News Top: January
Fixing Las Vegas’ Millennial Problem
Tucker Johnson | January 14, 2019
By Tucker Johnson Last month I was an invited instructor for the Casino Resort Management course within the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. This was one of many experiential courses offered by the college and gave me the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for five days, getting a behind-the-scenes look at high-roller suites, gaming floors, and high-tech security systems. While each casino resort had a different feel, and our hosts gave different insights, one problem was mentioned consistently across the properties: Millennials were not gaming at high levels and, although the casinos were...
Vietnam Hospitality Market: 2018 Overview and 2019 Outlook
Savills Vietnam | January 23, 2019
OVERVIEW 2018 2018 has been an excellent year for Vietnam Real Estate market with positive signs coming from all sectors, among which hospitality stands out as one of the main sectors drawing enormous attention from international and local developers and investors. The market has exhibited many projects that are being planned, developed, and opened with the presence of new brands and products. Demand also experienced a remarkable growth of 21% in international tourist arrivals (within 11 months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017), which is slightly lower than that of last year but still considered impressive when compared to ot...
Hotel Cap Rates Hold Steady - Values Under Pressure
Suzanne R. Mellen | January 17, 2019
By Suzanne R. Mellen Following a year of robust transaction activity, hotel capitalization rates remain stable, while hotel NOI and values are under pressure due to slowing RevPAR growth and increasing operating expenses. This article looks at hotel sales and capitalization rate trends, the impact of slowing RevPAR growth on hotel values, and the outlook for 2019. [1] With a more business-friendly administration in place and the passage of the Tax Cut and Job Act (TCJA) in December 2017, the outlook for the economy and hotel performance became brighter in 2018. Hotels generate higher returns than other commercial real estate and reflect...
2019 Travel and Hospitality Industry Outlook
Deloitte Center for Industry Insights | January 31, 2019
Key trends powering growth in a technology-driven industry A strong economy, rising global consumer purchasing power, and digital innovation have all fueled record growth in the travel and hospitality industry. But there are still several challenges that could throw the industry off course in 2019. What are the biggest trends likely to shape hospitality, airlines, cruises, and ground transportation in the year ahead? Key US travel and hospitality industry trends for 2019 2019 marks a decade since the US travel industry emerged from the depths of economic recession. And what a decade it's been. Over the past 10 years, the surge of recove...
2019 Hotel Trends: The Power of Personalization and Building Personal Connections
Benoit Jolin | January 23, 2019
By Benoit Jolin January 2019 What happened to brand loyalty? Today's consumers have been trained to research products and prices, read reviews and make educated and discerning purchase decisions. To reach and engage customers in 2019, and to appeal to their personal needs, companies need to deeply understand what today's consumers value most. This is especially true in travel – because experiences have taken priority over possessions as a path to happiness and fulfillment. Personalization has become the "new thing" to drive traveler satisfaction, and machine learning (ML) is the powerful and positive disruptor in the hospitality i...
2019 Top 10 Hospitality Trends
Philippe Masset | January 7, 2019
By Philippe Masset and Jean-Philippe Weisskopf The hospitality industry has been undergoing tremendous changes and disruptions over the last two decades.What key trends have been steadily reshaping the industry and where is hospitality heading in the near future? A study conducted among EHL faculty in the fall of 2018 provides insights on past and new challenges (as well as opportunities) hospitality players need to take into consideration. The TEN trends that have reshaped (and are still reshaping) the industry: #1 - Virtual communities Social networks and in particular TripAdvisor have had a profound impact on customers. This has led ...
What Are the Top Hotel Designs for 2019?
Cicero's Development Corporation | January 4, 2019
PLAINFIELD, IL, JANUARY 4, 2019 -- New Year is the perfect time to check-in on hotel design trends. While some of these trends may only create ripples, others will set off tidal waves. Taken as a whole, these trends underscore that hotel design is no longer the simple task of creating a nice place to stay; it is a science of fashioning a truly distinctive guest experience that flows seamlessly from check-in to sleeping, to working, to dining, to entertainment. According to Cicero's Development, one of the country's leading renovation contractors for the hospitatlity industry, here are six hotel trends emerging on the scene that ...
Atlantic Beach Hospitality Completes Conversion of Former Cambria Hotel to Wyndham Newport Hotel in Rhode Island
Atlantic Beach Hospitality | January 9, 2019
NEWPORT, RI (Jan. 9, 2019) – Atlantic Beach Hospitality – a family-owned management company boasting 40+ years of industry experience in the local Rhode Island community – announces today the Wyndham Newport Hotel, converting the 143-room property in Middletown from the Cambria brand, elevating the property service and standards to new heights. The new Wyndham Newport Hotel offers ideal proximity to attractions, dining and shopping of downtown Newport, while boasting spacious guestrooms and suites, 28,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and the Newport icon Johnny's Restaurant & Patio Bar. "Opened in June 2...
Lodging Forecast 2019: Industry Threats Yet Growth
Robert A. Rauch, CHA | January 3, 2019
By Robert A. Rauch Reading forecast content from the plethora of prognosticators out there can drive one into craziness. Clearly, the current economy has strengths like consumer confidence, employment levels, low oil/gas prices, and purchasing managers sentiments as expressed by the Institute of Supply Management (ISM). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been growing at a strong 3 percent +/- rate and most pundits expect a 2-3 percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR), largely attributed to average daily rates (ADR). But there are warning signs—trade, interest rates, stock market turbulence, cost increases, new supply ...
The Top 7 Hospitality Trends Every Hotelier Should Watch in 2019
Tammy Farley, President & Co-Founder, The Rainmaker Group | January 30, 2019
By Tammy Farley, President & Co-Founder, The Rainmaker Group Last year proved to be a strong one for the U.S. hotel industry, with occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) all trending positively. For 2019, STR and Tourism Economics1 optimistically project another year of growth. Changes in supply, however, will impact local market occupancy levels and hoteliers' pricing power, with many hotels experiencing more intense competition among key guest segments. To maintain profit margins, and stay ahead of the curve, consider your business in light of these top seven hospitality trends. Appealing to N...
Hilton Partners With JC Hospitality to Open Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in 2020 Following Multi-Million Dollar Transformation to Curio Collection
Hilton | January 30, 2019
LAS VEGAS and MCLEAN, Va. – Hilton announces today that Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will join Curio Collection by Hilton in 2020, following an extensive transformation including renovations to the property. In collaboration with JC Hospitality LLC and Virgin Hotels, the hotel will be a reimagined, contemporary Las Vegas entertainment hub and participate in Hilton's award-winning guest loyalty program, Hilton Honors. Of the hotels within Hilton's Collection Brands, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, will be the only property located in Las Vegas and the largest in the world with more than 1,500 guest rooms and...
Aimbridge Hospitality Appoints Natalie White as Executive Vice President of Marketing
Aimbridge Hospitality | January 31, 2019
DALLAS (January 31, 2019) – Aimbridge Hospitality, the nation's largest and highly recognized independent hotel investment and management firm, expands its executive team with the addition of Natalie White as Executive Vice President of Marketing. White joins Aimbridge Hospitality with an impressive background in hospitality marketing. With more than 20 years of experience, White is an accomplished marketer with a proven record of leading successful and impactful campaigns for hospitality clients across all spectrums including boutique, luxury, independent and upscale brands. Prior to joining Aimbridge Hospitality, White owned a m...
How Luxury Hotels Can Co-Design for Suite Success
Karen Loynaz | January 14, 2019
By Karen Loynaz, MPS in Global Hospitality Leadership, Georgetown University Gregg Rockett, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Masters in Global Hospitality, contributed to this article Imagine walking into a hotel room designed by your favorite fashion brand, everything from the curtains to the bed linens emulates the brand perfectly. How much would you pay to sleep with your favorite brand? Leaders of luxury including Coco Chanel, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Bottega Veneta are now partnering with luxury hotels around the world to co-design fashion-forward hotel suites. Much like the hefty price-tag of a fresh-off-the runway des...
General Managers: Bridging the Gap Between Hotel Owners and Operators
Demian Hodari, Ph.D. | January 9, 2019
By Demian Hodari, Michael Turner and Michael Sturman In the final article in a three-part series on the evolving relationship between hotel owners and operators, EHL professor Demian Hodari and his co-researchers explore how general managers can help bridge the divide between owners and operators. In our previous articles in this series, we provided evidence from our research that owners are actively involved in property-level decisions, even when these are governed by hotel management agreements that formally prevent or limit their involvement. Furthermore, we demonstrated that such hotels achieve greater performance when their owners ...
IHG® Launches New Lead Sharing Program With Interactive Sites’ Lead Management Platform - ShareIt Online™
January 15, 2019
PHOENIX, AZ, January 22, 2019 – Interactive Sites, a leading developer of online solutions for the hospitality industry, has successfully launched another private labeled release of their cross-sell and lead share platform - ShareIt Online™ - for InterContinental Hotels Group. The new program serves all IHG® brands and is internally referred to as IHG® LeadShare. The solution enables IHG sales managers, across the entire portfolio worldwide, to share and track group leads with other IHG properties. After just a few short months of Interactive Sites working closely with the IHG IT team and sales leadership, the newly ...
Limited and Select Service Hotels: 5 Ways Your Front Desk Staff Can Increase Direct Bookings and Cut Distribution Costs
Doug Kennedy | January 15, 2019
By Doug Kennedy Like all segments of the hotel industry, limited and select service hotels are seeing distribution costs eating away at top-line profits. Of course OTA's and other third parties are important to the channel mix. However, the colleague at your front desk right now can be your hotel's best resource for increasing the most profitable of all channels, which is of course your direct bookings. Not only do reservations that are made directly have the lowest acquisition costs, but they also tend to have a higher ADR. The following are some action steps and then five training tips for your segment of the lodging industry. Action ...
Pivot Hotels and Resorts to Introduce BEI San Francisco Following $30 Million Renovation
BEI San Francisco | January 10, 2019
BEI San Francisco, formerly the Holiday Inn San Francisco-Civic Center, will officially reflag from the former on January 11.The top-to-bottom $30 million renovation will reveal the newest independent lifestyle hotel in the quickly growing Mid-Market neighborhood this spring. An investment by CapBEI with a sister property in Beijing, BEI offers 396 guest rooms, and will soon offer two dining options and 10,000 square feet of co-working, meeting, and event space. BEI will include 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space in addition to several intimate coworking spaces inspired by the forward-thinking offices found throughout ...
HVS Market Pulse: Dallas, TX
Kathleen D. Donahue | January 2, 2019
By Kathleen D. Donahue Key Economic Indicators and Lodging Market Overview Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Love Field Airport, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and local employers and headquarters, particularly within the telecommunications, technology, insurance, financial services, and healthcare fields, represent the primary sources of lodging demand in the greater Dallas market. In addition to DFW's status as one of the nation's largest airports, the end of federal flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field in October 2014 has significantly boosted operations out of the airport. The following charts illus...
Q4 2018 U.S. Lodging Market Update
Daniel Lesser | January 24, 2019
By Daniel Lesser Economic growth, record low unemployment, relative low inflation, rising government spending, and tax reform have combined to produce one of the longest periods of sustained growth ever in the United States. 2018 was another record-breaking year for the U.S. hotel industry with new all-time high operating metrics including: annual occupancy, average daily rate, revenue per available room, room night demand, and available room nights. Results of the U.S. mid-term election are not likely to produce any immediate government policy changes and the American economy is now more than a decade into a growth cycle which has been...
Michael Pace Named General Manager of InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco | January 8, 2019
New role brings Pace back to the hotel where he started his career in San Francisco more than twenty years ago (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) – January 8, 2019 – The InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco is pleased to announce Michael Pace as the hotel's new General Manager. Pace was previously Area General Manager for Sonesta Hotels, based at The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, San Francisco. Walking back into the InterContinental Mark Hopkins brings General Manager Michael Pace's nearly three decade career in hospitality full circle. "My first hotel job in America was Convention Services Manager at the Mark Hopkins and my first a...
Arthur Keith Joins Kalahari Resorts and Conventions as General Manager of Pocono Mountains Resort
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions | January 15, 2019
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis.--January 15, 2019--Kalahari Resorts and Conventions has named Arthur Keith as general manager for the company's Pocono Mountains resort. A hospitality veteran who has managed marquee properties throughout the world, Keith will oversee all day-to-day operations, as well as provide leadership and guidance to the Poconos on-site management team, while serving as liaison to the regional Poconos community. Keith assumed the position on Dec. 13, 2018. "Arthur Keith is a hospitality industry titan with great skill in leading teams to growth and success while never compromising on guest experience. Our company is strengthe...
Amber Brask Takes the Reins as General Manager at Montana’s Historic 320 Guest Ranch
320 Guest Ranch | January 10, 2019
As the new general manager of Montana's historic 320 Guest Ranch, Amber Brask is heir to a proud tradition of authentic Western hospitality, pioneering spirit and female independence and leadership. The daughter of the ranch owner, Ms. Brask takes charge of the historic property as the third female general manager since the ranch was founded in 1898. Today, the 320 Guest Ranch is a full-service property that looks to the future while preserving its storied past in the 58 fully restored and modernized log cabins and mountain chalets, set on 320 scenic acres along the Gallatin River. The wonders of Yellowstone National Park are just 45 mi...
The Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino Expanding With New Hotel Tower Adding 495 Guestrooms
Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino | January 7, 2019
LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2019) – The Grand Entrance to the Downtown Las Vegas party is about to get a little more Grand. In conjunction with the property's five-year anniversary, The Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has announced expanding the footprint of its hospitality space by over 250,000 square feet in mid-2020 with the addition of a new tower. Anchored by seven guest-room floors and adding 495 new rooms to the property's existing inventory of 629, the Downtown Grand's third tower, located on the east side of the property and flanked by Stewart and Ogden, will redefine the intersection of 4th and Ogden with clean-lin...
Epelboim Development Group and IHG Complete the EVEN® Hotel Miami Airport Project
Epelboim Development Group (EDG) | January 7, 2019
Miami-based Epelboim Development Group (EDG), in conjunction with InterContinental Group Hotels (IHG), is proud to announce the completion of its newest project: EVEN® Hotel Miami Airport. EVEN® Hotels, part of IHG's premier lifestyle hotel brand, offers guests a unique wellness and relaxation experience through its exclusive "Eat Well, Rest Easy, Keep Active and Accomplish More" initiative. From in-room trainers, mounted fitness walls, resistance bands and exercise balls, to yoga mats and blocks, 18+ On-Demand fitness videos, beds with built-in "mood lighting," ergonomic workstations and more—all in its 190 guest rooms&md...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: The Top 10 Interview Questions About The Hotel’s Finances for a General Manager and the Best Answers
David Lund | January 2, 2019
By David Lund Interviews are tricky, for both the candidate and the interviewer. A GM's job interview is a challenge for the incumbent because they need to be ready for just about anything. This is especially true as it relates to the financial picture of the business as seen through the interviewer's eyes. The opposite is also true as many times the person doing the grilling does not have a broad base of experience relating to the daily inner workings and nuances of the hotel world. Here is a list of common questions and good answers as well as a few bonus questions you can ask the person doing your audition. 1. What makes you qualifie...
