News Top: November
Marriott International President and CEO, Arne Sorrenson, Posts Open Letter to President-Elect Trump
November 14, 2016
Congratulations on your election as President of the United States. You ran an impressive campaign, never doubting your message. You now have the opportunity to lead from the White House and all of us want you, and the nation you will serve, to be successful. I was gratified to hear your inclusive words in your election night speech. As President, you will have the ability to represent everyone, whether they supported you in the election or not. Particularly after this campaign, we need leadership to bring us together, to find areas of common ground and to help us find a path through issues that require compromise. You have the chance...
The Inaugural trivago Awards 2017: America’s 10 Best Properties in Four Different Categories Based on User Ratings
trivago | November 15, 2016
Düsseldorf, Germany / November 15, 2016 - For the very first time trivago.com reveals the best hotels in the United States — based entirely on guest reviews. Chosen for their outstanding customer service, ranking, and performance, the trivago Awards 2017 recognize the 10 best properties in America in four different categories; 5-Star, 4-Star, 3-Star, and Alternative Accommodation. How did trivago choose these properties? We didn't. With user ratings gathered from 34 hotel, booking, and review sites across the web, we've crafted a comprehensive, transparent, unbiased index for hotel ratings that we call the trivago Rating Inde...
Starwood Hotels to Lay Off 163 Employees, Most are Senior Management, at End of Year
November 1, 2016
Nov. 01--Starwood Hotels has told the state it plans to lay off 163 employees in Stamford by the end of the year. Starwood Hotels, which was lured to Connecticut from White Plains, N.Y. by Gov. M. Jodi Rell with a more than $80 million incentives package, was bought by Marriott in September. Marriott notified the state Department of Labor by letter on Friday that there would be a mass layoff of "approximately 163 employees," and said the layoffs are "most likely at the close of business on Dec. 31." The layoffs include some rank and file workers, such as administrative assistants, executive assistants and specialists...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 170: Hotel History: Washington Square Hotel, New York City (1902)
Stanley Turkel | November 29, 2016
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS A haven for writers and artists for more than a century, the Washington Square Hotel, located at Waverly and MacDougal Streets, just off the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, occupies a unique place in Greenwich Village's history. The hotel facilities include 150 guestrooms, a renovated lobby with unique art works, 24-hour front desk service, fitness room, lobby bar and the highly-acclaimed North Square Restaurant & Lounge. Complimentary wireless internet access is available in the lobby and lobby bar. The Washington Square Hotel was built in 1902 as a residential hotel named the Hotel Earle after i...
Fairmont’s Philip Barnes to Lead London’s Savoy Hotel as Regional Vice President & Managing Director
Fairmont Pacific Rim | November 2, 2016
VANCOUVER, BC, November 2, 2016 - Philip M. Barnes is replacing his umbrella for a "brolly" and will be departing Vancouver as Regional Vice President, Fairmont Hotels PNW and General Manager, Fairmont Pacific Rim, effective November 18. Born, raised, and educated in the UK, Barnes will be returning to his roots and will assume the role as Regional Vice President & Managing Director for London's iconic Savoy hotel. Barnes will lead the hotel's team in all aspects of the operation, guest services and owner relations. Under Barnes' stewardship since 2011, Fairmont Pacific Rim has garnered prestigious recognition ...
Hotel CEOs Have a Payday in 2016
Keith Kefgen | November 7, 2016
By Keith Kefgen and Andrew Hazelton When we began our careers in the hotel business, it was widely thought that our industry paid executives rather poorly. Is that still true today? If CEO pay is any indication, it appears that stigma needs to change. In fact, based on our 20th review of hotel CEO pay, one could say that the industry is a vehicle for getting rich. Our analysis shows that the average pay check of a hotel CEO was more than $6M in 2015, while the average stock ownership was over $40M. Not bad for an industry with a tight-fisted reputation. Maybe more important than having a big pay check, we think CEOs should be graded on ...
W Hotels Worldwide in Partnership with Nozul Algarve, S.A to Develop W Algarve in Portugal
W Hotels Worldwide | November 9, 2016
NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2016 -- W Hotels Worldwide, now part of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), today announced it will open W Algarve in 2018 on Portugal's stunning sun-kissed Algarve coast. Developed in partnership with Nozul Algarve, S.A., the vibrant oceanfront oasis will overlook the breathtaking coastline and the beckoning waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The debut will mark the third W Escape in the Europe, a newly created portfolio of W Hotels located in ski, sand and entertainment destinations around the world, that make the traditional 'resort' a last resort. "This beachfront paradise is the perfect backdrop for ...
2017 Hospitality Outlook Is a Mixed Bag: U.S. Occupancy High, But ADR Growth Is Disappointing
CBRE Group, Inc. | November 29, 2016
Atlanta – November 29, 2016 – The 2017 outlook for U.S. hotels offers mixed blessings, with near record occupancy levels projected while average daily room rates (ADR) are expected to continue leveling off. According to the recently released December 2016 Hotel Horizons® forecast report, CBRE Hotels' Americas Research is projecting that the U.S. lodging industry will achieve an annual occupancy rate of 65.3 percent in 2017, just shy of the 65.4 percent all-time record occupancy level expected for 2016. "Conventional wisdom says that at such high occupancy levels, hoteliers should have the leverage to implement strong pri...
Outrigger Hotels Sold to Denver-Based KSL Capital Partners
November 9, 2016
Nov. 09--Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, which has been owned and operated by the Kelley family for 69 years, has signed an agreement to sell the business to Denver-based KSL Capital Partners LLC. The transaction, which is expected to close in 60 to 90 days for an undisclosed price, includes all 37 hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties operated, owned and managed by Outrigger. After the transaction closes, business is expected to continue as usual with the company's name kept intact and its headquarters remaining in Waikiki. However, the deal does put the planned $100 million renovation of the Outrigger Reef on hold whil...
Ten Considerations To Fix Your Property’s Balance Sheet
Larry Mogelonsky | November 30, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) "Ownership is disappointed with the results." Through over 30+ years in the hospitality industry, this phrase is one that I hear all too often. Glass half full, it should open a further discussion as to why top or bottom line financial data is not living up to the plan, which usually then leads to spending cuts in a mad dash to restore the P&L to some sort of fiscal profitability. But why does this have to happen? In the packaged goods business, my vocation prior to entering the hospitality world, cutting expenses was rarely considered a primary solution to a brand's challenges. Rather,...
New 95-Room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Braselton Opens on Georgia’s Château Élan Estate
Hampton by Hilton | November 10, 2016
BRASELTON, Ga. and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) Hampton by Hilton brand, the global mid-priced hotel that serves value-conscious and quality-driven travelers around the world, today announced the opening of its newest property, Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Braselton. The 95-room hotel joins the family of Hampton by Hilton and Hampton Inn by Hilton. Located at 5159 Golf Club Drive, the new hotel is managed by Château Élan Hotels & Resorts. "Our guests will have a unique experience that combines the friendly service culture of Hamptonality with the beautiful, upscale surroundings of Château &Eac...
Marketing Strategies for a Competitive Advantage in 2017
Robert A. Rauch | November 1, 2016
By Robert Rauch According to Geoffrey Moore in his book Living on the Fault Line: Managing for Shareholder Value in the Age of the Internet, stock price is a measure of future potential based on present competitive advantage. Competitive advantage consists of two components, GAP and CAP. The first, GAP, is the distance between your hotel offerings and your nearest competitors or the competitive advantage gap. The second is CAP, the competitive advantage period, that is the projected period a company can maintain its differentiated position. In other words if a hotel company has superior products and significant barriers to entry, it has...
8 Big Travel Predictions for 2017
Booking.com | November 21, 2016
AMSTERDAM - 21 NOVEMBER 2016 - Inspired by a wealth of data, traveller endorsements, reviews, preferences and insights as well as industry leading understanding and innovation in e-commerce travel technology, the experts at Booking.com shed light on 8 major travel predictions for 2017. Read on to find out what holiday makers and business travellers can expect to experience in the year ahead. 1. Instant Gratification 2.0 Technology is fuelling a more demanding and impatient traveller. 44% of travellers already expect to be able to plan their holiday in a few simple taps of their smart phone and over half (52%) expect their use of travel ...
Train Your Hotel Sales Team to Tell Stories Not Just Quote Rates
Doug Kennedy | November 7, 2016
By Doug Kennedy As marketing professionals across all industries know, the concept of storytelling is an integral component for success in today's environment. You can see this approach playing out across all mediums from print to web to radio and television. Car ads are no longer about the features and benefits of the car, but rather about all of the places that car can take you. Soda ads are not so much about the taste, but about how happy you will be by sharing it with friends and family, showing bottles labeled with real names or "dad" and "grad." Maybe the best example is the new Liberty Mutual Insurance advertising campaign where ...
Hotel Lawyer: The PROs and CONs of Multi-Branded Hotels
Bob Braun | November 10, 2016
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com Hotel Lawyer on multi-branded hotels. Hotels with more than one brand are increasingly common, but it wasn't always so. Although some compelling advantages are driving this trend in many situations, developers and owners should weigh the advantages against other considerations. My partner Bob Braun is a senior member of our Global Hospitality Group® and has experience with many hundreds of hotel management and franchise agreements. Bob is also co-author of the Hotel Management Agreement & Franchise Agreement Handbook (3rd edition),...
How the Marriott-Starwood Merger Will Affect You…
Jim Butler | November 11, 2016
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com Global Hospitality Group® survey results: What does all the recent consolidation in the hotel industry mean to different stakeholders? Marriott closed its acquisition of Starwood on September 23, 2016, following Accor's closing of its acquisition of Fairmont/Raffles on July 12, 2016. Other consolidations may already be underway. In any event, most of us in the hotel industry expect some very important consequences to result from such transactions. The hotel lawyers at JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® thought it would be int...
sbe Expands Management Team for SLS Seattle Opening Summer 2017
sbe | November 1, 2016
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1, 2016 -- sbe, the Los Angeles-based leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues, today announced Tawny Paperd as Director of Sales & Marketing, Leah Levar as Director of Human Resources and Gavin Stephenson as Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage of SLS Seattle. The luxury lifestyle hotel will span 16 floors of The Mark, a premier 48-story Class-A+ office tower located in midtown of Downtown Seattle. "I am delighted to announce that Tawny, Leah and Gavin have joined our team," said Rod Lapasin, General Manager of SLS Seattle. &...
Executive Team Appointments Complete for Opening of Madinat Jumeirah’s Newest Hotel, Jumeirah Al Naseem
Madinat Jumeirah | November 10, 2016
Dubai, 11 October 2016: Jumeirah has announced the executive team tasked with managing the 1 December opening of Madinat Jumeirah's newest hotel Jumeirah Al Naseem, the 430-room 'resort within a resort' that completes the 'Arabian Resort of Dubai'. Announcing the team, Margaret Paul, Resort General Manager of Madinat Jumeirah, said: "The team we've assembled for the opening of Jumeirah Al Naseem comprises hospitality experts with years of experience operating and managing hotels both in the Jumeirah portfolio and for other luxury operators. The mix of existing and new Jumeirah Al Naseem management colleagues will deliver the reassuringl...
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Completes $70 Million Renovation of ONE UN at New York’s United Nations Plaza
Millennium Hotels and Resorts North America | November 14, 2016
NEW YORK (November 14, 2016) - Millennium Hotels and Resorts is pleased to announce the completion of a 70 million dollar renovation to its North America flagship hotel, ONE UN at United Nations Plaza, an iconic hotel situated in the heart of the International United Nations Headquarter enclave. Preserving the architectural and design integrity of the original Kevin Roche-designed building, the thoughtfully executed renovation, encompassed all 439 guest rooms and suites, meeting and event spaces, public areas and the storied Ambassador Grill Restaurant and Bar. Design enhancements respectfully brought to life the original elegance and s...
AUM Hotels Group Opens 255-Room Hyatt Place Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Hyatt Place | November 7, 2016
CHICAGO--November 7, 2016--Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the opening of Hyatt Place Edmonton/Downtown in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The hotel, which opened its doors on Thursday, October 27, brings the Hyatt Place brand's intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings, to the Edmonton area. The hotel's convenient location in the heart of downtown Edmonton provides easy access to the area's best shopping and cultural favorites such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, Citadel Theatre, Francis Winspear Centre, Commonwealth Stadium and the New Rogers Place. Busines...
UpLift Brings Installment Payments to Travel with Leading Providers
UpLift | November 10, 2016
Partnerships with The Mark Travel Corporation and Golden Nugget Make Low-Cost Travel Financing Available to Millions SUNNYVALE, CA (NOVEMBER 10, 2016) – UpLift, Inc., an innovative start-up that brings digital marketing, travel and fintech expertise to major travel brands, today announced strategic partnerships with leading travel providers. With Pay Monthly, UpLift's new travel financing service, UpLift's partners can enable travelers to buy now, but pay later through installment payments offered at the industry's lowest rates. With this influential new marketing capability, travel providers can boost conversion rates, merchandis...
Brian R. Wells Named General Manager for The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Roanoke, VA
The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center | November 10, 2016
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, November 2016 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Brian R. Wells general manager for The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, which is part of Curio - A Collection by Hilton. "It is such a pleasure to welcome Brian to Benchmark and to The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center," said Cedric Fasbender, vice president of operations for Benchmark. "Brian brings extensive hotel and conference center experience to this vibrant institution so closely identified with our region." The historic Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, located in Roanoke, Virginia, is owned through a par...
The Marriott-Starwood Mega-Deal: Bringing Together Two Different Corporate Cultures to Create Value
Stuart Pallister | November 23, 2016
by Stuart Pallister, Associate Director, Lausanne Hospitality Research Center With Marriott`s $13.6 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels now complete, Marriott chief executive Arne Sorenson will be contemplating how to capture as much value as possible from the deal. As with all such M&A activity though the apparent benefits will only be realized with a well-implemented plan when it comes to bringing together what may be very different corporate cultures. At a recent panel discussion on "How is the hotel industry going to attract and retain the talent of the future?" staged at Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne (EHL), panelists wit...
2017 Luxury Travel and Hospitality Trends Revealed at Inaugural Travel Trends Summit
Magrino | November 28, 2016
NEW YORK (November 28, 2016) – Magrino, a lifestyle public relations agency for top brands in hospitality, consumer and luxury goods, and food, wine and spirits, today announced its forecast for 2017 trends in luxury travel and hospitality. The announcement follows the agency's inaugural Travel Trends Summit hosted on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at NeueHouse Madison Square in New York City. Presented in two panels, the summit was moderated by Susan Magrino, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Magrino Agency, and Allyn Magrino, President and COO of Magrino Agency. The event brought together the industry's top leaders to disc...
TravelClick Launches New, Responsive Booking Engine 4.0, Maximizing Conversion Across Devices and Driving More Direct Bookings for Global Hoteliers
TravelClick | November 15, 2016
New Room Hold Feature Brings Abandoned Guests Back to Direct Channel to Complete Bookings NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2016 – TravelClick ("the Company"), a global provider of innovative, cloud-based and data-driven solutions for hotels to maximize revenue, announced the launch of its new, interactive Booking Engine 4.0, designed to increase conversion and reduce guest abandonment with a transformative new reservation experience. Booking Engine 4.0 is a user-friendly, responsive platform that drives direct bookings and incremental spend. The new platform is designed to optimize the user experience across devices and engage a growing mobile-...
