News Top: February
Hotel Development Cost Survey 2014/15
Elaine Sahlins | February 3, 2015
by Elaine Sahlins HVS has tracked hotel construction costs throughout the United States since 1976. Each year, HVS researches development costs from our database of actual hotel construction budgets, industry reports, and uniform franchise offering circulars. These sources provide the basis for our range of component costs per room. This 2014/15 survey reports updated per-room hotel development costs through the end of 2014, and considers data for six lodging types: Economy/Budget Hotels, Midscale Hotels without Food and Beverage (w/o F&B), Extended-Stay Hotels, Midscale Hotels with Food and Beverage (w F&B), Full-Service ...
Handling Customer Complaints 101
Katie Scheer | February 10, 2015
By Katie Scheer February 10, 2015 Customers come in all shapes and sizes, and we can probably all agree that the most difficult is the angry customer. This is someone who has been wronged (in his/her opinion) and is upset and emotional. We get it- mistakes happen, and you will have upset customers. Did you know that ~80% of dissatisfied customers tell 10 people and ~20% of dissatisfied customers tell 20 people? You don't want this negative publicity- NO WAY! So as soon as it is apparent that your customer is upset or that there is a problem, it is absolutely necessary to deal with the situation ASAP. Unlike the customer, you are not ang...
ReviewPro is the Fastest Growing Company in Hotel Reputation Management For the 2nd Consecutive Year
ReviewPro | February 11, 2015
Barcelona, Spain - February 11, 2015 - Of all the online reputation management providers in the hotel industry, ReviewPro was the fastest growing for the second consecutive year (in 2014). As well, ReviewPro is the world leader for independent brands, with more than 17,000 independent hotels and groups in more than 100 countries worldwide. The company's impressive growth has come from signing new clients and the migration of key clients from industry competitors. ReviewPro developed and leads the category of Guest Intelligence, the integration of Online Reputation Management (ORM) and Guest Survey Solution (GSS). The company offers ...
Expedia Acquisitions Signal Tougher Times Ahead for Hotels
Vikram Singh | February 18, 2015
by Vikram Singh Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz walk into a bar. "We do not serve second and third rate Online Travel Agents here," says the bartender. "Well, they are now with me," answers Expedia, "and the drinks are on me!" The room erupts with joy. Drinks are flowing. When Expedia bought out Orbitz within a few weeks of gobbling up Travelocity, it was great news for a lot of stakeholders. But it's probably not so great for the hotel industry, which relies heavily on online travel agents (OTA's) for their revenue and profits. Read on before you raise your glass. First, A Trip Down Memory Lane One of Expedia's greatest assets was its...
Jack Antaramian, 73-year-old Prominent Naples, Florida Developer, Found Dead
February 2, 2015
Feb. 02--Jack Antaramian, a 73-year-old prominent Naples developer, was found dead Monday, police said. Police were investigating the death at Naples Bay Resort. "Police and fire are trying to ascertain the cause of death right now," said Naples Mayor John Sorey. Officers, who were called about 1:34 p.m., arrived at the resort and found Antaramian dead, according to a police department news release. "The circumstances surrounding his death do not appear suspicious at this time," the release states. Four Naples Police Department SUVs were parked in the front of the Naples Bay Resort, near the entrance. A sign was posted noting the resort...
Hilton Worldwide Closes Sale of the Waldorf Astoria New York and Acquires Five Landmark Hotels
Hilton Worldwide | February 11, 2015
February 11, 2015 - MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton Worldwide") today announced it closed its previously-announced sale of the Waldorf Astoria New York to Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. ("Anbang") for $1.95 billion. In addition, Hilton Worldwide has signed agreements to redeploy the proceeds of the sale to add five landmark properties in strategic resort and urban locations to its owned portfolio: Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, FL (1,001 rooms) Waldorf Astoria Orlando in Orlando, FL (498 rooms) The Reach, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Key West, FL (150 rooms) Casa Marina, A Waldorf ...
Wyndham Hotel Group Acquires Dolce Hotels and Resorts for $57 million
Dolce Hotels and Resorts | February 2, 2015
PARSIPPANY, NJ, February 2, 2015 – Wyndham Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN), today announced it has acquired Dolce Hotels and Resorts, a leading provider and manager of group accommodations with a portfolio of 24 properties and over 5,500 guestrooms across seven countries in Europe and North America, for $57 million in cash. This acquisition is consistent with Wyndham Worldwide's core asset-light strategy, and allows Wyndham Hotel Group to expand its managed portfolio by nearly 40% with a significantly larger presence in the group and meetings segment. Dolce's exceptional brand recognition among global me...
Starwood Hotels CEO Frits van Paasschen Resigns; Director Adam Aron Appointed CEO on Interim Basis
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. | February 17, 2015
STAMFORD, Conn. - February 17, 2015 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that Frits van Paasschen has resigned by mutual agreement with the Board of Directors as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director. Adam Aron , a Starwood Director since 2006, has been named Chief Executive Officer on an interim basis while the Board conducts a search for a permanent CEO that will include both internal and external candidates. van Paasschen will continue with Starwood as a consultant to assist in the transition. Bruce W. Duncan , Chairman of the Board, said, "Frits has made many important contributions ...
The Godfrey Hotel, Boston Names Larry Casillo as General Manager
The Godfrey Boston | February 9, 2015
BOSTON, MA; February 5, 2015 - Oxford Hotels & Resorts announces Larry Casillo as general manager of The Godfrey Hotel, Boston (505 Washington St., Boston), a 242-room lifestyle boutique hotel in Boston's burgeoning Downtown Crossing neighborhood, opening in fall 2015. Drawing on over 15 years of luxury, lifestyle, and service-driven hospitality experience, Casillo knows what it takes to launch a hotel from the ground up, including building a high-performing team of hospitality professionals to assist him in providing the ultimate Godfrey experience to his guests. With a name that means "peace and welcome," The Godfrey Hotel, Boston...
Undiscovered Theft of $872K Led Hotel Owner to Sell Due to Struggling Financial Performance
February 2, 2015
Jan. 30--GRAND RAPIDS -- An Ottawa County woman pled guilty Thursday in a federal courtroom in Grand Rapids to a charge of wire fraud over several years, which resulted in stealing nearly $900,000 from an Allendale hotel where she worked. While making the plea, 39-year-old Renata Nicole Annese agreed to pay restitution of approximately $872,000. She will also forfeit her equity interest in her personal residence in Jenison because she used the fraud to make her mortgage payments. From October 2006 to April 2013, Annese used interstate wires to defraud the former owner of the Sleep Inn hotel in Allendale of nearly $1 million, said U.S. A...
A Second Hotel and Water Park Project Planned for Colorado Springs’ North Side?
February 25, 2015
Feb. 25--Dueling hotel and water park projects -- just 2 miles apart -- might be on tap for Colorado Springs. According to a proposal submitted Tuesday to city planners, a Wisconsin-based water park owner and operator plans to complete the partially finished Renaissance Hotel -- a hulking, 10-story eyesore that has stood idle on the city's far north side since a developer ran out of money more than five years ago. Great Wolf Resorts Inc. of Madison also would construct an adjacent water park that would take the place of a conference center originally proposed as part of the hotel. The project would be renamed the Great Wolf Lodge at Int...
Forbes Travel Guide Announces 2015 Star Ratings
Forbes Travel Guide | February 11, 2015
Forbes Travel Guide's Rating System Accelerates Worldwide Growth, Adds 18 New Five-Star Hotels in 2015 Mexico and the Caribbean Gain Their First Five-Stars; Asia Continues to be a Luxury Leader ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2015 -- Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled its 57th list of worldwide Star Rating recipients, including 18 new Five-Star hotels, 46 new Four-Star hotels and 26 new hotels in the Recommended category. As new regions of the world are rated, the number of Five-Star hotels now totals 115 — the most in Forbes Travel Guide's history. The company continues its uniquely selective process for recognizing the finest properties in the ma...
Bucking the Resort Fee Trend by Chris Pulito, General Manager, Whiteface Lodge
Chris Pulito | February 12, 2015
Since it first emerged on the hospitality scene in the 1990s, the resort fee has become increasingly commonplace, extending beyond a few resort-dense tourism centers to destinations throughout the U.S. While the practice has drawn scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, and press and consumer feedback has been less than enthusiastic, within the hotel industry resort fees have been increasingly embraced as revenue drivers and accepted even as a competitive necessity. Recent years have seen such fees, and revenues associated with them, grow steadily. In fact, Bjorn Hanson, a clinical professor at New York University's hospitality scho...
Loews Hotels & Resorts to Purchase and Rebrand the 158-room Mandarin Oriental San Francisco
Loews Hotels & Resorts | February 17, 2015
NEW YORK (February 17, 2015) - Loews Hotels & Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Loews Corporation (NYSE:L), today announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the 158-room Mandarin Oriental San Francisco Hotel. The acquisition is expected to close in late March. "This will be our first entree into San Francisco, a major gateway market and a very important location for Loews Hotels' core customer base," said Paul Whetsell, President & CEO of Loews Hotels & Resorts. "We have been exploring opportunities to enter the San Francisco market for some time, so we are thrilled to add such a respected five-star hote...
Developer of Proposed Hyatt Place Hotel at Shrine Site in Belleville, IL has Industry Experience
February 5, 2015
Feb. 05--BELLEVILLE -- Leaders of a company that propose to build a high end hotel and four upscale restaurants in Belleville have a long history of similar developments in the central Illinois. Chuck and Chane Keller, operators of Keller Enterprises of Effingham along with Centralia banker and public financing expert Forrest Langenfelder, hope to open a six-story Hyatt Place hotel on property owned by the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. Among the planned restaurants is a Hofbrauhaus brewpub and eatery. Chane Keller said an announcement with more details about the project is planned for Monday at the Shrine. According to Norma...
Felcor Sells Two Non-Strategic Hotels for $63.6 M, Enters Agreement to Sell Third for $29.5 M
FelCor | February 17, 2015
IRVING, Texas, February 17, 2015 – FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH) today announced that it sold its 225-room Embassy Suites Hotel – Raleigh and 536-room Westin – Dallas Park Central for aggregate gross proceeds of $63.6 million in separate transactions. FelCor is using asset sale proceeds to repay outstanding debt. FelCor has also agreed to sell the 261-room Embassy Suites Hotel – San Antonio Airport for $29.5 million. The purchaser has paid a $500,000 non-refundable deposit toward the purchase price. FelCor expects to close the sale in March. FelCor is nearing the completion of its portfolio repositioning plan, ha...
The Watergate Hotel Appoints Johnny So as Managing Director
The Watergate Hotel | February 19, 2015
Leading up to 2015 Reopening, Euro Capital Properties Welcomes Luxury Hospitality Expert to the Team Washington, D.C. (February 19, 2015) – International real estate developer, Euro Capital Properties, appoints Johnny So as Managing Director of The Watergate Hotel, which will once again open its doors in summer 2015 following an extensive $125 million renovation. A seasoned hospitality professional, So will play a key role leading up to – and throughout – the reopening of the storied Washington, D.C. hotel. "We are pleased to have Johnny join our team as our Managing Director. He will play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era o...
Investors Snapping Up Luxury Hotels Amid Rising Occupancy and Room Rates
February 16, 2015
Feb. 16--Pampered guests at the five-star Montage Laguna Beach resort can swim in a lap pool overlooking the Pacific, dine on caviar and sleep on goose-down pillows to a lullaby of crashing waves. The rooms typically go for $800 a night and up, but the hotel has no problem filling them, a stark contrast from just a few years ago, when the Great Recession kept most people away. Eager investors are taking notice. Late last month, the Laguna Beach landmark sold for $360 million, a record of more than $1.4 million per room, underscoring the rush to buy hotels, especially in the thriving luxury market serving wealthy business and leisure tra...
Owned by Samar Hospitality, New Aloft Delray Beach to be Developed with January 2018 Opening Planned
February 26, 2015
Feb. 26--Delray Beach, a sizzling tourist destination, now is a target of boutique hotel chains -- the biggest trend in the lodging industry. One hotelier already has a spot: Aloft, the funky boutique hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels, is slated to be built at 202 S.E. 5th Avenue, two blocks south of Atlantic Avenue. In addition, three national hotel companies with an upscale boutique brand are eyeing downtown. They include Radisson's Blu Hotels, Marriott's Autograph Collection, and Hilton's Curio Collection. Starwood aficionados might be familiar with its more established brands, including the W, St. Regis, Westin and Sheraton. But ...
Hyatt to Offer Free Wi-Fi to All Guests Independent of Booking Methods or Loyalty Programs
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | February 13, 2015
CHICAGO (February 13, 2015) – Effective February 14, 2015, all Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide will provide free Wi-Fi to guests independent of booking method or loyalty program participation. This industry-leading offer will be available to guests on an unlimited number of mobile devices or laptops in guest rooms and social spaces at Hyatt-branded hotels. "We continue to evolve our offerings by listening to our guests, and for Hyatt, it didn't feel natural to put barriers around something travelers view as an essential part of their hotel stay," said Kristine Rose, vice president of brands, Hyatt. "More than 500 Hyatt-branded hote...
2014 Top Performing Hampton Hotels Recognized with Connie, Lighthouse & Circle of Excellence Awards
Hampton Hotels | February 23, 2015
February 23, 2015 - MCLEAN, Va. - Hampton Hotels recognized its top performing properties of 2014 by awarding the Connie, Lighthouse and Circle of Excellence award winners. The prestigious Connie Award is named after Hilton Worldwide's founder Conrad Hilton and winners are selected based on their Total Quality Scorecard (TQS), the hotel's loyalty score via SALT (Hilton's Satisfaction and Loyalty Tracking) and the quality assurance (QA) score. All Connie Award recipients will receive a monetary award to host a celebratory event for employees and a trophy. Eleven hotels were presented the Connie Award: Hampton Inn Bangor, Maine Hampton...
Renovation/Conversion Underway for the 361-room Hotel Zephyr Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, CA
Davidson Hotels & Resorts | February 17, 2015
San Francisco, CA - Feb. 17, 2015 - Davidson Hotels & Resorts has teamed up with acclaimed international design firm Dawson Design Associates to launch Hotel Zephyr, an upscale hotel property with a fresh and irreverent twist. As one of the rare waterfront hotels in San Francisco, Hotel Zephyr will offer a one-of-a-kind hotel experience in the heart of the city's iconic tourist attractions. The property, currently the site of the Radisson Fisherman's Wharf and spanning over the entire block bound by Jefferson, Powell & Beach St., was acquired by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in December 2013. The hotel, completely transformed and re-i...
DiamondRock Acquires The Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, California for $58.5 Million
DiamondRock Hospitality Company | February 24, 2015
Selects Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants as the New Manager BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 24, 2015 -- DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") (NYSE: DRH) announced today that it recently acquired the Shorebreak Hotel ("Hotel") in Huntington Beach, CA, for a purchase price of $58.5 million. The purchase price represents a 12.8 multiple on 2015 forecasted Hotel earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"). Mark W. Brugger, President and Chief Executive Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality Company, said, "We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of the Shorebreak Hotel. This was a rare opportunity to buy a truly...
Succession Planning for the Family-Owned Hospitality Business
JMBM | February 16, 2015
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers - Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 16 February 2015 Succession planning for the family-owned hospitality business: protecting your family and your business The hospitality industry has been kind to families over the centuries, providing a good living for many, and significant wealth for others. Whether your family owns a hotel management company or hotels - involved with one or two small properties or a large chain of hotels - the responsibilities of your family-owned business are as profound as the advantages. Ensuring that the business continues to operate and provide for t...
Five Key Takeaways from Americas Lodging Investment Summit
Tanya J. Pierson | February 10, 2015
By Tanya Pierson, MAI; Brett Russell, and Susan Furbay Presentations and conversations at the 2015 ALIS conference touched on everything from new brands and supply to how falling oil prices, a rising dollar, and stability in the capital markets are affecting prospects for U.S. hotels. The Coming Horizons for U.S. Hotels The U.S. hotel industry stands on solid ground as we enter 2015, and this year's Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) engendered confidence that the strong performance should carry on well into next year. Beyond that, however, questions remain, and nearly everyone in attendance was concerned with how long this perfo...
