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Industry Happenings
ISHC Chuck Pinkowski Service Award Presented to Chad Sorensen
ISHC | October 17, 2017
Bangkok, Thailand, 17 October 2017: Each year, the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) honors a member for his or her outstanding contribution of volunteer time to the Society with the Chuck Pinkowski Member Service Award. At this year's Annual ISHC Conference in Bangkok, the award was presented to Chad Sorensen, CHMWarnick managing director and EVP, ISHC Chair Emeritus and the current Co-Chair of the Membership and CapEx Committees. Sorensen served on the ISHC Board of Directors (2013 – 2016) and has led numerous ISHC initiatives since becoming a member in 2008. Ron Lustig, a previous Chuck Pinkowski Award win...
The Making of India’a Alila Fort Bishangarh – From Warrior Fort to Luxury Resort
Alila | October 17, 2017
17th October 2017 - Perched on top of a granite hillock in the midst of a vast expanse of the Aravalli Range, surrounded by hills dotted with havelis, villages and temples, Alila Fort Bishangarh is the result of the adaptive reuse of a 230-year-old warrior fort into one of India's most unique heritage properties. Adaptive reuse offers a sustainable option for the reclamation of heritage sites, an inspiring way to preserve and revive an existing building by merging its traditional ideals with modern culture, usage, design techniques and ideas. Built during Rajasthan's royal era as an outpost guarding the kingdom of Jaipur (Amber) against...
Centurion American Development Group Reopens Iconic Dallas Property, The Statler, Following $255 Million Redevelopment
The Statler | October 17, 2017
DALLAS and MCLEAN, Va. - The Statler, an iconic downtown Dallas hotel, opens today as part of the exclusive Curio Collection by Hilton, one of Hilton's 14 market-leading brands, following a $255 million redevelopment. Centrally located, The Statler symbolizes the heart and soul of Dallas and was hand-picked to join the collection of one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts that are integral parts of the destinations they call home. Originally opened in 1956 as one of Conrad Hilton's first convention properties, The Statler is heralded as a pioneer hotel, bringing many firsts - such as elevator music - to the industry. Credited with esta...
Three Iconic South Beach Properties to Join Choice’s Ascend Hotel Collection
Ascend Hotel Collection | October 17, 2017
MIAMI , Oct. 17, 2017 -- The Ascend Hotel Collection welcomes the iconic Hotel Breakwater South Beach, Casa Victoria Orchid and Hotel Ocean properties in South Beach , FL. Known for inspiring individuality, the Ascend Hotel Collection is the first and largest global soft hotel brand, featuring best in class unique, boutique and historic independent hotels and resorts. These three boutique hotels offer truly distinctive South Beach experiences for all travelers. Located in Miami's historic Art Deco district, Hotel Breakwater South Beach is an eclectic hotel offering a rotating art program and aquarium-style pool; the Casa Victoria Or...
5 Travelling Trends to Consider for Your 2018 Marketing Campaign
Magnuson Worldwide | October 17, 2017
London UK/Spokane WA - October 17, 2017 - When it comes to marketing a hotel business you're in for some tough competition. Being aware of the wider market trends can help you get ahead of the curve by understanding exactly what holidaymakers are looking for. We've identified the five areas you should be considering now for 2018. 1. Foodie tourism Perhaps inspired by mouth-watering snaps on Instagram, foodie tourism is on the rise. It's a simple aspect to demonstrate within your marketing efforts. If you offer great food within your hotel, you could draw in more customers by shouting about it. If food is an area that you struggle with a...
How Do Hotels Fill Those Last Available Rooms?
Leora Lanz | October 17, 2017
By Leora Lanz Hoteliers, marketing directors, and revenue managers in particular are continuously learning how to put the pieces of the puzzle together when it comes to creative and effective options for selling out room nights. Numerous challenges arise with the plethora of new distribution technology, which complicate the process of directly reaching the guest, or even controlling a hotel's presence on the variety of brand and third party websites. The Director of Sales and Marketing at The Langham Boston, Rachelle Boudreau, emphasized this challenge. "It is difficult to be aware of the various distribution channels, as so ma...
Renowned MBA Professor Teams with Digital Workplace App Beekeeper Delivering Free Business School Insights to Front-Line Workers
Beekeeper | October 17, 2017
The 'Bee School' leadership series will begin streaming on beekeeper.io November 7; Led by Dr. Linda Herkenhoff of St. Mary's College of California, the course in open for registration SAN FRANCISCO, CA OCTOBER 17, 2017 - Digital workplace app Beekeeper today announced that registration is open for its inaugural webinar course, Bee School. Beekeeper's Bee School initiative brings knowledge on workplace dynamics and behavior out from behind the paywall of an MBA certificate, ensuring that managers in non-desk industries can lead their teams to unprecedented success. The weekly 45 minute sessions will commence November 7, led by Dr. Linda...
SiteMinder Named Among The Silicon Review’s 50 Best Companies to Watch
SiteMinder | October 17, 2017
Dallas, USA – A decade of market disruption has earned the global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, a place on The Silicon Review's 2017 list of the '50 Best Companies to Watch'. The Silicon Review is one of the leading magazines for business and technology professionals around the world, focusing on innovative enterprise solutions developed by established industry providers. Explaining the reasons for SiteMinder's nomination, the magazine says: "The evolution to a level playing field for hotels has been one witnessed by SiteMinder – a company that, in 2006, disrupted the hospitality technology market by e...
Duetto Announces Revenue Strategy Partnership with Owner of Harry’s Home Hotels
Duetto | October 17, 2017
Austria's Ultsch Family Adopts GameChanger and ScoreBoard Applications in Plan to Expand Harry's Brand Innsbruck, Austria, 17 October, 2017 — Duetto, the hospitality industry's leader in Revenue Strategy technology, has partnered with Harry's Home, Adlers and Schwarzer Adler in Innsbruck, run by the influential Ultsch family, to bring the cloud-based applications GameChanger and ScoreBoard to Austria, Germany and Switzerland. "The DACH region is a place where our company and our approach to hotel Revenue Strategy have gained serious momentum, thanks to partners like the owner and operator of Harry's Home," said Patrick Bosworth, C...
Milestone Launches “True” Mobile First Hotel Website Design
Milestone | October 17, 2017
Milestone applies techniques from mobile apps to provide a true "mobile first" experience for its customers. Santa Clara, CA | October 17, 2017: Milestone announced today that it is launching a new website design product truer to the concept of "Mobile First." Our mobile first designs are a departure from the responsive technology that most sites employ, elevating the experience to what users want to do in every moment of the customer journey. "We recognized that most of the so-called mobile first website designs, are actually nothing more than responsive designs," said Benu Aggarwal, Milestone President and Founder. "Nearly all respons...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – “Systems”, Don’t Change The People – Change the System
David Lund | October 16, 2017
By David Lund Every system is perfect for the results it creates. The flip side of this is: Don't change or make the people wrong—it is the system that's wrong and the system needs to be changed. Then we will get another result. Keep working the system five percent at a time. Always be re-programming your system, i.e., what version of Windows are we on? We tend to look at the chaos at work and in our own lives and we want to blame someone or something for it. It is the victim crying out that we have been unjustly punished and sentenced to suffer in the mess we are in. We need to rise above this and look at the system we use; see t...
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Set to Open in Flagstaff, Arizona with General Manager Mark Price at the Helm
Fairfield Inn & Suites | October 16, 2017
Flagstaff, AZ – October 16, 2017 – The 99-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Flagstaff, Arizona is scheduled to open on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 with its smart, innovative public space and guest room design, and its bright and inviting décor. Located at 1000 North Country Club Drive, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Flagstaff Northeast will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by High Pines Hotel, LLC and managed by Southwest Hospitality Management of Mesa, Arizona. Located nine miles from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport and just minutes from historic downtown Flagstaff, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Flagstaff...
What is the ROI of Human Powered Website Live Chat?
Lodging Interactive | October 16, 2017
Lodging Interactive, an award winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today offered some insightful looks into the return on investment of live chat for hotels. "I am often asked by hoteliers what is the return on investment, or ROI, when implementing a live chat service on their website," stated DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive's Founder and President. "Like any new product or service that is leading the way to something new and better for an industry, there is always a hesitation at first, as business operators attempt to justify the return on investment of this shiny,...
Concord Hospitality Reveals First Look of Canopy by Hilton’s North American Debut in Washington, D.C.
Canopy by Hilton | October 16, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. and MCLEAN, Va. – October 16, 2017 – Today, Canopy by Hilton, Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) lifestyle hotel brand, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront and Concord Hospitality Enterprises revealed the first look inside the brand's first North American property, Canopy by Hilton Washington D.C., The Wharf. Set on the Potomac River, The Wharf is home to some of D.C.'s most anticipated new restaurants, year-round entertainment and waterfront accommodations. The property's 175 guestrooms and rooftop bar and lounge, Whiskey Charlie, are part of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront's $2.5 billion, world-class mixed-use waterfront neighborhood...
AHLA President, CEO Katherine Lugar Appointed to Federal Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion
the American Hotel and Lodging Association | October 16, 2017
Hotel Industry Supports 8 Million Jobs; Leads Effort to Hire New Apprentices WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 16, 2017- The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is pleased to announce its president and CEO, Katherine G. Lugar has been selected to serve as a member of the Department of Labor's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced today that Lugar and 19 other members will serve on the task force that will work to identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeship programs are lacking, and they will report their plans to th...
Unexpectedly Slow – Hoteliers Overestimated 2016 Performance
Robert Mandelbaum | October 16, 2017
By Robert Mandelbaum From 2010 through 2015, U.S. hotels enjoyed above long-run average revenue and profit growth. Over the six-year period, total operating revenue increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8 percent, while gross operating profits grew at a CAGR of 8.9 percent. Therefore, when U.S. hoteliers sat down in the fall of 2015 to prepare their budgets for 2016, it is no surprise that they believed the strong upward momentum in revenue and profit growth would continue. Unfortunately, 2016 was a disappointment. Revenue and profits increased, but not at the levels that were budgeted. Occupancy and average daily rate ...
NewcrestImage Opens Dual-Branded AC Hotel and Residence Inn by Marriott in Downtown Dallas Historic Mercantile Commerce Building
NewcrestImage | October 16, 2017
Downtown Dallas has its first dual-branded hotel with the opening this week by NewcrestImage of a 128-room AC Hotel by Marriott and a 121-room Residence Inn by Marriott. The property is the first AC Hotel in Texas and the first AC Hotel anywhere that brings together two Marriott brands. "We have dramatically renovated and given vibrant new life to the historic Mercantile Commerce Building, which originally opened in 1956 and has been vacant for 25 years," explained Mehul Patel, Chairman of NewcrestImage. "By moving from retired to relevant, this building will add significant momentum to the revitalization of downtown Dallas." The reimag...
Triumph Hotels Relaunches The Frederick Hotel in Manhattan Following Renovation and Rebranding
Triumph Hotels | October 16, 2017
(NEW YORK; October 16, 2017) – Triumph Hotels, a collection of urban, authentic Manhattan hotels, is proud to introduce the newly remodeled and reimagined Frederick Hotel in Tribeca, offering 130 fully redesigned guestrooms, a new lobby, and the addition of a three-story Serafina Italian restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-room dining. Soon to open this winter is a lobby lounge and specialty cocktail bar constructed from reclaimed bricks found in the hotel's historic vault. "With the opening of The Frederick Hotel, Triumph Hotels begins our transition to an approachable lifestyle brand," said Gerald Barad, co-owner....
Denihan Hospitality Names Patrick Horstmann as Managing Director of James New York – NoMad and James New York – SoHo
Denihan Hospitality | October 16, 2017
NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2017 -- Denihan Hospitality, an independent owner and operator of boutique hotels in New York and Chicago, announced that Patrick Horstmann has joined as Managing Director of The James New York – NoMad and James New York – SoHo. Patrick's luxury boutique hotel experience will be instrumental in successfully leading these two properties and further developing The James brand. He joins the Denihan team shortly following the soft opening of The James New York - NoMad, located at 29th street and Madison Avenue. Acclaimed designer Thomas Juul-Hansen transformed the 344 room property with today's modern ...
Why Hotels Are Getting Serious About Relaxation and Wellbeing
JLL Real Views | October 16, 2017
By Natasha Stokes With physical and mental wellbeing a top priority for growing numbers of people, many don't like to leave their healthy habits at home when they travel. It's not just a case of a quick manicure or massage; today's business and leisure travelers increasingly expect the types of treatments they're used to at home when they're on the move whether it's a consultation with a sleep doctor, Vitamin C-infused showers or a personal training session. As such, hotels across the world are revamping their fitness and spa operations beyond conventional gyms, saunas and steam rooms to give affluent guests an additional reason to choo...
Hotel Lawyer: Tips on Negotiating Your Annual Hotel Budget
Jim Butler | October 16, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 16 October 2017 It is budget season again — that time when operators and owners sit down to agree on the financial blueprint for the next year. My partner Bob Braun has worked on many hundreds of hotel management agreements and issues arising under them. Today, he shares some insights about the how to maximize the budget opportunity for constructive dialog between owners and operators. It's Budget Season - What are you doing about it? by Robert E. Braun, Hotel Lawyer Importance of budgets It's hard to overstate the importance of a b...
Sheraton Dallas Hotel Appoints Emilio Gomez Director of Sales and Marketing
Sheraton Dallas | October 16, 2017
DALLAS (October 16, 2017) – The Sheraton Dallas Hotel announces it has hired Emilio Gomez as Director of Sales and Marketing. Gomez joins the Sheraton Dallas with more than 15 years of hotel sales and marketing experience. Throughout his career, Gomez has served various positions under Marriott International, at both the corporate and property levels. Most recently, Gomez was the dual-property Director of Group Sales for San Antonio Rivercenter Marriott & San Antonio Riverwalk Marriott. Prior to that position, Gomez worked as Director of Sales for Marriott International, focusing on large groups and convention teams in the Mid...
Dart Real Estate Acquires The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman from Five Mile Capital Partners
Dart Real Estate | October 16, 2017
Dart Real Estate has purchased The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. The luxury resort property, located along Seven Mile Beach, is an investment that expands Dart Real Estate's portfolio of tourism assets and reinforces investor Kenneth Dart's commitment to the Cayman Islands. "This investment demonstrates Mr. Dart's confidence and willingness to invest in the strength and resilience of the Cayman Islands economy," said Mark VanDevelde, CEO of Dart Enterprises, the parent company of Dart Real Estate. Dart Real Estate has acquired The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman resort interests from Five Mile Capital Partners, LLC. While there is a change in ...
Pentahotels Appoints Eugène Staal as President, pentahotels Global
pentahotels | October 16, 2017
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany, October 16, 2017 -- Pentahotels, the neighbourhood lifestyle hotel group, has announced the appointment of Eugène Staal as President effective November 2017. Based in Frankfurt am Main in Germany, Mr. Staal will be overseeing the global operations and developments of the brand. Prior to joining pentahotels, Staal founded YawnWorld, a stylish and innovative apartment rental concept representing the lifestyle and demands of today's global citizens. He also founded MisterSteel, a consultancy delivering trendsetting and commercially successful concepts, as well as strategic technical services and brand...
