News Archive: November
Florida’s Manatee River Hotel History: An 87-year Journey to the Bradenton Hampton Inn & Suites
November 18, 2013
Nov. 18--BRADENTON -- The Manatee River Hotel, set to reopen Tuesday as the Bradenton Hampton Inn & Suites, was conceived as a ritzy playground for the roaring '20s but saw its high-roller hopes go to the gutter when the Great Depression hit and never truly recovered. "Rendered in Italian Renaissance style it will be one of the most imposing structures in the entire state of Florida," read a July, 9, 1925, article in the Manatee River Journal-Herald announcing the hotel's plans. The project came on board thanks to investor H.C. Van Sweringen, half of the Van Sweringen brothers who established the affluent Shaker Heights suburb of Cl...
The 336-room Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles Completes Renovations
Marriott Hotels | November 11, 2013
Chantilly Hotel Unveils Renovated Conference Dining Room, Guest Rooms and Restaurant CHANTILLY, VA – (November 2013) – Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles has unveiled extensive renovations and new technology that transform the Chantilly hotel into an attractive, convenient destination for business meetings, weddings and individual travelers. New guest rooms designed for meeting attendees, a restyled conference dining room, new restaurant and soon-to-be-completed updated fitness center empower a modern blend of business and pleasure thanks to a significant investment by owner Host Hotels & Resorts. Mobile-friendly apps ease sc...
Two California Hotel Operators to Pay More than $183K in Back Wages to 69 Employees
November 19, 2013
Nov. 19--Two hospitality operators in Southern California -- including a Days Inn franchisee in San Bernardino -- have agreed to pay a total of $183,468 in back wages and liquidated damages to 69 employees, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday. Sahkar Hospitality Corp., of Corona, agreed to pay more than $123,678 in back wages and damages to 16 employees of Days Inn, located at 1386 E. Highland Avenue in San Bernardino, on grounds the housekeepers were being paid -- on average -- less than $5 per-hour from February 2010 through March 2013. The minimum hourly wage in California is $8. The other hotel operator of Miracle Springs...
Phuket, Thailand Resort Owner, Montara Hospitality Group Shifts Gears to Luxury Hotel Management
November 8, 2013
Nov. 08--Montara Hospitality Group, a local boutique resort owner, is expanding its business into hotel management, planning to manage at least 10 properties by 2017. Established in 1999, the group owns two luxury boutique hotels: Trisara Phuket and the Boathouse Resort on the Beach in Phuket. Its two brands for hotel management are Trisara for mixed-used properties and Montara for boutique hotels. The company prefers to focus only beach properties. Chairman Narong Pattamasaevi said the group decided to expand to the hotel management business because of strong demand from clients after visiting its hotels. Privacy and individual service...
Soffers on Verge of $178 million Settlement in Fontainebleau Las Vegas Banktruptcy Case
November 14, 2013
Nov. 14--The Soffers are on the verge of settling with creditors over the debacle once known as the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a still-skeletal $2 billion high rise in Sin City that ranks as one of the biggest busts of the U.S. real estate crisis. A federal bankruptcy judge in Miami said Wednesday he was "inclined" to approve a $178 million settlement that would pay contractors on the failed casino tower about 25 cents on the dollar. Contractors would divvy up about $85 million for a total claims pool of $600 million, but which a creditor lawyer said would probably end up closer to $350 million once negotiations are finished. The money wi...
Depot Renaissance Minneapolis’ Ice Skating Rink Honored By Fodor’s Travel as a Top 10 Rink in the US
The Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel | November 21, 2013
Celebrating with Special "Ice Skating Package" Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2013 ... The landmark Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel has been recognized by the leading Fodor's Travel magazine as having one of the nation's best ice skating rinks. The Depot's ice rink is located indoors within The Depot Pavilion -- the historic train shed of the Victorian-era former train station, which is now a luxury hotel. The ice rink opens for the 2013-2014 season on November 28, 2013. At #9 in Fodor's Travel's "Best Ice Rinks in the U.S." line-up, the rink within The Depot Pavilion is in exceptional company, including the iconic Rockefeller Cen...
MGM Resorts Workers OK Union Contract, Keep Free Health Insurance; Puts Pressure on Caesars
November 21, 2013
Nov. 21--A new labor contract landed on the Strip late Wednesday when two prominent Las Vegas unions voted to accept the terms of a fresh five-year contract with MGM Resorts International. More than 4,000 members from the Culinary Union and Bartenders Local 165 cast ballots, and 97 percent voted in favor of the deal. The lopsided tally followed on the heels of an 18-hour final meeting between union and casino officials on Nov. 5 at the Culinary Academy, where a contract emerged after four months of tedious chatter. "This agreement is the result of months of hard work and frank, honest discussion of difficult topics," said MGM spokesman ...
Developer Ed Bushor and Artist Wyland to Acquire HI’s Bankrupt Naniloa Volcanoes Hotel for $5.2 M
November 13, 2013
Nov. 13--Developer Ed Bushor and his longtime friend, marine artist Wyland, are buying the bankrupt Naniloa Volcanoes Hotel for $5.2 million, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge confirmed Tuesday. The $5.2 million offer beat out an earlier unconfirmed bid for $3.7 million by Ramco Properties, owner of the Hilo Hawaiian, which is next door to the Naniloa. It also shut out other last-minute offers from two other developers, including Peter Savio, who owns Pagoda Hotels. "Ramco made their offer a week ago Monday, but the judge didn't confirm them, giving other investors an opportunity to overbid," said Mark Bratton, vice president for Colliers I...
