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Operations
Retirement Must Spur Mentoring
Larry Mogelonsky | January 28, 2015
by Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Now in my 60s, part of what keeps me young (apart from the hair-loss-inducing challenges of rearing my millennial progeny) is the learning that comes from keeping up with changes in our industry, be they technological, financial, service-oriented or from a creative application standpoint. To me, the thought of continuous learning is a critical driver and a constant source of brain activation. Mark my words: the day you stop learning is the day you die. And the ability to pass on this new learning - as well as the application of 30+ years working as a hotelier - through articles, newsletters...
Maestro PMS Puts Housekeeping App to Work for Independents
Maestro Property Management Solution | January 28, 2015
Easy-To-Use Mobile Housekeeping App Increases Productivity; Tablet and smartphone Ready; No Internet Connectivity Needed January 28, 2015 - Maestro PMS™ announced it will put a new Mobile Housekeeping App to work for independent operators. The app is fully integrated with the Maestro PMS and will be available March 1. It enables housekeeping staff to be more productive by instantly seeing real-time room status and occupancy with housekeeper assignments. The new app frees housekeepers from relying on legacy technology, such as in-room telephone and movie system- based options for room status updating, so they can work smarter and fast...
Award Winning BlackLine Systems Now Tailored Specifically for Hospitality by PAS
PAS | January 27, 2015
PAS and BlackLine Systems announce global partnership Gaithersburg, MD – PAS is bringing the world's most trusted solution for Finance Controls and Automation, BlackLine Systems, to hospitality. Leveraging their in-depth experience in hospitality operations and their hands free integration platform, pasUNITY, PAS is creating an unparalleled solution surrounding the Financial Close - Balance Sheet, Bank and Credit Card Reconciliation Automation. The security and integrity that comes with pasUNITY integrations, eliminates many of the human errors that are commonly associated with such sensitive financial information. "We know what makes...
Marriott’s Moxy Brand Arriving in the U.S. with Eight Planned Metropolitan Projects
Marriott International, Inc. | January 27, 2015
LOS ANGELES and BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 26, 2015 -- Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today the introduction of Moxy Hotels to the U.S. The new and contemporary brand, first launched in Europe, is entering the market in a bold way, with eight identified projects slated for major metropolitan locations, including New York City (Chelsea, Mid-town and Lower Manhattan), San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans and Chicago. Moxy Hotels was launched in fashion forward Milan last September and more hotels are set to open across Europe in Germany (Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin); Denmark (Copenhagen); and the United Kingdom (London) ove...
Destination Hotels Appoints Julie Purnell as Senior VP of Acquisition and Business Development
Destination Hotels | January 26, 2015
Englewood, Colo. - January 26, 2015 - Destination Hotels announces the appointment of Julie Purnell as Senior Vice President, Business Development & Acquisitions. In this position, Julie's primary role will be to help lead the company's growth efforts throughout the West region. Based in San Francisco, she will focus on securing new hospitality management contracts and will play a direct role in identifying and leading hotel and resort acquisitions. Before joining Destination Hotels, for the past two years, Purnell was the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development at Denihan Hospitality. In this role, she was responsible...
Host Hotels Selects Sage Hospitality to Manage the 628-key Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | January 26, 2015
BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 26, 2015 -- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST), announced today that as part of the Company's efforts to transform the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel, the Company has selected Sage Hospitality to manage the hotel pursuant to a Marriott franchise agreement. The Denver based Sage is one of the largest privately held hospitality investment, management and development companies in the nation operating more than 65 premium branded and lifestyle hotels. Beginning in late 2015, the hotel will undergo an extensive multi-million dollar renovation to completely modernize every aspect of the hotel. This renovation i...
How Can Hoteliers Take Advantage of the Disruptive Shift from Desktop to Mobile?
the Author and HeBS Digital | January 26, 2015
by Max Starkov The 2014 device usage results are in! The massive shift from desktop to mobile and tablet devices continued its rigorous pace: Last year over 38% of web visitors and nearly 40% of page views were generated from non-desktop devices (mobile and tablet), while nearly 21% of bookings and 17% of room nights came from tablets and mobile devices. In this multi-device world "inhabited" by always-connected travel consumers, hotel marketers face a major challenge: Creating and managing a digital presence across three distinct distribution and marketing channels (desktop, mobile, and tablet). This means investing in technology that ...
Hotel Van Oranje in the Netherlands Joins Marriott’s Autograph Collection
Autograph Collection | January 26, 2015
London, January 26, 2015: Autograph Collection has added a new Netherlands-based hotel to its portfolio: Hotel van Oranje in Noordwijk. The hotel complements Autograph Collection's continually growing portfolio of upscale and independent hotels as the collection expands across Europe and beyond. As the first hotel in the Benelux to form a partnership with Marriott International's Autograph Collection, Hotel van Oranje enjoys a prime location on the Dutch coast. Situated just steps from Amsterdam's beaches and the lively Noordwijk shopping boulevard, Hotel van Oranje has been recently refurbished with newly modernised rooms. The five res...
Hotel Equities Selected to Manage Three Fairfield Inn & Suites Hotels Under Development in Texas
Hotel Equities | January 26, 2015
Atlanta, GA - January 26, 2015 - Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) recently announced its selection as the management firm for three Marriott hotels in the Lone Star State. The hotels under development include the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Waxahachie, Texas; the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Pasadena, Texas; and the SpringHill Suites in Austin, Texas. Hotel Equities now manages 35 Marriott hotels nationwide with over 60 hotels in its portfolio. "Expanding our management portfolio deeper into the heart of Texas is of strategic and significant importance to our firm," said Joe Reardon, Vice President of ...
Hawaii’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Joins Marriott’s Autograph Collection
Autograph Collection | January 22, 2015
BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 22, 2015 -- A landmark of luxury on Hawaii Island, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel joins the exclusive portfolio of Autograph Collection hotels as the group's first Hawaiian property and the 75th in its global portfolio. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was founded by venture capitalist and passionate conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller as the first resort built on fthe raw and stunning Kohala Coast, still boasting an extensive collection of Asian and Pacific Rim art today. The striking mid-century modern style that earned the resort a place in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) top 1...
Aimbridge Hospitality to Manage Newly Acquired Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa | January 22, 2015
DALLAS, Jan. 22, 2015 -- Aimbridge Hospitality announces that it has been selected to manage the landmark oceanfront Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, effective immediately. Nestled between Jamaica's scenic mountain range and the Caribbean Sea, the all-inclusive Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa features 489 newly designed guestrooms and suites, 1800 feet of private, secluded beach, Sugar Mill Falls water park, Soothe Spa, remodeled meeting space and the nearby Robert VonHagge designed Cinnamon Hill Ocean Golf Course. Sagicor, which owns three Jewel Resorts in Jamaica, completed its acquisition of the...
TripAdvisor Names World’s Best Hotels in 2015 Travelers’ Choice Awards
TripAdvisor | January 22, 2015
Gili Lankanfushi Maldives the Top Hotel in the World; The Langham Chicago is #1 in the U.S. TripAdvisor® the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice™ awards for Hotels. The 13th annual awards showcase 8,151 winning properties worldwide, covering eight regions around the globe. Travelers' Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worldwide. The hallmarks of Travelers' Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value. "TripAdvisor's community of millions of travelers has helped us highlight ...
Beware of Departmental Siloing
Larry Mogelonsky | January 21, 2015
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) I want you to think about your day-to-day life as a hotelier, whether rank or title you hold. What department do you belong to? How often do you chat with members of other units? Are there any people on your team who are particularly 'tuned into' the coming and going of other departments or subdivisions? 'Departmental siloing' is the term I used to describe the tunnel vision that often sets in when there is a lack of communications between different departments. This often happens when an organization has reached a large size, so much so that there are already too many intradepartmental rel...
Should Hoteliers Be Concerned with Amazon Becoming the Next Mega OTA?
the Author and HeBS Digital | January 21, 2015
by Max Starkov The industry press is full of articles about Amazon entering the travel retail space, opening travel industry-focused offices, and contacting hoteliers to strike merchant-model wholesale deals. Industry "oracles" are predicting that Amazon will become the next Expedia or Booking.com. In my view, by adding a "merchant model" extension to their flash sale-oriented site, Amazon Local, Amazon is achieving two objectives. On one hand, Amazon is simply "testing the waters" with all of their recent moves into the travel space. On the other hand, they are trying to expand the hotel offering of the fledgling Amazon Local. Like eve...
Sage Hospitality Appoints Bob Megazzini as General Manager at the 484-room Westin Cleveland Downtown
Sage Hospitality | January 20, 2015
CLEVELAND, OH (January 20, 2015) - Sage Hospitality, one of the leading hotel management and investment companies in the nation is pleased to introduce the new general manager of The Westin Cleveland Downtown, Bob Megazzini. In his new position, Megazzini will lead the 484-room, contemporary, art-driven hotel in operations and guest services. Megazzini has an accomplished background in the hotel industry and brings more than 30 years of management leadership. Previously, he held positions as General Manager of the Marcus Hotels and Resorts property, The Cornhusker Marriott, and at multiple property locations with Marriott International,...
FCS Interview by Donald Trump Jr. Aired on Bloomberg Corporate Review Segment
FCS | January 20, 2015
Guest host Donald Trump Jr. interview with FCS' Akina Ho provides insight into latest innovations in hospitality operations software and mobile technologies available to hotels and resorts around the world. Boca Raton - January 20, 2015 - FCS Computer Systems (FCS), a leading global provider of comprehensive hospitality solutions and services, recently shared details of its unique expertise in hospitality operations and mobile applications management during an interview with MMP (USA), Inc.'s the Corporate Review. Originally aired by Bloomberg Television on January 11, 2015, the segment demonstrates how many of today's leading hospitali...
Hard Rock & All Inclusive Collection to Build the 1,800-room Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Cancun in MX
Hard Rock International | January 20, 2015
Opening in Late 2017 Orlando, Fla. - January 20, 2015 - Hard Rock International - owner of one of the world's most iconic and recognized brands - announces Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Cancun. The upcoming all-inclusive resort will be situated along the stunning shores of the Caribbean Sea, just a 15-minute drive from the Cancun International Airport. Set to open in late 2017, the oceanfront property will be the third Yucatan Peninsula property in the Hard Rock International portfolio and will feature 1,800 lavishly appointed oceanfront guestrooms. "We are excited to welcome our fifth property in Mexico and build upon our collaboration with...
Smart Hotelier’s Action Plan 2015 – How to Monetize Your Digital Marketing Resolutions
the Author and HeBS Digital | January 20, 2015
By Sara O'Brien In early January, in this year's Top 10 Digital Marketing Resolutions, presented by HeBS Digital for the 15th consecutive year, we provided an action plan to follow during 2015. Created to help alleviate the complexity of our industry's most recent innovations, this action plan was designed to help you concentrate on what's most important: engaging your key customer segments and increasing direct online conversions and revenues! We went a step further and last week we presented an interactive webinar "Action Plan 2015: The Smart Hotelier's Top 10 Digital Marketing Resolutions", attended by hundreds of hoteliers. We recei...
White Lodging Names Chris Anderson as Senior VP & Chief Revenue Officer, Full Service Hotels
White Lodging Services Corporation | January 19, 2015
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Jan. 19, 2015 -- White Lodging is pleased to announce Chris Anderson has been hired as Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of Full Service Hotels. "It's exciting to start a new chapter in my career with an industry icon like White Lodging," Anderson said. "This company is known for its standard of excellence and has an exceptional full service portfolio that I'm looking forward to working with and enhancing." In his new role, Anderson will be responsible for developing and executing the revenue strategy for the full service portfolio, providing strategic and tactical oversight of the sales and revenue man...
Mark Wanner Joins SHR as Chief Operations Officer
SHR | January 19, 2015
HOUSTON, TX, January 20, 2015- Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), an innovative provider of advanced distribution technology and services for the hospitality industry, today announced the addition of Mark Wanner as Chief Operations Officer. In this role, Wanner will oversee the company's technology strategy, distribution platforms, and end-to-end operations for SHR. "SHR's growth demands the strengthening of our software development and operational processes as we embark on an ambitious expansion path in 2015. Mark brings very relevant experience that will allow our company to continue to grow without jeopardizing our ability to give ...
Fifth Avenue Capital and Waterford Hotel Group Partnership Purchases DoubleTree Little Rock
Waterford Hotel Group, Inc. | January 15, 2015
Waterford, CT (January 16, 2015) --- FAC-W Markham, LLC, a partnership of affiliates of Fifth Avenue Capital and Waterford Hotel Group, has finalized the purchase of the 288-room DoubleTree by Hilton in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fifth Avenue Capital is a New York City based private equity investment firm that is led by the principals of Pearson Partners, Inc. Waterford Hotel Group, a Connecticut based company with nearly 30 years of experience operating hotels and convention centers nationwide, has assumed management of the DoubleTree Little Rock. The hotel is the first acquisition for the venture and marks Fifth Avenue Capital's first hot...
Benchmark Hospitality International Releases Top Dining Trends for 2015
January 15, 2015
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 15, 2015 - Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company with two distinctive portfolios of properties, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® and Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels®, has just released its Top Dining Trends for 2015. The trends were observed by Benchmark's executive chefs and culinary experts at the company's 40 luxury hotels, resorts and restaurants coast to coast and off shore. Dining Trend #1 Small Plates-Any Time! Expo-style cooking, including show kitchens, action stations, EVO grilling and mobile kitchens. What's hot? Slow cooked br...
Concord Hospitality and Kane Realty To Develop the 133-room AC Hotel Raleigh in NC; To Open in 2016
Concord Hospitality | January 15, 2015
RALEIGH, N.C. - (January 15, 2015) - Concord Hospitality Enterprises and Kane Realty Corporation today announced that they will develop and operate North Carolina's first AC Hotel, a Marriott International lifestyle brand, in Raleigh's North Hills section. The AC Hotel will be located in the Park District at North Hills near LEED Gold-certified CAPTRUST Tower. AC Hotel Raleigh, a 133-room upscale hotel is expected to open in 2016 and will be Concord and Kane Realty's third hotel joint venture in North Hills, the heart of Raleigh's Midtown innovative mixed-use district that includes high-end boutiques, well-known department stores, the T...
Hyatt Sells Five Hyatt Place Hotels for $53 Million; Hotels to Retain Hyatt Place Branding
Hyatt Place | January 15, 2015
January 15, 2015 - CHICAGO - Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the sales of five select service hotels for a total gross sale price of approximately $53 million. The transactions closed in December 2014. As part of the sales, Hyatt entered into franchise agreements with the purchasers, with all hotels retaining their existing Hyatt Place branding. The purchasers intend to spend a total of approximately $6 million in additional capital expenditures at the hotels. These sales are consistent with the Hyatt's asset recycling strategy – selling selected hotels, maintaining brand presence by entering into new management or ...
