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Industry Happenings
Inn Style partners with SiteMinder to push hotelier distribution needs to “the front of the queue”
Inn Style | November 2, 2017
London, UK – One of the UK's fastest-growing hotel management system providers, Inn Style, has partnered with SiteMinder to provide more than one thousand hotels access to best-in-class distribution from the global hotel industry's leading cloud platform. The partnership complements Inn Style's direct connections with OTAs, to provide faster speed-to-market to its customers – typically B&Bs, restaurants with rooms, luxury inns and small independent hotels. "Hotels increasingly want access to more channels for wider exposure of their brand, particularly the larger independents that Inn Style has begun to attract. These ho...
Atlantica Hotels Opens 241-Room Park Inn by Radisson Santos in Brazil
November 1, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS (November 1, 2017) – Park Inn® by Radisson, a colorful and dynamic midscale hotel brand, today announced the opening of Park Inn by Radisson Santos in partnership with Atlantica Hotels. The $20 million newly constructed hotel, located in the state of São Paulo, has a sleek and modern look with a convenient location near the Vila Belmiro Stadium and Mendes Convention Center. "We are delighted to see the expansion of the Park Inn by Radisson brand in Latin America," said Frances Gonzalez, vice president of Operations for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in Latin America. "The fresh and vibrant appearance of this ne...
Lodging Dynamics Set to Open New SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Moab, Utah
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | November 1, 2017
Moab, UT – November 1, 2017 – Marriott International announced today that the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Moab, Utah is scheduled to open this Thursday, November 2, 2017. The 99-suite hotel, located at 1865 North Highway 191, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Lodging Dynamics of Provo, Utah. Whether traveling for business or pleasure the SpringHill Suites Moab offers guests convenient access to Arches National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River. "As a brand opening a new hotel every 10 days on average, we are delighted that the SpringHill Suites Moab is...
Sundar Kamak Joins BirchStreet Systems to Head Marketing and Product Strategy
BirchStreet Systems Inc. | November 1, 2017
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – BirchStreet Systems Inc., the leading cloud-based Procure-to-Pay platform serving the hospitality industry, announced the hiring of Sundar Kamak as its senior vice president of marketing and product strategy. Kamak will have direct responsibility for leading and managing BirchStreet Systems marketing, product marketing, pre-sales and solution engineering/consulting activities. He will also act as a senior member of the BirchStreet executive team. "It's a groundbreaking opportunity," Kamak said. "Never before has there been a SaaS company that has delivered such a comprehensive P2P solution for F&B, and ...
Owned and Managed by AAA Hotel Company, Home2 Suites by Hilton Lake Charles Opens in Louisiana
Home2 Suites by Hilton | November 1, 2017
LAKE CHARLES, La. and MCLEAN, Va. - Home2 Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) All Suites portfolio, announced today its newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton Lake Charles, bringing the brand one step closer to its 200thproperty milestone. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 87 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. Home2 Suites by Hilton Lake Charles caters to the 46.7 million visitors traveling to Louisiana annually.* "Whether here on business, to enjoy the endless outdoor recreation activities at Prien Lake Park, or to experience the...
Excellence Group Reopens Excellence Punta Cana Following $45 Million Renovation
Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts | November 1, 2017
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, Nov. 1, 2017 -- Excellence Punta Cana, the all-inclusive resort from luxury hospitality leaders, Excellence Group, has reopened its doors following a four-month, $45 million dollarrenovation. Maintaining the resort's original romantic island charm and elegance that earned it a spot on Trip Advisor's 'Top 25-All Inclusive Caribbean Resorts, the property now also features completely renovated and new onsite food and beverage offerings, an upgraded Club Lounge resulting in an elevated front desk and concierge service, a new beachfront pool, in-room renovations with improved layouts, new furniture...
The Luxury Collection Signs with The Mori Trust Group for IRAPH SUI, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Okinawa, Japan
The Mori Trust Group | November 1, 2017
The Luxury Collection today announced the signing of IRAPH SUI, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Okinawa, Japan. Owned by The Mori Trust Group and slated to open in late 2018, the new island resort will be will be located in the city of Miyakojima, in Okinawa Prefecture and will be the third Luxury Collection hotel in Japan. "We are thrilled to welcome this island resort to our portfolio in Japan," said Mitzi Gaskins, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection. "The luxury vacation market in Japan is a well-established one, and sophisticated travelers are always looking for exciting new destinations and authentic experiences wherever they g...
Teneo Hospitality Group Appoints Adriana Molina Vice President of Association Sales, Based in Washington, DC
Teneo Hospitality Group | November 1, 2017
Eden Prairie, MN, November 1, 2017 – Expanding its presence in the nation's capital, Teneo Hospitality Group, the premier global firm representing 300+ independent and luxury branded hotels, resorts and DMCs, appointed Washington native and industry veteran Adriana Molina as Vice President Association Sales, based in Teneo's Washington, DC offices. "We're delighted to welcome Adriana to the growing Teneo Sales Team," says Teneo President, Mike Schugt. "Her 30 years of experience in hotel sales and outstanding reputation as a leader in the association community, brings a new dimension to our Washington, DC operations." Adriana's ca...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $16,750,000 of First Mortgage Acquisition Financing for the Normandy Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company | November 1, 2017
Beverly Hills, CA (November 1, 2017) -- Sonnenblick-Eichner Company has secured $16,750,000 of acquisition financing for the purchase of the 75-room Normandy Hotel, located in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The property was acquired by Blu Kalorama Hotel, L.P. based in Santa Barbara, California The buyer has a long track record in the acquisition and repositioning of hotel properties and plans to upgrade the hotel and utilize their management expertise to bring hotel operations in line with its Competitive Set. Washington, D.C. is one of the strongest performing lodging markets in the nation. "We generated a treme...
Renovation Underway for Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa in St. Barths Led by General Manager Marc Dobbels
November 1, 2017
Following the hotel's recent closure due to Hurricane Irma, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa which opened last fall as this destination's newest hotel, announces its plans to re-open as soon as possible in 2018. "This time last year we were diligently preparing for the grand opening of Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, but damage to the hotel in the wake Hurricane Irma is unfortunately forcing the hotel to remain shuttered this winter season," said Marc Dobbels, general manager, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa. "We are terribly disappointed but determined to bring our beloved hotel back for the 2018 season," said Dobbels. A...
Building Customer Loyalty – How Easy Is It?
Chamberlin Public Relations | November 1, 2017
Here's an exchange a traveler recently shared on Twitter, recounting a quick but memorable check-in experience at a major branded hotel: Me: I'm checking in Him: Long day? Me: Too long Him: Here's a voucher for the bar. Yes, building loyalty can be that simple. Whether a property is branded, independent, large or small, a hotelier can make a guest's stay a lot more memorable by anticipating their needs and personalizing the experience. And once a guest has had a positive experience, they'll be much more likely to share that story on TripAdvisor, Yelp and other review sites. (For the record, the traveler in the above exchange made a poin...
Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka Appoints Moshi Perera as General Manager
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | November 1, 2017
Hambantota, Sri Lanka, November 1, 2017 – Shangri-La's Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka announces Moshi Perera as the resort's new general manager. Perera will be responsible for managing the 300-room property and will oversee all operations and teams within the resort. Perera will continue to establish Shangri-La's Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa as one of the leading luxury hotels in Sri Lanka since its grand opening in June 2016. From London to the UAE, Perera has over twenty years of experience in the global hospitality industry at some of the world's leading hospitality brands. Perera joins the Shangri-La family f...
[Infographic] It Pays to Know Your Hotel Guest
SHR | November 1, 2017
In an increasingly competitive hotel market, truly knowing and engaging your guests has never been more important, and that includes understanding their generation. But only one in five guests report being fully engaged. Learn how these low engagement numbers translate into a huge opportunity for hoteliers as SHR walks you through understanding, reaching, and converting more hotel guests from every generation. ...
Avison Young Hospitality Group Announces Closings
Avison Young | November 1, 2017
ATLANTA – November 1, 2017 – The Avison Young Hospitality Group announced today that it has closed 33 hotel transactions over the past 22 weeks. It also announced the hotel practice group has closed 318 hotel transactions since 2013 consisting of 91 Marriott, 68 Hilton, 42 IHG, 27 Choice, 16 Red Roof, 14 Wyndham, 7 Carlson and 53 other branded, historical or independent hotels. "The market is still in the window of this up-cycle," said H. Keith Thompson principal at Avison Young. "This cycle began in spring of 2010 and its duration is well beyond what most expected. Based on new debt, maturing CMBS debt, public markets and n...
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Appoints Gary Ye as Vice President of Operations, China
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | November 1, 2017
SINGAPORE, (November 1, 2017) - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced the appointment of Gary Ye as vice president, Operations, China. Gary will join the company on December 18 and report directly to Katerina Giannouka, incoming president, Asia Pacific. He will also be a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee. Based in the company's Shanghai office, Gary will be responsible for spearheading the company's hotel portfolio in China. Among his varied responsibilities - driving operational excellence to raise guest satisfaction levels and brand compliance, developin...
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Announces Four Senior Appointments in the Americas
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | November 1, 2017
(November 1, 2017) – Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel companies, today announced four senior appointments in the Americas across its Operations, Sales and Development teams. Aly El-Bassuni, senior vice president, Franchise Operations In this newly created role, El-Bassuni oversees all brands in the Americas and leads a newly restructured Operations team responsible for strengthening owner relations, driving performance, and bringing consistency to the go-to-market strategies for Carlson Rezidor. El-Bassuni is based in Minneapolis and reports to Ken Greene, president, Carlson Rezidor Ho...
Hospitality Management Corporation Names Adrienne Kaufmann Regional Director of Sales and Marketing
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) | November 1, 2017
Dallas, TX – Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), is pleased to announce the addition of Adrienne Kaufmann to HMC's corporate team. Kaufmann will report to HMC's VP of Sales and Marketing and be responsible for all top line revenue for a select group of HMC managed hotels, as well as oversee all sales and marketing efforts. She will also focus on increasing guest satisfaction, provide sales training, develop revenue opportunities and manage local initiatives to increase customer and brand awareness. The company continues its ongoing business expansion efforts and is made up of full service, c...
Condor Hospitality Trust to Sell 71-Room Comfort Inn & Suites Warsaw for $4.7 Million
Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. | November 1, 2017
BETHESDA, Md.--Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE American:CDOR), a hotel-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered and incorporated in the state of Maryland, today announced that one of its legacy hotels, the 71-room Comfort Inn & Suites Warsaw, is now under contract to sell for $4.7 million and expected to close in late December. Net proceeds from the anticipated sale will be applied to outstanding debt on the Company's $150 million secured credit facility. "With the anticipated December 2017 closing of the Comfort Inn & Suites Warsaw, we will have sold eight legacy hotels year to date for gross proceeds of $...
Quest Apartment Hotels to Develop Quest Liverpool City Centre Marking First Property in the UK
Quest | November 1, 2017
LONDON, November 1, 2017 -- Quest Apartment Hotels, Australasia's largest and fastest growing apartment hotel operator, has marked the start of its ambitious UK expansion plans, announcing it has signed its first site in Liverpool's city centre with a £10m investment. Established by entrepreneur Paul Constantinou nearly 30 years ago in Melbourne, the 160 strong Quest Apartment Hotels portfolio has made its name by offering a 'home away from home' to extended stay business travellers in key cities, regional towns and suburban locations across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. With 27 properties currently in the pipel...
Choice Hotels Signs with Sand Hospitaliy to Develop New Cambria Hotel in Rock Hill, South Carolina
Cambria Hotels | November 1, 2017
ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 1, 2017 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, signed an agreement with Sand Hospitality, LLC, to develop the new Cambria hotel in Rock Hill, S.C. Expected to open in 2019, the 110-room Cambria hotel is designed to offer visitors a new and approachable upscale lodging option. In addition to a spacious rooftop pool and bar, the property will feature a state-of-the-art fitness center and 1,000 square feet of multi-function meeting space. The hotel will also include contemporary on-site dining, featuring a menu comprised of area specialties, signature cocktails...
Wyndham Hotel Group Inks Deal with American Hotel Income Properties for 46 Hotels Across U.S.
American Hotel Investment Properties REIT LP | November 1, 2017
PHOENIX, Nov. 1, 2017 -- Wyndham Hotel Group – the hospitality giant with an unparalleled portfolio of more than 8,300 hotels globally – today announced an agreement with American Hotel Income Properties REIT Inc. (AHIP) to convert 44 existing hotels across the U.S. to Wyndham's Baymont Inn & Suites ®, Travelodge ® and Super 8 ® brands. Furthermore, AHIP has also newly acquired two additional hotels joining the Wyndham portfolio. All 46 hotels will become part of Wyndham's powerhouse global distribution network and award-winning loyalty program by the end of the year. The agreement boosts the company&...
What to Consider for Your New Hotel Website
Larry Mogelonsky | November 1, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Everyone knows you need a functional website, no matter the business or the locale. For hotels, most of us recognize that often a website may be a customer's first introduction to your property. As such, it should entice, educate and make them want to stay with you. Hence, for many GMs, one of the largest items on the 2017 marketing budget is likely the development of a new website, or at the very least a refurbishment of the current one to show newcomers that there's something new to get excited about. This can come in the form of new interfaces or layout schemes, pages, offers, ev...
Two of Mexico’s Premier Luxury Hotel Groups Trade Their Radios and Spreadsheets for a Technology Platform
ALICE | October 31, 2017
Puerto Vallarta Area, Mexico— Partner companies Tafer Hotels & Resorts and the Villa Group, representing two pioneering collections of luxury hotels and resorts in Mexico, have just introduced hospitality mobile wunderplatform ALICE to all fourteen of their distinct vacation properties. Overseeing these high-end collections to ensure that the millions of unique moving parts flow together seamlessly is Carlos Aquino, VP of Sales & Business Development, who was searching for better ways to connect his hotel departments and staff, and integrate the unique resorts with one another. "We're always on the lookout for opportunitie...
Hilton Boston/Woburn Completes $16 Million Renovation and Opening of Matadora Led by General Manager Brett Woods
Hilton Boston/Woburn | October 31, 2017
WOBURN, MASS.; October 31, 2017 – Hilton Boston/Woburn has completed a comprehensive $16 million renovation spearheaded by a joint venture between The Davis Companies and The Rubicon Companies. Today's opening of Matadora, the hotel's highly-anticipated Spanish tapas restaurant, marks the culmination of the property's top-to-bottom renovation, which drew inspiration from the area's historic shoe and leather-making industries. The new hotel has been timelessly tailored for the modern traveler while articulating Woburn's legacy of craftsmanship throughout the transformed lobby, guest rooms, event and meeting spaces. "After 10 months...
