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Industry Happenings
Mark G. Henry Named Executive Chef at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington
Skamania Lodge | April 25, 2014
STEVENSON, Wash., April 25, 2014 -- Skamania Lodge, by Destination Hotels & Resorts, is proud to announce the appointment of a new executive chef, Mark G. Henry, who will lead the culinary direction of the two on-property restaurants and in-house banquet services. Chef Mark comes to the Cascadian-style lodge, located just 45 miles east of Portland, Ore. in the Columbia River Gorge, from the notable Eden Roc Miami Beach. With a focus on local sourcing and seasonal ingredients, Henry will be a natural fit with Skamania Lodge's existing food and beverage philosophy. "Chef Mark's hire is a huge win for our property," said Ken Daugherty,...
Austria’s 254-key Hilton Vienna Plaza Undergoing $27.6 M Renovation; Sept. 2014 Completion Planned
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | April 25, 2014
April 25, 2014 - VIENNA, Austria - Hilton Vienna Plaza is currently undergoing extensive renovation as part of a €20 million modernisation that will see the entire hotel transformed. Scheduled for completion in September 2014, the re-design includes all 254 rooms and suites at the hotel and a fresh approach to service and service delivery. Currently closed for the renovation, as of June 6th, 2014 the hotel looks forward to welcoming guests to the new Hilton Vienna Plaza. Robert Angell Design International, the prestigious London-based design studio, has overseen the new interior design of the hotel, which is characterized by stylized ...
Seeing Yourself, Yikes!
Gay Lynn Grigas, MA Psy. | April 25, 2014
By Gay Lynn Grigas, MA Psy. It can be very challenging to see ourselves. Some people are willing to take a look while others run the other way. Seeing yourself clearly is critical for success in all your professional relationships, especially in the hospitality industry. At your hotel do you have some co-workers who just defend their arrogant behavior with false bravado? This can be frustrating and negatively impact the success of your hotel team. Remember, we cannot change people, but we can change how we respond to people with a bit of our own self-knowledge and advance preparation. Joyce was just that type of self-superior colleague ...
Four C’s of Successful Selling
Katie Scheer | April 25, 2014
By Katie Scheer It is a very competitive and fast paced consumer world. For your business to thrive, you must take the time to learn (and know) your product, competition, market trends, economic factors, and current events. Customer relationships have to be built and accounts must be qualified. How can you qualify and build customer relationships? First, inquiring about the customer's key needs and objectives are questions that must be asked during the sales process. Then, by understanding the needs of the customer, your sales process and pitch can be custom designed to match his/her key needs. What's better? Your customer will know tha...
Portland Harbor Hotel in Maine Welcomes Stuart Barwise as General Manager
Portland Harbor Hotel | April 25, 2014
April 25, 2014 - PORTLAND, Maine - The Portland Harbor Hotel and its restaurant, Eve's at the Garden, recently welcomed Stuart Barwise as General Manager. Barwise takes the reigns from Gerard Kiladjian, who has served as the property's General Manager for the past 10 years. Barwise was most recently Director of Hotel Operations and General Manager for US Hotels, where he was responsible for the operations of several hotels in the US Hotels/Grace Hotels portfolio, including the White Barn Inn and Spa, The Mayflower Inn and Spa, The Vanderbilt Grace and others. Barwise brings more than two decades of hospitality experience to the AAA four...
Hard Rock International Names Marco Roca Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer, Hotels
Hard Rock International | April 25, 2014
April 25, 2014 - Orlando, Fla. - Hard Rock - one of the world's most-recognizable and iconic brands - announces Marco Roca as EVP of Hotel Development for Hard Rock International worldwide. Roca's appointment is a strategic move designed to further fuel the brand's aggressive development activity and expansion prospects. "Hard Rock International's expansion strategy is of utmost priority, the dividends of these efforts are on display today as we have hotels currently under construction in Ibiza, Abu Dhabi, Shenzhen and Haikou. Continuing this growth course demands a dynamic and knowledgeable individual who can help drive the momentum be...
The Canadian Lodging Industry Defends the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
the Hotel Association of Canada | April 25, 2014
April 25, 2014 - Ottawa - The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is defending the Temporary Foreign Worker Program stating that immediate action is needed to improve rather than eliminate the program. Canada's hotel industry, which currently employs over 290,000 people, is facing a nation-wide labour shortage crisis. The program is an important one for the industry as it tries to fill labour market needs. The Canadian lodging industry is experiencing a structural labour gap. The gap can only be closed by more people willing and able to work from Canada and abroad in its properties. "The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is important to th...
New Jersey’s Princeton Marriott at Forrestal Completes Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
Marriott Hotels | April 25, 2014
Princeton, NJ (April 25, 2014) - The Princeton Marriott at Forrestal has completed a three-month, multi-million dollar renovation project, it was announced today by David Sharkey, General Manager. The renovation encompassed all guest rooms, junior suites, and guest room corridors and included the following: Elegant room decor where the outside is brought in through the use of natural tones and organic textures Modern bathrooms with granite counters and Marriott's new Thann amenities 32-inch Flat Screen TVs Ergonomically designed desk and chair Cutting-edge wireless Internet technology to connect all devices Eight new Junior Suite...
The Academy Hotel Chooses Skyware’s Integrated Enterprise PMS Suite and Online Booking Engine
Skyware Hospitality Solutions | April 24, 2014
Skyware Hospitality Solutions is proud to announce that The Academy Hotel has selected Skyware's Property Management System (PMS) as its preferred online booking engine. Skyware is a leading provider for enterprise property management and reservations for the hospitality industry. Skyware's online booking engine and centralized reservation system will effectively streamline the booking process not only for customers, but for the hotel's staff as well. By choosing Skyware, The Academy Hotel will garner a full-service enterprise system, along with the tools for improved revenue, reduced costs, centralized operations and increased customer...
Starwood Reports Q1 2014 Net Income of $137M, Down 36% Over Last Year; RevPAR Up 6.3%
Starwood Hotels & Resorts | April 24, 2014
April 24, 2014 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time - STAMFORD, Conn.-Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today reported first quarter 2014 financial results. First Quarter 2014 Highlights Excluding special items, EPS from continuing operations was $0.63. Including special items, EPS from continuing operations was $0.71. Adjusted EBITDA was $281 million. Excluding special items, income from continuing operations was $122 million. Including special items, income from continuing operations was $136 million. Worldwide Systemwide REVPAR for Same-Store Hotels increased 6.3% in constant dollars (5.0% in actual dollars) com...
Holiday Inn® Sherwood Park – Conference Centre to Open in Alberta, Canada Following $6 M Renovation
the Holiday Inn brand | April 24, 2014
The 258-room Hotel is Owned by Prem Singhmar and Operated by AUM Hotels Group 24 April, 2014 - SHERWOOD PARK, ALBERTA – InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of a new 258-room Holiday Inn® – Sherwood Park - Conference Centre hotel in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Located in the heart of the business district in Sherwood Park, just off the Yellowhead Trail, the hotel opens following a multi-million dollar investment in renovations by AUM Hotels Group. The hotel is within walking distance of popular restaurants and a short drive to Northlands, Rexall Place Arena, Elk Island National Park and...
Accor & Moorfield Group to Add 3 MGallery Collection Hotels & Create 6 Mercure Flagship Hotels in UK
Accor | April 24, 2014
London, 24th April 2014 - Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, and Moorfield Group (Moorfield), one of the UK's leading real estate and real estate-related private equity fund manager, are pleased to announce the addition of three hotels to the MGallery Collection and the creation of six flagship hotels for the Mercure brand in the UK. Located in Windsor, Cheltenham and Aberdeen, the three new members for the MGallery Collection have been carefully handpicked as prime examples of the upscale brand. They will strengthen the presence of the boutique brand across the UK and join the stunning Francis Hotel ...
LaSalle Hotel Properties Reports Q1 2014 Net Loss of $8.9M; RevPAR up 4%
LaSalle Hotel Properties | April 24, 2014
April 23, 2014 04:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time - BETHESDA, Md.---LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. The Company's results include the following: (1) See tables later in press release, which list adjustments that reconcile net loss to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), adjusted EBITDA, funds from operations ("FFO"), FFO per share/unit, adjusted FFO, adjusted FFO per share/unit and Hotel EBITDA. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, FFO, FFO per share/unit, adjusted FFO, adjusted FFO per share/unit and Hotel EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. S...
Delta Hotels and Resorts Moves Beyond PCI Compliance with Merchant Link Solutions
Delta Hotels and Resorts | April 24, 2014
Delta Turns to Merchant Link's TransactionVault®, TransactionShield® and E-commerce Security Solutions April 24, 2014 - Delta Hotels and Resorts Case Study The Situation: As a full-service hotel chain catering to corporate and leisure travelers, Delta Hotels and Resorts, founded in 1962, has grown to become Canada's leading hotel management company. Today, they boast a diversified portfolio of 37 city-centre, airport and resort properties. Widely viewed as the brand of choice for discerning owners and guests, they take pride in being an exemplary employer to more than 5,800 people and an active corporate citizen building stronger Cana...
Wyndham Worldwide Reports Q1 2014 Net Income of $90M; Domestic RevPAR up 7.6%
Wyndham Worldwide | April 24, 2014
PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 24, 2014 -- Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN) today announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2014. First Quarter Highlights: Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $0.78, an increase of 10% from adjusted diluted EPS of $0.71 in the first quarter of 2013. Reported diluted EPS was $0.69, compared with $0.19 in the first quarter of 2013. Domestic RevPAR up 7.6%. Net Vacation Ownership Interest sales up 15%. The Company repurchased 2.1 million shares of its common stock for $150 million. We are off to a great start in 2014," said Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and CEO. "In our Hotel G...
U.S. Hotels In Profitability Sweet Spot: Double-Digit Gains In NOI Forecast Through 2015
PKF Consulting USA, LLC | April 24, 2014
PKF's 2014 Edition of Trends® in the Hotel Industry Annual Report Tracks Hotel Revenues, Expenses, and Profits April 24, 2014, Atlanta, Ga. According to the 2014 edition of Trends® in the Hotel Industry, an annual report recently released by PKF Hospitality Research, LLC (PKF-HR), hotel profits are on pace to exceed pre-recession levels in 2014. Despite the slowdown in the pace of rooms revenue (RevPAR) growth in 2013, U.S. hotels were able to sustain strong gains in net operating income (NOI) during the year. Looking forward, the combination of rising average daily rates (ADR) in a low-inflation environment will allow for continued p...
Strand Development Company Names Michael Perkins as Corporate Director of Revenue Management
Strand Development | April 24, 2014
(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) April 24, 2014- Strand Development Company, LLC recently named Michael Perkins as the Corporate Director of Revenue Management. In his new position Perkins will be responsible for enhancing Strand's hotel revenue management for over 50 properties. Prior to joining Strand Development Company, LLC, Perkins worked as the Regional Manager in Revenue Strategy for Alliance Hospitality Management where he maximized revenue management for eight different properties. He has also worked in revenue management for different markets throughout the U.S. including; Anchorage, Alaska, Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Ill., Dallas/Ft Worth...
Las Vegas, Nevada’s Mandalay Bay Plans to Expand its Convention Center by Over 2 Million Square Feet
Mandalay Bay | April 24, 2014
LAS VEGAS, April 24, 2014 -- Strengthening its position as a leader in the meetings and convention industry, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino today announced plans to expand its award-winning Convention Center. Based on demand for additional space, the resort will add new exhibit space, underground parking and increase overall square footage, creating the most flexible and customer-focused convention facility in North America. Mandalay Bay is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). Plans include the addition of more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space to the existing 1.7 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay C...
Guest-tek™ and LG Electronics Unite One View™ Application and Pro:Centric® IPTV Platform
April 24, 2014
Collaboration Offers Advanced IPTV Platform for Hospitality Industry Providing the Ultimate In-Room Experience Calgary, Alberta - April 24, 2014 - Guest-tek™ today announced the pairing of its OneView™ media application with the Pro:Centric® Internet-Protocol Television (IPTV) platform from LG Electronics for North American hotel customers. For guests, this groundbreaking collaboration means the ultimate in-room, interactive multimedia experience on high-definition LED displays. As a result of a cooperative development effort between LG Electronics USA and Guest-tek, LG's LP870H and LT777H hospitality TVs built around the Pro:Centr...
Is Your Hotel Website Responsive to Meet Google Requirements and Boost SEO?
Lodging Interactive | April 24, 2014
Lodging Interactive, named among the best interactive agencies worldwide for its excellence in website design, is assisting hoteliers by building responsive mobile websites PARSIPPANY, N.J. - APRIL 24, 2014 - When Google talks, hotel marketers need to listen, especially when it comes to responsive website design. With mobile traffic gaining market share month after month, hotels need to ensure their desktop versions of their websites are optimized for smaller screens and deliver fast loading times. Lodging Interactive, the interactive and social media marketing agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry and winner of numerous...
The 178-key ANA Holiday Inn Sapporo Susukino Opens on Japanese Island of Hokkaido Through Conversion
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | April 24, 2014
Sapporo, Japan (24 April 2014): The world's most recognised hotel brand has entered Hokkaido, opening in the island's largest city, Sapporo, a city which is famous in itself for its abundance of year-round activities, locally-brewed beers and annual snow festival. ANA Holiday Inn Sapporo Susukino is the fourth Holiday Inn hotel to open in Japan, following the recent conversion of ANA Holiday Inn Kanazawa Sky in March. The 178-room conversion hotel offers the perfect mix of business and pleasure for the comfort-seeking traveller to the city. To meet Holiday Inn standards, the hotel has undergone a major renovation: all guest rooms and th...
Alan Baer Joins Richfield Hospitality as Chief Financial Officer
Richfield Hospitality | April 24, 2014
DENVER, Colo. - April 24, 2014 -Richfield Hospitality, a leading hotel management company, today announced that Alan Baer has been named chief financial officer, responsible for directing the day-to-day operational finance activities of the company's hotel portfolio. Baer joins Richfield from HRI Lodging where he served as senior vice president finance and chief financial officer for MetWest Terra Hospitality. "Alan has a successful track record of financial leadership, and we look forward to him joining us in this critical role," said Will Loughran, senior vice president sales and revenue strategy. "With significant experience, Alan wi...
Windsor Management Services Assembles New Leadership; Paul Francisco Named Chief Operating Officer
Windsor Management Services | April 24, 2014
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. - April 24, 2014 - Windsor Management Services, a premier hotel management company that owns and operates full-service, focused, upscale branded hotels throughout the U.S., recently assembled a new leadership team to position and empower the company for future growth and a renewed focus on customer service. The hotel management company will be led by Paul Francisco, Chief Operating Officer, Gina Estey, Vice President of Revenue Growth Services and Training, Ron Taylor, Vice President of Sales and Herman Turk, Vice President of Operations. Windsor Management Services also expanded its leadership team, creating new po...
Casa Ybel Resort Selects Agilysys Visual One™ PMS
Agilysys | April 24, 2014
Property Management System Streamlines Guest Service at Florida Destination Resort ALPHARETTA, GA. - April 24, 2014 - Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading provider of innovative hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island, Fla., has selected the Agilysys Visual One™ PMS to enhance operations and provide superior guest service at the 114-suite destination property. "When reviewing property management systems, one of our primary considerations was a fully integrated solution that was flexible and easy to use," said Froilan Ramirez, general manager at Casa Ybel Resort. "The Vis...
