News Top: March
Columbus, Ohio OKs New Rules for Extended-Stay Hotels; Imposing Apartment-like Regulations
March 4, 2014
March 04--The Columbus City Council approved new rules last night for extended-stay hotels that will treat them more like apartments than hotels. The rules call for the same development standards as for apartments, including 1.5 parking spaces per unit. Hotels need only one space. Other changes include: --A 25-foot buffer between buildings and lot lines, up from zero. --No more than 37 units per acre; there is no density limit for hotels. --Complying with parkland-dedication requirements, which will cost developers $400 per unit or require them to donate land. "The problem that we're solving is, there's no code section that deals with e...
Improving Digital Customer Experience is Key to Increasing Traveler Loyalty in Hotels, Study Says
Magnani Caruso Dutton | March 5, 2014
NEW YORK - March 6, 2014 - Magnani Caruso Dutton (MCD), a digital customer experience agency for several of the world's most recognized brands, today announced results of a 1,000-consumer survey within three traveler segments - business, leisure and family - as well as travelers across these segments with the highest tendency to be loyal to a hotel brand. The report examines the needs and expectations of travelers, the types of digital offerings from hotels that are most compelling to them, and documents the importance of mobile features to make travelers' stays more convenient and informed. Respondents indicated that, in return, the ho...
Judge Upholds Decision Allowing Madera, CA Casino/Hotel Project to Proceed
March 15, 2014
March 15--Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government acted properly last year when they approved the compact that allows North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to build an "off-reservation" casino and hotel project, a Madera County judge said. The ruling was finalized Wednesday by Judge Michael Jurkovich, who said the governor has the power to "negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature," under the state Constitution. "To hold otherwise would make the phrase 'negotiate and conclude' compacts meaningless," Jurkovich wrote in the ruling. Opponents include Madera-area residents and Stand Up For California, a...
Turkey Creek Hospitality Plans to Develop 140-room Hilton Garden Inn in Memphis, Tennessee
March 19, 2014
March 19--Turkey Creek Hospitality this week completed its purchase of the former Greyhound bus station Downtown for its plans to build a 140-room Hilton Garden Inn there. The Knoxville-based company paid $1.67 million to Greyhound Lines for the 1.4-acre property. The development at 195 Union is to be a multifaceted structure serving both businesses and leisure travelers. The site is in the center of Downtown Memphis' sports and entertainment district, directly across from AutoZone Park. Hank Martin and Elliot Embry with NAI Saig Company represented Greyhound Lines, Inc. The developer expects to open The Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downto...
Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage Three Hotels in Central Wisconsin
Aimbridge Hospitality | March 3, 2014
DALLAS, TEXAS (March 4, 2014) - Aimbridge Hospitality announces it has been awarded the management contract for three hotels in central Wisconsin - the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, both located in Stevens Point; and the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Central Wisconsin is a recreational playground offering Midwestern charm and hospitality. The area is known for its abundant outdoor life: trout fishing, nature and hiking trails, and farmers' markets. Many great local breweries and regional restaurants, and it is home of the University of Wisconsin ...
Secrets of New York City’s The Plaza Hotel, Which Opened in 1907 at Rates of $2.50 Per Night
March 18, 2014
March 18--Since The Plaza Hotel opened its doors in 1907, offering luxury rooms at a rate of just $2.50 per night, it has welcomed guests from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Frank Lloyd Wright to Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles. It has been knocked down and rebuilt, updated and restored. But through it all, its status as a New York City icon has remained constant. No matter how many times you've strolled by, stopped in for tea or even stayed the night, there are many things you probably didn't know about the landmark hotel. Humble beginnings The ultra-valuable piece of property that the Plaza stands on today was once the Fifth Avenue Pond. Duri...
Planned Renovation Closure of HI’s Princess Kaiulani Delayed; New Owner to Keep Hotel Open Longer
March 1, 2014
March 01--Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts LP, owner of the Sheraton hotels in Waikiki, has had a change of heart. After announcing just weeks ago that an ownership change would have no effect on a planned $500 million upgrade of the Princess Kaiu?lani Hotel, the company said Friday that the property will remain open through the end of the first quarter of 2015, and possibly longer, as it re-evaluates the project. The hotel was expected to close Aug. 1 for the largest ever investment in a single Waikiki property. "This is a very important decision and Kyo-ya is very committed to the community and what impact this project will have in Wai?kik...
Autopsy Results Pending in Death of Charles Denihan, Heir to Denihan Hospitality Group
March 18, 2014
March 18--Authorities were awaiting autopsy results Tuesday in the death of a charismatic hotel heir found in his Union Square apartment from an apparent drug overdose. Police responded to a 911 call around 8 p.m. Sunday and found Charles Denihan, 28, unresponsive and with no signs of trauma. Drugs, including narcotics, were recovered at the scene, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Denihan was the son of Benjamin "Patrick" Denihan and co-CEO with his sister, Patricia Barrett, of The Denihan Hospitality Group, a family business founded in 1963 that operates numerous hotels and restaurants, including The Surrey, The Affini...
Developer T.R. Reddy Set to Open the New-Build 118-room Holiday Inn Express in Augusta, Georgia
March 11, 2014
March 11--A new Broad Street hotel will open March 21. Developer T.R. Reddy got approval Tuesday to open the Holiday Inn Express at 444 Broad St. after the hotel's franchise company, IHG, toured the 70,000-square-foot building. It stands on the site of several previous hotels near Gordon Highway. Construction started in March 2013 and was completed about a month behind schedule. Reddy blamed winter weather that hit the area in January and February. The project came in slightly over budget at $8.5 million, Reddy said, but he's optimistic it will succeed. "I think it will change the area," the hotelier said. "We took a little bit of a ris...
Owner of West Bradenton, FL Farm Sows Seeds for Urban Village Development, Including Two Hotels
March 3, 2014
March 03--WEST BRADENTON -- In fields once famous for thousands of Gladiolus cultivated over the years, Whiting Preston is sowing seeds for an urban village -- housing, retail and hotels called Crossroads -- on 1,322 acres of his family's land. Until now, the Preston family kept its farming operation in an area surrounded by growth, unlike many other neighboring farmers who sold their land and moved their operation to East Manatee. Today, roads and sidewalks intersect through the fields still managed by the 122-year-old family farming company. Preston has decided to embrace the changing landscape but wants to hear from Manatee County re...
The Stokely Co. Begins Development of 101-key Staybridge Suites in Farragut, Tennessee
March 22, 2014
March 22--The cluster of hotels near the Campbell Station Road interstate interchange in Farragut is getting a new addition. A Staybridge Suites is being developed by The Stokely Co. on a 4-acre tract at 11319 Campbell Lakes Drive south of Interstate 40/75. Site work is underway and construction will begin soon on the extended stay hotel, which will have 101 studio and deluxe suites, Stokley Co. President Andrea White said Friday. Staybridge Suites, a brand of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, is designed for business travelers and "primarily people that are looking to have a home away from home for three to five days. Perhaps people wh...
Ruffin Properties Completes $5 Million Renovation for 294-room Wichita Marriott in Kansas
March 3, 2014
March 03--A $5 million renovation project at the Wichita Marriott hotel near east Kellogg and the Kansas Turnpike is complete. The 10-month-long project encompassed nearly the entire ground floor of the 11-story, 294-room hotel at 9100 Corporate Hills Drive, said general manager Michelle Ruffin-Stein. "We basically tore everything down and started from scratch," said Ruffin-Stein, who added that the hotel remained in operation throughout the renovation. She said it was the first extensive renovation of the hotel's ground floor since the hotel opened in 1987. It follows a renovation of the hotel's guest rooms about four years ago, she sa...
Florida’s 598-key Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Completes $12.5 Million Renovation
March 6, 2014
March 06--SANDESTIN -- The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, but it certainly doesn't look its age thanks to recent renovations. The Hilton Sandestin recently completed a four-month, $12.5 million construction project that included a complete renovation of its lobby and public space, Sandcastles Restaurant and Lounge, Hadashi Sushi Bar, Spa Tower guest rooms and Serenity by the Sea Spa. And that was just the interior. The project also included replacing the resort's original porte-cochere with a contemporary design and building a new 160-space valet parking deck. "We're very pleased wi...
Orient-Express Hotels Sells Maryland’s 78-key Inn at Perry Cabin for $39.7M to CAP Acquisitions
March 5, 2014
March 05--The Inn at Perry Cabin, a luxurious St. Michaels hotel where parts of the movie "Wedding Crashers" were filmed, will be sold to a private real estate firm for $39.7 million. The purchase by real estate magnate Richard Cohen's CAP Acquisitions LLC is expected to close in the next few weeks, according to real estate services firm Savills Hospitality Group, which advised on the deal. The seller, Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., will remain as manager under a 10-year agreement. Marc Magazine, executive managing director of Savills Hospitality, said his firm approached London-based Orient-Express at the end of last summer about selling ...
Laura Benner Joins HVS Asset Management – Newport as Senior Vice President
March 10, 2014
Newport, RI – March 11, 2014 - Kirby Payne, CHA, President of HVS's asset management division in Newport, Rhode Island, has announced the appointment of Laura Benner as Senior Vice President of HVS Asset Management – Newport. Laura Benner, who is based in Manhattan, is a hotel real estate executive with more than 20 years of experience in hotel asset management, value creation, contract negotiations, strategic and branding analysis, acquisitions, dispositions and highest and best use assessments. Ms. Benner has worked within the hospitality divisions of such well-established and highly regarded firms as Host Hotels & Resorts, St...
Renovations Complete for 247-key Marriott at Renaissance Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina
March 3, 2014
March 03--The Marriott at Renaissance Park has completed more than $2 million in renovations and capped 2013 with solid occupancy rates, according to the hotel's ownership. Andrew Cajka, of Southern Hospitality Group, and Spartanburg businessman Jimmy Gibbs purchased the Spartanburg hotel in January 2011. Cajka said renovations, completed over a two-year period, included new dining and lounge areas and upfitting of the hotel's 247 rooms and suites. "Our performance last year was consistent with the Spartanburg market that saw a slight increase over the previous year," Cajka said. "We've been very pleased with the response we've received...
New Yorker Hotel Joins Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® Brand; Rolls Out Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
The New Yorker Hotel | March 3, 2014
NEW YORK, NY (March 4, 2014) - The iconic New Yorker Hotel today announced its rebrand with worldwide Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® as it becomes the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel. Formerly a Ramada franchise; the new, New Yorker Hotel will operate under the prestigious flag of the renowned hotel brand. As the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel embraces the new partnership, it also embarks on a fresh look with the rollout of a five-year, multi-million dollar renovation that will modernize the 1,083-room property including the hotel's exterior, 114 guestrooms (additional rooms slated for 2015 and 2016), revamped ballroom facilities and meeting space as ...
Pacific Hospitality Group and R.D. Olson Development to Build 250-key Hotel in Huntington Beach, CA
R.D. Olson Development | March 3, 2014
Irvine, Calif. (March 4, 2014) - Pacific Hospitality Group and R.D. Olson Development recently unveiled their latest hotel project, the 250-room, Pacific Ocean-facing hotel that will be part of the Pacific City development in Huntington Beach, California. The eight-story hotel will be an upscale property that is ideally designed to take advantage of all that defines the outdoor Southern California beach-inspired lifestyle. The hotel will be affiliated with Pacific Hospitality Group's Meritage Collection, and is scheduled to commence construction in June 2014 with R.D. Olson Construction as general contractor. "Every room in the hotel wi...
California’s Hotel Pipeline Includes 20 Projects for Orange County and 42 for Los Angeles
March 22, 2014
March 22--Bob Olson doesn't have a crystal ball about the timing of new hotels, but he may have something even better -- 35 years of hard-won experience in the construction and development business. Since 1979, when he started R.D. Olson Construction, Olson has been through every recession, every construction boom and every bust. He learned to see the telltale signs of recovery when everyone else was looking the other way. So in 2010, as the hotel industry retreated into survival mode, Olson landed his first new project since cutting his pipeline in 2006 in advance of the recession. It was a Courtyard by Marriott in Oceanside. "Truth be...
Father-Daughter Development Team to Acquire Historic Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida
March 8, 2014
March 08--DUNEDIN -- A Pennsylvania real estate development team confirmed Friday that it has reached a verbal deal to purchase the iconic Fenway Hotel. Christy Bower said she and her father-turned-business partner James Bower got word from PNC Bank Thursday that their offer to buy the foreclosed 6.4-acre waterfront tract at 453 Edgewater Drive was accepted. She declined to reveal the purchase price. The real estate website Loopnet.com lists the property's value at $3.9 million. Bower said the bank made the closing date contingent on final approval by the city, which will present the plan in coming weeks to neighbors, a citizen advisory...
Long Delayed Conrad Ft. Lauderdale Resort & Residences, the Former Trump Condo-Hotel Gains Traction
March 7, 2014
March 07--The Conrad Fort Lauderdale Resort & Residences, a long-delayed project once tied to developer Donald Trump, has begun to sell units as $35 million in renovations continues. Work crews are rebuilding the lobby, adding a lounge and a gourmet market at the site, 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Plans also include a high-tech conference room, a ballroom for meeting space and a redesign of the 290 units. Prices will range from $450,000 to $1.8 million, with three penthouses expected to fetch more. Although the Conrad is a luxury condominium-hotel property, it also will be comfortable and casual -- "not stuffy or overstated," ...
Oberhausen Marketing & Public Relations Re-launches the National Hotel Miami Beach
Oberhausen Marketing & Public Relations | March 18, 2014
Miami Beach, FL (March 19, 2014) - Oberhausen Marketing & Public Relations (OBR) (www.obrmarketing.com) is now representing the landmark National Hotel Miami Beach. After a multimillion-dollar restoration to return the iconic hotel to its original Art Deco splendor, the National is now in the process of adding programs and services in advance of an official re-launch. OBR is assisting the National in these efforts by providing branding, programming and marketing strategy oversight while establishing and maintaining ongoing public relations support. "Being a local full-service marketing and public relations agency that specializes in...
OTO Development Sells 15 Hotels to Blackstone Group and Retained to Continue as Operator
March 22, 2014
March 22--OTO Development will celebrate its 10th anniversary in May. And the Spartanburg-based hospitality company said it is poised for even greater success as it enters its next decade of hotel development and operations. On Friday, the company announced that it sold a package of 15 hotels Thursday to Blackstone Group, one of the world's largest equity firms, for an undisclosed price. Blackstone hired OTO to continue operating the hotels, the company said. Corry Oakes, president and CEO of OTO, said the announcement is a "significant milestone" in the company's history. "Due to our strong property management performance, (Blackstone)...
Preparing Your Hospitality Executives & Staff For Effective Corporate Communication
the Authors | March 21, 2014
Preparedness Versus Damage Control by Erin Bagley & Leora Lanz Effective Corporate Communication This article aims to investigate how corporate communication in the hospitality industry should be utilized effectively. Section I focuses on how to ensure effective communication from your CEOs and corporate executives by reviewing case studies and recommendations on how to speak to both internal and external groups. Section II reviews company-wide communications in the digital age, and recommends protocol for adopting and enforcing social media standards for all employees, not just executives. Section III concludes by considering uniqu...
Colville Tribes Plan to Soon Break Ground on New $40M Casino Resort & Hotel Near Omak, WA
March 26, 2014
March 26--OMAK -- The Colville Confederated Tribes hopes to break ground in May on a new $40 million casino resort with an 80-room hotel and a restaurant just south of Omak. When it's completed a year later, the casino will be twice the size of the current Mill Bay Casino in Manson, and will replace the tribes' Okanogan Bingo Casino, said Colville Tribal Chairman Michael Finley. It will be the Okanogan Valley's first major destination resort, and will not only provide jobs, but could bring annual meetings or other gatherings to the area, said Roni Holder-Diefenbach, executive director of the Economic Alliance, a nonprofit group that pro...
