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
Benchmark Hospitality Names Jerome Strack General Manager for California’s Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
July 18, 2014
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, July 18, 2014 - Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Jerome Strack general manager for the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, the historic hotel located near San Diego. The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is part of Benchmark Hospitality's Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels® brand collection. Greg Champion, executive vice president & COO, made the announcement. "It is a pleasure to welcome Jerome to this remarkable and historic property," said Mr. Champion. "He brings to his new role a keen understanding of all aspects of luxury hospitality and an innate...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Acquires the 331-room Nines Hotel in Portland, Oregon for $127 Million
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | July 18, 2014
July 18, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md. - Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB) (the "Company") today announced that it has acquired The Nines Hotel for $127.0 million. The 331-room luxury hotel is located across from Pioneer Square, in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon. The property will maintain its association with Starwood's Luxury Collection brand and will continue to be operated by Sage Hospitality and Sage Restaurant Group ("Sage"). "We're thrilled with our acquisition of The Nines Hotel and the opportunity to further expand our presence in the high- growth Portland market," said Jon Bortz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pebbleb...
Benchmark Hospitality International Names Awilda Nevarez Human Resources Director
Benchmark Hospitality International | July 17, 2014
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, July 2014 ... Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has appointed Awilda Nevarez human resources director for the growing hotel management company. Karen Di Fulgo, vice president human resources, made the announcement. "It is with the greatest pleasure that I announce Awilda's promotion within our company," said Ms. Di Fulgo. "She brings over 20 years of both industry and non-industry experience to her new role with Benchmark, spanning hospitality, education & learning and asset management. This is a well-deserved honor for Awilda and we congratula...
White Lodging Assumes Management of Florida’s 194-key Embassy Suites West Palm Beach
White Lodging Services Corporation | July 17, 2014
Owned by RLJ Lodging Trust; Under the Leadership of General Manager Jay Badillo MERRILLVILLE, Ind., July 17, 2014 - White Lodging is pleased to announce it has assumed the management contract of the Embassy Suites West Palm Beach Airport Hotel, owned by RLJ Lodging Trust. "We believe West Palm Beach is a vibrant, exciting part of Florida and are looking forward to bringing the White Lodging culture to the Embassy Suites West Palm Beach," said David Lanterman, regional vice president at White Lodging. "We are fortunate that so many of the associates at the hotel chose to stay and start careers within White Lodging." Key members of the ho...
Online Reviews Versus Hotel Class
Larry Mogelonsky | July 16, 2014
With guest-generated online reviews usurping expert appraisals, the only solution to show your hotel's class is branding By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) The topic today is how online and peer-generated reviews affect the significance of the firmly established Forbes star rating and AAA diamond rating systems. With that on the back of your mind, let me pose a few broad questions. For one, does the average consumer these days still check up on the annual reporting of star and diamond ratings? Do they know the criteria that distinguish each class? What sort of guest would actively seek out these types of expert appraisals ov...
Hotel Equities Assumes Management of Fairfield Inn Fort Myers in Florida; Renovation to Begin
Hotel Equities | July 16, 2014
Atlanta, GA - July 16, 2014 - Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) assumed management of the Fairfield Inn hotel in Fort Myers, expanding Hotel Equities' portfolio in Florida. "We are delighted to bring our best-in-class management and award-winning guest service to the Fort Myers area," said Joe Reardon, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Hotel Equities. "The property will immediately undergo an extensive renovation to ensure our guests the best level of service and quality they've come to expect from Hotel Equities and Marriott." "We're excited to create additional opportunities for our associates...
Maestro Web Delivers Secure, Browser-Based Property Management from the Cloud
Maestro Property Management Solution | July 16, 2014
Maestro Web Reduces Platform Costs for Independent Point Pleasant Lodge; NORTHWIND Takes over Data Security and Redundancy Responsibility, Provides PCI-Compliant Hosting Markham, ON - July 16, 2014 - NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS announced that the independent, full-service Point Pleasant Lodge implemented the Maestro Web cloud property management system. Maestro Web is a new fully-functional, browser-based Maestro PMS that includes all 21 NORTHWIND modules. NORTHWIND hosts Point Pleasant Lodge's Maestro Web system from NORTHWIND's secure PCI-compliant Toronto data center. NORTHWIND provides the Maestro Enterprise Property Management hotel sof...
RLJ Lodging Trust Acquires the 194-room Hyatt Atlanta Midtown in Georgia for $49.5 Million
RLJ Lodging Trust | July 15, 2014
July 15, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md. - RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") (NYSE: RLJ) today announced that it has acquired the 194-room Hyatt Atlanta Midtown (the "Hotel") located in Atlanta, GA for a purchase price of $49.5 million, or approximately $255,000 per key. The purchase price represents a forward capitalization rate of approximately 8.0% on the Hotel's projected 2015 net operating income. The Company purchased the Hotel with proceeds from its recent equity offering. Originally opened in 1987 as a Wyndham, the Hotel was closed by the prior owner to perform a $23.0 million comprehensive renovation and conversion to a compact full-servi...
The Top Ten Questions to Ask Your Digital Marketing Partner
HeBS Digital | July 15, 2014
By Max Starkov & Mariana Mechoso Safer Any hotel that has a high revenue-generating website and a strong digital marketing strategy that drives direct online bookings needs a great hotel digital marketing agency behind it. It's challenging to find a good digital marketing partner these days. As more and more companies join the market as 'experts in hotel website design and digital marketing,' hoteliers are faced with a difficult decision. With serious revenues at stake, here are some questions to consider when deciding on who to partner with, or whether or not to stay with your current agency: 1. Do you consider yourself my property...
Systematic Laundry in Singapore Installs InvoTech UHF-RFID Laundry System for Efficient Operations
Systematic Laundry | July 15, 2014
Why InvoTech's Laundry System? It Eliminates Unaccounted Losses, Cuts Labor Costs, Pays for Itself in One Year LOS ANGELES, CA - July 15, 2014 - InvoTech Systems, Inc. announced Systematic Laundry installed the InvoTech UHF-RFID Laundry System to efficiently manage resort laundry operations. The InvoTech Laundry System streamlines and automates laundry operations, cuts labor costs, and provides real-time information to lower operating expenses. Systematic Laundry processes up to 20,000 garments per day for Resorts World Sentosa and 50,000 garments per day for other hotel clients and international airlines. Click here for more informatio...
Accor Names Dominique Colliat Executive VP, HotelServices, North & Central America and Caribbean
Accor | July 15, 2014
July 15, 2014 (Paris) - Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, has announced the appointment of Dominique Colliat to Executive Vice President, HotelServices, North & Central America and Caribbean. A 27-year veteran of Accor, Colliat will be responsible for targeted business and development strategies to increase profitability and expand hotel share throughout the region. Noted Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor: "I congratulate Dominique on her promotion to Executive Vice President and wish her a bright future. With more than a quarter-century of success at implementing strategic business dev...
250-Room Sandy Springs Hotel Development Starts City Approval Process
BuildCentral | July 14, 2014
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 179 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Chicago, IL. July 14, 2014 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have added or updated 179 hotel projects in the last two weeks to Hotel Construction, a nationwide database of hotel construction projects, openings, and key decision makers (Owner/Developers, Architects and Contractors). These proposed hotels are still in the planning stages. Now is the perfect time to have your product drawn into plans, or offer construction services: Anderson Field Hotel (Waterbury, VT) The Chauncy (Iowa City, IA) Udipi Inn (Monroeville, PA) BlueR...
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) Assumes Management of 82-key Wingate Inn in Slidell, LA
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) | July 14, 2014
July 14, 2104 - Dallas, TX - Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), proudly announces managerial responsibilities for the newly built Wingate Inn in Slidell. This 82-room and suite property located 30 minutes north of New Orleans opened in January of this year. HMC is one of the country's largest third-party privately held hotel management companies, ranked in the top 40 of all third party and owner operated hotel management corporations. The Wingate Inn Slidell is conveniently within driving distance to local attractions including the Oak Harbor Golf Club, Fork Pike State Historic Site and Infinity ...
Waterford Hotel Group Names Kristen Pikula as GM of 145-room Courtyard by Marriott Cromwell in CT
Courtyard Cromwell | July 10, 2014
CROMWELL, CT (July 10, 2014) --- Waterford Hotel Group recently announced the appointment of Kristen Pikula as General Manager for the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell, CT, overseeing all operational, sales and administrative aspects of the hotel. Waterford Hotel Group currently manages the 145-room Courtyard, which recently underwent extensive guestroom renovations. Pikula, a hospitality industry veteran with more than 15 years' experience, joins the Cromwell team for her most recent position as General Manager at the Residence Inn Marriott in Southington, an award-winning property also managed by Waterford. During her tenure in South...
Kevin McAteer Promoted to Senior Vice President Marketing and Sales, Concord Hospitality
Concord Hospitality | July 10, 2014
RALEIGH, N.C., July 10, 2014 - Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the top-ranked hotel operators in North America, today announced the promotion of Kevin McAteer to senior vice president marketing and sales. McAteer is responsible for the direct sales, e-commerce and revenue management endeavors for the company's 90 owned and managed hotels. "The business of marketing hotels has changed dramatically over the past decade, and thanks to Kevin's initiatives, Concord's hotels are consistent market leaders," said Nick Kellock, Concord's chief operating officer. "Kevin had the foresight to ensure that our hotels remained current in the r...
HeBS Digital’s “Website Revenue Booster” Package Helps Hoteliers Revitalize Mid-Year Revenues
HeBS Digital | July 9, 2014
HeBS Digital, the industry's leading digital technology, full-service hotel digital marketing, website design and direct online channel consulting firm, has launched a new Website Revenue Booster Package specifically tailored for hotels, resorts, and casinos in need of a mid-year revenue boost. NEW YORK, NY (July 9, 2014) - HeBS Digital, the leading hotel digital technology, full-service digital marketing and website revenue optimization consulting firm is pleased to introduce the "Website Revenue Booster Package." The package, designed to help hotels, resorts and casinos, combines HeBS Digital's most innovative and revenue-generating p...
Five Things Every Hospitality Salesperson Should Master
Larry Mogelonsky | July 9, 2014
by Larry Mogelonsky Perhaps one of the finest hospitality sales professionals I know is David Brudney. In a career that spans 35+ years, David has had the pleasure of assessing, training and/or mentoring hospitality sales associates from major hotel chains and independents throughout the U.S. and abroad. Reflecting on his experiences, I asked David to outline some of the critical fundamentals of successful hotel selling skills. Preparation Know your product and the competition, and learn as much about the prospect as possible. Don't go to bat without a plan (e.g.: What is your goal? Secure an appointment, entertainment, site inspectio...
Best Western International Opens Eight Hotels in June 2014
Best Western International, Inc. | July 9, 2014
PHOENIX (July 9, 2014) Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Pratt Property location: Pratt, KS # of rooms: 70 - New Build Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Service Inn & Suites Property location: Lethbridge, AB # of rooms: 113 - New Build Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Holland Inn & Suites Property location: Holland, MI # of rooms: 80 - Conversion (from independent) Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS Rancho Cordova Inn Property location: Rancho Cordova, CA # of rooms: 101 - Conversion (from Red Lion) Property name: BEST WESTERN PLUS City Center Property location: Spokane, WA # of rooms: 81 - Conversion (from Travelodge) Property...
Owned & Managed by Krishna Pearsall Investments, the 70-room Hampton Inn Pearsall Opens in Texas
Hampton IHotels | July 8, 2014
PEARSALL, Tex., and MCLEAN, Va., July 9, 2014 - Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide's global brand of more than 1,900 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton hotels, today announced the official opening of its newest property, the 70-room Hampton Inn Pearsall at 604 S. Lindsey Lane in Pearsall. "Conveniently located right outside San Antonio, Hampton Inn Pearsall provides its guests with great variety in amenities and activities," said Umesh Thakore, general manager, Hampton Inn Pearsall. "Quality accommodations and amenities combined with proactive, friendly service from our team members - all backed by the...
Managed by Baywood Hotels, the Hampton Inn & Suites San Antonio-Downtown/Market Square Opens
Hampton Inn & Suites | July 8, 2014
SAN ANTONIO and MCLEAN, Va., July 9, 2014 - Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide's global brand of more than 1,900 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton hotels, today announced the official opening of its newest property, the 108-room Hampton Inn & Suites San Antonio-Downtown/Market Square located at 411 South Flores Street in San Antonio. The hotel is managed by Baywood Hotels. "Centrally located and nestled in an area featuring endless activities, San Antonio's newest hotel features free hot breakfast, a welcomed amenity for guests looking to get their day started off right," said Toni Ingle, general ...
Hotel Equities Assumes Management of 93-key Holiday Inn Express & Suites Port St. Lucie West in FL
Hotel Equities (HE) | July 8, 2014
Atlanta, GA-July 8, 2014 - Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (www.hotelequities.com) assumed management today of the 93-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Port St. Lucie West, continuing to broaden Hotel Equities' large footprint in Florida. "We are delighted to bring our best-in-class management and award-winning guest service to the Treasure Coast area of South Florida," said Joe Reardon, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Hotel Equities. "We're excited to create additional opportunities for our associates and a strong partnership with the existing ownership group," said Reardon. We will work hand in hand ...
New Owner & Property Manager for 317-Room Hilton Knoxville Hotel
BuildCentral | July 8, 2014
Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 289 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Chicago, IL. July 8, 2014 - Hotel-Online and BuildCentral have reported 289 changes in personnel, property management and ownership in the Hotel Profiles database over the last two weeks. Many hotels are getting a fresh start with a new Owner, Property Manager or General Manager. Recommend your product or service to someone who might be looking for a change. Hotels Under New Management: Minneapolis Marriott Southwest (Minnetonka, MN) Courtyard Peoria (Peoria, IL) Courtyard Fairfield Napa Valley Are...
VJ Management Inc. Opens the 103-room Holiday Inn Express® Hotel in Yorkton, Saskatechewan
IHG | July 7, 2014
Hotel Located Minutes from Highway 16 and Downtown Yorkton YORKTON – July 7, 2014- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces the opening of the 103-room Holiday Inn Express Yorkton hotel in Saskatchewan. Located at 63 7th Avenue North, the hotel features 21 suites, including four family suites. Prominently situated close to Highway 16, the hotel is within walking distance to Yorkton City Hall and several corporate and government offices. ) . Located one kilometer from downtown, the four-floor hotel is also nearby popular restaurants, the Deer Park golf course and Gallagher Center; which holds two indoo...
HeBS Digital to Lead HSMAI Event: The Traveler’s Mindset: Capture Your Share of the Market this Fall
HeBS Digital | July 7, 2014
New York, NY (July 7, 2013) - In coordination with Google and HSMAI's NYC Chapter, HeBS Digital is proud to announce its second annual industry panel of hospitality marketing experts titled "The Traveler's Mindset: Capturing Your Share of the Market for Fall 2014" from 11:15 AM- 2PM on July 16, at Google's offices in New York City. This exciting program is open to members and non-members of HSMAI NYC. This informative session will cover how to capture more business from the new global and always connected traveler, as well as prepare hoteliers for the expected heavy travel season this fall and winter 2014. The panel of experts speaking ...
