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Industry Happenings
Upgrades Completed for the 280-room Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport in Maryland
the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport Hotel | May 6, 2014
BALTIMORE, Md., May 6, 2014 - Officials of the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport announced today the completion of a number of transformative renovation upgrades that have elevated the hotel into the top-five ranking among its competitive set, according to reviewers on one of the top guest-rated websites. The upgrades include a completely made-over lobby, featuring an open-concept lounge with relaxed seating, communal tables and multiple televisions that create a more comfortable setting for catching up with friends and colleagues. Other improvements include the addition of a new function room, The Flight Deck, which at 4,000 square feet, ca...
New Castle Hotels & Resorts Names Alex Lugo General Manager of the 200-room Westin Jekyll Island, GA
New Castle Hotels & Resorts | May 6, 2014
May 06, 2014 - JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. & SHELTON, Conn. - Officials of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today named Alex Lugo general manager of the Westin Jekyll Island, currently under construction on Jekyll Island's oceanfront. The 200-room hotel is expected to open in January 2015. Most recently, Lugo was the director of operations for the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta, Ga., where he was responsible for substantially improving the hotel's performance in terms of profitability, guest and meeting planner satisfaction. For the past 10 years, Lugo has served in positions of increasing responsib...
American Express Travel Survey Reveals Demand for Summer 2014 is Up, But So Are Costs
American Express Travel | May 6, 2014
London, Paris and Rome still Top Picks; Brazil and Santorini Emerge as Popular Destinations NEW YORK--(May 2014)--American Express Travel recently surveyed a group of its experts – nearly 300 travel counselors – to get the scoop on what is trending with their customers for this upcoming summer season (travel between June 1 and August 31). Nearly half (45%) said their summer travel bookings, relative to their bookings from last year, have increased. This is despite the fact that 67% percent said the cost of travel is up when compared to 2013. Travel counselors cited rising costs in key travel categories – airfare and hotel stays â€...
Summit Hotel Properties Appoints Paul Ruiz as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
Summit Hotel Properties | May 6, 2014
Succeeding Troy Hester Upon his April 2014 Retirement May 06, 2014 - AUSTIN, Texas - Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE:INN) (the "Company") today announced that Mr. Paul Ruiz has been appointed Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Ruiz will succeed Mr. Troy Hester in the role from which he retired in April 2014. Mr. Ruiz brings over 25 years of executive, financial, accounting and operational experience to the Company. Mr. Ruiz has expertise in finance, accounting, business strategy, organizational operations, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring activities, and business transformations. ...
New Partnership Brings Noted Personal Trainer Billy Beck III To aLaya at Bonaventure Resort & Spa
Billy Beck III | May 6, 2014
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 2014 ... Internationally acclaimed personal trainer Billy Beck III raises the health and fitness bar to new levels, thanks to a unique partnership between the aLaya Spa at Bonaventure Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resort®, and his health and fitness organization, BB3. The aLaya Spa's Fitness Center is now a BB3 Training Center and part of an elite network of South Florida gym and fitness centers. Clients of the luxury spa can combine its revitalizing organic spa treatments with cutting-edge fitness training, nutritional counseling, motivational workshops and individual coaching under the direction of Beck ...
Hyatt Place Debuts in the Middle East with the Opening of 210-room Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga
Hyatt Place | May 6, 2014
ICAGO (May 6, 2014) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and wasl Hospitality, a subsidiary of wasl Asset Management, today announced the opening of Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga, the first Hyatt Place hotel in the Middle East and the fourth Hyatt-branded hotel in Dubai. The opening of the 210-room hotel marks a significant milestone for the Hyatt Place brand as it continues to expand outside the United States. Hyatt Place hotels have recently opened in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Armenia, and The Netherlands, as well as throughout the United States. "We are delighted to introduce the Hyatt Place brand to yet another part of ...
Value Place Partners with Amish & Dipal Patel to Develop 124-room Hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Value Place | May 6, 2014
Opening Planned for Q1 2015 CHATTANOOGA, TN. - May 6, 2014 - Value Place, the largest economy, extended-stay hotel brand in the U.S., has partnered with local franchisors Amish and Dipal Patel to develop a hotel at 7710 Lee Highway in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This will be the brand's eighth hotel in Tennessee. "This new hotel will help to meet the fast-growing demands of the area," said Ron Burgett, Executive Vice President of Franchise Development at Value Place. "This site sits strategically at the entrance to Volkswagen, the largest employer in the Chattanooga region, and will provide the first quality, affordable extended-stay option...
CSM Lodging’s Portland-area Hotels Add Cheer to a Bedroom in the City’s Ronald McDonald House
CSM Lodging | May 6, 2014
Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2014 ... CSM Lodging, a division of CSM Corporation, has announced a one-of-a-kind installation at the Ronald McDonald House – East House in Portland, Oregon. The five CSM owned and managed hotels in the Portland region gathered together to bring their hospitality skills to the Ronald McDonald House, adopting a bedroom and decorating it if it were a child's room in his or her own home. "The CSM Portland cluster of hotels believes that families are such an important customer base in the hotel industry," said Peter Kilbourne, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center. "W...
Starwood Plans to Reach 70 Hotels and Resorts Across Canada in Next 12 Months
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. | May 6, 2014
Growth to Occur with Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element Brands May 06, 2014 - TORONTO - From the Canadian Hotel Investment Conference in Toronto, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that it will expand its Canadian portfolio to 70 hotels within the next 12 months. The Aloft Calgary University, Starwood's first Aloft hotel in Western Canada, opened last month, following the February opening of Four Points Waterloo-Kitchener Hotel & Suites. The momentum continues with the upcoming openings of Four Points Regina, Four Points Surrey, Four Points Moncton and the Element Vancouver Metrotown. T...
GTM Hospitality and LIG Assets Acquire the 81-key Wyndham Baton Rouge Hotel in Louisiana
GTM Hospitality, LLC | May 6, 2014
DALLAS, May 6, 2014 -- GTM Hospitality, LLC and LIG Assets, Inc. (PK: LIGA) announce the acquisition of the Wyndham Baton Rouge Hotel. Led by GTM, in its latest addition to its portfolio, the property boasts a unique financial structure that includes LIG Assets, Inc. The property is an 81 unit hotel located in vibrant Baton Rouge, the Capital City of Louisiana. The market is bolstered by the oil and gas industries as well as being located closely by Louisiana State University. With transient, group and long term contract business frequenting the area, the Wyndham Baton Rouge is a great fit for GTM and LIGA. Led by long time hotelier Mar...
Bitcoin: The Newest Way to Pay for Hotel Rooms
Jean Francois Mourier | May 6, 2014
By Jean Francois Mourier Will your property accept Bitcoin as an alternative method of payment? Our answer is "yes", because if you don't, you could be losing out on a valuable revenue stream all the customers who want to pay solely with Bitcoins. Once you've decided to accept Bitcoins, you must ensure that your online booking engine is Bitcoin compatible. With this new technology, hotels of any size have the ability to accept payment in Bitcoins (and by doing so, attract a new and emerging customer), without having a great deal of technical knowledge. Guests can select Bitcoins as their selected method of payment during checkout and th...
Apple Leisure Group to Open 441-key Dreams Sands Cancun, Mexico Through Renovation and Conversion
Apple Leisure Group | May 6, 2014
PHILADELPHIA (May 6, 2014) - Apple Leisure Group's subsidiary, AMResorts, has added to the company's footprint in the popular Mexican destination of Cancun with the signing of Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa. The deal reflects a strong relationship between Apple Leisure Group and Oasis, aimed at continued growth and additional partnership opportunities. This will be the 12th property for the award-winning Dreams® Resorts & Spas brand, and marks another chapter in the rapid expansion of AMResorts' portfolio, which has grown by 20 percent in the past year alone. "Apple Leisure Group has strong distribution in Cancun, and an equa...
Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park to Begin $70 M Redevelopment
Xanterra Parks & Resorts | May 6, 2014
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, May 6, 2014 - Visitors to Yellowstone National Park's Canyon Village this summer will see the beginnings of significant changes. As part of its concessions contract with the National Park Service (NPS), lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts will remove some 200 cabins this spring and begin site preparations for the construction of five lodge buildings as well as the addition of paths that will make the area more biker- and hiker-friendly. Canyon Lodge & Cabins currently features more than 400 cabins and two lodge buildings and is the largest accommodation complex in the park. Much of the development ...
Minor Hotel Group to Open AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa in Late 2014 Through Conversion
Minor Hotel Group | May 6, 2014
Bangkok, 6 May 2014: Minor Hotel Group (MHG), operator of over 100 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 14 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, is pleased to announce that it will add a resort in the Seychelles to its portfolio with the opening of AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa. Currently closed for an eight month renovation, the resort, which was formerly operated as Le Meridien Barbarons Beach Hotel, will re-open in the fourth quarter of 2014 following a USD 8 million refurbishment. AVANI Hotels & Resorts is a vibrant upscale brand for guests who appreciate genuine hospitality...
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile Adds Flyte Systems for Guest Travel Convenience
Flyte Systems | May 6, 2014
How can Hotels Give Guests Greater Travel Confidence? By Providing Reliable Airline Departure and Arrival Times, Boarding Pass Printing and Gate Information CHICAGO, IL - May 6, 2014 - The Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile installed the FlyteBoard airline schedule display and FlytePass boarding pass printing solutions from Flyte Systems. The property's FlyteBoard is a flat panel, high resolution screen that displays arrival and departure information for Chicago O'Hare and Midway International airports. Flyte Systems is the leading provider of airport travel information displays and digital signage content for the hospi...
First 3 Member Hotels Join Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Quorvus Collection
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | May 6, 2014
The May Fair Hotel London, the G&V Royal Mile Hotel Edinburgh, and the Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait MINNEAPOLIS AND BRUSSELS (May 6, 2014) - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the largest and most dynamic hotel groups worldwide, announces the first member hotels of Quorvus Collection: The May Fair Hotel London, the G&V Royal Mile Hotel Edinburgh, and the Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait. Wolfgang M. Neumann, president and chief executive officer of The Rezidor Hotel Group, announced at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai: "We are delighted to welcome three iconic hotels to Quorvus Collection, our latest luxury brand. Eac...
Is Your Guest Review Strategy Search Engine Ready?
Lodging Interactive | May 6, 2014
Lodging Interactive is helping hotels ensure that positive reviews are appearing in search results via proactive social network monitoring and a proprietary Guest Review System PARSIPPANY, N.J. - MAY 6, 2014 - Do you know that your hotel can leverage guest reviews to help with search engine optimization? The first step towards enhancing SEO is to build fresh, positive reviews wherever possible, including on Google+, Yelp and TripAdvisor. Recent research shows that on a 10 point scale, Google+ ranked 9.5 as being the preferred social site for posting and reading reviews, with Yelp a close second with a rank of 8.95. By encouraging guests...
Sunway Hotels & Resorts Increases Direct Booking Opportunities with Pegasus’ OpenView Booking Engine
Pegasus Solutions | May 6, 2014
DALLAS (May 6, 2014) – Sunway Hotels & Resorts has implemented Pegasus Solutions' OpenView Internet booking engine for desktop and mobile at www.sunwayhotels.com. The Pegasus Connect+ Premium hotel client is now driving more direct online and mobile bookings for 10 of its hotels in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. "Our brand draws inspiration from global travelers who seek efficiencies, varieties and uncompromised services," said Mandy Chew, chief executive officer of Sunway International Hotels & Resorts. "As a Pegasus Connect+ Premium client, we have been enjoying those qualities with Pegasus connectivity along with its globa...
Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan, China Opens; 6 More Planned for the Brand in China by Q2 ‘15
Four Points by Sheraton Hotels | May 6, 2014
May 06, 2014 - HEFEI, Anhui, China - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in partnership with Greenland Group announced the debut of Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan – the first Four Points hotel to open in the capital of Anhui Province. Starwood Hotels' Four Points brand currently offers what is best for business at 22 hotels across Greater China and expects to double its portfolio in this rapidly developing market by 2018. "Four Points is one of Starwood's growth leaders in China, particularly in secondary and tertiary cities where the demand for well-known global brands is on the rise," said Qian Jin, Pre...
Fibra Inn Acquires Hotel Mexico Plaza Silao in Guanajuato, MX to Be Converted to Wyndham Garden
American Realty Capital | May 6, 2014
May 06, 2014 - MONTERREY, Mexico - Deutsche Bank Mexico, S.A., Banking Institution, Trust Division F/1616 or Fibra Inn (BMV:FINN13) ("Fibra Inn" or "the Company"), a Mexican real estate investment trust specializing in the hotel industry serving the business traveler, announced the acquisition of Hotel Mexico Plaza Silao, in the state of Guanajuato, which will be the fourth hotel to be converted to Wyndham Garden. The acquisition price, was Ps. 80 million, plus Ps. 11.2 million in order to pay taxes and expenses related to the acquisition. Fibra Inn's internal committees approved the purchase of this property, at a projected cap rate of...
Maximizing Results Beyond Minimum Wages: Cost Free Tips to Enhance Hospitality Employees’ Lives
the Authors | May 5, 2014
by Joshua D. Hayes MA, Peggy A. Hayes, David K. Hayes Ph.D., Panda Professionals Hospitality Management and Training It is no secret that President Obama is seeking an increase in the minimum wage that could affect all hospitality business owners and operators. At the same time, Pope Francis challenges business leaders the world over to ensure there is a "fair distribution of wealth." And interestingly, late last month the Los Angeles Times reported that "Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century," a book by French economist Thomas Piketty was the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon.com. In fact, it was so popular that the Times reported th...
Former Grace Inn Phoenix Converted to Four Points By Sheraton Phoenix South
BuildCentral | May 5, 2014
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 223 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Chicago, IL. May 5, 2014 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have reported 223 changes in personnel, property management and ownership in the Hotel Profiles database over the last two weeks. Many hotels are getting a fresh start with a new Owner, Property Manager or General Manager. Recommend your product or service to someone who might be looking for a change. Hotels Under New Management: Sleep Inn Tinley Park (Tinley Park, IL) The Aurora Inn (Aurora, OH) Hampton Inn Burlington (Colchester, VT) Homewo...
Comprised of 6 Historic 17th & 18th Century Town Houses, the 93-room Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam Opens
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts | May 5, 2014
May 5, 2014 - AMSTERDAM and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide's Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is delighted to announce the opening of Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. Located on the UNESCO area of Herengracht, this new luxury canalside property is comprised of six historic 17th and 18th century town houses. Once home to some of the wealthiest and most influential residents of the city, the patrician houses have been lovingly restored to create an elegant 93-room hotel steeped in history. Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam looks out over the city's grandest canal, the Herengracht, which was built during the Golden Age, giving global luxury traveler...
Beijing Events Wrap Up Educational Institute’s 10-Day Visit to China
the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | May 5, 2014
Beijing, China, May, 2014--The executive team of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) completed its tour of China in Beijing, where they participated in a hospitality forum and visited with EI partner schools. The trip celebrated EI's 10-year presence providing hospitality education, training, and professional certification resources in China. After taking the bullet train from Tianjin to Beijing, the EI executives participated in the Beijing Educational Institute Forum, hosted by the International Education & Cultural Alliance (IECA), EI's regional partner in Beijing. The event was held on the campus of the B...
