Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2, 2024
Debunking Common Myths About AI: Why Human Hotel Staff Are Still Irreplaceable
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | September 17, 2024
Operations
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Kevin Rohani as Vice President of Development
Dream Hotel Group | September 22, 2016
New York, NY (September 22, 2016) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Rohani as Vice President of Development. Rohani brings over a decade of experience in portfolio expansion and expertise in hotels, restaurants and nightlife to Dream Hotel Group. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the development of new projects and sourcing new deals globally. "We are pleased to have Kevin Rohani join our team as we expand our brand and undergo new developments in 2017," said Jay Stein, Chief Executive Officer at Dream Hotel Group. "He is a remarkably talent...
Dream Hotel Group Promotes Kanvar Singh to Area Managing Director for Time Hotels
Dream Hotel Group | September 21, 2016
Dream Hotel Group announces the promotion of Kanvar Singh to Area Managing Director for Time Hotels. In this role, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of The Time New York and The Time Nyack, two properties part of the esteemed Dream Hotel Group. Kanvar began his career with Dream Hotel Group as Front Desk Agent at The Time New York in 2002. He quickly rose from the ranks to become one of the youngest GMs in the city at Night Theater District in 2008, overseeing daily operations for the hotel and its food & beverage venues. Under his leadership, Night was voted "the sexiest hotel in America" by TripAdvisor and won multip...
The Perpetual Debate Over The Hotel Booking Bar
Larry Mogelonsky | September 21, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Every marketing manager you employ will tell you a version of the same story: Your website needs to have a 'Booking Bar' prominently stapled onto the home page and every page thereafter – big, flashy and impossible to ignore. The central concept is that your site visitors will be compelled to immediately interact with the banner to see what spaces are available, compare guestrooms and even select value-added options to enhance their stays. Another assumption is that site visitors are just too naïve or blind to click a smaller button that says 'Reservations' and that revenues will...
The WebAwards Recognize HeBS Digital’s Industry-Leading Technology and Website Design with 7 Awards, Including Best Hotel and Lodging Website
HeBS Digital | September 21, 2016
New York, NY (September 21, 2016)– HeBS Digital is proud to announce the receipt of seven WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association in the Hotel and Lodging category, including the top award in its category, the Best Hotel and Lodging Website designation for TsogoSun.com. The firm that has helped hoteliers drastically increase direct bookings and lower overall distribution costs by deploying industry best-of-breed digital technology, consulting and marketing has also won three Outstanding Website awards and three Standard of Excellence Awards. HeBS Digital received the following WebAwards: Best Website – Hotel and Lodging...
SHR Developer of WindsurferCRS™ Secures Growth Capital to Support Expansion
SHR | September 21, 2016
HOUSTON, TX September 21, 2016—SHR, developer of the WindsurferCRS™ hotel reservation and distribution platform, today announced it has secured $20MM in growth capital to support its expansion in the U.S. and in Asia-Pacific. On the eve of making the Inc. 5000 List for the fifth year in a row, SHR finds its style of doing business in high demand. The rapid growth over the past two years is indicative of hoteliers' preference for an innovative CRS backed by a high level of intelligent support from a staff with hotel operations experience. "We are very excited about the future of SHR. The new growth capital available to the co...
Hard Rock International Partners with Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels for Hotel on Malaysia’s Desaru Coast
Hard Rock International | September 19, 2016
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 19, 2016 -- Hard Rock International continues the expansion of its Hotel brand throughout Asia-Pacific by announcing Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast. Following the recent announcement in Dalian, and while gearing up to open projects in Shenzhen and Haikou, China, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast is slated to open fall 2017 in the southeastern region of Malaysia, in the state of Johor. The 365-room hotel will be part of the country's most anticipated integrated destination resort, Desaru Coast, encompassing entertainment, restaurants, shopping, a waterpark and 45-holes of golf, among other leisure offerings. The project...
MJM Group to Develop 188-Room Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott Dual-Branded Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina
Midas Hospitality | September 19, 2016
(Charlotte, NC, Sept. 19, 2016) MJM Group, a leading Marriott developer based in Raleigh, NC, will develop a new 188-room dual-brand hotel that includes a 94-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 94-room Marriott Residence Inn. Construction is expected to begin this Sept., and the hotel is scheduled to be completed by March of 2018. The $45 million seven-story hotel will be built at 9110 Harris Corners Parkway in Charlotte, NC. The 130,000-square-foot hotel will feature a shared Courtyard and Residence Inn lobby, Courtyard's latest bistro concept, two patio areas with an outdoor swimming pool, an oversized exercise room, and meeting room spa...
How to Jumpstart Your Hotel’s Direct Bookings Through Social Media
the Author and HeBS Digital | September 19, 2016
By Victoria Hsia In hospitality marketing, the digital landscape is constantly evolving and the travel consumer journey to a direct booking is becoming more and more complex. To help you better navigate the digital landscape and shift share to the direct online channel, HeBS Digital's "Jumpstart Direct Bookings" Series shares industry best practices to boost direct bookings through the top revenue-generating marketing channels. From SEO to Multichannel Campaigns, you'll learn insider strategies and concrete action steps to start shifting share from the OTAs today. The first best practices action plan covered how to jumpstart direct book...
Benchmark Hospitality International Names Brianna Miles Recipient of the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship
September 14, 2016
Presented annually with the James Beard Foundation, New York The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, September 2016 … Benchmark Hospitality International® has announced the recipient of the Bob Zappatelli Culinary Arts Scholarship. The winner is Brianna Miles, a student at the Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, where she is studying for her Associates Degree in Baking & Pastry Management. Ms. Miles is also an active member of the Army National Guard. The scholarship, launched in 2009 in partnership with the James Beard Foundation in New York City, celebrates the life and legacy of Benchmark Hospitality's fi...
AccorHotels Names Three Executives to Development Team for North & Central America, Middle East & Africa and ASPAC
AccorHotels | September 14, 2016
Paris, September 14, 2016 - Global hospitality leader, AccorHotels, has announced the appointment of three executives to its luxury division following the acquisition of FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) and its three prestigious luxury hotels brands: Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel. Greg Doman, François Baudin and Laure Morvan have been respectively appointed SVP Development North and Central America, Luxury Hotels Americas & Residential; SVP Development Luxury Hotels Europe Middle East and Africa; and VP Development Luxury Hotels ASPAC. In their new roles, they will report to Gaurav Bhushan, AccorHotels' Global Chi...
Five Scary Facts About Millennial Travel Purchases
Larry Mogelonsky | September 14, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) The rate at which consumer purchasing behavior is changing is downright scary. What worked only five years ago is now something for the junkyard. It's a difficult world to understand and, importantly, you must be keen to grasp the elusive spending habits of millennials – the generation that is destined to become the primary influencer in the hospitality industry within ten years' time, if not already! A recent focus group of a dozen late-stage millennial travelers – that is, between the ages of 27 and 33 with no children and healthy median salaries – yielded some exception...
2016 Maestro PMS Users’ Conference Focuses On Strategies for Success
NORTHWIND Maestro | September 14, 2016
Attendees Share Ideas for Productivity, Profitability and Dance Moves at Sold Out Maestro Conference TORONTO - September 14, 2016 – Independent hotel systems leader Maestro PMS wrapped up its 2016 Maestro Users' Conference on September 1st. Executives and staff from more than 50 properties attended the sold-out event at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto, Canada. Attendees received information on new property software system enhancements, attended education sessions, and were provided with personal one-on-one learning labs with Maestro PMS professionals. Maestro also announced continued property software product enhanc...
Construction and Renovations Underway on Historic Natirar Mansion to Anchor New Somerset Hills Resort
| September 14, 2016
Peapack-Gladstone, NJ, September 2016---A vision is realized and a legend reborn, as construction begins at the historic Natirar Mansion, located within the 500-acre estate, set in the Somerset Hills. The celebrated forty-room Tudor mansion, completed in 1912, is being painstakingly restored to its palatial splendor with the addition of an opulent new ballroom being built adjacent to the mansion. This stunning new venue for gala events and exclusive meetings will open and be available in June 2017. The restored mansion and new ballroom will be the centerpiece of a singular new resort and private club complex. Designed to become one of t...
Location-Based Mobile Ordering: The Natural Evolution of Customer Service
Dr. Michael Arner | September 13, 2016
By. Dr. Michael Arner, CTO RoamingAround With 6 billion people worldwide said to own a mobile phone, rare is the occasion that anyone heads out to the casino, hotel pool, a sporting event, or an evening of dining and drinks, without their preferred mobile device in hand. The growing reliance on mobile wallets and the unwavering trust that there is always, "an app for that," means that customer service businesses must engage their customers where the money is… on their mobile device. Thanks (again) Starbucks! The prodigious success of mobile ordering apps like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Dominos has proven the value, demand and ...
Culinary, Outdoor, Adventure Activities Lead Corporate Teambuilding Trends for Newly Merged Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, Gemstone Hotels & Resorts
September 13, 2016
Global Portfolio of Resorts, Hotels and Conference Centers Track Group Trends in 2016 The Woodlands (Houston), Texas (September 2016) – The newly merged Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Hotels & Resorts report a collection of teambuilding trends from across the company's diverse portfolio of resorts, hotels, and conference centers. Topping the list: destination-influenced culinary, outdoor, and adventure activities that encourage group participation, challenge individuals, and inspire collaborative efforts. CULINARY Hawaii's Turtle Bay Resort draws groups with authentic food and drink experiences, such as their Huki...
Wyndham Hotel Group Appoints Philippe Bijaoui Chief Development Officer for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa
Wyndham Hotel Group | September 12, 2016
LONDON, Sept. 12, 2016 -- Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with nearly 8,000 hotels across a portfolio of 16 iconic brands, today announced the appointment of Philippe Bijaoui to the role of Chief Development Officer for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA). In this role Bijaoui will oversee the Company's rapid expansion across the region, introducing additional brands to established markets and building on the 73 countries where Wyndham Hotel Group hotels can already be found. Bijaoui has more than 20 years of hotel real estate and development experience in markets across EMEA and most recently s...
Corporate Governance And M&A Activity in Hospitality: Boards, Shareholders And (Potential) Conflicts of Interest
Thomas Mielke | September 12, 2016
By: Thomas Mielke | Andrew Hazelton Consequences of M&A activity in the hospitality industry are increasingly making headlines, fuelled by a greater complexity of owning- and operating structures and an ever larger number of international stakeholders… What are the best practices to protect oneself from unwanted consequences? Earlier in the year, third party owners and franchisees raised their voices about the Starwood-Marriott USD $12.2 billion merger. They challenged the firms on the potential violation of their exclusivity agreements (prohibiting the brand-partner to own, manage, operate or franchise other hotels within a ...
AETHOS Consulting Group Releases 2016 Hotel General Managers Compensation Study (U.S.)
AETHOS Consulting Group | September 9, 2016
A recent compensation review and analysis of more than 300 general managers of four and five star properties throughout the United States has resulted in AETHOS Consulting Group's 2016 Hotel General Managers Compensation Study. According to AETHOS Managing Director David Mansbach, author of the study, "as we move through the next phase of the lodging cycle it will be critical for organizations to attract and retain high performing general managers; as such, real time and credible compensation information is a must- have to set competitive compensation programs."The Survey highlights these notable findings: The general ma...
Midas Hospitality Names Jacob Neubauer Revenue Management Coordinator
Midas Hospitality | September 9, 2016
(St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 9, 2016) Midas Hospitality, a premier hotel management group, recently hired Jacob Neubauer as its Revenue Management Coordinator. In this position, Neubauer will assist the hotels and the Directors of Revenue Management with the implementation and execution of company-wide revenue management initiatives. This includes pricing strategies, quarterly revenue management objectives, and Ecommerce opportunities. Prior to joining Midas Hospitality, Neubauer worked in the hospitality industry as a sales manager and in guest services. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Southern Illinois University Ed...
IHG Appoints Ranjay Radhakrishnan Chief Human Resources Officer
Ranjay Radhakrishnan | September 8, 2016
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces that Ranjay Radhakrishnan has been appointed Chief Human Resources Officer. He will join the business on 1st December and will become a member of IHG's Executive Committee, replacing Tracy Robbins who stepped down from the role in January 2016. Mr. Radhakrishnan joins IHG from Unilever, where he has spent 23 years in a range of senior leadership roles at global, regional and country levels. He is a member of Unilever's Human Resources (HR) Leadership team and his most recent role was as Executive Vice President Global HR (Categories & Ma...
Paramount Lodging Advisors Opens St. Louis Office and Welcomes New Agent
Paramount Lodging Advisors | September 8, 2016
ST. LOUIS, MO—Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) is pleased to welcome aboard new team member, Beau Mullenix. Beau will be working out of PLA's new St. Louis office. Beau's focus is on individual and portfolio transactions across the country with a vast knowledge of the Midwest and West region hotel markets. He brings with him over 16 years of experience as an owner/operator in the Hotel Industry with an expertise in overseeing all aspects of property management. This includes superior financial results, P&L analysis, budgeting, capital improvements, and quality assurance. Prior to Paramount, Beau held positions in several manag...
The Smart Hotelier’s Guide to 2017 Digital Marketing Budget Planning
the Authors and HeBS Digital | September 8, 2016
By Max Starkov and Mariana Mechoso Safer According to Morgan Stanley Research, the OTAs are about to collect over $16 billion in commissions this year. OTA revenues are projected to surpass hotel website revenue even for the top hotel brands, unlike the other main travel sectors airlines, car rental and cruise lines, where OTAs are losing market share to direct bookings (PhoCusWright). How are we letting this happen in our industry? Hoteliers who are under-investing in digital technology and marketing and not optimizing their distribution channel mix are increasingly over dependent on the OTAs. The Smart Hotelier's Guide to 2017 Digital...
Fixing the Problem of Too Many New Brands
Larry Mogelonsky | September 7, 2016
Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Right now, the hotel industry is experiencing a virtual gusher of new brands. There are so many new faces on the logo tree that even as a keen observer of our niche in the world, I am having difficulty placing what brand goes with what house. I imagine that launching a new brand registers some excitement in the corporate head office, adding a somewhat pleasant diversion for the c-suite executives from the real work of fighting the real issues such as the encroachment of alternate lodging providers, elusive millennial travel desires, waning loyalty or the market domination of the OTAs. While th...
Hotel Equities Opens DoubleTree in Dallas-Fort Worth Following Renovation and Rebranding
Hotel Equities | September 7, 2016
Atlanta and Arlington, TX–September 7, 2016 – Atlanta-based Hotel Equities announced the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Arlington DFW South in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Located in the Entertainment District of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, the property recently completed a renovation. The DoubleTree by Hilton Arlington DFW South marks the fourth property under management by Hotel Equities in Dallas and a total of 12 hotels under management in the state of Texas. It lies within a three-mile radius of the DFW Airport, Globe Life Park, Six Flags over Texas and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Je...
