News Top: January
Ocean Properties and Margaritaville Holdings to Convert Westin Resort and Marina to Margaritaville Key West Resort and Marina
Margaritaville | January 10, 2017
Key West – January 10, 2017 – Ocean Properties Ltd. & Affiliates and Margaritaville Holdings, LLC today announced that the Westin Resort and Marina located at 245 Front Street in the iconic U.S. paradise, Key West, will be rebranded as Margaritaville Key West Resort and Marina. The prestigious AAA Four Diamond waterfront resort will begin operating under the Margaritaville flag later this month. The Margaritaville brand management team will provide support to the existing management team and employees throughout the conversion. The downtown waterfront resort features oversized rooms and suites and is ideally located one ...
Dream Hotel Group Names Executive Management Team for Dream Hollywood Opening February 2017
Dream Hollywood | January 13, 2017
LOS ANGELES, CA (January 13, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group announces the appointments of three seasoned hospitality executives to lead its west coast flagship, Dream Hollywood: Ayo Akinsete as General Manager; Kendall Viola as Director of Sales & Marketing; and Carly Skinner as Hotel Manager. With nearly 30 years of collective experience within the highly competitive hospitality industry, Akinsete and team will be integral in the launch and success of Dream Hollywood, slated to open in February 2017. "Los Angeles has long been on our short list of dynamic U.S. cities for growth, and we a...
The World’s 42nd Largest Hotel Chain, Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Signs With SiteMinder
SiteMinder | January 10, 2017
Dallas, US - The global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, today announces it has secured 109 properties belonging to Barceló Hotels & Resorts, the third largest hotel chain in Spain and the 42nd largest in the world. The win adds nearly 33,000 hotel rooms to SiteMinder's distribution network one week ahead of FITUR, the world's tourism trade fair for the Ibero American markets, where SiteMinder will be exhibiting for the third consecutive year. Speaking on the decision to adopt SiteMinder's technology, Barceló Hotels & Resorts' head of e-distribution, Albert Santin, says, "SiteMinder has provided...
Crescent Hotels & Resorts Names Kathryn Bryant as Vice President of Sales Transitions
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | January 9, 2017
Washington, DC (January 9, 2017) – Michael George, Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Hotels & Resorts, announced that the hotel and resort management company hired Kathryn Bryant as Vice President of Sales Transitions. Crescent, based in Fairfax, Virginia is a nationally recognized operator of premier hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. Bryant will be responsible for onboarding new hotels, orienting the sales and revenue teams to the Crescent Fundamental Sales Principles, and integrating all systems within Crescent. "The addition of this leadership role, combined with Kathryn's experience and expertis...
Technologies That Will Have a Major Impact on Hotels in 2017 and Beyond
ALICE | January 18, 2017
Technologies that were big in 2016, and are only getting bigger. HOTEL STAFF TECHNOLOGY. Ops is the new black. Happy staff = happy guests, and 2016 was the year where staff technology and back of house operations finally got the attention and validation it deserves. Until last year, most attention was on guest technology, particularly on guest apps and on guest-facing innovation, like keyless entry and in-room controls. Companies like Marriott and IHG poured millions into their mobile guest applications, while their staff were left to fumble with clunky, poorly designed systems. Staff are the heart of hospitality. Without them, hotels a...
Golden Wave Sdn Bhd and IHG Partner for New 367-room Crowne Plaza Kota Kinabalu Waterfront
IHG | January 23, 2017
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a management agreement with Golden Wave Sdn Bhd for a new 367-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia. The opening of Crowne Plaza Kota Kinabalu Waterfront in 2021 will mark the entry of the brand into East Malaysia. The hotel will be part of a mixed-use development at a prime waterfront location in downtown Kota Kinabalu, sitting amindst high-end residences and a number of dining establishments which offer stunning views of the city's waterfront. Situated within a 10-minute drive from Kota Kinaba...
Carver-Olson Hospitality Search Announces National Expansion
The Carver Companies | January 25, 2017
Team Adds Executive Recruiters in Five Markets ATLANTA, GA – January 25, 2017 – As a division of the Carver Companies, Carver-Olson Hospitality Search is pleased to announce continued growth with the addition of five executive recruiters located throughout the U.S. The team can provide a 360 degree-support to clients' human capital needs. Part of this strategic growth is to identify "hubs" or centers where Carver has an executive recruiting office combined with a market manager to support Carver World Temps (CWT), the division that provides hourly temporary staffing to hotels and resorts. Peggy Olson "A good search starts w...
AJ Capital Partners Acquires The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Be Converted to Graduate Hotel
AJ Capital Partners | January 3, 2017
Minneapolis, Minn. – January 3, 2017 – AJ Capital Partners announced today that it has acquired The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from leading investment firm, Rockbridge. In 2017, the hotel will undergo a conversion into a Graduate Hotel. The eight-story, 304-room, full-service hotel is located on Washington Avenue at the heart of the University of Minnesota's campus. With over 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a fitness center, as well as The Beacon Public House – the hotel's restaurant and bar, The Commons Hotel is an established destination for University visitors and business travelers alik...
Denihan Hospitality Appoints Gul Turkmenoglu General Manager of The Benjamin, New York City
The Benjamin | January 2, 2017
New York, NY - Gul Turkmenoglu has joined New York-based Denihan Hospitality as general manager of The Benjamin (www.thebenjamin.com) in midtown Manhattan. She will oversee operations, finance and sales and marketing for the 209-room luxury midtown Manhattan hotel, reporting directly to Edward Maynard, Denihan's EVP, Operations. Turkmenoglu brings over 25 years of luxury and lifestyle management experience to her new role, having served in leadership positions at a variety of hotels, both in Manhattan and internationally. After beginning her career on the opening team of the Conrad Istanbul, Turkmenoglu subsequently served in a number o...
The Seven Secrets to Creating a Financially Engaged Leadership Team in Your Hotel
David Lund | January 10, 2017
By David Lund You have the ability to increase the profits in your hotel fast by creating an environment that has your managers working together on the "business" of running your hotel. I invite you to read my 7 secrets to grow your hotel profits fast and open up to the opportunity you have to improve the financial communication in your hotel and brand. If you do this, you will have a more engaged leadership team, your hotels will make more money, your leaders will love you, and everyone will have more fun. 1) Start with the End in Mind – Your Hotel Needs a Financial Communication System The picture you want is that of a...
How to Kick Ass in 2017
Renie Cavallari | January 4, 2017
By Renie Cavallari 1. Be passionate and choose to play all in. How you play (engage) reflects the life you get to live. 2. Find what is right and build on it. Be aware of the allure of negativity. Nothing positive comes from negativity. 3. Strive for progress in all that you do… stop waiting for things to be perfect! Procrastination is foolish. 4. Head trash is the leading killer of your potential and your joy. Your mind set determines how you feel; how you feel determines how you think and act. 5. Find gratitude every day. The more you move from gratitude, the more joy you have! 6. Take a look around… who you hang with is...
Kennebunkport Resort Collection Names Justin Grimes Director of Operations
the Kennebunkport Resort Collection | January 9, 2017
KENNEBUNKPORT, ME (January 9, 2017) – Bill Bamford, CFO & COO of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection (KRC), announced several strategic management promotions across KRC's diverse portfolio of luxury and upscale properties. Justin Grimes - named one of the 2016 "Thirty Under 30" hotel executives by Hotel Management, a leading hospitality business publication - has taken the helm as KRC's director of operations. In this position, Grimes will be responsible for building revenue streams, elevating employee satisfaction, enhancing the overall guest experience and reinforcing brand standards across all hotels and restaurants. A seve...
The Former Hyatt Regency Newport Debuts as Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina
January 25, 2017
Newport, R.I. (January 25, 2017) – Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina debuts this month in the former Hyatt Regency Newport hotel. George Filopoulos of Metrovest and BLDG Management, owners of Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, along with affiliates of Square Mile Capital Management LLC, purchased the Hyatt Regency Newport and are leading the transition of the property. Situated on nearly 10 acres of Goat Island with undisturbed waterfront views, Gurney's Newport is the only resort property in the destination, with 257 guest rooms and suites, multiple spacious event venues, a full-service spa, as well as year-round and ...
TripAdvisor Reveals The Best Hotels Across The Globe With 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards
TripAdvisor | January 24, 2017
Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection in Hungary Named the Top Hotel in the World; Massachusetts' Nantucket Hotel & Resort is #1 in America Annual Awards Recognize Top Hotels Overall and Top Accommodations in the Categories of Luxury, Bargain, Small, Service, B&Bs and Inns, Romance and Family NEEDHAM, Mass., Jan. 24, 2017 / -- TripAdvisor®, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice® for Hotels awards. Travelers' Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worl...
GuestTek Saddened to Announce Passing of Arne Riemers
January 24, 2017
Calgary, Alberta & Miami, Florida– January 24, 2017 – With great sorrow, GuestTek announces that Arne Riemers, a valued member of our management team and industry, passed away January 17th, 2017, while surrounded by his family. With over 16 years in the IT Hospitality industry, Arne made his mark globally, leading teams in Asia, Australia, Middle East and India, while VP of Business Development and VP of Sales at Docomo Intertouch in Singapore. Later relocating to take over as VP of Sales for the same company in the United States. Joining iBAHN in 2010, Arne played a crucial role in the acquisition with GuestTek in 2014 ...
Think Hospitality Group’s The Plymouth Hotel, a 1940s Icon, Opens in Miami Beach’s Collins Park Cultural District
Think Hospitality | January 27, 2017
Miami Beach – January 2017 – When it opened in 1940, nothing looked like The Plymouth - an Art Deco icon that epitomized the glamour and style of its time. And nothing on Miami Beach feels like The Plymouth, which just opened after a significant investment, debuting as an effortlessly stylish, casually private and romantic retreat on a block that still feels like a secret. Worlds apart from the action around it - but steps from effervescent South Beach - The Plymouth radiates its original glamour, refined through the very personal vision of Think Hospitality, the hoteliers and entrepreneurs whose dining and hospitality proje...
Grand Hyatt New York Appoints Joe Gaeta as Director of Sales & Marketing
Grand Hyatt New York | January 9, 2017
NEW YORK (January 9, 2017) – Grand Hyatt New York is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Gaeta as Director of Sales & Marketing. In this role, Gaeta will lead the sales and marketing strategies for the hotel as well as generate revenue for the hotel through room bookings, meetings, weddings and events. With a premier location in Midtown Manhattan attached to Grand Central Terminal and steps away from some of the city's best culture and attractions, Grand Hyatt New York offers 1,306 spacious guestrooms and suites ranging from 600 to more than 3,500 square feet, a Grand Club, over 60,000 square feet of meeting space, exte...
“What Millennials Want” – The Real Career Priorities of Gen X vs Gen Y
James Houran, Ph.D | January 31, 2017
By: James Houran, Ph.D. | Nina Gold | Keith Kefgen Millennials (aka "Generation Y" or "Echo Boomers") are the talk about town. A day rarely passes without a new report explaining what this generation wants out of life and how their value set are economic and cultural disruptors. As consumers and employees, GenY is therefore fast becoming the focal point of marketers, as well as cultural, religious and political leaders. Everyone is talking about how to "win over" this precocious generation. Of course, this is really an old question, which arguably gained prominence from a seminal study conducted back in 2009 by Boston College's Sloan Ce...
Phoenix American Hospitality Acquires Six Hyatt Place Hotels in $87M Transaction
Phoenix American Hospitality | January 19, 2017
DALLAS (January 19, 2017) - Phoenix American Hospitality, a Dallas-based hotel fund manager, announces the $87M purchase of six Hyatt Place Hotels, located in Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Phoenix American Hospitality adds 754 rooms to its select service portfolio with this transaction, which was purchased in partnership with an Institutional Investor. "We are proud of these six strong additions to our growing portfolio," said Perch Nelson, President of Phoenix American Hospitality. "We look forward to a successful partnership and enhancing the performance of each property." This acquisition is an ...
The Top 7 Predictions for the Travel Industry for 2017
January 24, 2017
After the failure of even the most well respected pollsters to accurately predict the outcomes of not only Brexit but also the US presidential election, predictions are out of favour. Fortunately the travel industry is more forgiving than politics and some execs from across the travel spectrum were willing to share their views on what 2017 may hold. 1. Data science will prevail (despite Brexit and Trump bumps) The pollsters carry on, but some in the data science industry think that the inaccurate predictions around Brexit and the US election brought the entire discipline into disrepute. Kelly McGuire, vice president of advanced analytic...
Peter Simoncelli Named General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago | January 5, 2017
CHICAGO (January 5, 2016) – The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago is proud to announce the appointment of Peter Simoncelli to general manager of the award-winning hotel on the Magnificent Mile. A hospitality veteran of over 30 years with deep-seated roots in Chicago, Simoncelli has vast experience in the luxury hotel space and will be instrumental in leading the team and continuing with the success that the hotel has experienced for the past four decades. "Peter is a recognized leader in the hospitality industry and the Chicago market who brings a wealth of knowledge in revenue growth across high-end properties around the country," said Jill ...
2017 Hotel Director of Sales Compensation Study – United States Courtesy of Aethos Consulting Group
David Mansbach, CCP | January 17, 2017
By David Mansbach, CCP A recent compensation review of more than 250 Directors of Sales (DOS) from four- and five-star properties throughout the United States has resulted in AETHOS Consulting Group's Director of Sales Compensation Study. According to AETHOS Managing Director David Mansbach, author of the study, "too many hotel organizations are losing out by not seriously considering the exponential value a great Director of Sales brings to the table. As hotel properties are fighting more than ever to capture market share, it is incredibly important to identify the strongest candidates and create compensation programs to attract and re...
How ‘Poshtels’ are Reinventing the Budget Accommodation Sector
JLL Real Views | January 4, 2017
By Natalie Holmes At a time when budget travelers are increasingly experience-driven, the hospitality industry is responding with a concept that caters to this new guest profile: the 'poshtel'. Unlike traditional hostels, poshtels typically combine a design-led ambiance with small, often shared sleeping areas and a focus on innovative communal spaces. "This reimagined hostel meets the needs of the modern traveler," says Graham Craggs, Managing Director of EMEA Hotels at JLL. "It offers flexibility on the room product, and, often, organized events that encourage guests to meet and mingle." Independent properties have been blazing a trail...
Five Trends in 2017 Luxury Hospitality to Watch From the Experts at Forbes Travel Guide
Forbes Travel Guide | January 23, 2017
ATLANTA – JANUARY 23, 2017 – Who's better to gauge 'what's next' for 2017 in luxury hospitality than the experts of Forbes Travel Guide, the originator of the prestigious Star Rating system. The organization's meticulous team of anonymous inspectors constantly travel the globe gathering firsthand knowledge of the latest innovations and service enhancements at the world's finest properties. These observations are critical to the company's exclusive set of 890 objective standards, the most stringent in the hospitality industry, as they are annually modified to reflect current market offerings and demands. "Our star-rated prope...
Dream Hotel Group Signs with Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings to Develop Two Hotels in the Maldives
Dream Hotel Group | January 30, 2017
NEW YORK, NY (January 30, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group signed two hotels in the Maldives with local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings to develop The Chatwal Maaga Maldives and Dream Gasveli Maldives. Set to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the new locations triple the group's presence in Asia and mark a pivotal step in Dream Hotel Group's global expansion strategy. "Last year, we signed more new hotels and resorts than ever before," said Dream Hotel Group CEO Jay Stein. "I'm thrilled to announce another equally strong year of growth momentum with the signing of The Chat...
