News Top: January
2018 Commercial Real Estate Lending Predictions
Brian Holstein | January 9, 2018
By Brian Holstein Borrowers and lenders both enjoyed a fruitful 2017 and US Hotel Advisors predicts that 2018 will be more of the same. Looking Back at 2017 Most experts predicted that 2017 would be a rough year for commercial real estate lenders and borrowers alike. The "Wall of Maturities" was supposed to come crashing down. The newly-instituted risk-retention regulations were expected to curtail lending capacity and damage liquidity. Both the 10-year Treasury rate and loan spreads were projected to rise. All of this sounds dreadful, unless of course it never happened. US Hotel Advisors took the contrarian view and got it right. The "...
Northwood Hospitality Appoints Paul Burke as Area Vice President, Florida & General Manager, Naples Grande Beach Resort
January 9, 2018
NAPLES, FL (January 9, 2018) - Northwood Hospitality is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Burke as both Area Vice President of Florida, as well as the new General Manager of Naples Grande Beach Resort. In this new role, Burke will oversee ongoing performance of three of Northwood's properties – Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Tranquility Bay Beach Resort, and Naples Grande Beach Resort, where he will also act as General Manger. With over 35 years of industry experience, Burke joins the Northwood Hospitality team from the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort where he served as President and COO. From 2011 to 2016, Paul was responsible...
10 Most Influential Hospitality Trends and Insights to Start 2018
Cendyn | January 8, 2018
Jump start the year with our round up of the top trends and insights shaping the hospitality industry right now. 1. The hotel industry's automated future Each step of the guest lifecycle contains finely-tuned datapoints; reason for travel, booking date, date of last stay, amenity preferences, activity preferences, dining habits, total spend – even listing them all feels overwhelming. But these pieces fit into one constantly changing puzzle that intelligence algorithms analyze with ease. 2. Definitive guide to hotel digital marketing Major changes in the hospitality industry and the constant evolution of digital marketing ha...
The Hotel Group Selected to Manage The Sound Hotel Seattle Belltown – Tapestry Collection by Hilton
The Hotel Group | January 22, 2018
Seattle, WA, January 22, 2018 — The Hotel Group, a leading national hotel management and investment company, announced today it is expanding its footprint in Seattle by being selected to manage The Sound Hotel Seattle Belltown, a Tapestry by Hilton in Seattle, Washington. This is the first Tapestry for Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Washington state. The hotel is being developed as part of a 42-story mixed-use building which will also house Arrivè (arriveseattle.com), a residential complex with elegantly designed one and two-bedroom contemporary rental apartments. The 142-room hotel property will be located on floors one thro...
Why Your Guests Return, and Why They Don’t: Your Employees
Chris Dornfeld | January 10, 2018
By Chris Dornfeld Every company, to a greater or lesser extent, has to be about customer service. In the hospitality industry, it's much simpler than that. Hospitality is customer service. The people who make or break that guest experience are, of course, your employees. And not so much your highly trained, top-dollar employees, but those on the phones and on the floors and in the rooms day after day after day, interacting face to face with your guests. Those are substantial stakes. It's a grand opportunity if your employees are up to It. It's a curse if they're not. For the sake of your business, they have to be. And given the nature o...
Hyatt to Realign its Corporate Leadership Team and Operations
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | January 18, 2018
CHICAGO (January 18, 2018) – Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), today announced that Hyatt will realign its corporate leadership team and operations to accelerate its differentiated strategy to care for the high-end traveler with distinctive experiences. The key changes, expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018, include the formation of a new commercial services portfolio at the Executive Committee level that will combine guest and customer engagement functions under a new chief commercial officer position. Further, the company is also consolidating managed ...
Arash Azarbarzin Appointed President of SH Group
SH Group | January 3, 2018
NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2018 -- SH Group, the hotel brand management company created and owned by Starwood Capital Group, today announced the appointment of Arash Azarbarzin as President, effective immediately. In his new role, Azarbarzin will oversee all operations and expansion for SH Group. SH Group currently operates the fast growing 1 Hotels, a nature-inspired luxury lifestyle brand with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and South Beach, as well as the five-star luxury Baccarat Hotel brand. "Arash is a superb addition to our team who has the expertise and talent to guide the unparalleled 1 Hotels and Baccarat Hotels & Resorts to ...
Riant Capital Unveils Details of Development of Taipei Sky Tower to Include Dual-Branded Park Hyatt Taipei and Andaz Taipei
Riant Capital | January 23, 2018
TAIPEI/ HONG KONG/ SINGAPORE (January 23, 2018) After the long awaited completion of review process, Riant Capital unveiled its final selection of hotel operator, architect and designers for the highly anticipated development Taipei Sky Tower (TST). Catered to high-end travelers looking for different types of experiences, TST today announced its collaboration with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts for Asia's first large scale lifestyle-driven development which will house two Hyatt-branded luxury hotels – Park Hyatt Taipei and Andaz Taipei. This will be the first dual-branded luxury hotel development for Hyatt in Asia. Situated in Taipei'...
How is the Hotel Industry Using AI to Provide an Awesome User Experience?
Mitul Makadia | January 29, 2018
by Mitul Makadia In the 21st century, industries that remain adamant about integrating new technological revolutions are most likely to regress in their course of development. Businesses across the globe have realized how important it is to include contemporary digital technology to drive constant growth and revenue. The last decade has seen incredible innovations and breakthroughs in the landscape of digital solutions. One of such compelling technologies is called Artificial Intelligence (AI). Often misconceived as a replacement for human power, the concept of AI as a technological aid is much larger, wider and pervasive. It has create...
PwC’s Lodging Outlook for U.S.: Hospitality Directions for 2018
PwC | January 23, 2018
Compelling economic and industry fundamentals suggest continued momentum for 2018 Less than a month into 2018, the eight-year growth cycle in the lodging industry lumbers on. While RevPAR performance in the third quarter of 2017 appeared to take a breather, the combined impacts of improving economic fundamentals and the regional increase in performance associated with the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma resulted in a stronger fourth quarter, driving home a solid finish for the year. Going forward, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is reportedly providing a boost in business and consumer sentiment, and is expected to contribute to GDP gr...
Hotel Trends in F&B for 2018
Larry Mogelonsky | January 3, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Just as they did a century ago, hotel restaurants have a mantle to uphold by striving to be culinary leaders in their respective locales. To do so in today's competitive foodservice landscape, however, requires constant ingenuity. Everyone knows about the big push to offer healthier options, incorporate any purported superfoods and raise the profile of local producers through farm-to-table programs. Much like nearly every other customer who will set food in your eatery, I would expect that your team already have those three well in hand. Below are five more to consider as the New Ye...
2017 Year In Review: US Hotel Transactions
MGAC | January 12, 2018
In 2017, MGAC Research tracked 303 non-confidential, single-asset, mid-scale-and-up hotel transactions across the US. These properties totaled over 73,500 keys, and can be explored in the interactive cluster map below: <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style=&am...
Impact of Countervailing Forces on Hotel Values and Cap Rates
Suzanne R. Mellen | January 24, 2018
By Suzanne R. Mellen After more than five years of relative stability, new factors are at play in the hotel investment market that will affect hotel capitalization rates and values in a changing economic landscape. Hotel sales transaction activity declined in 2017, while cap rates continued to rise modestly, and hotel values held stable. The outlook for 2018, while uncertain because of the changing political and economic landscape, is more positive than a year ago due to the tax reform's favorable treatment of commercial real estate and a more optimistic business environment. This article presents recent trends and a sensitivity analysi...
A Top Priority in 2018: 7 Steps to Achieve Hotel Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance
the Author and HEBS Digital | January 10, 2018
By Max Starkov Background: There are approximately 48.9 million Americans with some form of disability. People with disabilities spend over $17.3 billion annually on travel, and the economic impact is at least double that figure since many of them travel with at least one or two other adults (Open Doors Organization). The vast majority of them use the Internet to plan and book travel. Many travel consumers with disabilities use desktops, tablets, smartphones and other devices to access the Internet with the help of assistive technologies, including text-to-speech screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, keyboard navigation, and cap...
W Hotels Appoints Gregory Polino General Manager of W Miami
W Miami | January 4, 2018
MIAMI, FL. (January 4, 2018) W Hotels, an iconic brand that is internationally known for disrupting and redefining the hospitality scene for nearly two decades, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gregory Polino as General Manager of W Miami. In this new role, Polino will oversee day-to-day operations of the 146-room luxury lifestyle hotel and ensure ongoing initiatives and activations are aligned with the W brand standard, bringing fresh innovative ideas to the property and creating exciting new opportunities. Polino joins the brand's newest luxury hotel property, located in the heart of Miami's Brickell urban oasis, with 15 year...
Michael Jerlecki Appointed Vice President and General Manager for Hollywood Casino St. Louis
Hollywood Casino | January 22, 2018
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. (January 22, 2018) – Hollywood Casino St. Louis, a Penn National Gaming property in Maryland Heights, has hired Michael Jerlecki as its new Vice President and General Manager. Jerlecki is in the process of relocating to St. Louis from Las Vegas. He has more than twenty-four years of gaming and hospitality industry experience with publicly traded and privately held companies and in Native American gaming in the areas of Executive Administration, Marketing, and Operations, including nine years with MGM and, most recently, nine years with Station Casinos. He last served as Vice President and General Manager of B...
San Diego’s Fairmont Grand Del Mar Welcomes Dennis Clark as Managing Director
January 29, 2018
SAN DIEGO, CA, JANUARY, 2018 – Dennis Clark has been appointed Managing Director at Fairmont Grand Del Mar. In this role, Dennis will be responsible for the overall operations, performance, and strategic direction for Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Mr. Clark brings over 40 years of hospitality experience to this position, first joining Hyatt Hotels in 1976. In 1983, Dennis joined Ritz Carlton hotels where he held several progressive positions and served on numerous opening and transition food & beverage teams. In 1994, Dennis joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as Director, Food & Beverage at Fairmont San Jose and held that posi...
Three Hotel Design Trends for 2018
OBM International | January 2, 2018
The rate at which our industry continues to evolve is staggering. Hospitality investors and managers are busy trying to understand which trends will help their properties stand out. OBMI asked its design team to share some of their insights and predictions on the direction of the hospitality industry in 2018. This is what came up: TREND 1: FASHION BRANDS SUITING UP It's not unusual seeing a fashion brand partnering with a property to create a particular suite or spa, but it seems that now they've jumped in with both feet. Recent trends have fashion brands associating their famous names to hotel properties with varying degrees of involve...
New Study Finds U.S. Millennial Travelers Still Prefer Hotels Over Airbnb
Resonance Consultancy | January 23, 2018
Full-service hotels are preferred to short-term apartment rentals by margin of more than 2-to-1 Millennial travelers. NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2018 -- According to a new report on the future of U.S. Millennial travel, American travelers between 20 and 36 years of age prefer full-service hotels to an Airbnb rental, even as the home-sharing service expands in 65,000 cities and in preparation for an imminent IPO. Resonance Consultancy, a leading advisor in real estate, tourism, and economic development for countries, cities and communities, reveals this and many other insights in the 2018 Future of Millennial Travel Report: A survey of America&#...
Blackstone Groups Acquisition of Grand Wailea Resort for $1.1 Billion Will be Highest Price Paid for a Hawaii Hotel
January 11, 2018
Jan. 11--The pending sale of Grand Wailea resort on Maui for $1.1 billion will be the highest price paid for a Hawaii hotel and the second highest paid for a hotel in the United States. New York-based Blackstone Group LP, a private equity firm, plans to purchase the Grand Wailea, according to a source familiar with the deal. The sale of the 776-room Grand Wailea for the equivalent of $1.4 million per room bodes well for the continued strength of the Hawaii hospitality investment market. It's "far and away the most expensive" single-hotel transaction ever in Hawaii, said Joseph Toy, president and CEO of Hospitality Advisors...
Margaritaville Names Rick Cunningham Vice President of Hotel Development
Margaritaville | January 17, 2018
Orlando, Fla. – January 17, 2018 – Margaritaville Holdings LLC today officially announced the appointment of Rick Cunningham as vice president of hotel development. Bringing more than 30 years of hospitality industry experience to this new position for the company, Cunningham has been with Margaritaville for nearly a year and is responsible for cultivating relationships with hospitality ownership and development groups as he continues to grow Margaritaville's already robust portfolio of hotels and resorts around the world. "As we aggressively eye both domestic and international expansion, we couldn't be happier to have Rick ...
Carver Companies Became the Largest, Hospitality Facing Human Capital Organization in North America in 2017
The Carver Companies | January 8, 2018
Happy New Year to you, your families and your teams! As always this time of year, we all take the time to reflect on the previous year and look forward to the future. 2017 was an amazing year for The Carver Companies, and if early activity is any indication, 2018 will be nothing short of game changing! To keep you in the loop, I'd like to share some of our successes from 2017 and give you a glimpse into our growth plans for 2018 for each division of our organization. From a Task Force perspective, we now have over 600 Consultants available across all disciplines. This means whatever your need or location, we can often have a hospita...
Hotel Trends in Technology for 2018
Larry Mogelonsky | January 10, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) We all know that the future holds many fascinating possibilities about what can be adapted to improve the overall guest experience. The question is what should be acquired and implemented. With this as a guide, I've selected the following hospitality technology trends for the coming year not wholly on wow factor but far more so on practicality and ROI. 1. Wielding Your CRM It's been a long road from simply trying to comprehend what a CRM is to full data terminal integration and leveraging the inferences based from these interconnections. In 2018, those ambitious hoteliers who have f...
Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago Appoints Gabriel Constantin As General Manager
January 24, 2018
Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago is pleased to announce the appointment of Gabriel Constantin to general manager of the Forbes five-star property following a successful, five-year tenure with Trump Hotels. Constantin joins an award-winning team that prides itself on superior customer service and guest experiences. Prior to joining Trump Hotel Chicago, he served as the manager for Trump Hotels' Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., whose highly acclaimed restoration and luxury status has earned international acclaim. The property opened in September 2016 and quickly established a reputation for its outstanding loc...
Serent Capital Invests in BirchStreet Systems, a Leader in Procure-to-Pay Business Solutions
BirchStreet Systems | January 10, 2018
San Francisco, CA – January 10, 2018 – Serent Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on investing in high-growth technology and services businesses, has made a minority investment in BirchStreet Systems, the leading provider of cloud-based procure-to-pay automation software for customers in the hospitality, restaurant, and foodservice industries. BirchStreet's suite of solutions encompasses eProcurement, Accounts Payable Automation, Inventory Management, Recipe System Management, and Capital Projects. The software increases efficiency by streamlining many manual processes and creates a comprehensive, inte...
