News Top: October
Hawaii’s Turtle Bay Resort Looks Likely to be Sold for $350 Million
October 20, 2017
Oct. 20--A giant real estate investment firm and former owner of major Hawaii hotels has made a deal to buy Turtle Bay Resort. Blackstone Group has arranged to buy the resort on Oahu's North Shore for $350 million, according to Real Estate Alert, a publication on institutional real estate investing. Another source closer to the deal confirmed the tentative purchase and said the price is $330 million. Such an acquisition, if completed, would put Turtle Bay in the hands of a firm with huge financial resources and experience investing heavily in resort properties. The current owners of Turtle Bay retained brokerage firm JLL early last ...
Global MICE Trends to Look For in 2018
Pacific World | October 12, 2017
Destination and Event Management Company Highlights Top Destinations and Engagement Trends SINGAPORE (October 12, 2017) – Pacific World – one of the world's leading global destination and event management companies – is highlighting the MICE trends to watch for in 2018. The leading creative experts at the forefront of global event planning, Pacific World looks beyond technology, and believes it is time to look for unique destinations and development of distinctive, engaging incentive programs and events that drive connection on a personal level. "Over the past several months, we've systematically collected data, insigh...
Karl Bieberach-Dielman Will Join Rosewood Hotel Group as Chief Development Officer
Rosewood Hotel Group | October 31, 2017
International hotel management company Rosewood Hotel Group strengthens its development division with the appointment of Karl Bieberach-Dielman as chief development officer. Joining later this year, Mr. Bieberach-Dielman will lead the global development and feasibility team to strategically expand the footprint for the group's three distinct brands including ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, deluxe New World Hotels & Resorts and neighbourhood lifestyle pentahotels. "With Karl's proven track record of successful transactions to develop business across continents, we are confident he will significantly enhance our group...
Scent of a Lobby
Benoit Gateau-Cumin | October 26, 2017
By Benoit Gateau-Cumin Have you noticed, in recent years, that little "je ne sais quoi" that feels so familiar when you step into the lobby of a luxe hotel? Is it that all the beautiful women are exquisitely made up and perfumed? Or does it feel more like getting off the elevator at Neiman Marcus' cosmetics floor? Your olfactory senses are hijacked by the cacophony of fragrances at Neiman Marcus: they are there to "perfume" you, hoping you will like and buy. The chic hotel has a totally different approach and goal: it wants to seduce you, to relax you, to make you happy, maybe giddy, to make you feel plush. You feel like inhaling deeply...
How Do Hotels Fill Those Last Available Rooms?
Leora Lanz | October 17, 2017
By Leora Lanz Hoteliers, marketing directors, and revenue managers in particular are continuously learning how to put the pieces of the puzzle together when it comes to creative and effective options for selling out room nights. Numerous challenges arise with the plethora of new distribution technology, which complicate the process of directly reaching the guest, or even controlling a hotel's presence on the variety of brand and third party websites. The Director of Sales and Marketing at The Langham Boston, Rachelle Boudreau, emphasized this challenge. "It is difficult to be aware of the various distribution channels, as so ma...
What Makes a Great Hospitality Leader?
Jos Jumelet | October 3, 2017
By Jos Jumelet There are a plethora of lists of traits of Business Leaders but what makes a great Hospitality leader? According to Forbes, the 10 traits of Business Leaders are: Persistence: It's all about determination. Failure (sometimes) happens on the road leading to success. A thick skin: Never give up if you believe in what you are trying to achieve or accomplish. An eye for talent: Hunting for talent and surrounding yourself with other specialists and great minds. Can't get no satisfaction: Leaders are never satisfied and will always strive to take their company or business to the next level. Fearlessness: Show ...
What You Need to Know About Drone Photography for Hotels
Larry Mogelonsky | October 4, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Now imagine what a video says! Last year, some 750,000 drones – known to the professional industry as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and abbreviated as UAVs – were sold through big box retailers, with a forecast of over a million transactions this year. In parallel are frequent stories on the evening news recanting tales of UAVs making close contact with commercial aircraft in tandem with the fitting calls for regulation of this fast-growing, seemingly recreational activity. If you own or operate a large resort, golf cou...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Food Cost and the 80/20 Rule
David Lund | October 23, 2017
By David Lund We have all heard of the 80/20 rule. But I am willing to bet most of you have not heard it in conjunction with the words "food cost." A good friend of mine who was an executive chef explained it to me and I am going to share it with you. So first off, the 80/20 rule states that 80 percent of any result comes from 20 percent of the activity. In food cost, what Chef taught me is the 80 percent of the food cost comes from only 20 items. That's right—the top 20! What he explained was so simple and powerful. Identify the top 20 food items your hotel buys using the dollar value of those items. It takes a bit ...
Napa and Sonoma Wildfires Destroy Wineries, Bars and Hotels with Many Others Threatened
October 10, 2017
Oct. 10--Updated Tuesday 9:10 a.m. Alison deGrassi of Visit Mendocino confirmed that two Redwood Valley wineries were destroyed by the fires -- Frey Winery and Oster Wine Cellars, owned by Kenny and Teresa Oster. The vineyards at Masut Vineyard and Winery in Redwood Valley also reportedly burned, deGrassi said, but she had yet to confirm that report. Updated Monday 10 p.m. Pete Hoffmann, owner of Napa's Aum Cellars, reported Monday night that his winery survived the fire. On Facebook, Hoffmann posted, "Sheep, chickens, vineyards, home and winery are all good. Many neighbors houses burned to the ground. No power and no way to ge...
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort Completes $25 Million Renovation, Adopts New Name
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort | October 9, 2017
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort has completed a $25 million renovation aimed at evolving and elevating the resort's offerings for guests. Formerly known as the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village, the hotel is now operating under the name Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and remains the largest full-service beachfront hotel in Daytona Beach. "One goal of the renovation was to create a true resort environment where our guests can unwind, and we've always felt that our prime oceanfront location is one of the most appealing aspects of the experience we offer," said Jim Berkley, general ma...
Thompson Playa Del Carmen Appoints Henar Gil Rios as New General Manager
Thompson Playa del Carmen | October 20, 2017
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO (October 20, 2017) – Known as Playa del Carmen's first luxury lifestyle hotel, Thompson Playa del Carmen is excited to announce the appointment of Henar Gil Rios as General Manager. The property, which offers a first-of-its-kind hotel experience in Playa del Carmen with its two locations – the centrally-located, 5th Avenue Building and the intimate, oceanfront Beach House, located just a few blocks away – was recently recognized in Condé Nast Traveler's 2017 Readers' Choice Awards with Thompson Playa del Carmen recognized as the #9 Top Resorts in Eastern Mexico and Thompson Beach House r...
IMH Financial Corporation Acquires Sonoma’s Historic Farmstead, MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa
IMH Financial Corporation | October 4, 2017
October 4, 2017 (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – IMH Financial Corporation, the real estate, finance, and hospitality investment company, has acquired MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, an upscale 64-room hotel situated on a five-acre parcel in Sonoma, California. The Scottsdale-based group also manages L'Auberge de Sedona and Orchards Inn, both in Sedona, Arizona. "The historical significance and provenance of MacArthur Place are precisely the attributes we seek when acquiring a boutique property," said Lawrence Bain, chairman and CEO of IMH. "We look forward to bringing the same five-star level of service and quality to the Sonoma community ...
2017’s Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels from Historic Hotels of America
October 24, 2017
These "spirited" guests continue to haunt the halls of these historic hotels WASHINGTON, D.C.—October 24, 2017—Historic Hotels of America® has inducted more than 300 historic hotels. Many of these legendary places are reported to have some spirited guests who continue to roam the halls of these historic hotels long after they should have checked out. These ghosts represent all ages, males and females, hired help to wealthy patrons, numerous professions, and others suffering from broken hearts to broken fortunes. If you are interested in a stay in a historic hotel with a paranormal twist, here is the Historic Hotels of Am...
Krish Hospitality to Debut Best Western’s GLo Brand in Summer 2018 in Ashveille, North Carolina
October 18, 2017
PHOENIX (October 18, 2017) - Best Western Hotels & Resorts' suburban boutique hotel brand – GLō – will soon make its debut in Asheville, North Carolina. Construction of GLō Asheville is officially underway, and upon completion, the hotel will be the first of its kind to open in North Carolina and will be a reflection of Best Western's reimagined brand identity – providing a stylish, convenient space designed for the way people travel today. "When we reimagined Best Western's brand identity and set out to broaden our appeal with a contemporary, energetic and relevant look, we knew the future would be an exciting o...
Condé Nast Traveler Reveals the All-New 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards: The World’s Best Hotels, Resorts, Cities, Islands, Airlines, and Cruise Line
October 17, 2017
NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2017 -- Condé Nast Traveler today announced the results of its 30th annual Readers' Choice Awards, ranking the best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, airlines, airports, and cruise lines in the world. Over 300,000 readers submitted millions of ratings and tens of thousands of comments, voting on a record-breaking 7,320 hotels and resorts, 610 cities, 225 islands, 468 cruise ships, 158 airlines, and 195 airports–thereby creating our largest-ever list of Readers' Choice Award winners. THE 2017 READERS' CHOICE AWARD WINNERS: Top Large and Small U.S. Cities: Chicago for the first time ever and C...
Conrad Hotels & Resorts Assumes Management of The London NYC; Plans Renovation and Rebranding to Conrad New York Midtown
Conrad Hotels & Resorts | October 3, 2017
NEW YORK and MCLEAN, Va. – October 3, 2017 – Conrad Hotels & Resorts, a Hilton (NYSE: HLT) luxury hotel for the smart luxury traveler, today announced plans to manage The London NYC and subsequently reflag as the Conrad New York Midtown following a complete renovation in spring 2019. Beginning in October 2017, the Luxury Group within Hilton Management Services (HMS) will take over the operation of The London NYC. The re-imagined property is scheduled to officially rebrand as a Conrad hotel within 18 months. Conrad New York Midtown will become the luxury brand's second property in New York City, following the opening of C...
How Paris Takes Luxury Hotels to a New Level
JLL Real Views | October 19, 2017
By: Neasa MacErlean When the rich and famous head to Paris, there are a select few addresses that their chauffeur-driven cars whisk them to. These are the Palace hotels, the crème de la crème of its luxury hotels scene, which used to be seven and but are soon to be fourteen. "The Paris palaces have history, heritage, beautiful buildings and they cannot be replicated," says Gwenola Donet, JLL's head of Hotels and Hospitality in France. "They're a key reason why Paris will remain one of the three gateway cities in the world for the top hotels, along with London and New York. There will be palaces in emerging cities such as H...
When Guests Complain, Be All EARS!
Doug Kennedy | October 11, 2017
By Doug Kennedy Considering all of the many components of a positive guest experience during even just a 24 hour stay, and how many guests are in a hotel on any given night, it should not be surprising to any hotelier that at some point during a shift every colleague is likely to encounter complaints. Surely we can and should do all that is possible to prevent short comings, but it is also essential to train everyone how to respond in such a way as to not only fix what is broken, but also to show compassion for the guests' inconveniences. To their credit, most hotel operators seem to be working hard to improve the overall quality of the...
Joseph Fox Joins BirchStreet Systems as Chief Strategy Officer
BirchStreet Systems, Inc. | October 3, 2017
Newport Beach, CA – Oct 3, 2017 – BirchStreet Systems, Inc. , the leading Cloud-based Procure-to-Pay platform serving the Hospitality Industry, today announced that Joseph Fox will join BirchStreet as its Chief Strategy Officer and a senior member of the BirchStreet Executive Team. Fox's responsibilities include leading and managing BirchStreet's Global Strategy including Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, M&A, Channel Programs, Supplier Offerings and the BirchStreet Business Network of Buyers and Suppliers. Fox brings over 30 years of technology and business leadership to his new role at BirchStreet. Most rec...
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Abid Butt as Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa
Dream Hotel Group | October 17, 2017
NEW YORK, NY (October 17, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group appoints Abid Butt as Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. In this role, Mr. Butt is responsible for the continued growth and global expansion efforts of Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of lifestyle brands—Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels—in established and emerging urban and resort destinations across the region. With more than 30 years of global experience in the hospitality industry, Abid Butt's strategic acumen and drive to innovate has been instrumental in the...
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa Welcomes Stephen D’Agostino as New General Manager
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa | October 12, 2017
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (October 12, 2017) – Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa is pleased to announce Stephen D'Agostino as the property's new general manager. D'Agostino joins the team from his most recent appointment as general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County. He moves to the prestigious desert resort just as the property completes the final stages of a complete hotel-wide rooms renovation. Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa is the ninth Hyatt property D'Agostino has worked for including Hyatt Lincolnwood, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Grand Hyatt New York, Hyatt Regency Jersey City, and Hyatt Regency Long Beach....
Unexpectedly Slow – Hoteliers Overestimated 2016 Performance
Robert Mandelbaum | October 16, 2017
By Robert Mandelbaum From 2010 through 2015, U.S. hotels enjoyed above long-run average revenue and profit growth. Over the six-year period, total operating revenue increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8 percent, while gross operating profits grew at a CAGR of 8.9 percent. Therefore, when U.S. hoteliers sat down in the fall of 2015 to prepare their budgets for 2016, it is no surprise that they believed the strong upward momentum in revenue and profit growth would continue. Unfortunately, 2016 was a disappointment. Revenue and profits increased, but not at the levels that were budgeted. Occupancy and average daily rate ...
Carver Hotel Group Launches CARVER-SELECT: Task Force for Select and Limited Service Properties
The Carver Companies | October 25, 2017
ATLANTA, GA – October 26, 2017– Carver Hotel Group (CHG), the hospitality infrastructure powerhouse, announced the launch of CARVER-SELECT, a new Task Force service, designed to support select and limited service properties across North America. While historically, the largest user of Task Force consultants has been full service hotels, there is an ever growing demand for support positions such as: general manager, front office manager, housekeeping, engineering and sales at the select and limited services levels. Developing a pool of consultants for SELECT will allow Task Force to be provided at a price point that will work...
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel Completes Multi-Million Dollar Renovation Led by General Manager Paige Lund
Tambourine | October 24, 2017
Phoenix, Arizona . . . . (October 2017) - Considered one of downtown Phoenix's most iconic and historic properties, and located in the epicenter of the city's vibrant downtown district, The Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel has recently completed a multi-million dollar makeover according to General Manager Paige Lund. The $13 million renovation, which commenced in June of 2016, included modernizing the exterior of the building and relocating the hotel entrance and valet; a complete redesign of the hotel lobby; the addition of its new signature restaurant Dust Cutter and the largest Starbucks in the downtown district, both of wh...
Competitive Advantage 2018 – The World Has Changed
Robert A, Rauch | October 4, 2017
By Robert A. Rauch The classic model of competitive advantage is Michael Porter's five forces shown below. This is still a useful model for the hotel industry. The most interesting part of this in 2017 is the "substitute" portion of the grid–this is what Airbnb is all about and they will have had a huge impact on our industry by the time most people wake up to it. According to Porter, "the existence of products outside of the realm of the common product boundaries increases the propensity of customers to switch to alternatives." Michael Porter's Five Forces Airbnb has become a powerful force in the hotel industry and as a reactio...
