News Top: October
Greg Mussi, Owner of Pennsylvania’s Oldest Motel, Gets Earful on TV’s ‘Hotel Impossible’
October 12, 2014
Oct. 12--When he swooped in to save Pennsylvania's oldest motel, Greg Mussi didn't expect he'd one day get screamed at and scolded on national TV. The Beaver Falls native gets to relive that humiliation Tuesday, hopeful it leads to a happy ending after the 9 p.m. airing of Travel Channel's "Hotel Impossible." "I'm not watching," Mussi said. "I'll be lying somewhere in the fetal position." He's joking, though it won't be easy for Mussi and his wife, Lynda, to witness this week's "Hotel Impossible" set at the Autoport Motel in State College, the state's first motel, which they bought seven years ago. For Mussi, a Penn State graduate and r...
Barrington Development to Build a 110-room Comfort Suites on Biloxi Beach in Mississippi
October 1, 2014
Oct. 01--BILOXI -- A 110-room Comfort Suites will be built on the Biloxi beach west of Veterans Avenue. "This is the only hotel on the sand, bridge to bridge," said Greg Stewart with Barrington Development, the company that also recently restored and reopened the White House Hotel in Biloxi. South Beach, a condo hotel in Biloxi, is the only other accommodation built since Hurricane Katrina on the south side of U.S. 90 from the Biloxi Bay Bridge to the Bay of St. Louis Bridge. Island View Casino is restoring the hotel tower on the south side of the highway in Gulfport. Plans for the new hotel project were presented to Biloxi's Developmen...
Flip.to Makes Guest Advocacy Incredibly Impactful, Personal and Scalable for NYLO
Flip.to | October 7, 2014
ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 2014 - "We are delighted with the success of Flip.to," says Michael Mueller, CEO for NYLO Hotels, a unique alternative for business and leisure travelers seeking loft-style living. "It was easily implemented across our chain of hotels, and in three months guests had shared about their stay with 175,000 of their friends." Flip.to is a powerful brand advocacy platform that easily scales across an entire hotel chain, regardless of the number of hotels in a portfolio. Its guest-driven marketing feels natural, personal and individually unique for each hotel, but with the same goal of reaching new audiences and earning n...
Owner of Jupiter Pointe Marina in Hobe Sound, Florida Plans to Add 54 to 84 Key All-Suite Hotel
October 21, 2014
Oct. 21--Martin County officials Tuesday paved the way for the owner of a Hobe Sound marina and boat club to add a four-story, all-suite hotel. Jupiter Pointe Marina owner Rob Miller of Palm Beach secured a zoning change that allows for his planned resort on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway, although the project itself also will have to be approved by the County Commission. The marina now offers dry boat storage, a club that gives members access to boats for a membership fee and the Blue Lobster outdoor seafood eatery. To accommodate a hotel, Miller plans to expand his complex onto a 2.7-acre lot he owns just north of the mari...
Terry Dunbar Appointed General Manager of Hyatt Regency Boston
Hyatt Regency Boston | October 23, 2014
October 24, 2014 - Hyatt Regency Boston announces the selection of Terry Dunbar as general manager. In this role, Dunbar will be responsible for all aspects of Hyatt Regency Boston's sales, marketing, financial, human resources and hotel operations. Dunbar joins Hyatt Regency Boston with extensive experience in the hospitality industry and 26 years with Hyatt, most recently from Hyatt Regency Jersey City, where he served as general manager for the past four years. "I am extremely excited and honored to be given the opportunity of general manager for Hyatt Regency Boston," said Dunbar. "After spending four great years at Hyatt Regency Je...
Holly Brubach Plans $38M 104-room Boutique Hotel for the Granite Building in Pittsburgh, PA
October 24, 2014
Oct. 24--Gov. Tom Corbett delivered a $2.5 million state redevelopment assistance capital grant this morning to jump start Downtown's latest hotel project -- 104 rooms, three bars, and a brasserie-style restaurant at Wood Street and Sixth Avenue. The $38 million independent boutique hotel will be housed in the Granite Building, a Romanesque-style structure built in 1889 and site of the former German National Bank. A building next door that once housed an Arby's restaurant also will be part of the development. The project is being developed by Holly Brubach, a former New York Times style editor who bought the Granite Building in 2006 wit...
South Forbes Silangan Hotel Corp. Opens Microtel by Wyndham South Forbes in the Philippines
Microtel Inns & Suites (Philippines) Inc. | October 29, 2014
Cathay Land, developer of South Forbes Golf City, and Microtel Development Corporation, recently opened Microtel by Wyndham South Forbes under their joint venture South Forbes Silangan Hotel Corp. The hotel was formally launched through a ceremony led by the key officers of the partner companies: Cathay Land's President Jeffrey Ng, Microtel Development Corp. CEO Jose Mari del Rosario and the President / CEO of PHINMA Inc., Ramon del Rosario Jr. Also gracing the event were key local government officials including Mayor Emilia Lourdes Poblete of Silang, Cavite, Mayor Marilyn Alonte of Biñan, Laguna, and Congressman Roy Loyola of the 5th ...
New Owners Invest in Upgrades for the 112-room Groton Inn & Suites in Connecticut
October 19, 2014
Oct. 19--GROTON -- Kathy Brown, Groton Inn and Suites' human resources coordinator, deliberated a bit before choosing a word to describe the 112-room hotel's state when the current owners took over in February 2013. Finally, she settled on "aged." The hotel's upkeep had not been a priority for years, Brown said, certainly not after a bank hired professional property managers to run it in the wake of a 2011 foreclosure. But under Sunil Suthar, an owner who doubles as the hotel's general manager, that's all changed. And after 17 years at the property, Brown couldn't be more upbeat about what lies ahead. "It's very exciting," she said. The...
Cupertino Property Development II, LLC to Build 148-room Hyatt House in Cupertino, California
October 30, 2014
Oct. 30--A Hyatt House hotel is coming to a back parking lot at Vallco Shopping Mall. The majority Cupertino City Council voted to give Cupertino Property Development II, LLC the go-ahead to redevelop the southeast quadrant of Wolfe Road near Interstate 280. The site would be at 10380 Perimeter Road. Developers were granted a permit to demolish the existing parking lot and construct a five-story, 148-room hotel of approximately 102,700 square feet. The hotel will include a restaurant, bar, lounge and conference rooms built over a 35,800-square-foot, 85-car underground parking garage that contains tandem parking, according to the Oct. 21...
Warner Gaming Completing $60M Renovation & Plans to Reopen Lake Tahoe’s Horizon Casino as Hard Rock
October 8, 2014
Oct. 08--The company that operates Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino today earned initial approval from state gaming regulators to reopen a shuttered Lake Tahoe casino under the same brand. Warner Gaming is transforming the former Horizon casino, which closed earlier this year, into a new Hard Rock property in Stateline. The state Gaming Control Board recommended Warner for approval to run the casino, a decision that will now head to the Gaming Commission for final consideration. William Warner, the company's chief executive, told the gaming board at its meeting in Carson City that the $60 million renovation should be completed in...
Kolter Hospitality Acquires the 108-room Hyatt Place Coconut Point in Estero, Florida for $7 Million
October 10, 2014
Oct. 10--ESTERO, Fla. -- The Hyatt Place Coconut Point in Estero has a new owner. The 108-room, five-story hotel, at 23120 Via Villagio, steps away from the shops and restaurants at the Coconut Point mall, recently sold for $7 million, Lee County property records show. The deal closed Sept. 24. The new owner is Kolter Hospitality LLC, based in West Palm Beach. "We executed a franchise agreement with Hyatt and will continue to operate this hotel as a Hyatt Place Hotel," said the hospitality company's president, Scott Webb, in an email. Improvements are planned, starting this month, including painting the outside of the hotel, he said. "A...
The 83-key Adagio Premium Aparthotel West Bay Doha Opens in Qatar
October 9, 2014
October 10, 2014 - The first Adagio Premium has just opened in Doha, Qatar, on October 10th. This new, exclusive and unprecedented Premium aparthotel concept is developed by Adagio and Accor specifically for the Middle East. The former Dunes Hotel West Bay was renovated and transformed in collaboration with Accor Hotel Services Middle East to create the Adagio Premium Aparthotel West Bay Doha. This 21-floor establishment boasts 83 one to two-bedroom apartments with a surface area of 75 to 90 sq. meters each, as well as a spa, fitness center and swimming pool. There is also a stunning view of the city from the 21st floor. A flourishing c...
Multi-Million $ Expansion & Renovation Project Underway for FL’s Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort
October 23, 2014
Oct. 23--SANDESTIN -- Construction recently started on a new multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project that will grow the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa's conference center and spa features. Part of the expansion includes building the new 7,500-square-foot Coastal Ballroom, which will be located on the same floor as the resort's two existing ballrooms. The new ballroom will be built out from the second floor and hang over the existing parking lot for the Seagar's Prime Steak & Seafood restaurant. "We wanted to ensure we had the ability to keep pace and tempo with some of our existing customers who have been e...
The 96-key Courtyard Marriott Opens in Nexton Development Near Summerville, South Carolina
October 21, 2014
Oct. 21--The first of two Marriott hotels going in the Nexton community near Summerville is now open. The Courtyard Marriott, a 96-room hotel at 1510 Rose Drive, was recently completed by Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial Corp., a development firm based in Augusta, Ga. An affiliate of the company, Sheep Island Hospitality Partners I, owns the hotel. It's operated by a third company, LBA Hospitality. The new Courtyard Marriott is clearly targeted towards business travelers, with a focus on technology needs, comfortable work spaces and meeting areas. "Today's technology has changed how people travel. Our guests want a room that has purpo...
It’s Official – Jeff Vinik Buys Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel for $150 million
October 2, 2014
Oct. 02--When Jeff Vinik first came to Tampa to buy the Lightning hockey team five years ago, he stayed at the Marriott Waterside hotel. Now, within the span of 24 hours, Vinik has not only purchased the Marriott for $150 million, but also won approval from the City of Tampa to build another major hotel across the street. The hotels, along with Vinik's purchase of Channelside Bay Plaza, and his control of 24 contiguous acres in the area creates a singular opportunity to remake a whole new neighborhood, said Jac Sperling, Vinik's top development executive. "We are not just building a building. We are building an entire district," Sperlin...
Paul Golden Announces Plans to Break Ground on Long-Planned St. Croix Golf Resort & Casino
October 29, 2014
Oct. 29--ST. CROIX -- A new amendment to the Hotel Development Act signed into law by the governor has provided the impetus for Paul Golden to break ground on his St. Croix Golf Resort & Casino development, which has been in the works for more than a decade. At a press conference he called Tuesday, Golden said he will break ground by February on the proposed development of a hotel, casino and golf course on the island's south shore near Great Pond. Because of Bill 30-0431, an amendment to the Hotel Development Act sponsored by Sen. Alicia Hansen and signed into law earlier this month by Gov. John deJongh Jr., Golden Resorts LLLP wil...
$14 million Riverwalk Extension Planned for $280 million Hotel Investment in Savannah, GA
October 5, 2014
Oct. 05--Walking on the west end of River Street can be a lonely stroll. Tourists, street musicians and workers on their way to the job disappear as the shops and restaurants give way to the vacated remnants of the area's industrial past. There is no more riverwalk. It ends abruptly before a fenced-in vacant lot. Instead, a deteriorated street and defunct power plant await pedestrians who make the trip. Past the last bar, a dirt trail serves as a makeshift path to the upper portion of the Historic District. Clamber up the hill and one can return to the world of art, food and drink by following Montgomery Street south to City Market. The...
UAE Hospitality Industry KPI’s Continue to Demonstrate Strength & Growth
October 29, 2014
Oct. 30--Abu Dhabi turns corner as ARR rises; Dubai hotels? profit climbs Dubai: The UAE's hospitality industry sustained steady growth during the summer by posting a nominal rise in occupancy levels last month ahead of high season in the emirate, according to a report. Abu Dhabi hotels turned the corner as average room rates, or ARR, began an upward trend in line with occupancy while the hotels in Dubai profits rose despite marginal decline in ARR in September. TRI Consulting, which released the latest HotStats survey of full-service four- and five-star hotels in the Middle East and North Africa region, said the recovery of the Abu Dha...
Covell Partners, LLC Gets Approval for $25.5M Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center in Edmond, OK
October 22, 2014
Oct. 22--Final site plan approval was granted this week for the $25.5 million Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center to be located near Interstate 35 within the northeast corner of Sooner Road and Covell. The Edmond Planning Commission favored the request made by Covell Partners, LLC with a 3-0 vote. The planned unit development covers an entire quarter-section of land, said Bob Schiermeyer, city planner. The site plan provides for a southwest to northeast orientation of the hotel/conference center, he said. "Access to the building will be from Covell and Sooner Road with a loop drive around the east side of the building," Schiermeyer ...
$26M Renovation/Conversion Underway in Niagara Falls; Former Fallside Hotel to Become a Doubletree
October 19, 2014
Oct. 19--An Amherst construction management company, already active in the changing face of downtown, has begun work on two new projects -- a new Tony Roma's restaurant and a complete renovation of a vacant hotel on Buffalo Avenue overlooking the Niagara River. The three partners of the company, standing at the site of what will soon be a new Doubletree Hotel, said that doing business in the city has been great. "This is our third and fourth project in Niagara Falls," said James Carminati, a principal partner at Waterbourne Construction Advisors and a Youngstown resident. "It's great to see things are finally starting to happen here." A...
After Armed Standoff Between Tribal Factions Judge Orders Closure of Chukchansi Gold Casino
October 11, 2014
Oct. 11--At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, a federal judge in Fresno granted a request by the state of California to shut down the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. The state sought the emergency order from U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill, saying the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians had violated terms of its state compact, part of which requires gambling not endanger the "public health, safety, or welfare" of patrons. O'Neill's order is temporary, and will be in effect until a preliminary injunction hearing he set for Oct.15 at 1:30 p.m. The order, which covers all the various tribal factions as well as the tribe itself, and an...
Older Hotels in Grand Forks, ND Renovate to Stay Competitive in Growing Market
October 25, 2014
Oct. 25--As Grand Forks continues to add hotels, older hotels are taking steps to keep up. One of them is the Red Roof Inn in downtown Grand Forks. The recently rebranded hotel is undergoing a remodel, with about a third of the rooms already done. That includes new fixtures and flooring, along with remodeled common areas. "It'll be all brand new," said manager Annette Aird. The project comes as hundreds of new hotel rooms have come online in the past few years. There were 2,036 hotel rooms in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks in 2011, which grew to 2,446 this year, a 20 percent increase. Hotel developers and tourism officials here cited ...
Wyndham Hotel Group Signs 10 Hotels in India; To Open by Mid 2017
Wyndham Hotel Group | October 9, 2014
Under Ramada Encore® and Howard Johnson® Brands MUMBAI, India (Oct. 10, 2014) – Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with over 7,540 hotels and a part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the signing of 10 properties in India, thereby expanding the company's presence in the rapidly growing mid-market hospitality segment in the country. The announcement was made by Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Hotel Group, and Deepika Arora, regional vice president, Indian Ocean, Wyndham Hotel Group, at a press conference today. There are currently 24 properties with approxi...
Vail Resorts Names Bill Rock, Chief Operating Officer of Park City Mountain Resort & Canyons Resort
Vail Resorts, Inc. | October 9, 2014
Promotes Beth Howard to General Manager of Northstar California Resort BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 10, 2014 -- Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced the appointment of Bill Rock, the current chief operating officer of Northstar California Resort, as the new chief operating officer of Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort, effective November 1, 2014. Rock joined Vail Resorts in 2010 as the chief operating officer at Northstar California Resort and, at that time, was also given oversight of Heavenly and Kirkwood mountains. Rock came to Vail Resorts from Intrawest's Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia, where he was presid...
Renovations Complete for Saint Lucia’s 250-key Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa | October 9, 2014
VIEUX FORT, Saint Lucia (October 10, 2014) - Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa unveils its Fall makeover after completing a month-long, $5 million schedule of renovations. New facilities and upgrades include a pool, bar and gift shop expansions, spa and room refreshments, beach nourishment and a new wedding facility. "This September we turned our attention to the Harmony oasis in particular and we are excited to see this investment in action, taking our facilities to new heights. More than ever, our Two Worlds in One design gives guests a fully realized experience in both our distinctive adults-only and family-friendly wings," says Mar...
