The Future of Revenue Management Is Now!
Travel Outlook | September 28th, 2021
IDeaS and Amadeus Expand Technology Partnership to Expedite Hospitality Industry Recovery
IDeaS | September 23rd, 2021
News Top: September
Multimillion-Dollar Property-Wide Renovation Complete for the 1,310-key Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
Marriott Hotels | September 29, 2021
HONOLULU – September 29, 2021 – Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa today announces the completion of its multi-million-dollar comprehensive transformation that introduces guests to a unique modern resort playground experience. Spanning 5.2 acres and overlooking world-famous Waikiki Beach, the beachfront resort features transformed guestrooms and suites, a modernized open-air Nanea Lobby, Royal Kaila Spa, a dramatic new one-acre Queensbreak pool and amenity deck including two luxurious pools with private cabanas and a spectacular new open-air restaurant and bar concept serving delicious locally influenced cuisine. “We are excited ...
Is Your Hotel Flushing Money Down the Toilet?
Cicero Construction Group | September 30, 2021
By Sam Cicero PLAINFIELD, IL – September 30, 2021 – Was your hotel built before 1993? If so, chances are you’re losing money each time a guest flushes one of the hotel’s toilets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that hotels use about 15 percent of the total water consumed by commercial and institutional facilities in the United States. Actual usage varies by guest, of course, but most studies indicate hotels use between 100 to 200 gallons of fresh water per occupied guestroom per day. Water in the United States ranges from three to five dollars per 1,000 gallons. Simple math shows how effo...
Benchmark Global Hospitality and Pyramid Hotel Group Announce Merger
Benchmark Pyramid | September 30, 2021
BOSTON and THE WOODLANDS, Texas – September 30, 2021 – Two storied hotel and resort management companies have aligned forces, creating one powerhouse organization strategically positioned for the future of the global hospitality industry: Benchmark Pyramid. With a worldwide portfolio of 210 properties and annual operating revenue under management of more than $3 billion, the new company captures the passions and unique strengths of Benchmark Global Hospitality, a celebrated leader in the development and management of independent and lifestyle properties, and Pyramid Hotel Group, with its history of success across branded/franchise and re...
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Welcomes New Management Appointments
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park | September 1, 2021
NEW YORK, N.Y. – September 1, 2021 –The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is pleased to announce the leadership appointments of General Manager Douglas Housley and Director of Sales & Marketing Andrei Oei. General Manager Douglas Housley (left) and Director of Sales & Marketing Andrei Oei (right). Douglas, or “Doug” as he prefers, assumed his new role this past December 2020. A well-seasoned luxury hospitality veteran, Doug began his career with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in 1979. During this time, his career expanded across several U.S. and overseas markets, covering Food and Beverage assignments, Ro...
What if Labor Shortage Is a Long-Term Threat to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry?
Linchi Kwok | September 27, 2021
By Linchi Kwok The U.S. economy finally shows signs of a strong recovery from the pandemic. Nevertheless, the surging delta variant cases, inflation, and the global supply chain disruption, among other concerns, add considerable uncertainty to the economic outlook. Notably, the hospitality and tourism industry is unlikely to recover any time soon. On the one hand, there is no real sense of recovery until people are traveling for business again. Yet, more companies have postponed the return-to-office plan and let employees continue working from home. On the other hand, the industry is facing an extreme labor shortage that slows do...
Aimbridge Hospitality Appoints Mark Frances as Resort Managing Director for Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
Aimbridge Hospitality LLC | September 10, 2021
PUERTO RICO – September 10, 2021 – The leading multinational hospitality company, Aimbridge Hospitality, proudly welcomes Mark Frances to the management team as Resort Managing Director and Betty Gonzalez as Communications and Marketing Director of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico. Frances will oversee the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico property and management team, home to the largest lagoon-style pool in Puerto Rico and the island’s first floating waterpark over the ocean. Gonzalez will oversee the communications and marketing team, planning and overseeing communications and marketing strategies for the property. Fr...
Thompson Dallas Appoints Aaron Ide as General Manager
Thompson Hotels | September 21, 2021
DALLAS, TEXAS – September 21, 2021 – Downtown Dallas’ newest luxury hotel announces Aaron Ide as the general manager of the first Thompson Hotel in Texas, located in the newly transformed iconic First National Bank building, now known as The National. Aaron’s extraordinary background includes over 20 years in luxury hospitality in a variety of roles. As General Manager, he will lead the team to create innovative programming along with exceptional service focused on enhancing the guest experience. “We are fortunate to have Aaron join the team at Thompson Dallas,” said Philip Todd, managing general partner/owner and devel...
Rockbridge Plans 212-Room Independent Lifestyle Boutique Hotel in Columbus, Ohio
ROCKBRIDGE | September 8, 2021
Columbus, OH – September 8, 2021 – After many months developing plans and coordinating with stakeholders amid pandemic conditions, Rockbridge announced new details of the plan for the North Market Mixed-Use Development originally revealed in 2019. This marks a significant next step in bringing the project’s transformational vision to life – and highlights the commitment, perseverance and collaboration of the development team, North Market and the City of Columbus. Rockbridge is working to finalize the plan and secure ongoing support for the proposed 31-story development, which will be reviewed by the Downtown Commission and Histo...
AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport Opens Its Doors in South Florida
AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport | September 9, 2021
MIAMI, FL – September 9, 2021 – AC Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, today announces the opening of AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport, the brand’s newest South Florida property. AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport is set in an unparalleled location, within minutes of Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Port Everglades Cruise Terminals, and Las Olas Boulevard – Fort Lauderdale’s top choice destination for everything from fashion and art galleries to memorable restaurants and nostalgic sidewalk cafes. “We are thrilled to expand the presence of AC Hotels in one of South Florida’s most up-and-...
Guest Satisfaction Declines Among Hotels Operated by Largest Third-Party Management Companies, J.D. Power Finds
J.D. Power | September 8, 2021
Throughout the pandemic, hotel operators reduced staff and services as they adjusted to reduced demand. Guests often reacted negatively to these changes as evidenced by lower stay satisfaction in branded hotels operated by the top third-party management companies, according to the J.D. Power 2021 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark,SM released today. Driving the decline in guest satisfaction are food and beverage and staff service. “As hotel demand increases, guests are expressing not just a desire, but an expectation of a return to brand standards,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice ...
McWhinney Acquires the 244-Key Austin Proper Hotel in Austin Texas
McWHINNEY | September 27, 2021
Denver, CO — September 27, 2021 — McWhinney, a national real estate investment, development and management firm with expertise in commercial, multifamily, hospitality, residential and mixed-use assets, has acquired the luxurious Austin Proper Hotel in Austin, Texas. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Developed by the Kor Group, the 32-story award-winning Austin Proper Hotel & Residences opened in December 2019 and is located in the heart of downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District, just steps from Lady Bird Lake and the legendary Austin City Limits music venue. Designed by iconic interior designer Kelly Wea...
Mandarin Oriental, Boston Appoints Alexander von Süsskind as Hotel Manager
Mandarin Oriental, Boston | September 21, 2021
Boston, MA – September 21, 2021 – The Five-Star Mandarin Oriental, Boston is delighted to announce the appointment of Alexander von Süsskind to the position of Hotel Manager; he will oversee all aspects of the day-to-day hotel operation, including rooms, food and beverage, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston, and security. With over 20 years of global hospitality experience, von Süsskind joins Mandarin Oriental, Boston, from Stanton House in El Paso, Texas, where he served as General Manager. He has gained significant managerial experience in a variety of esteemed luxury hotel brands: Kempinski Hotels at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten ...
Driftwood Capital Acquires Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico
Driftwood Capital | September 29, 2021
MIAMI, FL – September 29, 2021 – Driftwood Capital, a vertically integrated commercial real estate investment, development and lending platform specializing in hospitality, announces that it has acquired the Sheraton Old San Juan, a 240-room hotel and 27,500-square-foot retail complex in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Driftwood intends to undertake a full-scale renovation of the property and convert it to a Tribute By Marriott – making it the only branded hotel in the historic district. It will be managed by Driftwood Capital’s sister company, Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM), a national hotel operator with over 20 ye...
Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort Appoints Gregory Brossard as New Resort Manager
Conrad Hotels & Resorts | September 16, 2021
PAPEETE, Tahiti – September 16, 2021 – Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort announces today the appointment of new Resort Manager, Gregory Brossard, to lead operations and elevate the award-winning resort’s luxury offerings. Gregory Brossard has been a key player in the hospitality and fine dining industry for nearly 20 years. He has led culinary teams and managed operations in hotels and top-tier restaurants around the world including The Ritz Carlton in Kyoto, Japan, The Ritz Carlton in Saudi Arabia, Caprice at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, and has extensive experience managing food and beverage operations for 3-Star Michelin rated establ...
Radisson Bhopal Opens Its Doors in the Capital City of Madhya Pradesh
Radisson Hotel Group | September 17, 2021
New Delhi – September 17, 2021 – Radisson, an upscale hotel brand today announced the opening of Radisson Bhopal in the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel is conveniently located within a 40-minute driving distance from Raja Bhoj International Airport and 10 minutes from Habibganj Railway Station. The hotel spans across 4,500 sqm and provides an ideal stay for both leisure and business travelers visiting the city. Radisson Bhopal also provides easy access to tourist attractions like Sanchi Stupa, Upper Lake, Van Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhimbeteka Caves. “We are delighted to stren...
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Appoints Mathieu Riviere as General Manager
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay | September 8, 2021
HALF MOON BAY, CA – September 8, 2021 – Perched atop a rugged ocean bluff overlooking 50 miles of pristine Northern California coastline, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is pleased to announce the appointment of Mathieu Riviere as general manager. Having previously served as the resort’s hotel manager, Riviere will continue to propel the five-star luxury resort to new heights. Riviere joined the resort in 2018 as hotel manager and a member of the guidance team, and three months ago stepped into an interim general manager role where he has successfully managed day-to-day resort operations and owner relations, among other key areas. Un...
New Survey Finds Nearly 50% of Hospitality Workers Consider Switching Jobs for Better Workplace Technology
Relay | September 27, 2021
Approximately one in five employees felt unsafe at work because of faulty walkie-talkie radios, and more than 70% of workers have resorted to using personal smartphones on-the-job because of radio malfunctions Raleigh, North Carolina, September 27, 2021 — A new survey examining hospitality employees’ satisfaction with their company’s current walkie-talkie radios has found close to 50% of workers would consider quitting their jobs for better, safer workplace communication technology. The survey, conducted by Relay, the voice-first communications platform for frontline workers, finds that approximately one in three respondents consid...
Friedman Capital Acquires The Graham Hotel in Georgetown’s Historic District
The Graham Hotel in Georgetown | September 16, 2021
Washington, D.C. – September 16, 2021 — Friedman Capital — a D.C.-based, family-run private equity investment firm with fully integrated residential, commercial and hospitality divisions — today announced the acquisition of The Graham Hotel located within Georgetown’s Historic District. Friedman Capital and its hospitality management arm the Anasazi Group will serve as the hotel’s owner, operator and manager, and will be enhancing its all-around guest experience with luxury amenities and capital improvements to deliver on the property’s full potential. In a savvy market deal, in part due to pandemic market effects, Friedman Capi...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 254: Hotel History: St. Regis Hotel
Stanley Turkel | September 14, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: St. Regis Hotel (550 rooms) In 1904, Colonel John Jacob Astor broke ground for the building of the St. Regis Hotel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, in the most exclusive residential section of New York at the time. The architects were Trowbridge and Livingston who were based in New York. The firm’s partners were Samuel Beck Parkman Trowbridge (1862-1925) and Goodhue Livingston (1867-1951). Trowbridge studied at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. On his graduation in 1883, he attended Columbia University and later studied abroad in the American School of Classical Studies i...
Rhode Island’s Weekapaug Inn Appoints Mr. Conny Andersson as General Manager
Weekapaug Inn | September 23, 2021
Westerly, RI – September 23 2021 – Weekapaug Inn, one of Rhode Island’s top luxury hotels, announced today the appointment of two new members of its leadership team – Mr. Conny Andersson has been named General Manager and Mr. Andrew Brooks has been appointed Executive Chef. These two new leaders will enhance the Weekapaug Inn guest experience and the resort’s reputation as a leading New England culinary destination. Conny Andersson, Weekapaug Inn General Manager Andersson brings more than 40 years of hospitality and culinary leadership to his new role as General Manager at Weekapaug Inn. His biography reads like a w...
New Waterloo Plans Summer 2022 Opening of Albert Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas
ALBERT HOTEL | September 20, 2021
Austin, Texas – September 20, 2021 – New Waterloo, an independent hospitality development, design, and management company, is announcing its latest project, Albert Hotel. Located at 242 East Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, Albert Hotel is a historic preservation effort with four late 19th century buildings and a newly constructed hotel with event, spa, and restaurant space. Slated to open in late summer 2022, Albert Hotel is named for architect, historic preservationist, and general man-about-town Albert Kiedel, who left quite an impression on the city of Fredericksburg. Albert's great-grandfather Dr. Wilhelm Keidel came to Frederic...
With Summer’s Last Breath, Global Hotel Industry Still Gasping for Air
HotStats | September 28, 2021
The collective hotel industry is facing a cold, hard truth: attaining the same level of pre-pandemic operational performance will not be measured in days, but months, even years. That's what August data from HotStats portends and at a crossroads, as summer gives way to fall and a host of new variables come into play that could derail the modest success the past several months have demonstrated. In the U.S., profit continues to lag its 2019 form, with GOPPAR recorded at $52.27 in August, 31% lower than it was in August 2019. However, in a business that changes block to block, there is some good news, with some pockets surpassing expectation...
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook Names Howard Gottlieb as General Manager and Nathan Karsten as Director of Sales
Delta Hotels by Marriott | September 27, 2021
WILLOWBROOK, Ill. – September 27, 2021 – The Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook and Willby’s Restaurant & Bar are proud to announce a new, award-winning management team to represent the freshly reopened 165-room hotel and restaurant, including over 11,000 square feet of wedding and event space. The new team includes Howard Gottlieb as the new general manager and Nathan Karsten as the director of sales and marketing. “We’re at the beginning of our journey and I’m really looking forward to it. We have the experience and creativity to turn this property into a leading destination for travelers, meeting planners, we...
Foley Entertainment Group Acquires Santa Barbara’s Hotel Californian
THE FOLEY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP | September 14, 2021
SANTA BARBARA, CA – September 14, 2021 – Lee & Associates, a leader in commercial real estate services throughout North America, announces one of the largest-ever sales of hotel property in Santa Barbara, the Hotel Californian located at the front door of the city’s booming Funk Zone has traded to one of businessman Bill Foley’s companies for an undisclosed figure. The deal, which closed September 1, was led by local Santa Barbara commercial real estate firms Radius Commercial Real Estate and Lee & Associates Central Coast, with Austin Herlihy and Chris Parker of Radius representing the seller, and Steve Leider and Cl...
Grand View Lodge Appoints William Coyle as Executive Chef
Grand View Lodge | September 2, 2021
NISSWA, MINNESOTA – September 2, 2021 – Grand View Lodge, Spa and Golf Resort is pleased to announce the appointment of William Coyle as executive chef. Coyle will drive the culinary operations for the resort, including its seven dining venues and banquet operations. At Grand View Lodge, Coyle will be charged with overseeing CHAR Craft Steaks, Cru Restaurant and Wine Bar, Northwoods Pub, On the Rocks, Freddy’s Sports Grill, Preserve Pub, Tanque Verde Cantina, Grand Breakfast, and all banquet services. “We are excited to name Chef Coyle as our Executive Chef” said Donald Lenahan, general manager of Grand View Lodge...
