News Top: January
Martin Belz, President & Chairman of Peabody Hotel Group, Files for Bankruptcy
January 31, 2014
Jan. 31--Arkansas real estate deals that went bad have exposed the finances and sometimes lavish lifestyle of a Memphis scion. Martin S. "Marty'' Belz, son of Jack Belz and president and chairman of the Peabody Hotel Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 27. The missteps were Martin Belz's personal side deals and do not involve the family's larger Belz Enterprises, parties on both sides told The Commercial Appeal. Business entities within Belz Enterprises include the iconic Peabody Hotel on Union in Memphis and substantial commercial and industrial real estate holdings. While his liabilities amount to $97.7 million against $60....
Fulcrum Hospitality LLC Appoints Veteran Hospitality Executive as Chief Operating Officer
Fulcrum Hospitality LLC | January 22, 2014
Prominent lodging industry expert Cheryl Boyer has joined Fulcrum's senior leadership team. New York, NY January 24, 2014 – This week, Fulcrum Hospitality LLC ("Fulcrum") announced the appointment of hospitality industry veteran Cheryl Boyer to its senior leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Boyer's 20-plus year background in providing consulting and asset management to institutional investors, lenders and other key industry players is an ideal addition to Fulcrum's existing core team of hospitality executives. Ms. Boyer was formerly the President of Lodging Advisors, a highly regarded consulting practice with which Fulcrum...
Millennium Hotels & Resorts Closes Downtown St. Louis, MO Millennium Hotel; Leaves Tower in Limbo
January 22, 2014
Jan. 22--After 45 years, the spinning stopped. The Millennium, the downtown hotel with the rooftop restaurant that went around and around, closes today without a redevelopment plan in sight. But at least the 28-story, cylindrical hotel that opened in 1969 won't look abandoned. The owner, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, will maintain some utilities, keep an elevator in operation and won't board up any windows, said Otis Williams, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corp. SLDC, the city's development agency, remains in talks with the hotel's owner about what it plans to do with the site, at 200 South Fourth Street, Williams sai...
Albert Cheong Appointed Group General Manager of Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Malaysia
Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa | January 9, 2014
BANDAR SUNWAY, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA: 10 January 2014.....Sunway International Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Albert Cheong as Group General Manager of Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, effective 2 January 2014. In his new capacity, Cheong will be responsible for the hotel operations, leading the teams to continually be people passionate and deliver operational efficiencies at the 1,234-room multiple hotel development, located within Sunway Resort City, in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Cheong brings with him more than 35 years of international hospitality management experience, specialising in Corporate, Oper...
Benjamin Duke Holloway, Prominent South Florida Real Estate Pioneer, Dead at 88
January 1, 2014
Jan. 01--Donald Trump's quest for a big real estate score, Norman Braman's foray into the automobile industry, and Continental Companies' aim to fill Coconut Grove hotel suites with baby grand pianos all led to one man: Benjamin Duke Holloway. As a senior executive for Equitable Life Assurance Society's real estate subsidiary in the 1970s and '80s, Holloway oversaw billions in investment from Miami to New York, and was a man whom businessmen sought out to secure financing for their ambitions. Under his watch, Equitable snatched up the Omni downtown, helped finance renovations to Miami Beach's Fontainebleau hotel and an expansion of Dade...
Mississippi’s Hard Rock Casino Biloxi’s Platinum Tower, its $32.5 M Expansion, Opens Adding 154 Keys
January 31, 2014
Jan. 31--BILOXI -- Colored lights illuminated the exterior of the new Hard Rock Casino Biloxi's Platinum Tower on Thursday night when a sneak peek gave invited guests a first look at the hotel that opens today. Kim Daoust, designer with Tandem in Las Vegas, promised the crowd this hotel is something unique for her company, "and we do hotels and casinos around the world." After the traditional guitar-smash celebration, General Manager Duncan McKenzie led a tour of the tower. The music memorabilia that fills the Hard Rock Biloxi carries through to every floor of the new hotel. Guests pass by Elvis Presley's pajamas and outfits worn by Sam...
HFZ Capital Group Acquires Shore Club in Miami Beach, FL for $175 Million; Plans “Re-Imagination”
January 9, 2014
Jan. 09--After dodging a foreclosure sale earlier this year, the Shore Club has sold for just over $175 million to owners who plan some changes at the 309-room Miami Beach hotel. "We have an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-imagine and reposition a world-class property in a market that has seen continued demand for luxury properties," said Ziel Feldman, founder and managing principal of HFZ Capital Group, in a press release this week. New York City-based HFZ acquired the hotel with an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group. Philips International, a seller, will still be involved with the new ownership group. Three yea...
Fiksdal Hotel and Aspen Suites in Rochester, MN Sold to U.S. Hotel & Resort Management for $13.7 M
January 14, 2014
Jan. 14--Hotels continue to be hot properties in Rochester, with a pair of prominent ones, including the iconic Fiksdal Hotel, recently selling for $13.7 million. U.S. Hotel and Resort Management Inc., a subsidiary of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Ramkota Cos. Inc., bought the Fiksdal Hotel and the adjacent Aspen Suites from primary owner Blue Stem Capital, also of Sioux Falls, and minority stockholder Glen Fiksdal, of Rochester. The sale closed on Dec. 27, according to Olmsted County records. U.S. Hotel affiliate Regency Hotel Management will operate and manage both hotels. "There will be significant improvements to both properties in 2014. ...
Viceroy Hotels Concludes Sale of 350-room JW Marriott Hotel Under Development in Chennai, India
January 2, 2014
Jan. 02--MUMBAI -- Hyderabad-based hospitality chain Viceroy Hotels Ltd has concluded a deal to sell its projects in Chennai, including a luxury hotel and homes under construction, to Ceebros Hotels Pvt. Ltd for Rs.480 crore. The 350-room hotel is being developed under the JW Marriott brand. The announcement on the stock exchanges on Wednesday sent the company's stock surging 13.02% to Rs.21.70, while the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 0.14% to 21,140.48 points. The company decided on 8 May to sell its Chennai projects to Ceebros, a Chennai-based property developer which operates two hotels projects in the city under the brand name Raintree ...
Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Hotel Moves Up in Ranks Under New Owners Hersha Hospitality Trust
January 19, 2014
Jan. 19--Two years after they paid $42 million for the Rittenhouse Hotel and its adjoining apartments and parking and began spending $10 million on upgrades, Philadelphia-based brothers Jay and Neil Shah are offering some of the most expensive hotel rooms in the city. For $1,100 to $1,700 -- enough to rent an apartment for a month in many city neighborhoods -- you can spend the night in one of the Rittenhouse's five new Park suites. For $3,000, you can stay in the Presidential or Chairman suites. (Other rooms list as low as $299 a night.) In recent years, Hersha has sold dozens of suburban hotels and acquired midmarket and pricier ones ...
Starwood Hotels Suddenly Closes California Call Center, Transferring Duties to other Centers
January 24, 2014
Jan. 24--Starwood Hotels closed its Lancaster, Calif., contact center suddenly on Tuesday and moved its duties to its other centers, including one in Wichita. More than 300 employees in California were affected. They will be paid for two more months, said spokeswoman Maire Griffin. The company is also offering them a chance to move to other contact centers or to the chain's hotels. Starwood officials announced in May that it would open a call center in Wichita. The company accepted its first call here in August, and it has hired about 300 people to work at the center, which is in the former Wichita Mall, 4301 E. Harry, Griffin said. The...
Luxury Link Conducts 2014 Luxury Travel Trends Survey
Luxury Link Travel Group | January 8, 2014
Over Half of Discerning Travelers Planning Multiple Trips Abroad this Year; Croatia and Portugal are Trending Destinations LOS ANGELES (January 9, 2014) – In a survey of more than 1,600 discerning travelers conducted by leading luxury travel website Luxury Link (luxurylink.com), Croatia and Portugal were tabbed as up-and-coming destinations for 2014, while adventurous and foodie-focused vacations are being planned this year. Among global respondents - who each indicated their total annual household income is $100,000 or higher - 29.7% stated they are most interested in visiting Europe this year while 27.3% are Caribbean-bound. For...
New GM, Jonathan Litvack, to Oversee $45 Million Rejuvenation of Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts | January 2, 2014
LOS ANGELES, CA, January 3, 2014 - Veteran hotelier Jonathan Litvack, named general manager of the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel in 2013, will oversee a $45 million rejuvenation of the 485-room property to include all guestrooms, meeting space and the lobby area, as well as the restaurant and lounge. He successfully converted the hotel, which is located in the heart of the city's financial, sports and entertainment epicenter, from a franchise operation to the world's newest Starwood-managed hotel on June 1. The rejuvenation, which includes the hotel as well as the adjacent office tower and retail shopping center anchored by a flag...
Columbus, Nebraska’s New World Inn & Conference Center Undergoing Renovation & Rebranding to Ramada
January 2, 2014
Jan. 02--COLUMBUS -- Many Columbus residents are focused on fresh starts this week, including the owners of a local hotel. The New World Inn and Conference Center officially changed its name to the Ramada-Columbus and River's Edge Convention Center on Monday, just one day before some New Year's Eve party-goers became the first guests to try out the upgraded rooms there. Ten of the hotel's 137 guest rooms have been overhauled so far as part of an approximately $3 million renovation project that started in September and will eventually impact nearly every area inside and outside the 265 33rd Ave. business. Scott Mueller, who is part of a ...
The Plasencia Group and RM Crowe Announce the Sale of the Houston Marriott West Loop by The Galleria
The Plasencia Group | January 23, 2014
Tampa, Fla. (January 24, 2014) – The Plasencia Group is pleased to announce the sale of the Houston Marriott West Loop by The Galleria, located in Houston, Texas. The firm exclusively represented RM Crowe, the owner of the hotel. This is the second time The Plasencia Group has been engaged to sell the hotel. A joint venture between Clearview Hotel Capital and WHI Real Estate Partners acquired the 301-room hotel from RM Crowe. Marriott International will continue to manage the property. According to Robert Wiemer, Senior Vice President of The Plasencia Group's Southwest Region, "This transaction was completed in record time with both ...
Spirit Hospitality May Begin Construction on Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Cheyenne, WY Early Summer
January 17, 2014
Jan. 17--CHEYENNE -- Construction could begin this summer on an eight-story Hilton Garden Inn hotel downtown after state officials approved a grant and loan package Thursday. The Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board quickly approved funding for construction of an elevated walkway. The $15 million to $18 million hotel will be built at the corner of Pioneer Avenue and 17th Street. The walkway will go from the Jack R. Spiker Parking Garage across Pioneer Avenue to the second floor of the future Hilton Garden Inn. The Wyoming Business Council administers the grant program. Rob Uehran, president of Spirit Hospitality LLC, said he's please...
Blueprint RF Selects Terrence Mitchum as Vice President of Operations
Blueprint RF | January 14, 2014
ATLANTA, GA - Blueprint RF is pleased to announce that Terrence Mitchum has been promoted to Vice President of Operations, reporting to Blueprint RF COO, James Tubo. "In his new role Terrence will now be responsible for managing two teams, Engineering and Technical Support. This is a newly created position designed to further refine alignment of our systems design, installation processes and long term support objectives," said Tubo. "We are pleased that Terrence has accepted this new and challenging position. He is absolutely the right choice for managing our rapidly expanding client-base of hotels and airports. He is organized, meticul...
Alena Hospitality Overseeing $10 M Renovation of 148-key Saddle Brook, NJ Hotel; To Re-Open in Q2’14
January 13, 2014
Jan. 13--The former Holiday Inn off Route 80 in Saddle Brook is now slated to reopen in late spring, with its sky-top, 12th-story restaurant and lounge also ready for business then, according to the property's new owner. Alena Hospitality LLC, which is spending about $10 million on renovations of the 148-room hotel, will likely open the property in May or June as a Crowne Plaza, said Alena President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Witzel. The Orlando, Fla.-based hotel chain has changed some of its plans to renovate the Saddle Brook property, Witzel said, with those revisions now pending with township officials, who couldn't be reached f...
Dr. Kiran Patel’s Long Delayed $170M Plan for Hotel on Clearwater Beach, FL to Soon Break Ground
January 18, 2014
Jan. 18--CLEARWATER -- Ten years after making one of the most expensive property buys in Pinellas County history, Dr. Kiran Patel says he will break ground in March on a $170 million hotel on Clearwater Beach. Patel, a Tampa cardiologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, said he has no buyer's remorse for spending $40 million on the almost 3-acre site south of Pier 60. "Regrets don't help. I never look at anything that way. I do believe, though, that land in front of the water cannot be created by any individual," he said. Last year, Patel paid $1 million to the city for a one-year extension of his development rights on the property, wh...
China Company Eyes $762 Million Tourism Project in Sipadan Island off Coast of Sabah, East Malaysia
January 9, 2014
Jan. 09--KOTA KINABALU, Sabah (The Star/ANN) -- A China-based company is looking at a massive 2.5 billion ringgit (US$762 million) integrated tourism development project in the diving haven of Sipadan island off the coast of Sabah in East Malaysia. The company -- Diving Best -- is in discussions with the Sabah Economic and Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) to facilitate its proposed development of the large-scale tourism project in the Semporna area. SEDIA chief executive officer Dr Mohd Yaakub Johari said they had met the officials of the company for the second time on Monday as a follow-up to the first meeting in June last ...
Hampton Inn & Suites Destin Boasts a New Look; Chartwell Hospitality Completes $16M Renovation
January 18, 2014
Jan. 18--DESTIN -- What's old is new again at the Hampton Inn and Suites Destin. The hotel, which was built 20 years ago, recently reopened after an 18-month renovation that took the building down to its shell. The $16 million project turned the former two-story hotel where guests accessed their rooms from the outside into a three-story building with inside hallways. "It is really an amazing transformation to be able to offer a higher-quality, better-caliber product to the travelers that come to Destin," said Richard Butler, general manager of the Hampton Inn. The third story includes a new fitness center with free weights, cardio machi...
M&R Hotel Management Appoints Saul Castillo General Manager for Staten Island Hotel
M&R Hotel Management | January 24, 2014
GREAT NECK, N.Y. (Jan. 24, 2014) ─ M&R Hotel Management of Great Neck, N.Y., today announced the appointment of Saul Castillo as general manager of the 93-room Comfort Inn hotel on Wild Avenue in Staten Island, N.Y., responsible for operations, sales, revenue management, marketing, guest relations, security, human resources, housekeeping and maintenance. Castillo, a 20-year hospitality industry veteran, began his career as a bellman. Most recently, he was director of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express Kennedy Airport in Queens, N.Y., also operated by M&R Hotel Management. Castillo, who describes himself as a "people's manager," ...
Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel Appoints Jesse Suglia Director of Sales & Marketing
The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel | January 21, 2014
The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel has appointed Jesse Suglia as Director of Sales and Marketing. Suglia joins the newly- renovated hotel from Omni Hotels & Resorts, Kempinski Hotels and The Global Hotel Alliance and where he was Director, Travel Industry & International Sales and leading the New York Global Sales Center. An experienced leader with more than 15 years working in the domestic and international group, business travel and leisure hotel travel segments, Suglia has held hotel sales positions in major cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Suglia's prior roles with Omni Hotels & Resorts...
Cronut Out – Cr’nish In? 12 Top Food Trends for 2014
January 1, 2014
Jan. 01--Alas, poor cronut, we hardly knew ye. Even as the cronut -- the croissant/doughnut mash-up -- continues to delight many, it decidedly is a 2013 food phenomenon. Though it may have legs in the new year, the cronut, along with ramen and quinoa, was among the most hyped foods of 2013. What else plateaued in 2013? Kale, the juicing craze, brussels sprouts, Paula Deen and foie gras were among the things that were overexposed or over-trended last year, according to Urbanspoon.com. What about 2014? As we begin a new year, here are some of the new things foodies can look forward to. And lest anyone think that the cronut can't be topped...
Neptune-Benson’s Defender® Pool Filtration Brings Cleanliness to a New Level at the Sheraton Mirage
Neptune-Benson | January 30, 2014
Neptune-Benson is proud to supply the aquatic filtration system to help further the resort's commitment to save water and energy. Coventry, Rhode Island (January 31, 2014) - Neptune-Benson, a leading manufacturer of commercial pool filtration systems is a proud supplier of the Defender® aquatic filtration system to the Sheraton Mirage Resort in Port Douglas Australia. The Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort has replaced their two - 14 meter long dual sand filter systems because they were showing signs of wear. The filters were retrofitted with Neptune-Benson Defender aquatic filters in 25% of the space of the existing sand filters. Hav...
