News Top: January
Three Ways Technology Makes Payments Easier For Hotel Guests
Cristine Sommers | January 26, 2016
By Cristine Sommers Technology has been making aspects of everyday life easier, and now consumers are using new and alternative technology to make paying for goods and services simpler. Buyers now are using smartphones and other mobile devices during transactions, all while paying for items through alternative methods. Hotels can attract more guests and make the payment process easier when they use innovative technology to accept new and alternative payment options. Understanding what your customers want and how to help make their payments easier is critical. Some of the ways in which technology makes payments easier for hotel guests in...
The Restoration in Charleston, South Carolina Unveils $27 Million Yearlong Transformation and Expansion
The Restoration | January 20, 2016
Charleston, S.C. (January 2016) – Charleston's most anticipated luxury lifestyle hotel project, The Restoration, unveils this month following a $27 million yearlong transformation. Located on historic King Street in the center of downtown Charleston, the expanded property is a first for the city, offering a sophisticated pied-à-terre experience. Dropping the "on King" from its previous identity, the new Restoration features 54 suite-style accommodations with five new outlets and an notable roster of both timeless and on-brand partners from an amenity line by Beekman 1802, to a Culture Library with Assouline books, a Toby's ...
Carter Hospitality to Reopen Kissimmee Property as Red Lion Hotel Following Multi-Million Dollar Renovation
RLHC | January 15, 2016
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 15, 2016 -- RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corporation) (NYSE:RLH) announced today the Company will open a second Red Lion Hotel near Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida after securing a franchise license agreement with the owners. Also located in Kissimmee, the hotel is currently closed and undergoing extensive renovations before its planned reopening by November 2016. "We will have invested millions in a complete refurbishment of the property inside and out when we reopen as a Red Lion Hotel," said Jeff Carter of Carter Hospitality Group, LLC., whose affiliate owns the property and also owns the Red Lion Hot...
The Liquidation Sale of the Grand Plaza Hotel Opens Thursday, January 7th at 10:00 a.m.
NCL/ National Content Liquidators, Inc. | January 6, 2016
Sale Conducted by NCL/ National Content Liquidators, Inc. 30 Days Only! (Toledo, Ohio January, 2016) – The Grand Plaza Hotel has contracted with NCL/National Content Liquidators, Inc., the leading expert in hotel liquidation management, to clear the hotel of its current contents as a prelude to the property's renovation to a 4-star hotel. The liquidation is being held on-site at the Grand Plaza Hotel, located at 444 North Summit Street, Toledo, Ohio ., and is open to both the hospitality industry and the general public. The sale begins at 10:00 am, Thursday, January 7th, and will continue until sold out, Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am-...
5 Game-Changing Hotel Industry Trends To Tackle in 2016
NAVIS | January 20, 2016
BEND, OR – January 20, 2016 – NAVIS, a leader in innovative hospitality technology solutions, today announced five trends that are changing the face of the hotel industry and providing an eye-opening look at what lodging operators should be leveraging in 2016. The travel world has undergone a substantial transformation in the last few years, and the technology that incited the changes is growing at a faster pace than most can keep up with. Marriott purchasing Starwood, Expedia buying HomeAway, Priceline's exclusive agreement with TripAdvisor Instant Booking, and Google's intentions to expand and improve Book on Google. To sa...
4 Ways Luxury Hotels Can Use Technology To Provide Better Customer Service
Alex Shashou | January 16, 2016
By Alex Shashou For some luxury hoteliers, the idea of mobile technology in hospitality is fraught. When customer service is understood as face-to-face interaction, the introduction of mobile technology is seen as an ill-suited replacement, an encroach on the time-honored traditions of hospitality. And when construed as such, there is also research that backs up these misgivings. A recent study by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration shows that using automation - in this case self-serve check-in technology - as a replacement for in-person customer service "can impede development of employee-guest rapport and lead t...
What’s In and What’s Out? Top 10 Travel Trends for 2016
January 12, 2016
What's Trending in Travel, Hospitality, Culinary and Wellness in the Year Ahead 2015 was a good one for travel - hotel occupancy rates hit an all-time high, travel companies worldwide went above and beyond to meet travelers' demands for wellness and technological advancements, and hotels' commitment to sustainability continued to pick up steam, but NYC-based Hawkins International PR predicts that 2016 will be an even better year for travel. With airfare prices expected to remain relatively steady, U.S. business travel volume predicted to reach 502.8 million person-trips in 2016 and over one-third of millennials (who account...
Owners of Hawaii’s Turtle Bay Resort Seeking Cash, Look to Sell a Stake in Property
January 21, 2016
Jan. 21--The owners of Turtle Bay Resort are looking to sell a stake in the property or partner with new investors as part of a plan to develop more hotel rooms and residential units at the vacation destination on Oahu's North Shore. Chicago-based real estate brokerage and investment management firm JLL was retained by a consortium of lenders that owns Turtle Bay to solicit a capital injection for the resort, according to an announcement released by the resort Wednesday. A sale of the whole resort property could potentially result, but is not the focus of the offering through JLL, according to one person familiar with the effort. &q...
Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas Resorts Launch Self Check-In and Key Retrieval Kiosks Citywide
Caesars Entertainment Corporation | January 6, 2016
Caesars Entertainment offers kiosks that transform and streamline the traditional check-in experience throughout the Las Vegas Strip LAS VEGAS (Jan. 6, 2015) – Caesars Entertainment debuts new self check-in kiosks at its Las Vegas Resorts, beginning with The LINQ Hotel & Casino, Flamingo Las Vegas and Caesars Palace. This is the first fully-integrated self check-in program in Las Vegas that incorporates email, text, web, mobile app and kiosks, completely reinventing the way guests arrive and begin their stay. Visitors to Las Vegas often cite wait times as one of the most frustrating aspects of their trip; with long lines at th...
Hotels: Improve Guest Comfort While Cutting Operational Costs
Xeros | January 20, 2016
By David Kaupp, Xeros Successfully managing a hotel has its challenges. Keeping guests happy and staff motivated is no easy feat. And even if you are effective at both of those tasks, you must be able to measure and monitor expenses and take action to reduce hotel operations costs where appropriate. But reducing costs can never be at the expense of quality and service. Guest comfort and experience is paramount to every decision regarding costs. Marketing: Digital and social media are low cost ways to get your hotel's name out to your target markets. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TripAdvisor can give you exposure to local, national, ...
The Smart Hotelier’s 2016 Top Ten Digital Marketing Resolutions
the Authors and HeBS Digital | January 5, 2016
By Max Starkov and Mariana Safer On paper, 2015 was a great year for the hospitality industry. We saw general increases in all key growth metrics, and we expect continued growth in 2016. Next year, occupancy is expected to increase .1% to 65.8%, ADR by 6.1% to US $128.04, and RevPAR by 6.1% to US $84.19. Demand is expected to grow 2.3%, and supply by 2.2% (PWC May 2015). Yet this was also a year of conflicting results. If the industry saw this type of growth, why did hoteliers lose so much market share to the OTAs? How did we let the OTAs dominate hotel bookings in 2015? For major hotel brands, pre-recession (2007), 85% of all online bo...
Commune Hotels & Resorts and Destination Hotels Merge to Create the Leading Operator of Independent and Lifestyle Hotels and Resorts
Commune Hotels & Resorts | January 25, 2016
Merger Brings Together Two Growing Companies with Complementary Competitive Strengths and Offerings Combined Company Will Manage More Than 90 Properties in Seven Countries with Approximately $2 Billion of Total Property Revenues Under Management SAN FRANCISCO, California and DENVER, Colorado – January 25, 2016 – Commune Hotels & Resorts, the international lifestyle hotel management company comprising Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels, tommie and Alila Hotels & Resorts, and Destination Hotels, the preeminent operator of independent hotels, resorts and residences in the United States, today announced that they have...
Storied Ritz Carlton Paris Hotel Goes up in Flames During Renovation
January 19, 2016
Jan. 19--PARIS -- A fire burning Tuesday morning on the top floor of the famed Ritz hotel in central Paris has been brought under control, though it remains unclear how the blaze will impact the hotel's expected March re-opening. Firefighters were called to the scene at approximately 7 am (0600 GMT) and the blaze was subdued by late morning, though fire captain Yvon Bot told French broadcaster that it would take longer to fully extinguish the fire. The flames broke out on the seventh storey of the hotel, which is the top floor, and Bot explained that accessing material intended to insulate against heat and noise would be particularl...
Pendry Hotels Names Michael O’Donohue General Manager for Flagship Hotel, Pendry San Diego
Pendry Hotels | January 11, 2016
January 11, 2016 (Orange County, Calif.) – Pendry Hotels, the new brand established by Montage Hotels & Resorts, is pleased to announce Michael O'Donohue as General Manager of their first hotel, Pendry San Diego, in San Diego's historic Gaslamp District. Pendry San Diego will blend exceptional service with inspired design, and will deliver original, exciting and authentic offerings to guests and locals. With over 22 years of experience in luxury hotel management, O'Donohue joins Pendry with an extensive and diverse hospitality background. He spent the last ten years working in various positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts...
St. Thomas’ Sugar Bay Resort says business as usual as AMResorts ends management
January 4, 2016
Jan. 04--ST. THOMAS -- Dreams Sugar Bay St. Thomas Resort and Spa will be under a new name, and new management, with the start of the new year. The AMResorts organization, which manages the Dreams brand, officially terminated its contract with the Sugar Bay Club and Resort Corporation at midnight on Dec. 31, according to AMResorts spokeswoman Jennifer Valdes. "The Dreams brand will not be involved in the operation, management, marketing, sales and brand management of the resort in any way," AMResorts stated. However, the change is not expected to affect the daily operations of the hotel for staff or guests, which will now be c...
FelCor to Sell Morgans and Royalton Hotels
FelCor | January 29, 2016
IRVING, Texas--(January 29, 2016)--FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH) today announced that it is in negotiations to sell its Morgans and Royalton hotels in New York. Proceeds from these opportunistic asset sales will be used to fund initiatives intended to create significant stockholder value. FelCor and Morgans Hotel Group, which operates the hotels, have agreed that FelCor may sell the hotels unencumbered by management. Morgans will continue to manage the properties for FelCor until they are sold. ...
ALIS Award Winners Announced; 2015’s Most Noteworthy Hotel Investment Deals and Executives Honored
AH&LA | January 27, 2016
Los Angeles, CA – January 27, 2016 - At the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) awards luncheon today, executives and companies responsible for the most influential hotel industry deals in 2015 were honored with prestigious ALIS awards. Nominees are considered for the awards based on outstanding business performance in various industry sectors and determined by ALIS sponsors and delegates. This year's winners include: Development (Full Service) of the Year 2015 Note: Full Service includes branded and unbranded - luxury and upper upscale chain scales, and casinos. 1 Hotel South Beach - Miami, FL The 426-room 1 Hotel South B...
The HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, & Revenue Optimization Named
HSMAI | January 21, 2016
January, 2016 - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced its 2015 honorees for The HSMAI Top 25: Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization. Now in its 13th year, The HSMAI Top 25 honors leaders in sales, marketing, and revenue optimization of hospitality, travel and tourism organizations for their accomplishments in the preceding 18 months. HSMAI will honor The HSMAI Top 25 in conjunction with the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on February 16, 2016, at the New York Marriott Marquis, and in a private ceremony co-hosted by Questex Hospitality + Travel. "...
Angry Guests Can Still Become Loyal!
Larry Mogelonsky | January 6, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Angry guests with insurmountable problems; we've all encountered them. Rivalry, opposition, antagonism, conflict or whatever other synonym you deploy to convey obstacles in the workplace like this would be better viewed as helping your business goals instead of detracting. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? When applying this adage to guest-staff interactions, it's all too easy to deem livid, annoying, testy, arrogant, needy, rude or whining guests as enemies to your organizational goals which are likely to be high guest satisfaction scores and the pursuit of higher occupancie...
Where Next for the Big Hotel Brands?
JLL | January 15, 2016
World leading hotel operators are active in almost every corner of the globe leaving little room to expand in developed markets, which are awash with well-known hotel brands. Take prime locations such as London, New York or Singapore, for example. Major chains such as Hilton and Marriott have expanded aggressively by launching sub-brands to cover every consumer travel segment. It's no surprise that boutique and lifestyle names have grown by 25 per cent since 2009. Although some consolidation is now underway – Marriott and Accor have made high profile acquisitions of Starwood and Fairmont respectively to significantly boost their p...
Hotels Start 2016 Strong, Led by Increase in New Group Business
TravelClick, Inc. | January 28, 2016
However, Deceleration of Business Travel Creates Increased Dependency on Leisure Bookings NEW YORK – January 28, 2016 – As hoteliers kick off the New Year, properties in major North American markets are experiencing strong increases in bookings, with 19 of the top 25 (76 percent) markets showing committed occupancy* growth compared to last month. However, as business demand pace has slowed, there is an increased dependency on leisure and wholesale bookings with lower average daily rates (ADR) to drive occupancy, according to new data from TravelClick's January 2016 North American Hospitality Review (NAHR). "While total commi...
Hilton Worldwide Unveils New Midscale Brand, Tru by Hilton
Tru by Hilton | January 25, 2016
MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) today unveiled Tru by Hilton, a brand that is simplified, spirited and grounded in value, filling a massive void in the midscale category in the U.S. and Canada. Built from a belief that being cost conscious and having a great stay don't have to be mutually exclusive, Tru by Hilton offers an experience unlike anything in its space, consistently delivered in a surprisingly affordable way. Demonstrating owners' desire for a forward-thinking and innovative midscale brand with a strong value proposition, Hilton Worldwide already has 102 hotels signed and an additional 30 hotels in various s...
A Soft Landing in 2017 / Robert A. Rauch, CHA
Bob Rauch | January 5, 2016
2015 ended as expected: a record year for the hospitality industry, 2016 is looking to continue that trend with expected ADR growth at 6 percent and though occupancy looks to remain relatively flat, this translates to a 6 percent growth in RevPAR and perhaps the most profitable year ever in our industry. Now that you're done celebrating, I'd like to warn you that our current economic cycle will be reaching an end sometime next year. I'm not foreseeing a recession as we've experienced in past economic downturns, but more of a soft landing in 2017 as the economy pulls back slightly. There are a multitude of factors that wi...
Where Do the Wealthiest One Percent of Americans Go for Luxury Travel and How Much do They Spend?
Resonance Consultancy | January 26, 2016
NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) JANUARY 26, 2016 – A new study conducted by international travel and tourism consultancy Resonance Consultancy identifies the most appealing destinations and luxury travel trends of the top five percent and one percent of U.S. travelers. In an analysis of 1,667 travelers with a household income of at least $200,000 or net worth of $2 million, Resonance found the top five percent take 14.3 trips per year (half for business and half for leisure, totaling an average of 29 days per year). U.S. travelers overall take an average of 4.8 trips. Analyzing spending habits of the top five percent, it was revealed that th...
Omni Hotels & Resorts Breaks Ground on $289 Million Mixed-Use Omni Louisville Hotel Development
Omni Hotels & Resorts | January 29, 2016
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (January 29, 2016) — Executives from Omni Hotels & Resorts along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, the Metro Council, leaders from the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Louisville Downtown Partnership broke ground today on the Omni Louisville Hotel. The 30-story luxurious property will reflect Louisville's warmth and hospitality, while embracing and celebrating the city's authentic quality and charm. The hotel will be the luxury brand's first property in Kentucky. Set to open in early 2018, the Omni Louisville will be a catalyst to the city's growth and urban development. Considered the tal...
