News Top: May
Palace Resorts Celebrates Grand Opening of The 1,300-Key Grand at Moon Palace Cancun
Palace Resorts | May 26, 2017
Following the successful completion of a multimillion-dollar project, Cancun's newest awe-inclusive resort welcomes Mexican President, dignitaries, government officials and industry leaders to celebrate in style. MIAMI, Fla. (May 25, 2017) – Palace Resorts - the company that sets the standard in five-star, all-inclusive resort accommodations – is proud to celebrate the opening of The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun. On May 25, 2017, Palace Resorts welcomed Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto, alongside dignitaries and government officials for in inaugural ceremony at The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun. Additional respected digni...
Boutique “Soft Brands” Defined
Frances Kiradjian | May 1, 2017
by Frances Kiradjian, Founder & Chair, BLLA Looking at the large online travel agencies recently you might be surprised to spot a few new names among the Starwoods and Marriotts. Tribute? Curio? Quorvus? Could these be new independent David's taking the hotel-world Goliaths by storm? Of course, these aren't new companies by any stretch of the imagination, but fresh incarnations of those same hospitality superpowers that have dominated the industry for decades. Independent in ethos, but multinational in outreach, these are the new hotel 'soft brands', they've come out of the blue, and they're opening up everywhere. But what is a soft...
The Impact – And Importance – Of Virtual Reality in the Hotel Industry
Alan E. Young | May 12, 2017
By Alan E. Young, President, Puzzle Partner Imagine a traveler considering a stay at your hotel. Your potential guest "virtually" walks through one of your luxury suites, exploring all the amenities and even taking in the sweeping view from the window. Or a guest staying in your hotel aims their smartphone in any direction to discover information about nearby attractions and to find their way to the pool. Welcome to the world of augmented reality (AR). AR essentially takes virtual reality (VR) to the next level. Instead of immersing users in a different world, AR superimposes digital content over the real world. AR captured the world's ...
Meliá Nassau Beach – All Inclusive Unveils $19 Million Renovation
May 3, 2017
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – May 2017 – Meliá Nassau Beach - All Inclusive, an all-encompassing family-friendly resort located on stunning Cable Beach, announces the completion of its $19 million renovation, which began in late 2014. Part of the Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand of Meliá Hotels International, the 694-guest room resort situated in the western district of Nassau has been completely transformed into a Caribbean oasis that's the perfect destination for couples, groups and families. Of the hotel's 694 guest rooms, 102 rooms are part of THE LEVEL, Meliá Hotels & Resorts' elevated service concep...
The Hotel Room of the Future
May 30, 2017
By Stuart Pallister What will the hotel room of the future look like? Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne, which has been promoting blue-sky thinking on innovation and the future of hospitality, staged a contest last year and then produced an impressive video based on the two winning concepts. If EHL's vision on YouTube is anything to go by, we'll check into our room in 2033 and then be able to select – courtesy of virtual reality or VR – our preferred location, whether it's, say, Lake Geneva or perhaps the Seychelles. Nowadays, we have wi-fi, a telephone and probably a flat-screen TV. But as hotel guests become increasingly t...
What Makes the Better Hotel Investment? Luxury or Lifestyle?
May 1, 2017
by Stuart Pallister If you're looking to buy a hotel, what makes more sense as an investment? A high-end luxury hotel or a lifestyle, boutique establishment? We would all like to be rich enough to buy a trophy hotel in central London, Paris or Singapore. Imagine the kudos in being able to invite your friends round for dinner. But in reality, what presents the better value in terms of returns? "Lifestyle hotels, boutique hotels, when they started were very trendy, unique and quirky," says Ramsey Mankarious, founder and CEO of Cedar Capital Partners. Speaking recently at a panel discussion at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, he s...
Purchase Price Allocations for Hospitality Assets
Tim Sauer | May 10, 2017
By Tim Sauer I recently attended a presentation where the presenter used a hamburger as an analogy for a cost-segregation study. While most people just see a hamburger, he sees a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a bun. That is to say, he doesn't see a single piece of real estate, but numerous smaller assets that comprise the larger asset. The same can be said of a purchase price allocation (PPA). Introduction to Purchase Price Allocations As the name implies, the objective of a purchase price allocation is to allocate the purchase price of an asset to its component parts. Unlike a cost-segregation study, which allocates cost for...
THE LONG READ: Redefining Luxury in Hospitality
May 4, 2017
by Suzanne Godfrey If you ask friends and colleagues who appreciate the finer things in life 'what defines a luxury hotel?', you'll likely get a range of responses from mod cons – with everything from a decent restaurant to a spa – to seamless, exceptional service and décor. All at a price justifying the offering and experience. In the classroom, when I polled my students, words such as 'elegance', 'glamorous', 'experience', 'personalized service', 'perfection', and 'amazing' came up. But so too did words like 'classic', 'tradition', 'super-modern' and 'design'. On a recent fact-finding trip to Paris I set out to disc...
Sabre Discloses Hotel Reservations System Security Breach
Sabre | May 4, 2017
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – May, 2017 – Sabre disclosed in our May 2, 2017 10-Q filing that we are investigating an incident of unauthorized access to payment information contained in a subset of hotel reservations processed through our Hospitality Solutions SynXis Central Reservations system. We have engaged Mandiant, an independent third-party cybersecurity expert, to support our investigation and have also notified law enforcement. The unauthorized access has been shut off and there is no evidence of continued unauthorized activity. There is no reason to believe that any other Sabre systems beyond SynXis Central Reservations have ...
Modular Construction: An Evolution in the Development of Modern Hotels
Susan Furbay | May 17, 2017
By Susan Furbay The term "modular construction" once conjured images of small construction trailers or antiquated mobile home clusters just off the highway—not the most alluring draw for high-end developers and top-tier hotel companies, nor for their gentried clientele. Today, however, the concept of modular construction has evolved, with developers across the U.S. adopting a modular approach to building 2- to 4-star select-service, full-service, and even boutique hotels. This article gives a brief overview of the evolution of modular construction, as well as the potential benefits and challenges in terms of cost, timelines, and f...
The St. Regis Atlanta Appoints Sheila Buciuman Director of Operations
The St. Regis Atlanta | May 15, 2017
ATLANTA (May 15, 2017) – The St. Regis Atlanta, an unparalleled in-town resort located in the elegant enclave of Buckhead, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sheila Buciuman as the new director of operations. Sheila joins The St. Regis Atlanta with more than a decade and a half of experience in luxury hotels. She will oversee the rooms and food and beverage operations, contributing to the legacy of extraordinary service at the five-star hotel. Sheila has spent the majority of her career with The Ritz-Carlton, a luxury brand of hotels under Marriott International, which recently added St. Regis to its upscale portfolio. She ...
Paying the Intermediaries: An Analysis of Hotel Commissions
Robert Mandelbaum | May 18, 2017
By Robert Mandelbaum The increasing incidence of intermediaries selling hotel rooms and other services is a major topic of discussion among U.S. hotel owners and operators. From online travel agents to convention housing companies, third-parties are placing themselves in between hotels and their guests during the sales process. Of course these intermediaries want to get paid, and therefore this has become a rising expense for hoteliers. Per the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), payments to intermediaries are classified as commissions. In recognition of the rise in intermediaries, the 11th edition of the USALI ...
Great Wolf Resorts Names Edward Malinowski as Chief Information Officer
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. | May 31, 2017
CHICAGO -- (May 31, 2017) — Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. announced today that Edward Malinowski will join North America's largest family of indoor water park resorts on June 5 and serve as the company's Chief Information Officer (CIO). Malinowski joins Great Wolf Resorts from Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in Hong Kong, where he served as the company's Chief Information Officer overseeing the brand's worldwide IT operations. "We are pleased to welcome Ed to the Great Wolf pack. Ed is a seasoned IT leader with diverse experience across multiple industries including travel and hospitality," said Rubén Rodriguez, chief executive of...
EB-5 Extended Without Change: President Donald Trump Signs Bill
Jim Butler | May 17, 2017
By Jim Butler EB-5 extended through September 30 Just after noon on Friday, May 5, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017. The new law approves $1.1 trillion in Federal appropriations through September 30, 2017. One of the provisions of the bill extends the EB-5 Regional Center program without change through the same date. Although the Consolidated Appropriations Act did not change any provisions of the EB-5 program, we expect further Congressional and regulatory efforts in the very near future. As we said yesterday, Industry leaders view this extension of the program as the necessary threshold t...
U.S. Hotel Supply Forecast for 2017 Shows 22 Percent Increase Over Total Number of Openings Last Year
Lodging Econometrics | May 25, 2017
May 25, 2017 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – In Q117, there were 513 Projects/57,127 Rooms newly announced into the Hotel Construction Pipeline according to analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE). 212 Hotels/24,122 Rooms opened in the U.S. in the first quarter. The majority of these opens, 93 Hotels/10,018 Rooms, were in Suburban locations. Almost half of the opens, 100 Hotels/12,856 Rooms were hotel properties with between 100-200 rooms. 79 of these hotels and 10,544 of the rooms, or 37%, were in a top 25 market. For the remainder of the year, LE forecasts another 868 Projects/97,386 rooms to open for a Total of 1,080 Hotels/121,508 Room...
Conrad Hilton Once Again in Trouble with the Law; His Fabulous and Scandalous Family Tree
May 10, 2017
May 10--By now you may have heard that the little brother of notorious socialite Paris Hilton's younger is in trouble with the law -- again. Conrad Hilton, 23, was charged Tuesday with violating a restraining order obtained by his ex-girlfriend and stealing a Bentley that belongs to her father, professional poker player Rick Salomon -- who happens to be the same guy that Paris made a sex tape with back in 2004. Of course, the plot thickens -- as it inevitably does with the Hilton family, whose dynastic reach over a global hotel empire and jet-set high society was started by the young defendant's great grandfather Conrad Hilton. ...
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rob Dellibovi as Vice President of Global Sales
Dream Hotel Group | May 23, 2017
NEW YORK, NY (May 23, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob DelliBovi as Vice President of Global Sales for Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels. Bringing more than 15 years of corporate sales experience, DelliBovi most recently served as VP of Global Sales for Dream Hotels, the company's founding luxury lifestyle brand. In this role, DelliBovi will be responsible for the day-to-day management of existing corporate account relationships and the prospecting and development of new busin...
So Many Hotel Software Systems, So Little Time: How to Choose the Best PMS for Your Needs and Budget
May 23, 2017
Jos Schaap, CEO of StayNTouch It's a jungle out there! The jungle of different hotel software solutions has grown very thick, and the competition between vendors on who has the best solution has hardened. In the vendor section of Hospitality Upgrades' online portal, there are 15 property management systems from which to choose. There are over 12 PMS providers displayed on the vendor directory of HospitalityNet's website. The hotel software systems listed on these leading sites are a mere drop in the ocean of property management systems available these days. According to many industry experts, there are over 100 solution providers that d...
HSMAI Announces 2017 Revenue Management Professionals of the Year and Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Honoree
HSMAI | May 15, 2017
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will present the Vanguard Award for Lifetime Achievement in Revenue Management to Dr. Sheryl Kimes and honor three hospitality revenue management leaders as Revenue Management Professionals of the Year at its upcoming Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) Americas on Wednesday, June 28 in Toronto, Canada. Yira Segarra, CRME, director of group and function space revenue management, Loews Hotels is the 2017 Corporate Revenue Management Professional of the Year. Two individuals have been named Single/Multi-unit Revenue Management Professionals of the Year—Tim Kayse...
Patricia Rosentreter Appointed Corporate Director of Brand Communications for Rosewood Hotel Group
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts | May 17, 2017
Rosewood Hotel Group has appointed Patricia Rosentreter as corporate director of brand communications, Americas & Europe. In this role, Rosentreter will implement comprehensive public relations and marketing strategies for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts while guiding existing communications in the Americas & Europe. Additionally, she will manage brand communications and corporate public relations initiatives for Rosewood in the region, while overseeing the brand's public relations and social media activities. Rosentreter joins Rosewood Hotel Group with seventeen years of public relations and marketing experience, including a twel...
Houston’s historic downtown Great Southwest Building, formerly the Petroleum Building, could become luxury hotel by 2019
May 17, 2017
May 17--The owner of downtown's Great Southwest Building, formerly the Petroleum Building, is planning to redevelop the 21-story tower into a luxury hotel, according to a report. Rockville, Md.-based Choice Hotels bought the Houston building at 1314 Texas Ave. last year from Todd Interests, which had been planning apartments there. A retail tenant in the 147,867-square-foot building, Irma's Southwest Grill, was not familiar with details of the hotel plan. The longtime downtown restaurant is planning to move its Mexican restaurant concept to the Catalyst, an apartment tower under construction on an adjacent block. The new locatio...
A Tale of Two Hotel Experiences
Katie Scheer | May 11, 2017
By Katie Scheer In the last two months we had two very different hotel experiences in two different beach towns. The impressions that were left with us are so contrasting. I have now truly realized how my overall happiness, like many of today's travelers, is driven by the experience rather than the money I spend or save. There is much for every business to learn from this, which I will summarize after you first read the snapshots of our two hotel stays... #1- Less is Definitely Not More Construction blocked the easiest arrival to the porte cochere, but we found our way to the entrance where the valet attendants were attending to oth...
Former Airbnb Executive Chip Conley Brings Lessons Back to Hotels
May 9, 2017
May 09--"Is it too cold?" Sprawled in a turquoise velvet chair, Chip Conley fiddled with the temperature controls for the hotel room at Laurel Inn in San Francisco's Presidio Heights neighborhood. He pulled over a small round ottoman and put up his feet, clad in tri-tone oxfords from Baja California, where he lives half-time, when he's not at his Potrero Hill house. Many hotels save money by omitting comfy details like this, he said. But to stay fresh, hotels need to cater to evolving tastes for "unique and flavorful lodgings" that feel more homelike -- a penchant propelled in part by his former employer, Air...
Rapid Growth of Budget Hotels in the UK Leaves Other Brands Stagnating, Warns Hotel Bulletin
HVS | May 11, 2017
11 May 2017, London: Budget hotels now account for nearly two-thirds of the UK's top 10 brands as global hotel companies continue to diversify from their traditionally more upmarket offerings to the ever-popular budget sector. According to Hotel Bulletin Q1 2017, published this week by HVS, AlixPartners, STR and AM:PM, Premier Inn and Travelodge between them account for 52% of all branded rooms in the UK's top 10 and are also the most active in terms of future growth. The Bulletin compares the list of the UK's top 10 hotel brands in terms of room numbers with the top 10 in terms of new rooms pipeline. It finds that Premier Inn, the larg...
Intelity Recognized by Info-Tech Research Group as an In-Room Tablet Technology Champion
Intelity | May 16, 2017
Hospitality's guest-engagement platform provider was recognized for its broad features capabilities and extensive integration partnerships [Orlando, Fla. – May 16, 2017] — Intelity, an innovator and leader in hospitality guest-service technology, was recently recognized by Info-Tech Research Group for its in-room tablet technology. In its In-Room Tablets Vendor Landscape report, Info-Tech Research Group compared nine in-room tablet vendors of which Intelity was designated a "Champion." The report states that "Intelity is the only vendor to deliver on every advanced feature evaluated and offers an extensive catalog of availab...
