – Residence Inn Miami Sunny Isles Beach opened on November 20, 2017 – just in time for snowbird season. Now complete this $65million new hotel in the heart of Sunny Isles Beach is amongst some of the destination's most luxurious addresses right off of Collins Avenue. The 19-story hotel is home to 194 all-studio suites which boast city, intercostal, and ocean-views just steps away from the beach. As Sunny Isle's newest hotel brand, Residence Inn highlights style, art, design and connectivity which are reflected in many areas throughout the hotel and during the entire guest experience....
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) Enters Partnership with AccorHotels for Management of 17 of BHG’s Owned Hotels
BHG | November 22, 2017
NEW YORK--Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) announces today the beginning of its partnership with AccorHotels, which will manage 17 of BHG's owned hotels. AccorHotels also acquired LEBSPE Ltda from BHG, a company that manages The Capital São Paulo Itaim and Grand Plaza São Paulo Jardins hotels, in São Paulo; Soft Inn São Luis, in Maranhão; and Presidente Uberlândia Hotel, in Minas Gerais. BHG, the largest owner of hotel assets in Brazil, with more than R$ 1.2 billion in properties, will invest approximately R$ 300 million, in the next four years, in the renovation and repositioning of the 17 hotels ...
Market Pulse: Hotel Demand Takes Flight at LAX
Jessica White | November 22, 2017
By Jessica White The LAX/El Segundo area has experienced robust growth in hotel demand in recent years, buoyed by increased passenger volume at LAX, the addition of new upper-upscale hotels, and sustained corporate demand from El Segundo and the surrounding markets. LAX is the second-busiest airport in the nation, behind Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, and the gateway to Southern California. The airport reached a new peak in passenger volume in 2016, which grew 7.0% over the prior year, and this trend continued through the September 2017 year-to-date period. The addition of Delta's direct flights from China on Boeing's Dream...
PolyU Relaunches Online MicroMasters in International Hospitality Management
November 22, 2017
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will relaunch its MicroMasters in International Hospitality Management programme in 2018, in view of the popular demand, to provide another opportunity for those who were eager to join the programme last time but were unable to. Led by Professor Hanqin Qiu, SHTM Professor, and supported by globally leading academics and practitioners, the programme has attracted close to 35,000 learners – 364 of whom chose edX verification for an official course certificate – from almost 175 countries. First launched in January 2017, the SHTM's ...
Developed and Owned by Button Block Holdings, LLC and Managed by Kinseth Hospitality Companies, Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown Opens
Homewood Suites by Hilton | November 22, 2017
November 22, 2017 MILWAUKEE, Wis. and MCLEAN, Va - Homewood Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) All Suites portfolio, announced today its newest property, Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown. Designed for guests who want to travel on their own terms, Homewood Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown offers guests all the comforts of home, whether they are traveling for work or enjoying a well-earned getaway. With 94 new suites, the hotel complements the continued growth of travelers to Milwaukee County, which is the largest tourism economy in the state.* "With over 22.5 million visitors a year** frequenting the W...
Heritage Inn and Suites of Las Vegas and Tharaldson Hospitality Management Company Open the Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center
Homewood Suites by Hilton | November 22, 2017
November 22, 2017 LAS VEGAS and MCLEAN, Va - Homewood Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) All Suites portfolio, announced today its newest property, Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center. Designed for guests who want to travel on their own terms, Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center offers guests all the comforts of home, whether they are traveling for work or enjoying a well-earned getaway. With 158 new suites, the hotel will cater to the 42.9 million people visiting Las Vegas annually.* "Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center puts our guests in a great location and offers tremendous va...
Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino Appoints Anthony Armas as Director of Sales and Marketing
Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino | November 22, 2017
ORANJESTAD, Aruba – November 22, 2017 – Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, the 357-room, 15-acre beachfront oasis situated on Aruba's world-famous Palm Beach, announces the appointment of Anthony Armas as director of sales and marketing. With more than 20 years of hospitality experience, Armas oversees all sales and marketing efforts, including digital and creative marketing efforts, branding initiatives, strategic partnerships, advertising, and media relations. "Anthony's wealth of experience in hotel sales and marketing makes him the ideal candidate for the position, perfectly poised to elevate our stature in the ...
ADA Compliance & Defense Lawyer Update: 99 ADA Lawsuits Dismissed as Fraudulent and Malicious
Jim Butler | November 21, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 21 November 2017 JMBM's ADA Compliance and Defense team, led by my partner Marty Orlick, continues to help hotels and other businesses achieve compliance under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and is actively defending numerous ADA lawsuits brought against our clients. Today, he shares one of the stranger tales of serial ADA litigation and describes how the judicial system in New Mexico stopped the plaintiff and her lawyer from filing frivolous and malicious ADA lawsuits. New Mexico Judge Dismisses 99 ADA Lawsuits as Fraudulent ...
Why More is More for Today’s Mixed Use Developments
JLL Real Views | November 21, 2017
By Megan Shields As more people flock to urban areas, mixed-use buildings are adapting to tick the work-live-play boxes that turn developments into destinations in their own right. Forward-looking developers are increasingly looking at the broader facilities that make a neighborhood come alive, from trendy shops and restaurants to stadiums that can provide a winning edge. From suburban Boston to Hollywood, the focus is on human-centric designs that provide experiences; as such, some developers are even approaching mixed-use projects like they would a theme park, carving out space for cultural events and entertainment. "Mixed-use develop...
Al Badr For Investments and Commercial Spaces Company Signs for First Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cairo
IHG | November 21, 2017
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of Crowne Plaza Cairo Sheikh Zayed City in partnership with Al Badr For Investments and Commercial Spaces Company. The new development aligns with IHG's strategy to grow the Crowne Plaza brand across Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by further strengthening its presence in top-tier business epicentres and primary markets in the region. IHG currently has 2,169 rooms in Cairo under the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites brands. Scheduled to open in 2021, the 187-room new build will form part of...
BENCHMARK Names Stacy T. Martin Managing Director For Delta Hotels – Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center
November 21, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, November 2017 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Stacy T. Martin managing director of Delta Hotels - Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property currently being constructed in the city of Allen, Texas, north of Dallas. The Four Star, full-service hotel and convention center is scheduled to open in January of 2019. Greg Champion, Benchmark's chief operating officer, announced the appointment, which represented a promotion for Ms. Martin. "It is with pleasure that I announce Stacy's new role in our company," said Mr. Ch...
Wintergreen Resort Names Rod Kessler as New General Manager
Wintergreen | November 21, 2017
WINTERGREEN, VIRGINIA (Nov. 21, 2017) – Rod Kessler was named the new General Manager of Wintergreen Resort today after a national search. Kessler arrives at Wintergreen from Granby Ranch, a mountain community in Colorado, where he had been the Chief Operating Officer responsible for summer and winter recreation. While Granby Ranch has a small ski area known mostly for introducing Coloradans to the sport, Kessler has large resort experience as well with over 25 years in operations, hospitality, and resort construction. Notably, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia for five years, and...
FCS Connect Guest Services Management Platform Pairs with Savioke Relay Robot at Hotel Jen Tanglin and Orchardgateway Singapore
FCS | November 21, 2017
New FCS and Savioke partnership integrates advanced guest request and task tracking solution with autonomous delivery robot service Singapore – 21 November, 2017- FCS Computer Systems, a leading global provider of comprehensive hospitality guest services applications and solution design services, has announced the integration of its FCS Connect solution with Savioke's Relay, a cutting-edge, fully-autonomous indoor delivery robot. With the integrations taking place at the Hotel Jen Tanglin and Orchardgateway Singapore, guests at both properties can now experience a level of service that is as convenient and seamless as it is revol...
Suncadia Resort Appoints Hank Thiess as General Manager of Hospitality Operations
Suncadia Resort, A Destination Hotel | November 21, 2017
CLE ELUM, WA- November 2017- Suncadia Resort, a Destination Hotel, is happy to announce that Hank Thiess has recently been appointed General Manager of Hospitality Operations at the Pacific Northwest property. Located outside of Seattle in the Cascade Mountain region, Thiess will manage the resort's staff and services in addition to overseeing profitability and operations. Hank Thiess joins the Suncadia Resort team after recently working at the Wintergreen Resort & Club in Wintergreen, Virginia, where he served as General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the 235-unit lodge for the last nine years. With over 25 years of experie...
Analysis to Action: The Smart Way Independent Hotels Can Manage Distribution
Margaret Ady | November 21, 2017
By Margaret Ady You've surely heard before that the big brand investment in direct booking campaigns trickles down to independents (by way of travelers being more aware of the value of booking directly). Hotel brands have poured billions of dollars into direct booking campaigns, and a report by Hitwise in May of this year shows that for some of the major players, direct bookings are looking up. For everyone else, not so much. OTAs still achieved an almost 3% gain in market share, while hotels lost 3.87% (Skift). So while ad campaigns may have paid off for the Wyndhams and Hiltons of the world, when it comes to smaller brands and indepen...
The Incredible Shrinking Front Desk – An Opportunity to Manage Differently
Pierre Boettner | November 21, 2017
By Pierre Boettner The front desk was once the epicenter of the hotel, where guests did so much more than check in and check out. It was the place where they received answers to their questions, called in for a pillow or a hairdryer or a ride, ordered things up and got things sent down, and even made their next reservation. For requests that didn't "belong" there, like housekeeping or a reservation at the restaurant, the guest's only choice was to use the front desk as home base. The past several years have seen important efforts to decentralize the hotel experience, from equipping staff with tablets to allow them more...
Vision Hospitality Group Breaks Ground on Home2 Suites & Tru by Hilton Dual-Branded Hotel in Metro-Atlanta
Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. | November 21, 2017
CHATTANOOGA, TENN., NOV. 21, 2017 —Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. recently broke ground on the dual- branded Home2 Suites & Tru by Hilton in Atlanta/Kennesaw Town Center. Projected to open in the spring of 2019, the property will be Vision's first dual-branded hotel in the company's growing portfolio. The 170-room hotel will combine two complimentary Hilton brands to better accommodate today's modern traveler. The Tru by Hilton will provide a young-at-heart experience for short-term guests, and the Home2 Suites by Hilton's all-suite accommodations will offer a fresh and vibrant extended stay. The hotel will feature large commu...
Hotel Development Partners Celebrates Grand Opening for Residence Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center Dunwoody
Hotel Development Partners, LLC (HDP) | November 21, 2017
ATLANTA (November 21, 2017) – Atlanta-based Hotel Development Partners (HDP) celebrated the Grand Opening of the 127-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center Dunwoody, Georgia. The hotel operates as a Marriott franchise, owned by Hotel Development Partners and managed by Hotel Equities (HE). Joe Fallis serves as the General Manager and Susan Zuppardo is the Director of Sales. The hotel marks the third property owned by HDP and managed by Hotel Equities in the vibrant, upscale Atlanta Perimeter Center market. The other properties are the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Atlanta Perimeter Dunwoody and the Fairfield...
Hotel Operations Platform ALICE Wins the TECHPitch For Most Innovative Hotel Technology at HX 2017
ALICE | November 21, 2017
A panel of industry experts awarded ALICE the top honor at the third annual HX TECHPitch - a tech innovation competition held during HX: The Hotel Experience - here in New York City last week, November 12-13. Deanna Ting, Hospitality Editor at Skift, Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City, and Valerie Ferguson, Director, Experience Planning and Integration, Hotels & Resorts at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts judged the competition. ALICE faced some hot competition for the award. Finalists included Maidbot, makers of a housekeeping robot, Openkey, providers of mobile keyless hotel access, Remi, ...
HSMAI UAE Celebrates “Most Extraordinary Minds” in Hospitality in the Middle East
HSMAI | November 21, 2017
November 21, 2017, McLean, VA The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), which is celebrating 90 years of fueling sales, recognized nine industry innovators as "Most Extraordinary Minds" in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue in the Middle East. Award recipients were honored on October 18, 2017 at the second HSMAI Middle East Conference, at Dusit Thani Dubai. Launched this year by the HSMAI United Arab Emirates chapter, HSMAI UAE's awards honors outstanding hospitality professionals for their noteworthy accomplishments in sales, marketing, and revenue optimization for hotel, travel, and tourism organiza...
New 116-Suite Residence Inn by Marriott Set to Open in Littleton, Colorado Led by General Manager Steve Ryan
Residence Inn by Marriott | November 21, 2017
Littleton, CO – November 21, 2017 – The 116-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Littleton, Colorado is scheduled to open this Tuesday, November 21, 2017. Located at 3090 West County Line Road, the all-suite Residence Inn Denver Southwest Littleton will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by CIP 2014/PC RIL Hotel LLC and managed by Propel Management of San Antonio, Texas. Located 20 minutes from downtown Denver, the Residence Inn Denver Southwest Littleton offers its guests convenient access to Chatfield State Park, Hudson Gardens Event Center and The Falls Event Center. Rates vary depending on length of stay. "We are pleas...
