5 Steps to 5-Star Service Excellence, Inspired by the Ritz-Carlton
Hospitality Insights | February 28th, 2020
Revenue, Profit Up at European Hotels to Start Year
HotStats | February 28th, 2020
News Top: February
Why More Hotels Are Owned by Franchisees
JLL | February 4, 2020
February 04, 2020 The last decade has seen a continued shift in hotel ownership. In 2010, roughly 70% of branded hotels were franchised operations. By 2019, that figure rose to roughly 80%. Major hotel brands have led the charge. Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International and Intercontinental Hotels Group — the top 5 franchisors by total room count in the U.S. — collectively represent 82% of total franchised branded rooms, according to STR and JLL Research. These companies continue to move away from owning the real estate portion of properties and toward a model where th...
5 Steps to 5-Star Service Excellence, Inspired by the Ritz-Carlton
Hospitality Insights | February 28, 2020
Service excellence is the foundation of luxury hotels and the Ritz-Carlton has received many awards for it. Here are 5 steps it takes to remain best in class. When you opt for a five-star hotel, you expect luxury. Marble, not granite. Silverware, not stainless steel. Crystal rather than glass. A high thread count. You expect the receptionist who welcomes you on arrival to speak your language. You anticipate valet parking or someone to show you to your room, relieving you of the burden of your heavy suitcases. You presume the hotel restaurant, or indeed restaurants, will serve exquisite cuisine at your beck and call. You want access to addi...
HVS Central Florida 2020 State of the Hotel Market
Donald C. Stephens Jr. | February 24, 2020
By Donald C. Stephens Jr. Orlando has long been distinguished as an iconic vacation destination by continuing its ranking as the No. 1 destination in the United States, according to Visit Florida. Since 2013, Orlando has reigned as the nation’s “Most Visited Tourist Destination.” With multiple factors driving Orlando’s appeal, hotel investors and developers are curious as to what is on the horizon for the hospitality market in Central Florida. With a variety of hotels and attractions in the Metro Orlando pipeline, and major international brands continuing investment in the market, the metrics point toward continued success in 2020 ...
Highgate Acquires Heavlin Management Company
Highgate | February 27, 2020
New York, NY – February 27, 2020 - Highgate, a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company, announced today that it has acquired Heavlin Management Company, LLC (“HMC”), a hotel management company with over 30 years of operating experience headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. Heavlin Management Company oversees nine branded properties throughout Arizona and two independent properties in Alaska. Under the terms of the purchase, Highgate will assume management of all properties in HMC’s portfolio. The properties in the acquired portfolio include: Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport, Arizona Four Points by Sh...
The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, Sees Six-Figure Revenue From Partnership With ResortPass
The Waterfront Beach Resort | February 20, 2020
What started as a way to fill a few pool loungers and cabanas quickly becomes a profitable new opportunity for an award-winning property that now offers a variety of daycation experiences to guests Santa Monica, California (February 20, 2020) – Since partnering with ResortPass in early 2019, The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, has seen an impressive six-figure boost to their bottom line. With full control of who visits the property and which amenities are made available based on inventory and seasonality, the AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort has created unique offerings that cater to their desired audience. From family-fri...
Forbes Travel Guide Honors Hospitality’s Finest in 2020 Star Rating Awards
Forbes Travel Guide | February 12, 2020
107 Properties Earn New Five-Star Accolades Largest-Ever Global Expansion as Awards Launch in 16 New Countries Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Triumphs as Hotel Brand with Most Five-Star Hotels London Takes Starring Role as the Five-Star Capital City of the World ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2020 -- Forbes Travel Guide ("FTG"), the global expert on genuine Five-Star service, today presented a galaxy of "Stars" to the world's most luxurious properties. A record 107 new Five-Star awards have been announced, owing to the company's significant expansion across 16 countries. The 2020 awards celebrate 1,898 Star-Rated properties in 73 coun...
Allen Highfield Named General Manager for Montage Healdsburg
Montage Hotels & Resorts | February 3, 2020
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF.(February 3, 2020) – Montage Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Allen Highfield to the position of general manager of Montage Healdsburg. A Montage veteran with an extensive and diverse background in luxury hospitality, including nearly five years leading sister resort Montage Deer Valley, Highfield will oversee the opening of Montage’s newest ultra-luxury address and seventh property, which invites travelers to experience the beauty, art, and local culture of Northern California wine country. “We are thrilled to have Allen open our first resort in the Northern California wine ...
Solving the Industry’s Biggest Challenge: Understaffing
Jamie Baxter | February 27, 2020
By Jamie Baxter The hospitality industry is notorious for its high turnover and consistent understaffing. In fact, restaurants, bars, and other F&B businesses deal with an average 75% turnover every year - and the problem isn’t going away any time soon. The most common challenges we hear are last-minute callouts, events that far exceed a team’s size, and staff accepting other jobs. The uncomfortable truth is this: hospitality businesses can’t hire fast enough to avoid turnover and understaffing. The solution to this industry-wide pain point is completely rethinking how to staff and leaning into the new, tech-driven resources...
Jackson-Shaw Selects Crescent Hotels & Resorts to Manage AC Hotel Fort Worth Opening Fall 2020
AC Hotel Fort Worth | February 17, 2020
FORT WORTH (Feb. 17, 2020) – AC Hotel Fort Worth, a key addition to Tarrant County’s hospitality market, has hit some key milestones on its way to a planned early fall 2020 opening. This includes the selection of its leadership team – operating company, general manager and director of sales and marketing. The 252-room, 16-story AC Hotel Fort Worth is owned and developed by Jackson-Shaw, a national real estate company headquartered in North Texas. “Jackson-Shaw is excited to welcome Crescent Hotels & Resorts as AC Hotel Fort Worth’s management company, industry veteran Aaron R. Oquendo as general manager and Jillian Lehmann as...
Q4 Year End 2019 U.S. Lodging Market Update
Daniel Lesser | February 14, 2020
By Daniel Lesser After a tumultuous 4Q18, 2019 was a climb of the wall of worry as at several points many believed the grind higher was going to come to a halt, which did not occur. Although America’s financial system has been buffeted by a slowing global economy and the U.S. instigated trade war with China, it has been buoyed by the lowest unemployment levels during the past 50 years, and rising incomes which have fueled consumer spending and a generally optimistic sentiment. Although the U.S. economy is on solid footing, the longest period of expansion in its history places the nation in unchartered territory. The recent signing of a P...
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Page Development Group, and Choice Hotels Partner for Winter the Dolphin’s Beach Club Hotel
Page Development Group | February 6, 2020
Clearwater Beach, FL (February 6, 2020) – Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), Page Development Group and Choice Hotels’ Ascend Hotel Collection, are excited to announce the first ever Winter the Dolphin’s Beach Club Hotel! With the conversion expected to be unveiled in the Spring of 2020 and sitting on America’s number one beach with 91 rooms, this eco-friendly hotel will be dolphin and marine life themed, featuring the inspiring dolphin made famous by the Dolphin Tale movies – Winter! “The opportunity to partner with Clearwater Marine Aquarium is unique and special,” said Page Development Group President Steve Page. “Our eco...
Sheraton New York Times Square Names Jim Mooney Director of Hotel Sales
Sheraton New York Times Square | February 5, 2020
NEW YORK – (Feb. 5, 2019) – Sheraton New York Times Square, the iconic fifty-floor property on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street in the heart of Times Square, is proud to announce the appointment of Jim Mooney as director of hotel sales. “Jim brings to Sheraton New York Times Square a long history of building and managing successful sales operations within the hospitality industry,” said Sean Verney, general manager of Sheraton New York Times Square. “We’re thrilled to have him join the team and look forward to watching him step into such an important role.” Mooney brings to the hotel more than 24 years of hospita...
AJ Capital Partners Acquires Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa in North Berwick, Scotland
AJ Capital Partners | February 17, 2020
Chicago-based real estate developer purchases second property in Scotland with plans to renovate and reopen with updated guest rooms and food and beverage offerings Chicago, Ill. – Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners announced today that it has acquired the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa in North Berwick, Scotland. The 83-key hotel will undergo extensive renovations starting in fall 2020. Once completed in spring 2021, the reimagined hotel will debut with 89- keys, two food and beverage concepts, expansive meeting and event space and an indoor-outdoor spa and fitness center. “Our team is humbled by the opportunity to create...
Arbor Lodging Partners Acquires 12-Hotel, 1313-Room National Portfolio
Arbor Lodging | February 3, 2020
Chicago-based hotel investment and management company, Arbor Lodging Partners, announced today the acquisition of a 12-hotel portfolio consisting of the Hilton Garden Inn Pasadena/Arcadia, Springhill Suites Pasadena/Arcadia, Hampton Inn Irvine/Lake Forest, Hilton Garden Inn Irvine/Lake Forest, Hilton Garden Inn Bakersfield, Hilton Garden Inn Folsom, Hilton Garden Inn Roseville, Courtyard Inn Hartford/Farmington, Residence Inn Hartford/Rocky Hill, Homewood Suites Wallingford, Homewood Suites Somerset and Residence Inn Mount Olive hotels in a joint venture with GFH Financial Group B.S.C. Expanding its portfolio to 37 full-service and select-ser...
Omni Viking Lakes Hotel Names Brent Glashan and Mike Hubnik to Key Executive Roles for Opening
Omni Hotels & Resorts | February 4, 2020
EAGAN, MN / DALLAS, TX (February 4, 2020) – Omni Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointments of Brent Glashan as general manager and Mike Hubnik as director of sales and marketing at Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Omni’s newest property slated to open in October 2020. With nearly 20 years of hospitality experience, Glashan is well-equipped to lead the 320-room hotel to success. Hubnik’s knowledge of the Minneapolis-St. Paul market and years of sales leadership experience will propel the hotel to achieve its goals. “Brent has been part of the Omni family for ten years and his success is exemplified by consistently demo...
Is 2020 the Year of Sustainable Business in Hospitality?
Samuel Wich | February 24, 2020
By Samuel Wich From Greta Thunberg sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to attending a conference in New York, to protesters all around the world taking to the streets in peaceful demonstrations - 2019 saw a huge uptick in activities related to climate change and environmental issues. Movements such as the Extinction Rebellion are attracting the attention of millions through creative displays, for instance, by floating a life-size model of a typical suburban house down the river Thames as a warning about rising sea levels. Stark actions like these are turning the crisis from an abstract collection of scientific data into a visually compr...
The Top Lifestyle Trends That Every Hotel Should Be Cashing In On
Amanda Szabo | February 6, 2020
By Amanda Szabo Fueled by the experience economy, delivering memorable hotel experiences matters. Now more than ever, forward-thinking hoteliers are setting high expectations for the rest of the industry. With much of the economy forecasted to lose its shine in 2020, many hoteliers are seeing an opportunity to review their playbook for staying profitable during the downturn. Brands are considering the image their brand conveys to the world and working to create services that match consumers’ changing values and lifestyle choices. But when it comes to how the next 12 months will play out, the market will be defined by emerging trends a...
Hamilton Hotel Partners and Pyramid Hotel Group Agree to Merger
Hamilton Hotel Partners | February 6, 2020
The merger will create a leading international group that will manage or asset manage a total of 141 hotels with 32,000 rooms across 8 countries, and £5.3bn of assets under management London/Boston – Thursday 6 February 2020 The Boards of Hamilton Hotel Partners (“Hamilton” or “the Firm”), an independent London-based hotel management and investment firm, and Pyramid Hotel Group (“Pyramid” or “the Group”), a privately-owned full-service hotel and resort company based in Boston are delighted to announce today that they have completed a transaction that involves the merger of the two businesses. The merger will create...
Kingston Resorts® to Undergo $50 Million Dollar Multi-Phase Transformative Renovation and Repositioning
Embassy Suites by Hilton | February 26, 2020
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - EOS Investors LLC (EOS), a privately held real estate investment firm, has unveiled plans for a multi-phase $50 million dollar renovation of the Kingston Resorts® properties, beginning with a comprehensive $20 million dollar investment in the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort followed by a $30 million dollar investment in the Embassy Suites Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort. The transformative renovation of Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort is set for completion by June 2020 and will bring EOS’s vision to life for the future of these legacy properties, which includes a repositioning and reintroduction of the Hilton property as on...
Vision Hospitality Group Breaks Ground on AC Hotel in North Atlanta’s Perimeter Center
AC Hotels by Marriott | February 5, 2020
The AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter Center is slated to open in 2021 and will feature 156 guest rooms Atlanta, GA – February 4, 2020 – AC Hotels by Marriott® and Chattanooga-based Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. announced the AC Hotel in North Atlanta’s Perimeter Center has broken ground. The design-driven lifestyle hotel is slated to open in 2021 and will feature 156 guest rooms, engaging communal spaces and the area’s first rooftop bar boasting panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline. AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter Center will include a curated collection of artwork and modern design elements utilizing subtle tones and crisp, clean line...
Health Movement Leads to Growth in Hotel Spas
Mark VanStekelenburg and Jenna Finkelstein | February 13, 2020
By Mark VanStekelenburg and Jenna Finkelstein In 2007, CBRE introduced Trends® in the Hotel Spa Industry in response to the spa industry’s rapid expansion within hotels and resorts and its relevance to hotels’ bottom lines. For the second time in the history of the publication, spa revenue increased at a higher rate than rooms revenue and total operating revenue. During 2018, the 159 hotels in our survey sample of achieved a 3.7 percent growth in RevPAR, which led to a 3.8 percent rise in total operating revenue. Concurrently, spa department revenue increased by 4.8 percent. With RevPAR forecast to increase less than 1.5 percent throu...
IHG Signs With Valor Hospitality Partners to Develop voco The Bank, Rosebank in South Africa
Valor Hospitality Partners | February 3, 2020
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 3, 2020 - InterContinental Hotels Group (www.IHG.com), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed voco™ The Bank, Rosebank in South Africa in partnership with Valor Hospitality Partners Africa. Earlier this year, IHG announced the signing of a Master Development Agreement (MDA) with Valor Hospitality Partners Africa to roll out multiple franchise hotels over the next 10 years, across IHG’s portfolio of brands in midscale, upscale and luxury segments. This is the first signing under the MDA and adds to IHG’s growing pipeline in the Middle East and Africa whilst strengthens the growth of ...
7 Mobile Marketing Trends to Watch in 2020
Anthony Del Gigante | February 5, 2020
By Anthony Del Gigante Which mobile trends are likely to have a major impact on marketing in the year ahead? That question is particularly challenging to answer in 2020 because we're in a period of transition: current mobile technologies are still transforming consumer and business behaviors in crucial ways, but the effects of the next big thing—5G wireless—likely won't be felt this year. As Forrester Research put it in a recent report: "Yes, [5G] will matter for industrial players, but to consumers, 5G in 2020 will feel like 3G in 2004 or 4G in 2010." In other words, 5G is something you should definitely be thinking about, bu...
Travel + Leisure Releases 15th Annual It List, an Editor-Curated Collection of the Best New Hotels in the World
Travel + Leisure | February 20, 2020
72 Hotels Across the Globe Selected, Including 19 Hotels in the United States NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2020 -- Meredith Corporation's (NYSE: MDP; Meredith.com) Travel + Leisure released its 15th annual It List, a selection of the top new and renovated hotels in the world. The list is available on TravelandLeisure.com and in the March issue, available on newsstands February 21. Each year, Travel + Leisure editors scout hundreds of new hotels around the globe in pursuit of those that offer a special, holistic experience based on location, ambiance, service, and amenities. The editors collaborate with Travel + Leisure's global network of expert...
Stonebridge Companies Acquires Residence Inn by Marriott Herndon Reston
Stonebridge Companies | February 25, 2020
DENVER — Stonebridge Companies — a Denver-based, privately owned, innovative hotel owner, operator and developer — has acquired and will manage the 168-room Residence Inn by Marriott Herndon Reston in Herndon, Virginia. The acquisition is Stonebridge Companies’ second in less than three months and third since late 2018. Stonebridge last month announced the purchase of the Le Méridien New Orleans, and in late 2018 acquired the Embassy Suites by Hilton New Orleans. The Residence Inn by Marriott Herndon Reston is located at 315 Elden St. in Herndon, just minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport and blocks from Reston T...
