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Industry Happenings
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, Names Olivier C. Gaupin Director of Culinary Operations
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company | June 9, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 2019 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Olivier C. Gaupin director of culinary operations, a newly created position to further enhance Benchmark’s food and beverage positioning and expanding recognition. Patrick Berwald, vice president food and beverage, made the announcement. “It is with great pleasure that I announce Olivier’s appointment and welcome him to our growing F&B team,” said Mr. Berwald. “He brings an extraordinary depth of culinary knowledge and global experience to his new role, gained both in Europe and across the United States. Olivier has also led mul...
Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, Appoints Keith Potter as Executive Chef
Ventana Big Sur | June 7, 2019
Big Sur, Calif. (June 7, 2019) – Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, has appointed Keith Potter as executive chef of the celebrated luxury resort tucked between towering redwood trees and the California coastline in Big Sur. Potter, who brings over 15 years of culinary experience at acclaimed restaurants in Chicago, will oversee all food and beverage operations for the 59-room resort including its signature indoor-outdoor restaurant, The Sur House. “I could not be more thrilled to join the team at Ventana Big Sur, a premier culinary destination in California,” said Potter. “California’s abundance of fresh, high-quality ingredients ...
Nashville’s Hutton Hotel Welcomes Executive Chef Sean Petitt
Hutton Hotel | June 6, 2019
Hutton Hotel is excited to welcome Executive Chef Seth Petitt to their culinary team. Petitt, who joined in February 2019, oversees all culinary operations of the hotel including catering, in-room dining, and the hotel's restaurant. Petitt joins Hutton Hotel from Sage Restaurant Group as Urban Farmer's Executive Chef which he lead the developed the restaurant's culinary program through its openings in Denver, Cleveland and Philadelphia. In addition to overseeing Hutton Hotel's culinary team, Petitt will be developing a new concept for the hotel's restaurant slated to open in Summer 2019. "I'm excited to join Hutton Hotel's team and elevate...
HSMAI Releases Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy
HSMAI | June 4, 2019
The third edition of CRME certification study guide to debut at ROC 2019 (McLean, VA, June 4, 2019) Reimagine the role of revenue optimization in your revenue strategy. HSMAI's newest publication, Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy takes a deep dive into the fundamentals, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and emerging elements impacting revenue optimization. Benefit from new insights, 16 updated chapters, and several new case studies in the updated Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME) certification study guide. Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy will debut at HSMAI's ROC 20...
ProfitSword and Hotel Effectiveness Partner to Host HITEC 2019 Social Gathering and Entertainment Event
ProfitSword, LLC | June 4, 2019
Leading providers of automated and cloud-based technology join forces to provide HITEC attendees with an evening of food, drinks and raffle prizes along with insight into the latest trends in data and labor management efficiency. MINNEAPOLIS – (June 4, 2019) – ProfitSword, hospitality's premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has partnered with Hotel EffectivenessⓇ, an industry leader in hotel labor-cost reducing cloud-based technology, to host a strategic networking event during this year's HITEC. Taking place on June 17 from 7pm-10pm at Brit's Pub, located at 110 Nicollet Mall, Minneapo...
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Announces Partnership With the USO
| June 3, 2019
Minneapolis (June 3, 2019) - Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, a hotel brand inspired by a sense of belonging, community and shared experiences, has named the USO as the official partner of its Military 1st program. Guests of Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in all United States locations will be able to write a note of thanks to service members, which in turn will be mailed in care packages delivered to USO locations around the globe. "We are excited to partner with the USO to be able to say thank you to our service members who work tirelessly and make sacrifices to protect our freedom," said Catherine Higgins Whiteside, Vice Pres...
Krissi Grubka Named Director of Sales for Dual-Brand Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square
New Castle Hotels & Resorts | June 3, 2019
SHELTON, Conn. -- June 3, 2019—Julie Martin Barfield, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square announced today that Krissi Grubka, has been named director of sales for the180-room, dual-brand hotel. Most recently, Grubka was the sales and marketing manager for the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center where she was responsible for group and business transient sales. She began her hospitality career at the Best Western Plus in East Syracuse where she was the director of sales and marketing. "Krissi brings tremendous market knowledge to this job, and an early backgr...
Sage Hospitality Appoints Trevor Bondarchuk as Director of Sales for Union Station Hotel Nashville
Sage Hospitality | June 3, 2019
Union Station Hotel Nashville, managed by Sage Hospitality, is proud to announce Trevor Bondarchuk as Director of Sales. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Bondarchuk recently moved to Nashville with a passion for hospitality, bringing more than a decade of experience in the industry. Most recently, Bondarchuk worked as the Director of Group Sales and Events for Sage Hospitality before joining the group's Union Station Hotel Nashville. Prior to that, he spent two years as the Director of Sales and Events for Viejas Casino & Resort and seven years as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts' Senior Sales Manager in California and Hawaii. Original...
As Restaurants Evolve, The Core Experience Remains
Larry Mogelonsky | May 29, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Up until the hospitality industry started to change over half a century ago, everyone was accustomed to believing that a city's best restaurant would be found at a luxury hotel downtown. Such a property's premier restaurant would often serve as a perennial draw for both out-of-towners as well as locals, with reservations coveted and those seated immediately bestowing status upon their patrons. For today's more spontaneous, less formal, less pretentious, more parsimonious and Google-Yelp-TripAdvisor-driven culture, dining out is as popular as ever but we've blunted the experience in ...
Atlanta’s Historic Candler Building Begins New Life as 265-Room Boutique Hotel in July Under Hilton’s Curio Collection
May 23, 2019
May 24-- May 24--It was once Atlanta's tallest building, a 17-story beaux-arts tribute to Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler. For 100 years it has been home to the city's "finest baths" (back when that was a selling point), the law offices of famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, and a bank vault rumored to have briefly held the formula for Coke. But in two months, the Candler Building, with its grand marble staircase, brass gargoyles, detailed friezes and Tiffany windows, will become Atlanta's newest boutique hotel. SEE MORE: CANDLER BUILDING Take a sneak peek inside the new Candler Hotel Atlanta AJC Flashback Photos: At...
A Sense of Place, Welcome and Hospitality
Larry Mogelonsky | May 22, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) I recall the last time I stayed at what would categorically be a cookie-cutter hotel. Performing my typical inspection as a casually walked the halls and entered my guestroom, nothing seemed out of place, yet something was still missing. The hotel in question proudly touted its recent renovation for which I can confirm this fact given the scent of fresh paint, glue, wood and new upholstery. The doorman performed in strict accordance with his title while the receptionist at the front desk was upbeat while still remaining matter-of-fact. Arriving after the dinner hour, the corridors w...
Hyatt Recognizes Excellence Among Owners and Developers and Exceptional Hotel Performance With 2019 Awards
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | May 17, 2019
CHICAGO (May 17, 2019) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) recently celebrated excellence among owners and developers at Hyatt's Americas owners conference in Nassau, Bahamas at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. Hyatt's leadership team presented awards to 11 companies and introduced a new recognition in the program, the Purpose and Care award. "At Hyatt, we are focused on thoughtful growth, driven by where our guests and customers want to be, and our longstanding relationships with industry-leading owners and developers enable us to achieve that vision together," said Jim Chu, global head of development and owner relations, Hyatt. "With 63 hotel op...
O’Reilly Hospitality Management Opens Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown
Cambria Hotels | May 17, 2019
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 17, 2019 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc.'s (NYSE: CHH) upscale Cambria Hotels brand marked its arrival in Nebraska with the grand opening of the Cambria Hotel Omaha Downtown. The 128-room hotel is the newest addition to Omaha's growing NoDo district and will entice modern travelers visiting the area with captivating design, local flavors, contemporary amenities, and convenient access to popular Omaha destinations. Following a ribbon cutting ceremony, guests celebrated with area-inspired fare and drinks from Brickway Brewery & Distillery, Empyrean Brewing Company, Nebraska Brewing Company, and Zipline...
HVS Market Pulse: Downtown Omaha, NE
Sara Olson | May 17, 2019
By Sarah Olsen Local Economy and Redevelopment Projects A major revitalization period commenced in Omaha's Downtown Central Business District approximately 15–20 years ago when several high-profile projects were completed. Between 2002 and 2005, development projects included the construction of the First National Bank Tower (both the city's and the state's tallest building), the CHI Health Center, the Gallup Riverfront Campus, the Union Pacific Center, and the Holland Performing Arts Center. Another wave of redevelopment has hit the shores of the Missouri River in recent years, and several major projects are either currently under...
Radisson Debuts in Hangzhou With Opening of Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang
| May 17, 2019
Shanghai, China - May 17, 2019 -- Radisson Hotel Group™ continues to bring its world-renowned standards of hospitality to China's key cities, with the launch of the first Radisson hotel in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. The Group announced today, the opening of Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang, strategically located in the new city center of Qianjiang Century City. The hotel is a 20 minutes' drive away to Hangzhou's Xiaoshan International Airport, a transportation hub that is now served by almost 50 airlines and offers direct connections to cities including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Doha, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. ...
Canadian Lodging Outlook Quarterly 2019-Q1
HVS | May 17, 2019
May 17, 2019 -- HVS and STR are pleased to provide you with the quarterly report of the Canadian Lodging Outlook. Each report includes occupancy (occ), average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) for six major markets. If you would like a detailed hotel performance data for all of Canada, STR offers their Canadian Hotel Review. The Canadian Hotel Review is available by annual subscription. For further Information, please contact: info@str.com or +1 (615) 824-8664 ext. 3504. ...
Sam Moon Group Begins Construction of Hyatt House in North Houston’s Metropark Square
Sam Moon Group | May 17, 2019
DALLAS – May 17, 2019 – Sam Moon Group announces the commencement of construction for a Hyatt House extended stay hotel at the Metropark Square mixed-use development in Shenandoah, Texas. The 5-story, 148-room hotel is slated to open in November 2020. The hotel developer is Sam Moon Group; contractor is VCC and architect is Type Six. The senior lender for the project is Veritex Community Bank and Bedrock Group raised EB-5 Funds for the construction of the Hyatt House Metropark Shenandoah/The Woodlands. "We are excited for the closing of financing and to begin construction with our partners VCC on Hyatt House Metropark Shenan...
Independent Hotels: An Action Plan to Win the Direct Booking
Max Starkov | May 16, 2019
By Max Starkov With the explosion of the "digital way of life", the traveler's customer journey has become increasingly complex, which necessitates independent hoteliers to rethink and overhaul their marketing and technology stack strategies and investments. Today's online travel consumer is exposed to more than 38,983 micro-moments in any 60-day timeframe and visits an average of 18 websites via multiple devices across eight sessions before making a hotel booking (Google Research). Google defines this customer journey as a fluid series of interconnected stages: Dreaming, Planning, Booking, Experiencing and Sharing Phases, in which eve...
How to Add Value to Your Hotel Asset
Carrie Russell | May 16, 2019
By Carrie Russell At the most basic level, the value of a hotel is based on the property's net income divided by a capitalization rate. As such, one has two possible levers to adjust as a means of increasing a property's value: either increase the property's net income or decrease the capitalization rate. The capitalization rate, which is a factor that represents both the risk and the desired return associated with a given asset, is in actuality difficult to influence. Firstly, returns are market driven, which means that the capitalization rate is determined by market forces, not the will of owners. Secondly, it is the buyer's perceptio...
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at Paradisus Los Cabos and Me Cabo
| May 16, 2019
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (May 16, 2019) – Meliá Hotels International is pleased to announce the appointment of Juan Carlos Gonzalez as Director of Sales & Marketing for Paradisus Los Cabos and ME Cabo. In his new role, Gonzalez will oversee the sales, revenue and marketing strategies for both the Meliá properties in Cabo. With more than twenty years of international experience in the tourism industry, Gonzalez has gained a reputation for proven results and developing successful partnerships. He has held several positions within Meliá Hotels International, including working with the Paradisus and Gran Meliá brands, before assuming t...
How Hotels Can Embrace the Experience Economy
David Millili | May 16, 2019
By David Millili Atif Rafiq begins his tenure at MGM Resorts this month. A departure for a casino hotel operation that would typically hire from within the industry, Rafiq's background isn't in hotels at all. Instead, his most recent position as chief digital officer and global chief innovation officer at Volvo Cars signifies a shift in the way MGM is thinking about hospitality, moving away from traditional approaches and toward digital experiences. As Rafiq tells Skift, "Being a Silicon Valley native in tech companies, I want to think about how to bring the digital and physical together. I'm looking at it how a tech company would look ...
Rockbridge and Makeready Open The Alida Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Savannah, Georgia
Tribute Portfolio | May 16, 2019
05/16/2019 – Savannah, GA -- Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International's newest collection of independent, characterful hotels, together with Rockbridge and Makeready, has further expanded its portfolio with the recent addition of The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia. As the brand's second hotel in Georgia, The Alida joins modern design with timeless Southern charm, ideally located on Savannah's revitalized riverfront. Designed by Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects, the boutique hotel was named after Alida Harper Fowlkes, a celebrated local entrepreneur who worked tirelessly to preserve the cities heritage. Like the city itself, the 1...
Sudima Hotel Group Digitizes With Infor for Expansion
Sudima Hotel Group | May 16, 2019
Leading New Zealand hotel chain deploys Infor technology to digitally transformation its business AUCKLAND – 16 May 2019 – Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, today announced that New Zealand Sudima Hotel Group has deployed Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) across its hotels to streamline its rapidly-growing hotel operations, and to provide a better customer experience with its mobile housekeeper application with faster room turnover. With three hotels in Auckland, Christchurch and Rotorua, and three new hotels across New Zealand set to open in the next fourteen months, Sudima...
Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina Opens in the Hamptons With 107 Guestrooms
Gurney's Resorts | May 16, 2019
MONTAUK, N.Y., May 16, 2019 -- Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina, the newest waterfront retreat in the Hamptons, has officially opened as the premier destination for summer getaways, seasonal boating and standout dining experiences. Home to the largest marina in the Hamptons, Gurney's Star Island is a luxury resort featuring preeminent guest accommodations, unique dining concepts including the highly anticipated Showfish restaurant, outdoor amenities and an array of private spaces for events centered around the water. Owned by George Filopoulos of Metrovest and Lloyd Goldman of BLDG Management, the opening of Gurney's Star Island marks...
