News Archive: December
Hospitality Trends 2018 – What’s Happening in Hospitality
Robert A. Rauch, CHA | December 6, 2017
By Robert A. Rauch Each December, we come out with my trends for the following year. Last year we led with Artifical Intelligence and Robotics. In May, 2017, we hired our first robot as Employee #25 at our Fairfield Inn & Suites. Designed by Savioke, Relay the Robot (we call him Hubert) has been a big hit! This year we are leading with the lobby design side of the business—every hotel seems to be doing something to encourage the "millennial mindset" traveler to "hang out!" So, feel free to comment, here are our picks for 2018: Hotel lobbies become the center of the hotel universe akin to those found in communal work spaces s...
Following a Year-Long Renovation, the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur Reopens
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts | December 11, 2017
New York, NY - December 11, 2017 – December 5, 2017 marked a new chapter for this shining star as it celebrated the official re-launch after a complete yearlong refurbishment of the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur. Officiating the auspicious occasion was Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, Managing Director of YTL Group of Companies, Dato' Mark Yeoh, Executive Director of YTL Hotels and from Marriott International, Inc. - Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer and Craig Smith, President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific. The JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur opened its doors on July 12, 1997 and went on to set a new standard in ho...
Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts Rebrands 24-Hotel Portfolio
Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts | December 13, 2017
Brand's properties in Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica and Spain will be classified into four categories and segmented by experience MIAMI, Fla. (December 13, 2017) – Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts – the leader in all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, is reorganizing its 24-hotel portfolio, reclassifying properties into four categories and segmented experiences. The new categories and segments will ultimately simplify the process for consumers to identify which hotel will best fulfill their vacation goals and allow them to experience happiness. The four hotel categories include Luxury Bahia Principe, including th...
New Hotel Booking Sites Take Advantage of Industry Loopholes
Nancy Huang | December 18, 2017
By Nancy Huang Almost seven years since HotelTonight launched its tonight-only hotel booking app, the industry has been flooded with a host of ambitious startups looking to find similar success. At the recent PhocusWright Summit, almost half of the 24 startups presenting their ideas were related to hotel booking apps. However, during a rapid 3-minute question round, potential investor Chris Hemmeter questioned the sustainability of one of the startup's business models, raising concerns that it merely took advantage of industry loopholes. In the following post, we'll look at how some newer hotel booking apps are striving to find their ow...
Interstate Hotels & Resorts Executes Agreement to Acquire the Management Agreements of 83 Properties from White Lodging
Interstate Hotels & Resorts | December 6, 2017
ARLINGTON, Va., December 6, 2017—Interstate Hotels & Resorts ("Interstate" or the "Company"), the global leader in third-party hotel management, announces it has entered into an agreement to acquire the management agreements of 82 premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, plus one restaurant, from White Lodging. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of January 2018 at which time Interstate will begin managing the hotels. "We will operate this portfolio of high quality assets under long term agreements, helping the respective owners achieve increased long term value," said Michael Deitemeyer, Interstate's p...
Dear Airbnb…
Daniel Lesser | December 5, 2017
By Daniel H. Lesser Airbnb started as an online marketplace founded by two unemployed entrepreneurs who seized upon an opportunity to earn money by renting three airbeds in their living space. Today, a significant amount of Airbnb's activity in cities such as New York and San Francisco does not originate from the listings of "regular people" who are merely renting out a spare room. Instead, professional landlords are removing multifamily stock from local markets and providing availability exclusively for tourists and business travelers. In some cases, landlords are even evicting residential tenants and jettisoning rent-controlled housin...
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa Appoints Derek Ellis to Resort Manager and James Anderson to Director of Sales & Marketing
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa | December 4, 2017
Phoenix, Arizona (Decmeber 4 2017) – JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa has appointed Derek J. Ellis to Resort Manager and James Anderson to Director of Sales & Marketing, according to General Manager and Area General Manager Steve Hart. Prior to returning to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa where he initially opened the 950-room luxury property as Director of Rooms Operations in 2002, Ellis was most recently the General Manager of the JW Marriott Houston Galleria. Ellis brings extensive industry experience to his new position and has spent 27 years within the Marriott organization. He has held similar lead...
Best Practices in Creating and Completing Construction Knock-out Punch Lists
Cicero's Development Corporation | December 8, 2017
PLAINFIELD,IL, DECEMBER 8, 2017 -- Punch lists are a part of a construction contract that helps to meet and ensure the quality of the project. Throughout each phase of the construction process, a checklist is maintained by the contractor that details any unfinished and/or unacceptable work. Items that are found to not meet quality standards or do not conform to the scope as outlined in the contract documents are to be corrected by the contractor in a timely fashion and typically prior to receiving final payment on the project. A common practice in the construction industry is that contracts are written in such a way that allows ownershi...
