News Top: July
World’s Top 30 Indoor Entertainment Centers: Theme Parks Focus on Education and Entertainment Part 2
Jeff Coy | July 11, 2013
A Profile of the World's Top 30 Largest Indoor Entertainment Centers By Jeff Coy, ISHC Ten (10) of the world's top 30 largest indoor entertainment centers are focused on education mixed with entertainment, a concept now called edutainment, while 9 are focused on providing a themed experience with characters such as Iron Man and Spider Man. Six centers specialize in providing amusements & thrill rides and 3 feature high-tech games and motion simulators. Large indoor theme parks, indoor amusement parks and family entertainment centers are a relatively new phenomenon. No one had studied indoor entertainment facilities as a special grou...
World’s Top 30 Indoor Entertainment Centers: Major Theme Parks Are Going Indoors, Part 1
JLC Hospitality Consulting | July 11, 2013
Anchored by Shopping Malls, Hotels, Waterparks & Casinos; KidZania is fastest-growing in edutainment By Jeff Coy, ISHC When you think about Six Flags, Sea World or Cedar Fair, it is typically an outdoor experience during summer when kids are out of school. But now, major theme parks and amusement parks are going indoors --- where they can attract visitors 365 days a year and not worry about poor weather wiping out profits. Indoor theme parks are not new, but there is a surge of new development. The first large-scale indoor amusement park, Galaxyland, built in 1985, was a giant success with 400,000 sf of amusements and thrill rides i...
Father and Son, Roy and Preetesh Patel, Acquire Bowling Green, Kentucky Hotel for $2.5 Million
July 27, 2013
July 27--The new owners of a 177-room Scottsville Road hotel sold Friday are not new to the motel business. In fact, they own a nearby property. Roy Patel and his son, Preetesh Patel, had the winning bid of $2.5 million Friday for the property sold in a master commissioner's sale. Preetesh Patel said he is unsure of what changes need to be made to the hotel. "We have to get it evaluated," he said. Preetesh Patel said it is likely that they will keep existing hotel employees to continue operations. The Patels already own the nearby Executive Inn, Microtel Inn, Super 8 and Hotel Sync in Bowling Green, as well as another property elsewhere...
Developer R. Scott Tibbetts Plans 160-room Hotel and Marina for Tarpon Pointe in Brandenton, Florida
July 1, 2013
July 02, 2013--BRADENTON -- Developer R. Scott Tibbetts has a new vision for redeveloping a chunk of land along the Manatee River that features a six-story waterfront hotel. An internal City of Bradenton staff memo acquired by the Herald reveals plans to turn the Tarpon Pointe Grill and Tiki Bar and Manatee Landings Marina lands into a commercial development. And it is possible that a hearing in front of the City Council may not be needed to approve the plans. Tibbetts and his team plan for a 160-room hotel, plus, according to the memo: 11,500-square-foot retail space 1,500-square-foot retail kiosks 6,000-square-foot ships store 6...
Owner of Monarch Cove Inn in Capitola, CA Proposes Demolition and Rebuild to Create Upscale Hotel
July 4, 2013
July 04--CAPITOLA -- The longtime owner of the 11-room Monarch Cove Inn bed-and-breakfast on Depot Hill is proposing a $9 million makeover involving restoration, demolition and new construction to create a 41-room upscale oceanview hotel. The site atop coastal bluffs at the end of El Salto Drive was developed in 1895 as a private estate but since 1946 was operated as a summer resort when Joseph Tabacchini, who later became mayor, bought the property with his wife. After two changes of ownership, the city declared the cottages unsafe in 1989 and the current owner, Robert Blodgett, undertook renovations and reopened the resort in 1991. Bl...
New Investor Group Buys the 429-room Sheraton Hotel and Spa in Fort Worth, Texas for $49 Million
July 18, 2013
July 18--FORT WORTH -- An investor group that for months has tried to buy the Sheraton Hotel and Spa in downtown Fort Worth out of bankruptcy finally closed the purchase on Wednesday. 1701 Commerce Acquisition, Llc., an investor group of Presidio Cos. in Sacramento, Calif., paid $49 million for the 429-room property at 1601 Commerce St., on the south end of downtown near the Fort Worth Convention Center. The hotel is already under new management, and the new owners promise a multimillion-dollar renovation during the coming year, improving the hotel's entrance and lobby, restaurant, and meeting and guest rooms. "We want to make sure the ...
Construction of Alabama’s Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino and Hotel on Schedule for Early 2014 Opening
July 21, 2013
July 21--Early next year, residents and visitors of Wetumpka not only will be able to gaze at a towering hotel standing tall over the city's downtown area, they will be able to stay there. Wind Creek Wetumpka, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians' $246 million hotel and casino, is on schedule to be completed in early 2014. The construction of the new facility, which began about a year ago, has been a can't-miss sight from spots such as the Bibb Graves Bridge and U.S. 231. General Manager Cody Williamson said the outer shell of the 20-story hotel is "pretty much completed," with inner fixtures such as Sheetrock and windows currently going in...
Westin New York Grand Central Hotel Appoints Maureen O’Brien as Director Of Sales & Marketing
Westin New York Grand Central | July 15, 2013
Maureen O'Brien has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at The Westin New York Grand Central, bringing more than 25 years of sales and hospitality experience to the newest Westin in New York City. Most recently, O'Brien was the Vice President of Business Development at Accommodations International (API), successfully building and growing global hotel and airline accounts. She has extensive hotel experience and prior positions include Area Director of Sales & Marketing at the Millennium Broadway, New York; Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for Raffles Hotels and Resorts, New York; Group Sales Manager for the Crowne...
New Owners of the 174-Room Portland, Oregon Red Lion Hotel Plan $8 Million Renovation
July 10, 2013
July 12, 2013--The new owners of the 174-room Red Lion Hotel near the Oregon Convention Center plan to launch an $8 million to $10 million remodel next year. Grand Ventures Hotel LLC, which bought the hotel last month, is best known in Portland as the partnership behind the 174-room downtown Hotel Modera. The group bought that property, a former Days Inn, in 2007 and reopened it in 2008 as a luxury boutique hotel. The Red Lion -- which might not operate as a Red Lion after the renovation -- is going to see a renovation with a similar scope. "The major difference is that this property has significant meeting space in the top floor of the...
Room Boom: Three New Hotels Could Pop Up in Boulder, CO Within 18 to 36 Months
July 21, 2013
July 21--Prior to the recent arrival of the Hampton Inn & Suites Boulder North, which opened recently in Gunbarrel, it had been eight years since a hotel was built in Boulder. The time window for another new arrival is expected to be much shorter. Three more hotels could pop up within the city of Boulder during the next 18 to 36 months. The lodging boom might not result in much of a net gain in available rooms, however, it could result in pricier accommodations within the city, some say. There are plans on the books to eventually redevelop two hotels on the city's southern entryway -- the Boulder Outlook Hotel and the Americas Best ...
Lake Flower Lodging Proposes New Hotel Development in Saranac Lake, NY
July 24, 2013
July 25--SARANAC LAKE -- A major hotel project was announced Wednesday for addition to the Lake Flower waterfront. Proposed by hotel developer Chris LaBarge of Malone and his company, Lake Flower Lodging LLC, the inn would encompass four waterfront lots at the major three-way intersection where Lake Flower Avenue turns west. It would occupy the eastern edge of Pontiac Bay. Earlier this week, LaBarge applied for variances to build on the properties currently occupied by three motels: Lake Flower Inn, Adirondack Motel and Lakeside Motel. At a press conference Wednesday, it was announced that he has signed contracts to purchase all three p...
Large Resorts and Solar Power – Westin St. Maarten Captures Caribbean Sun for Energy Consumption
Westin. St. Maarten Resort & Spa | July 3, 2013
First Westin in World and Only Major Property in Caribbean Installs Phase One of Solar Panels to Offset Resort's Energy Consumption; Investment Saves Equivalent of Annual Power for 111 Homes, or CO2 Emissions from Driving 1.2 Million Miles in an SUV PHILIPSBURG, ST MAARTEN (July, 2013) – While environmental initiatives may seem standard in the upscale, boutique hospitality industry, there is plenty of room for tourism organizations to make strides to advance green lodging, especially in the area of solar power. According to the Energy Policy and Sector Analysis in the Caribbean (2010 – 2011), the"Caribbean islands have the potential...
RedStone Construction Begins $250 Million Expansion Project River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma
July 21, 2013
July 21--Chattanooga-based builder EMJ Corp. is embarking on its biggest project ever. RedStone Construction Services, a partnership between EMJ and Native American Chris Samples, will build a 500-room hotel and expand a casino in Tulsa, Okla., in a $250 million job, said EMJ Chief Executive Jay Jolley. Jolley said the project, which is in design and pre-construction, is the largest EMJ has ever taken on either as a stand-alone company or in a joint venture. The previous top job was $217 million for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's new home office in Chattanooga, he said. Jolley said EMJ decided to venture with Samples in 2009 to cre...
Costa Rican Hotels Experience Decline of 12% in Occupancy Rate During Mid-Year Vacations
July 17, 2013
July 17--Fewer tourists stayed in hotels during recent mid-year holidays in Costa Rica, and owners reported that occupancy rates were 12 percentage points lower than those obtained last year. The figure comes from a survey conducted by the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) among 102 hosting businesses. Occupation during the period barely surpassed 55 percent, while the previous year, hotels reported occupancy rates close to 68 percent. The results fell short of expectations by hotel owners, who anticipated occupancy rates of at least 62 percent, mainly driven by a boost in domestic tourism. But local tourists this year account for only...
After Years of Attempts by Developers, Two New Hotels Set to Break Ground in Hillsboro, Oregon
July 18, 2013
July 18--Two large hotels are coming to Hillsboro, ending years of near misses for developers of a project that city officials say will create a "landmark" along U.S. 26. Construction on both projects, a seven-story 165-room Embassy Suites adjacent to a four-story 106-room Hampton Inn & Suites, is expected to begin within the next few weeks. "The good news is it's definitely on," Gary Griffiths, principal with Salt Lake City area developer Western States Lodging, said. "It's a question of when." The hotels add much-needed meeting space to the community, according to city planners, local business leaders and lodging advocates, and co...
New Hotel Planned for Downtown Akron, Ohio in Transformation of Historic Greystone Hall
July 15, 2013
July 15--One of downtown Akron's treasured historic buildings, Greystone Hall on High Street, would be transformed into a hotel under a plan involving local and out-of-town partners. The 1917 structure, an old Masonic building opposite the John S. Knight convention center, is now owned by the city and is used by the convention center for various events. Project partners apparently also would build a structure adjacent to Greystone, on what is now a parking lot on High Street, opposite a city-owned parking deck. The apparent plan eventually would expand into the site that is the former High Street Christian Church, whose congregation has...
Local Hotelier, Nipool Patel, Discusses Tourism in San Luis Obispo County, California
July 17, 2013
July 17--As co-owner of San Luis Obispo's Comfort Inn & Suites Lamplighter, Nipool Patel is always working to attract more visitors to San Luis Obispo County. The former chairman of the California Lodging Industry Association board has also served for three years on San Luis Obispo's tourism business improvement district board to fund marketing efforts for hotels in the city. Patel recently talked to The Tribune about the economy's impact on tourism and shared his views on marketing the county overall. Q: In 2009, San Luis Obispo County's tourism industry was down, but less than neighboring counties. At that time you called SLO Coun...
Philadelphia Plans Luxury Hotel for Former Family Court Building; Developers Pitch Plans
July 11, 2013
July 11, 2013--Three groups of developers have pitched plans for converting the 72-year-old Family Court at 1801 Vine Street into a luxury hotel, raising expectations for another big investment in an area already undergoing major change. In plans submitted to the city Wednesday, each group is aligned with a hotel operator, including: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which is teaming up with Logan Square Holdings, a limited partnership that counts The Goldenberg Group of Philadelphia among its five investors. Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which is working with Philadelphia's Dranoff Properties and HRI Properties of New Orleans. and Kimpto...
Nakheel Creates Hospitality and Leisure Division to Oversee Developments Headed by Thorsten Ries
July 4, 2013
Several Hotels in Nakheel's Project Pipeline July 04, 2013--Nakheel is expanding its business portfolio with the creation of a new division -- Nakheel Hospitality and Leisure -- to focus on the company's growing number of hotels, beach clubs and community recreation centres. The new division, headed by newly-appointed managing director Thorsten Ries, will oversee the development and operations of Nakheel's hotels and clubs -- a key element of the company's business strategy. Nakheel is building a 240-room hotel at Dragon Mart, as part of its major expansion of the China-themed mall, a five-star, 40-storey hotel that will form part of t...
Affiliates of Gencom and Invesco Ltd Acquire the 200-key Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale in Florida
July 23, 2013
July 23--The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, which opened in 2007 as a St. Regis, has sold to new owners. Affiliates of Gencom, a Miami company that owns other Ritz-Carlton hotels, and Atlanta-based Invesco Ltd. purchased the property from Castillo Grand, the company that developed the project at 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. The hotel will remain a Ritz-Carlton. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. HFF marketed the property on behalf of Castillo Grand. The hotel, which has 166 rooms and suites and 34 condo-hotel units, was originally a St. Regis when it opened in 2007. But after St. Regis parent Starwood ended its managemen...
Tetherow Emerging as Central Oregon Destination Resort with Two Hotels Opening at its Golf Course
July 26, 2013
July 26--A five-year pause in central Oregon destination resort development ended this spring when Tetherow Golf Club began construction of twin units of a boutique hotel, located on either side of its clubhouse and restaurant. Both are expected to open early next year. The area around Bend had been a hotbed of luxury second-home resort developments until 2007, when the economy went in the tank. Pronghorn and Brasada Ranch, both high-quality destination resorts, opened just before the downturn. They subsequently restructured their business models to deal with the changing scene, offering more amenities and rental opportunities for short...
FairBridge Hotels Opens 98-room Brookside Resort in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee
FairBridge Hotels International | July 11, 2013
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 - The hospitality firm headquartered in downtown Spokane, FairBridge Hotels International, today announced the opening of its newest hotel 1900 miles away in the mountain resort city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The 98-room Brookside Resort by FairBridge is located at 463 E Parkway at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rustic resort offers stream-side rooms and cozy cabins with access to quiet nature trails while still being only a half-mile from Gatlinburg's main strip. Brookside goes above and beyond the standard amenities expected at a FairBridge, like free hot breakfast and wi-fi...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 106; What Is A Hotel Manager?; Quote of the Month / Stanley Turkel
Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC | July 29, 2013
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, ISHC 1. What Is A Hotel Manager? In 1963, the Loews Hotel Corporation published a small booklet with 18 black and white photographs from vintage movies. The booklet was named "What Is A Hotel Manager?" The captions under the photographs were funny then and, I believe, are still funny fifty years later. The booklet's dedication and introduction read: Dedication: It is with deep appreciation that we thank Tom Troy, Harry O'Brien, Pierre Bultinck, Frank Berkman, Arthur Levey, Henry Judermans, John Braun and Jerry Olin without whom this booklet would never have been possible. Introduction: A hotel manager is a man o...
Developer, Shanghai’s Greenland Holdings Group, Buys LA Site for $1 Billion Project to Include Hotel
July 27, 2013
July 27--BEIJING (China Daily/ANN) -- Shanghai's Greenland Holdings Group acquired a site in downtown Los Angeles from a California teachers' pension fund on Friday to build a US$1 billion project that will include a hotel, office units and residences. The property purchase marks the latest foray by Chinese developers into overseas markets. The state-owned real estate developer -- which is building China's second-tallest tower -- acquired the 25,600 square-metre site from the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), the second-biggest American pension fund. "We have a signed agreement for purchase of the property," said M...
Nickelodeon Suites Resort Reaches 90K Potential New Guests and 3K Unique Visitors in 30 Days
Flip.to | July 19, 2013
Orlando, FL — July 24, 2013 — Flip.to is the brand advocate platform for hotels, helping Nickelodeon Suites Resorts boost brand awareness and earn new guests with the help of their most trusted, untapped marketing source - their guests. Since going live with Flip.to in June, guests of Nickelodeon Suites Resort have spread the word about their stay to over 90,000 of their closest friends, relatives and colleagues. In the first month, Flip.to has helped Nickelodeon Suites turn 27% of their guests into trusted advocates. Each advocate shared a branded message with a unique link about the resort with their social networks, including Fac...
