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Industry Happenings
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour Appoints Flor Van Der Vaart as General Manager
Park Hyatt St. Kitts | October 16, 2017
ST. KITTS – October 16, 2017– Park Hyatt St. Kitts announces industry visionary Flor van der Vaart as resort's new General Manager. Van der Vaart will lead the executive team to a monumental November 1st opening of the brand's inaugural Caribbean property, and island's first luxury beach resort. A hospitality veteran, Flor van der Vaart has a passion for the Caribbean, and will now call St. Kitts his home once more. From 2008 to 2011, he served as General Manager of the 400+ room Marriott St. Kitts Golf & Casino Beach Resort. Most recently, van der Vaart served as the VP of Room Operations for Hyatt in the America's corp...
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch Appoints Randy Thompson as General Manager
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch | October 16, 2017
St. Louis, Mo. (October 16, 2017) – Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, a premier business and leisure hotel located in the heart of downtown St. Louis on the iconic Gateway Arch grounds, has announced Randy Thompson as its new general manager. Thompson joins the property from Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa, and Marina in Cambridge, Md. "As I was raised in Missouri, and worked previously in St. Louis, it is a welcome opportunity to be able to return to this great city and work at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch," said Randy Thompson, general manager of Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch. "The hotel has shown i...
LBA Hospitality Partners with Details Hotel Group to Manage Fairfield Inn & Suites Houston Pasadena
LBA Hospitality | October 16, 2017
DOTHAN, AL (OCTOBER 16, 2017) – LBA Hospitality, a full-scale hotel management, development and consulting firm, is pleased to announce management of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Houston Pasadena in Texas. The Marriott-branded hotel is owned by the Principals of Details Hotel Group and is now operated and managed by LBA Hospitality. With the addition of this property to the their portfolio, LBA Hospitality now manages over 70 properties throughout the southeast. While this relationship marks the first time LBA Hospitality and Details Hotel Group have collaborated, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Houston Pasadena is the 3rd hotel ...
Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association Recognizes The National Conference Center During Annual Awards Banquet
The National Conference Center | October 16, 2017
Leesburg, Virginia, October 2017 … The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, has been recognized by the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) with two very prestigious awards. The National was recognized as Hotel of the Year, and General Manager Geoff Lawson was named Hotelier of the Year. The awards were presented during the VRLTA Awards banquet this past week. The 2017 Ordinary Awards featured 16 individual and organizational awards across four primary categories. Each award given demonstrates exemplary passion for the hospitality and travel industry. "These very prestigious awards recognize ...
AccorHotels Signs an Agreement to Acquire Mantra Group Limited
AccorHotels | October 16, 2017
AccorHotels today announced the signature of an agreement with Mantra Group Limited with the view to acquire all issued capital in Mantra by way of a scheme of arrangement to be approved by Mantra shareholders. Under the terms of the agreement, AccorHotels would offer AUD3.96 in cash for each Mantra share including any potential special dividend. Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AccorHotels said, "We are delighted to have come to an agreement to acquire the Mantra Group. This operation will underpin our long-term growth in the Asia Pacific region. Mantra's portfolio would offer AccorHotels additio...
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Joins TravelClick’s Market-Leading Demand360® Program
TravelClick | October 16, 2017
Demand360 Network of Global Data Providers Continues to Expand, Empowering More Hoteliers to Develop Strategies that Maximize Revenue NEW YORK – October 16, 2017 – TravelClick, a global provider of innovative, cloud-based and data-driven solutions for hotels to maximize revenue, today announced a partnership with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, which is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruises in operation, to join TravelClick's Demand360® program, a Hotelligence360® solution. This partnership further expands the Demand360 network of global data providers, giving hoteliers access to e...
4 Ways to Win the Hearts and Contracts of Meeting Planners
Groups360 | October 13, 2017
Every group is different. Every meeting planner is unique. Every event comes with its own set of objectives, attendee patterns, and complications. Then, why does your hotel's group sales managers continue to sell the property the same way, over and over again, no matter the group? Here's the kicker: Meeting planners know they are being sold to. They see it when you insist on trekking them out to the golf course during a site inspection, even when golf isn't relevant to their group. They see it when you fail to ask them the right questions or give biased answers. They see it immediately in your cookie-cutter proposal. Instead of presenti...
Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort Completes $8.50 Million Resort Renovation
Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort | October 12, 2017
PHOENIX– October 16, 2017 – Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort has announced the completion of an extensive $8.5 million renovation. The updates encompass 224 North Pointe Suites, including the exclusive Presidential Suite, the remastered North Pointe lobby, and 48,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The redesign celebrates the resort's 40th anniversary along with its colorful history and iconic location in the Valley of the Sun. Inspired by the rich surrounding landscapes of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve combined with bright accents, the transformation offers a modern and minimal design esthetic defined by local desert ...
Davidson Hotels & Resorts Welcomes David Mullen as New Corporate Executive Chef
Davidson Hotels & Resorts | October 12, 2017
ATLANTA, Ga. – October 16, 2017 – Davidson Hotels & Resorts is pleased to introduce David Mullen as the new corporate executive chef reporting directly to Steve Kilroy, vice president of food and beverage. Chef Mullen plans to advance the existing food and beverage program to a higher, more sophisticated standard, effectively distinguishing Davidson Hotels & Resorts and Pivot Hotels & Resorts from its competitors and bringing the culinary experience in hospitality to the next level. Chef Mullen joined Davidson Hotels & Resorts in August 2017 with more than twenty years of culinary experience in the hospitalit...
MCR Sells Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Orange Park for $16.55 Million
MCR | October 12, 2017
NEW YORK--MCR, the seventh largest hotel owner-operator in the United States, today announced it has sold the Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Orange Park located at 610 Wells Road in Orange Park, Florida, for $16.55 million. The 115-room hotel was built in 2008. "The sale of this property reaffirms our strategy of investing in limited service hotels affiliated with industry-leading brands and opportunistically disposing assets to generate attractive returns for our investors," said Tyler Morse, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of MCR. ...
Puerto Rico’s Tourism is on a Path to Quick Recovery
Puerto Rico Tourism Company | October 12, 2017
Airlines, cruise lines and hotel partners' joint relief efforts these past few weeks demonstrate the importance of Puerto Rico as a destination and hub in the Caribbean. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) is fully operational with all airlines back to regular schedules. Royal Caribbean International resumed homeport operations. Major hotels are at full capacity given relief efforts and taking on new reservations beginning this week. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--October 12, 2017--Just three weeks after the passing of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico's tourism industry has come together to move forward on a path to rec...
Why Improved Benefit Engagement Is the Key to Improving Hospitality Retention Rates
Chris Whitlow | October 12, 2017
By Chris Whitlow Many people might assume working in hospitality is less stressful than other industries. While hospitality employees may work in a luxurious environment, surrounded by happy families and individuals on vacation, their jobs can still be extremely stressful. In addition to meeting their managers' high expectations, working long and sometimes non-traditional shifts, and the never-ending needs of new customers every day, hospitality employees are also expected to be helpful, pleasant and friendly to each customer they encounter. This work-related stress is in addition to whatever issues hospitality employees may have going ...
JW Marriott Essex House New York Completes $38 Million Guest Room and Suite Renovation
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts | October 12, 2017
JW Marriott Essex House New York, the iconic hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan, announced the completion of a $38 million transformation of its 426 guest rooms, 101 suites, and corridors, dramatically redesigned to interpret a new and modern aesthetic . The hotel's structure and strong lines of its art déco heritage have been softened and expressed in a re-defined way. This is a design that celebrates the many decades of the Essex House, with a subtle nod to the 1930s period, when the hotel first opened its doors. The hotel's new design evokes a strong historical rooting but with a fresh twist. A bold but neutral color pal...
5 Things the Hotel Industry Can Learn from Cruise Lines
Kacey Bradley | October 12, 2017
By Kacey Bradley As an industry, finding useful lessons from other industries that seem completely different may feel impossible. But sometimes that extra effort pays off, because you can make improvements to your own industry that you may not have thought about otherwise. Especially when it comes to customer service that can make or break a business. That's why it's so important to study what cruise lines do to make their customers keep coming back for more to help the hotel industry find the same results. Sometimes brands hit a dead end and customers can sense it, leading to major losses. Fix this problem by focusing on five things th...
Use Hotel Website Content to Increase Your Revenue
Vikram Singh | October 12, 2017
By Vikram Singh Contrary to what you might have heard, people still read. We read quiet a lot actually, but much of our reading has moved over to a screen instead of paper. When we are planning travel, we want to read about where we are going. However, the volume of content on hotel websites is shrinking. Plenty of attention, and plenty of space, is given to photos and design. Hotel websites have started to look like clones, favoring heavy imagery and very light content; but that is a mistake. Your website is not an Instagram feed with a booking button. If you replace substantive content with photo captions and a parade of adjectives li...
Global MICE Trends to Look For in 2018
Pacific World | October 12, 2017
Destination and Event Management Company Highlights Top Destinations and Engagement Trends SINGAPORE (October 12, 2017) – Pacific World – one of the world's leading global destination and event management companies – is highlighting the MICE trends to watch for in 2018. The leading creative experts at the forefront of global event planning, Pacific World looks beyond technology, and believes it is time to look for unique destinations and development of distinctive, engaging incentive programs and events that drive connection on a personal level. "Over the past several months, we've systematically collected data, insigh...
Beekeeper Introduces Custom Integrations, Bringing Chat and Operations Under One Hub for 2 Billion Non-Desk Workers
Beekeeper | October 12, 2017
New additions to the Beekeeper platform merge legacy systems with proprietary communications tech tailor-made for non-desk workers. "The ability to integrate our HRIS with Beekeeper has been instrumental in automating administrative processes that were time-sensitive." Claudia Scherrer Domingos, Head of HR, Domino's Pizza SAN FRANCISCO, CA OCTOBER 12, 2017 - While many workplace tools specialize in peer-to-peer, top-down, or bottom-up communication, it is rare to encounter a workplace app that tackles all three. Running on the belief that an intuitive user interface (UI) and open communication builds cross-organizational trust, Beek...
Beekeeper Poises for Global Growth with Prominent Staffing Changes
Beekeeper | October 12, 2017
McCarthy, Slotosch and Frioli tasked with expanding the global reach of the company's digital-communications platform for geographically-displaced workforces and non-desk workers SAN FRANCISCO, CA OCTOBER 12, 2017 - Beekeeper, a workplace communication company focused on connecting non-desk workers and their employers, is announcing internal promotions and adding new talent to further support it swift growth and corporate directional changes. Cristian Grossmann, CEO, has appointed Corey McCarthy, former VP of Marketing North America, to VP of Global Marketing, and Andreas Slotosch, former Vice President of Global Marketing, to Vice Pres...
Sheraton Warsaw Hotel in Poland Unveils Renovation
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts | October 12, 2017
WARSAW, Poland--Sheraton Warsaw Hotel, the flagship hotel for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in Poland, today revealed its stunning redesign following a renovation of all guest rooms and its Sheraton Club Lounge. Led by London-based designer Alex Kravetz, the renovation draws on the property's heritage and prestigious location on the corner of Three Crosses Square overlooking The Ujazdowski Park. Sheraton Warsaw's 350 spacious rooms and suites have been beautifully transformed into contemporary, residential spaces that feature elements inspired by high-end residential projects such as multilevel soft lighting, luxurious fabrics and high-...
Botswana’s Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino Reopens Following Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
AVANI Hotels & Resorts | October 12, 2017
Bangkok, October 12, 2017: AVANI Gaborone Resort & Casino, the business and social hub of Botswana's capital, is celebrating the completion of an extensive renovation, representing an investment of USD 7.5 million by Minor Hotels, the parent company. All 156 guest rooms and public spaces including the main entrance and porte cochere have been renovated with the aim of introducing AVANI's signature design hallmarks. The new contemporary design and technological enhancements make for a modern, functional and relaxing experience. Situated in the heart of Gaborone's business district, home to The Botswana Stock Exchange, Debswana Diamon...
CBRE Hotels Arranges Two Hotel Sales in San Diego
CBRE Group, Inc. | October 12, 2017
Comfort Suites San Diego-Miramar and Holiday Inn Express San Diego-Mira Mesa Sold Newport Beach, California – October 12, 2017 – CBRE Hotels has arranged the sale of the 132-room Comfort Suites San Diego-Miramar and the 75-room Holiday Inn Express San Diego-Mira Mesa for an undisclosed amount to Two Pack Hotel LP, an affiliate of Excel Hotel Group. Bob Kaplan, Rod Apodaca, and John Karver of CBRE Hotels acted as exclusive agents for the sellers, LLJ Ventures. The Comfort Suites and Holiday Inn Express are adjacent hotels on 3.72 acres in the Mira Mesa/Scripps Ranch area in the northeastern part of San Diego; conveniently loc...
Christian Ghisays Appointed Executive Chef of The Trident Hotel in Port Antonio, Jamaica
The Trident Hotel | October 12, 2017
PORT ANTONIO, Jamaica – OCTOBER 12, 2017 – As executive chef of The Trident Hotel, Christian Ghisays will be responsible for the hotel's culinary operations. In his role, Ghisays will oversee the property's exquisite dining concepts, including The Veranda, an indoor/outdoor, luxury dining experience, Mike's Supper Club, the hotel's spin on a speakeasy with Japanese-Jamaican cuisine, and Time Bar along with the creation of customized menus for special events and private celebrations alongside the catering team. With over 25 years of experience, Ghisays brings an extensive industry background serving esteemed properties from E...
The Nantucket Hotel + Resort Appoints Pedro Alaniz as New Executive Chef
The Nantucket Hotel + Resort | October 12, 2017
NANTUCKET, Ma (October 2017) – The global-tinged fare of Executive Chef Pedro Alaniz—known for infusing traditional Latin and Mediterranean cuisine with hallmark modernity—will be unveiled at The Nantucket Hotel + Resort this fall at Breeze Restaurant and Bar. Bringing his talent to island-inspired dishes, Chef plans to serve travelers a taste of the year-round resort. "Chef Alaniz brings a winning culinary formula of excitement and precision to the island," said Gwenn Snider, owner, The Nantucket Hotel + Resort. "We look forward to introducing his visionary menu." With decades of diversified experience, Alaniz ha...
Soon-to-Open Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Executive Team Takes Shape with General Manager Kevin Hines at the Helm
Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach | October 12, 2017
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct 12, 2017) – Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach announces the appointment of Kevin Hines as general manager of the new 200-room, beachfront property. Hines has recently filled a number of other key positions on the hotel's pre-opening executive team, including director of sales, director of finance, director of human resources, director of rooms and spa director. The members of the executive team have assumed their positions in advance of a late 2017 opening. A 25-year hospitality industry veteran, Hines has contributed to the success of many renowned beach and ski resorts, as well as large-scale convention cent...
