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Industry Happenings
MGM Resorts International & Hakkasan Group Form Joint Venture Hotel Company MGM Hakkasan Hospitality
MGM Resorts International | April 15, 2014
LAS VEGAS (APRIL 15, 2014) - MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Hakkasan Group today announced the formation of a joint venture hotel management company, to be named MGM Hakkasan Hospitality. The strategic alliance will focus on the design, development and management of luxury non-gaming hotels, resorts and residential offerings under the Bellagio, Hakkasan, MGM Grand and SKYLOFTS brands in key international gateway cities and prime resort destinations across the globe. All of the hotel and resort projects currently under development by each group will be contributed to the joint venture, including MGM projects in the Americas, t...
Metropolia 26 LLC and IHG to Open 242-room Holiday Inn Stavropol in Russia in 2017
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | April 15, 2014
15 April, 2014 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's largest hotel companies today announced the signing of Holiday Inn® Stavropol - the first internationally branded hotel in the city. IHG will manage the hotel on behalf of new owner Metropolia 26 LLC. Set to open in 2017, the 242-room newly constructed hotel will feature the Holiday Inn brand's signature Open Lobby with a dining area, media lounge and bar as well as state-of-the-art meeting facilities including five meeting rooms and a ballroom. The Holiday Inn Open Lobby is an innovative approach and in-hotel experience for guests, which has transformed the tra...
Best Western Integrates Google Wallet into Booking Process
Best Western | April 14, 2014
PHOENIX (April 11, 2014) – Best Western International today announced that it is streamlining the hotel booking process by working with Google to allow guests to pay for their stay using Google Wallet. The brand will integrate Google Wallet within the Android version of its popular "Best Western To Go®" application and mobile website viewed through a browser on any device, allowing customers to seamlessly complete their reservation through this safe and secure platform. By adopting Google Wallet, Best Western is reducing the amount of steps consumers need to take to complete a mobile reservation. Once a customer selects their hotel w...
Bruce Haase Appointed as CEO of Value Place
Value Place | April 14, 2014
April 14, 2014 - WICHITA, Kan. - Value Place, the largest economy, extended-stay hotel brand in the U.S., has named Bruce Haase as CEO, effective Friday, April 11, 2014. He will be based in Wichita, Kan. at the Value Place corporate headquarters. Haase joins Value Place following a 12-year tenure at Choice Hotels International, one of the world's largest lodging companies, where he was responsible for overseeing the company's global operating functions, including brand management, marketing, franchise development, franchisee relations, international operations, loyalty, e-commerce, and procurement. At Value Place, Haase will lead the ex...
Rockbridge Acquires Historic Cliff House Resort & Spa in Ogunquit, Maine; Renovations Planned
Rockbridge | April 14, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 14, 2014 -- Rockbridge, a leading hotel investment firm, announces today the acquisition of The Cliff House Resort & Spa, a historic 166-room resort situated on 70 oceanfront acres atop Bald Head Cliff in Ogunquit, Maine's south coast. Rockbridge, through a joint venture with Maine-based hoteliers Marc Dugas and Peter Anastos, purchased the resort with plans to complete a comprehensive renovation after the 2015 season, revitalizing the distinguished property. The destination hotel will open for the season in April 2014, welcoming travelers to experience more than a century of Maine heritage. "We're thrilled to ...
Station Casinos to Invest Over $35 Million in Red Rock Resort Renovations and 4 New Restaurants
| April 14, 2014
April 14, 2014 - LAS VEGAS - Station Casinos LLC will invest more than $35 million this year in its flagship property, Red Rock Resort, by introducing four new restaurant concepts, as well as enhancing other venues and amenities within the resort. Highlights of the $35 million-plus reinvestment include: Four new restaurants: Mercadito Red Rock: The Sandoval brothers of Chicago are bringing their award-winning authentic and creative Mexican cuisine to Las Vegas. The menu will expertly blend traditional Mexican fare with creative interpretations of local and seasonal ingredients and will offer a beverage menu that includes unique variat...
The 226-room Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem Opens
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts | April 14, 2014
April 14, 2014 - JERUSALEM & MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide's Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts today announced the opening of Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, marking the brand's continuing expansion in iconic landmark destinations across the world. Set within a uniquely preserved ottoman façade, a meticulous restoration and ambitious construction have created an exceptional new luxury hotel which sits majestically at a crossroads between the charms of the walled Old City and the modern bustle of Jerusalem. John T.A. Vanderslice, global head, luxury brands, Hilton Worldwide, said, "An immensely fitting homage to this world-class heri...
Revision of Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry Available for Pre-Order April 18
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute | April 14, 2014
Orlando, Florida, April 2014-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) will begin taking pre-publication orders for the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, Eleventh Revised Edition, on Friday, April 18. The popular financial manual will be available for the first time in a digital format (coming in late April) as well as in print (available late May). The publication is a joint effort of the Hotel Association of New York City and the Financial Management Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), with funding from Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP). ...
Michelle Baca Named Senior Sales Manager at Oxford Hotel & Crawford Hotel at Denver Union Station
The Oxford Hotel | April 14, 2014
Denver, Colo. (April 14, 2014) - Sage Hospitality, one of the nation's top hotel investment and management companies, has named Michelle Baca a Senior Sales Manager at Denver's Oxford Hotel and the new Crawford Hotel, an independent hotel opening in Denver Union Station this July. With a decade of hospitality experience, Baca started her career with Marriott International before joining Sage in 2008 as a Total Account Manager at The Oxford. She has also served as an Area Sales Manager overseeing several of Sage's select service Marriott properties and most recently as a Business Travel Sales Manager at The Westin Westminster. Situated i...
Survey Shows Complimentary Wireless Connectivity at Meetings & Events Becoming the Norm
Pompan Hospitality Global, Inc. | April 14, 2014
(Easton, PA) - April 14, 2014 - PHG Research, a division of Pompan Hospitality Global, Inc, just released a survey that found that 87.5 percent of respondents make WiFi available in all public spaces of their properties, while 70.8 percent make WiFi available in all guest rooms. Additionally, the survey indicates 70.8 percent of these now provide the service for free in meeting and public spaces, while 60.9 percent provide free WiFi in guest rooms. As time goes on, all of these numbers are expected to rise. The survey reveals that technology advances at an aggressive pace, and businesses must keep up by adapting to those advances in way...
Marijuana’s Effect on Denver Tourism; Hotel Searches Up 25% in 3 Months & 73% During 4/20 Weekend
Hotels.com | April 14, 2014
DALLAS, April 14, 2014 -- Denver and the state of Colorado have seen a spike in travel interest since the sale of recreational marijuana was legalized to anyone 21 or older at the start of the year, according to search data from Hotels.com®. Denver has seen a 25 percent increase in hotel searches in the first three months of the year compared to 2013. Ranked as the 17th most popular domestic destination for Americans in 2013 according to the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™, Denver is also expected to see an increase in visitors on and around April 20th. Hotel searches for the weekend of April 18-20 – when the city will be host to a n...
To Open in Summer 2015, Element Bozeman in Under Development in Montana; Managed by Homebase Montana
Element Hotels | April 14, 2014
April 14, 2014 - STAMFORD, Conn. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced plans to debut its Element brand in Bozeman. Element Bozeman will open in June of 2015 at the heart of the downtown entertainment district. Owned by a group of Bozeman investors managed by Homebase Montana, the newly constructed Element hotel will offer a smart, new option for travelers with 104 stylish, sustainable rooms and a light-filled atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move. Element Bozeman expects to receive LEED certification soon after opening from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Ener...
Virgin Limited Edition to Acquire Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard in Franschhoek, South Africa
Virgin Limited Edition | April 14, 2014
LONDON, April 14, 2014 - Virgin Limited Edition, Sir Richard Branson's luxury collection of award-winning retreats is excited to announce that it has reached a preliminary agreement to purchase a new property - Mont Rochelle Hotel and Mountain Vineyard in South Africa, which would become the latest addition to the already eclectic portfolio. Sir Richard Branson commented on the news: "I'm thrilled to be able to announce that we are in the process of purchasing Mont Rochelle and what I'm sure will be a'must visit' winelands experience in South Africa and a fantastic addition to the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio." Mont Rochelle has a f...
Construction Begins for the 124-room Value Place Hotel in Chamblee, Georgia
Value Place | April 14, 2014
ATLANTA, April 14, 2014 - Construction is officially underway in Chamblee, Ga., for a new four-story, 124-room Value Place extended stay hotel, with completion planned for February 2015. Last fall, Value Place - founded in 2002 by extended-stay pioneer Jack DeBoer - announced plans to expand in the Atlanta area. Value Place continues to seek real estate in the region for future corporate and franchise hotels. EMJ Hospitality of Chattanooga, Tenn., is managing the project at 2877 Dresden Drive, near the intersection of the I-85 Northeast Expressway and Chamblee Tucker Road. "Atlanta is a great market and we look forward to expanding our ...
Sports Complex & Hotel for Greenwood Indiana is Moving Forward Since Announced in 2007
BuildCentral | April 14, 2014
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 175 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Chicago, IL. April 14, 2014 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have added or updated 175 hotel projects in the last two weeks to Hotel Construction, a nationwide database of hotel construction projects, openings, and key decision makers (Owner/Developers, Architects and Contractors). These proposed hotels are still in the planning stages. Now is the perfect time to have your product drawn into plans, or offer construction services: Ybor City Hotel (Tampa, FL) Country Inn and Suites (Charlottesville, VA) Hotel and Conference Cent...
Dominvs Group to Develop Two Holiday Inn Hotels in the UK
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) | April 14, 2014
Holiday Inn Dumfries to Open in Scotland this Spring through Conversion; Construction Begins on Holiday Inn® Manchester - City Centre to Open in England in 2016 14 April 2014 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's largest hotel companies continues to build momentum in the UK with the world's most recognised hotel brand - Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts. Today IHG's owner partner Dominvs Group begins construction on Holiday Inn® Manchester - City Centre. Dominvs Group has also entered into a franchise agreement with IHG for its first Holiday Inn hotel in Scotland, Holiday Inn Dumfries. Upon completion, Holiday ...
The Dreaded Wedding Breakfast and How Not to Nickel and Dime a Customer
Steve DiGioia | April 14, 2014
by Steve DiGioia The wonderful world of weddings. You book the event and promise the "perfect wedding". The birds will sing, the flowers will bloom and the rainbow will shine in all its glorious colors. Well at least that's the plan. So the wedding night finally comes and guess what? It does indeed turn out to be the perfect wedding; rave reviews from all the guests and a packed dance floor all night. The staff does a great job; service is attentive and top notch. The kitchen cooks and presents the food so well that it should be on a magazine cover and everyone leaves at midnight as happy as a lark. A great end to the day. All you have ...
CSM Lodging’s Karin Beaufoy Earns SpringHill Suites Operations Manager of the Year Award by Marriott
CSM Lodging | April 11, 2014
Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 2014 ... CSM Lodging, a division of CSM Corporation, announces that Karin Beaufoy has received the prestigious Marriott brand performance award: SpringHill Suites Operations Manager of the Year. Ms. Beaufoy, who is general manager of the CSM-owned & operated Springhill Suites Eagan, located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, earned the award while serving as assistant general manager of the hotel. "Karin is the driving force of the team at Springhill Suites Eagan," said Robb Hall, vice president of operations for CSM Lodging. "Previously, when she was assistant general manager and realiz...
Relaxed Marijuana Laws Give Rise to Colorado’s First “Bud & Breakfast” Inn
Pladeo Corp. | April 11, 2014
DENVER, Apr 10, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Pladeo Corp., soon to be known as The MaryJane Group, Inc. (otcqb:PLAD) ("Pladeo," the "Company," or "The MaryJane Group"), announced today that it has signed a one-year lease with the owner of the Adagio Bed and Breakfast located at 1430 Race Street, Denver, Colorado (the "Adagio"). The Company's plan is to transform the Adagio from a traditional bed and breakfast to the first all-inclusive "Bud and Breakfast" in what management believes to be the first of its kind. The guest package will include unlimited food, drink and, of course, the best marijuana and marijuana edibles Colorado has to offer....
The Chattanoogan Introduces Enhanced Meeting Options for Groups
The Chattanoogan | April 11, 2014
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (April 2014) - The Chattanoogan hotel, a Benchmark Hotel® and Benchmark Conference Center® as well as the only AAA Four Diamond-rated full-service property in Chattanooga, announces upgraded enhancements for groups holding meetings at the upscale hotel. The Chattanoogan, which is also the sole IACC-certified hotel in the state of Tennessee, is now offering new interactive teambuilding culinary events based on some of the most popular television cooking shows on the air, private themed dining events at the hotel or at The Tennessee Aquarium, multiple dinner options at some of Chattanooga's best restaurants, and excit...
Minor Hotel Group Adds Three Mozambique Properties to its Portfolio
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) | April 11, 2014
To Be Reflagged with Anantara and AVANI Brands Bangkok, 11 April 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 the addition of three properties in Mozambique to its portfolio and a 25% equity investment in the properties. They will be reflagged to MHG's Anantara and AVANI brands later this year and take the total number of MHG properties in operation to 108 and the total number of rooms to over 13,000. This investment is part of MHG's strategy to expand its footprint globally and increase th...
Hotel Investment: How to Finance the New Supply?
MKG Hospitality | April 11, 2014
In most western countries that already have well-established hotel infrastructures, growth of the supply slowed significantly since the end of the 1990s. By generally adopting an «Asset light» strategy that shifts the burden the investment to investor/owners and/or asset managers, hotel groups are no longer front line. They must seduce, support, and convince partners who will take the real financial risk and make arbitrages between the different investment alternatives before committing their capital. Who are today's hotel development financers, what are the means, what levers do they have to produce new properties? Can the financial ...
Starwood Hotels Honors Outstanding Development Partners with 14 Awards in Six Categories
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. | April 11, 2014
DiamondRock Hospitality Company, Rockbridge and Shashi Corporation Recognized with President's Award Top Developer Awards were Conferred on White Lodging Services Corporation and Grupo Puntacana April 11, 2014 - STAMFORD, Conn. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) honored its leading hotel development partners this week at the 2014 North America Owners Conference, held in Dana Point, California. Starwood gave out a total of 14 awards in six categories including the President's Award and Developer of the Year. "We are thrilled to once again honor our most outstanding development partners and highlight their extraord...
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Ashville, North Carolina Makes Culinary Team Appointments
The Omni Grove Park Inn | April 11, 2014
Names Calvin Belknap as Director of Food & Beverage and Azhar Mahammad as Executive Chef April 11, 2014 (Asheville, N.C.) - The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C., announced today the appointments of Calvin Belknap as director of food and beverage and Azhar Mohammad as executive chef. Both bring impressive experience to the historic Inn's renowned dining operation, including four full-service locally sourced restaurants ranging from the iconic Sunset Terrace, an eight-time recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, to EDISON, craft ales + kitchen, an innovative and relaxed celebration of Southern comfort food and Ashev...
