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
Hyatt Signs With BIM Group to Develop 110-Key Park Hyatt Phu Quoc Hotel in Vietnam
Park Hyatt | March 12, 2019
CHICAGO -- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of BIM Group to develop a 110-key Park Hyatt Phu Quoc hotel as well as 65 residences. Slated to open in 2022, Park Hyatt Phu Quoc will offer discerning travelers a sophisticated resort destination surrounded by pristine nature. Park Hyatt Phu Quoc will join the award-winning Park Hyatt Saigon and is the luxury brand's first resort in Vietnam. "As Hyatt grows its resort presence in Vietnam, we are delighted to bring the Park Hyatt brand to a remarkable destination such as Phu Quoc Island with its rich biodi...
How Can Your Independent Hotel Compete With Group Hotels?
Hotelogix | March 12, 2019
Staying competitive is key to success. In the hotel industry, small independent hotels always have to compete with bigger brands or chain properties to attract guests, sell more rooms and to earn more revenues. The question here is that with their limited budget and reach, how can independent hotels beat their bigger rivals? What's in your favour? Given their limited number of rooms and offerings and not bound by any legacy or brand guidelines, independent hotels have the liberty to get creative when it comes to attract and serve more guests. They have the freedom of flexibility to make on-the-spot changes in their policies to offer per...
BENCHMARK® Names Shayd Pecor Director of Facilities for The Essex Resort and Spa, A Gemstone Collection Property
March 11, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, March 2019 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Shayd Pecor director of facilities for The Essex - Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa, a Gemstone Collection property located in Essex, Vermont. Lisa Fasbender, BENCHMARK's acting general manager at the resort, made the announcement. "It is with pleasure that I welcome Shayd to The Essex," said Ms. Fasbender. He brings with him a broad background in facilities management that will benefit our resort in a significant way. We are pleased to have him as part of our executive team." Shayd Pecor comes to The Essex with 30 years of...
Back to Basics: Search Engine Marketing
HEBS Digital | March 11, 2019
Search engine marketing (SEM), or buying traffic through paid search listings, is a relatively easy way to drive qualified traffic and more direct bookings to your hotel website. It is used to improve the visibility of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEM is a key advertising initiative, so we're diving into the basics of everything you need to know. What is it? Search engine marketing (SEM) is the process of increasing your website's visibility on search engine results pages. SEM refers specifically to the paid promotion of your website via pay per click (PPC) listings. Appearing above organic content, the goal of S...
Sage Hospitality Completes Sale of Halcyon, a Hotel in Cherry Creek to Rockbridge Capital
Sage Hospitality | March 11, 2019
Denver, Colo. – (March 11, 2019) – Sage Hospitality, one of the nation's leading hotel investment, development and management companies, along with Denver-based developer BMC Investments, announced today the sale of Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek to Rockbridge Capital. Dallas-based Makeready will take over management of the property. In addition to the 154-key hotel, Rockbridge has acquired the Halcyon and B&GC brands, which were developed and trademarked by Sage Hospitality. "It is a tremendous success for Sage Hospitality to sell this hotel and two of the associated brands. Our teams put hard work into developing and...
Learn How To Approach & Engage in Difficult Conversations at the STRONG Leader Institute
Bryan K. Williams | March 11, 2019
30-Second Video By Dr. Bryan K. Williams One of the most frequently asked questions I get is "How do I handle difficult conversations with my staff?" I've found that leaders want to address subpar (and even mediocre) performance with their teams, but lack the skillset for how to do so effectively. One of our multiple sessions at the upcoming STRONG Leader Institute will be led by Alicia Santamaria, who is a subject matter expert on all areas of Workplace Conflict Management. Her session is called: Leadership Best Practices for Approaching and Engaging in Difficult Conversations In this session, she will explore four practi...
Waterford Hotel Group Merges With Waterton Adding Eight Hotels to Management Portfolio
March 10, 2019
March 11-- Mar. 11--WATERFORD -- Waterford Hotel Group, the hotel-management company with corporate offices here, has merged with Waterton, a Chicago-based real estate investor and operator, adding eight hotels to a portfolio that now includes 41 properties in nine states. "This is the biggest we've been at any one time," Len Wolman, Waterford's chairman and chief executive officer, said Thursday in a phone interview. Waterford manages the Hyatt Place Mohegan Sun and the Microtel Inn & Suites, both on Norwich-New London Turnpike in Uncasville, as well as the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. An approved op...
Waterford Hotel Group and Waterton Forge Partnership
Waterford Hotel Group | March 7, 2019
WATERFORD, Conn., March 7, 2019 -- Waterford Hotel Group, a leading hospitality management company, and Waterton, a Chicago-based real estate investor and operator, today announced that they have joined forces to form a new venture to strengthen and grow their hospitality portfolios. With Waterford Hotel Group ("Waterford") driving operational success for hotel assets, Waterton will concentrate efforts on continued real estate investment strategies including growing the hotel portfolio. David Schwartz is CEO, chairman and co-founder of Chicago-based Waterton. Len Wolman is chairman and CEO of Waterford Hotel Group. "Thi...
Coast Hotels to Manage Blackcomb Lodge in Whistler, British Columbia
Coast Hotels | March 6, 2019
Vancouver, B.C. – March 7, 2019 – Coast Hotels announced today that it has entered into a management agreement effective April 1 to manage the Blackcomb Lodge in Whistler, B.C. overseeing operations, accounting, sales and marketing on behalf of the hotel's strata unit owners. The 71‐room Blackcomb Lodge, which opened its doors to guests in 1982, was Whistler Village's first hotel. Centrally located in the heart of Whistler Village, Blackcomb Lodge is a quick six-minute walk to the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola and Whistler Village Gondola offering easy ski and downhill mountain bike access. The hotel is just steps away from ...
Crestpoint Companies and LinGate Hospitality Set to Open the SpringHill Suites Elizabethtown
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | March 6, 2019
Elizabethtown, KY – March 6, 2019 – Marriott International announced today that the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Elizabethtown, Kentucky is set to open this Monday, March 11, 2019. The 95-suite hotel, located at 1025 Executive Drive, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Crestpoint Companies of Mason, Ohio and managed by LinGate Hospitality of Owensboro, Kentucky. The SpringHill Suites Elizabethtown offers guests convenient access to Elizabethtown Sports Park, Freeman Lake Park and The Historic State Theater Complex. "As a brand opening a new hotel every 10 days on average, we are delighted that the SpringHill S...
sbe and Accor Launch New Luxury Global Lifestyle Hotel Brand – The House Of Originals
sbe | March 5, 2019
New York, NY - sbe, a leading international hospitality group that develops, manages and operates award-winning global hospitality brands, announced at the Berlin Hospitality Conference, the launch of its new luxury global brand, The House of Originals in partnership with Accor. The House of Originals is a luxury collection of properties from sbe featuring a bold spirit that challenges and inspires. sbe is thrilled to launch this new hotel brand collection which will include the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane in London, 10 Karakoy in Istanbul, and the Shore Club in Miami Beach. The House of Originals combines the best of what sbe has to...
Accor Launches a New Lifestyle Brand - TRIBE
TRIBE | March 4, 2019
Accor continues to expand its portfolio and is launching a new lifestyle brand in the midscale segment, TRIBE. Renowned for its expertise in the economy and midscale sector and now a major name in luxury hotels, Accor continues to establish itself in the lifestyle sector in order to offer an ever-greater range of experiences and to satisfy the needs of its customers and partners. TRIBE, a custom-made solution for new needs and desires Accor's new brand TRIBE was created in response to a simple fact: today, more than ever before, travelers seek a high-quality hotel experience at an affordable price. TRIBE aims to surprise travelers with ...
Hesperia Hotels & Resorts to Introduce the Hyatt Regency Brand to Spain with Two Rebranded Properties
Hyatt Regency | March 4, 2019
CHICAGO (March 4, 2019) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) has announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into franchise agreements with an affiliate of Hesperia Hotels & Resorts to open Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid and Hyatt Regency Barcelona Fira. The hotels mark the entry of the Hyatt Regency brand into Spain and signify Hyatt's continued growth in the country. Both hotels will undergo significant renovations and will be available on Hyatt's booking system as Hyatt affiliated hotels beginning June 2019. The properties, Hesperia Madrid Hotel and Hesperia Barcelona Tower, are scheduled to be fully rebranded by Q4 2...
Hotel CEO Turnover 2018: A Study of the Top 50 Largest Hotel Management Companies
Chris Mumford | March 4, 2019
By Chris Mumford, Thomas Mielke, and Dominic Maurer Turnover of Chief Executives at the world's 50 largest hotel groups (as per HOTELS 325 2018 Listing) remained flat for 2018, with new faces appearing at the head of four companies, the same number as for the prior year. Changes in CEO positions were seen at G6 Hospitality, Extended Stay, Millennium & Copthorne and B&B Hotels. Of these, three were planned moves. Jennifer Fox's three-month stint at Millennium & Copthorne, though, can only be assumed to have been anything but planned. A sector turnover rate of 8% is well under the average for the general industry and speaks to...
Hotel Equities Tapped by APX Hotels to Manage Eight Hotel Portfolio in Alberta, Canada
Hotel Equities | March 4, 2019
Atlanta, GA – March 04, 2019 – Today, Atlanta-based hotel owner, operator and developer, Hotel Equities (HE), announced they have been selected as the strategic partner with APX Hotels to operate eight hotels in the Alberta region. The hotel portfolio, consisting of IHG, Hilton and Wyndham branded properties is owned by APX Hotel Group. The combined total guestroom count is 749 and growing, with future development projects in the pipeline. "We continue to expand our Canadian portfolio with owners whom we are aligned and who seek strong management of their assets," said Joe Reardon, chief development officer for HE. "We ...
The Need for Hotels to Embrace a Cause
Larry Mogelonsky | March 4, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) As World Wildlife Day has just come and gone (it was this past Sunday, March, 3, 2019), it's a good time to reflect upon what environmental efforts your hotel is planning to undertake as well as those already in full swing. With climate change intensifying with each passing season, large corporations are becoming all the more vital through their collective resources in the movement to champion wildlife preservation. I don't mean to get preachy but between rampant deforestation, pollution, invasive species and a slew of other manmade problems, nearly every ecosystem has been thrown o...
Stonehouse Capital, New Owners of Maine’s Iconic Spruce Point Inn, to Honor and Celebrate Historic Asset
Spruce Point Inn | March 1, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, March 1, 2019 … A landmark and a legend for more than a century, the historic Spruce Point Inn resort in Boothbay Harbor has reigned for years as the choice of discerning travelers and is independently ranked as one of the "best resorts in New England." New ownership and management aim to extend that legacy. The owners of Spruce Point Inn have concluded the sale of the property to Stonehouse Capital; and after careful consideration, Stonehouse Capital has engaged BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, to operate Spruce Point Inn as part of their Gemstone Collection. "Stonehouse Capital is ho...
Building Better Customer Satisfaction in a World of Technology
Chris K. Anderson | February 28, 2019
by Elizabeth Martyn and Christopher Anderson As the hospitality and service industry makes greater use of computer applications and virtual technology, personal contact with employees becomes increasingly important for customer satisfaction. In a recent report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), we explore how those customer contact employees can be trained in the "how" of service, especially when employees are involved in service recovery. We are specifically looking at training in the key skills of employee engagement, communication, and attitude, because they have a strong effect on customers' evaluation of servic...
With North Point Hospitality, Marriott Opens First Triple-Brand Hotel Combining AC Hotels, Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites in Downtown Nashvil
North Point Hospitality | February 27, 2019
Marriott International today announced the opening of its first newly built property that combines three brands under one roof in vibrant Nashville, across from Music City Convention Center. Developed by North Point Hospitality, the 21-story, $140 million property features three Marriott brands – design-forward AC Hotels, extended stay Residence Inn and stylishly spacious SpringHill Suites – offering business and leisure travelers distinct experiences and amenities under one roof. "Music City is the perfect place for Marriott to make history with its first newly built, triple-brand property," says Eric Jacobs, Marriott Inter...
What Hotels Can Learn About the Guest Experience From Starbucks
Larry Mogelonsky | February 27, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Starbucks has thousands of outlets. Nowadays if you find yourself in nearly a major city center anywhere in the world, you're never more than a few blocks away from your next americano. The long-term and strategic vision for Starbucks may surprise you, though. It's not just about coffee and compelling you to consume every ounce of caffeine exclusively from them; it's about the culture. There have been several books written about the brand and their business approach. True, there are issues and growing pains, as there are for any corporation of this size and stature. Let's set those ...
Andaz Brand Debuts in Germany With Opening of Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | February 26, 2019
CHICAGO (February 26, 2019) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the official opening of Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor, the first Andaz branded hotel in Germany. Joining Andaz hotels in top destinations around the world, including New York, London, Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi, Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor is the third Andaz branded hotel in Europe. The luxury lifestyle brand celebrates local culture, fully immersing guests in destinations through distinctive experiences that appeal to each of their senses. True to the brand, the hotel offers guests an unscripted Bavarian-inspired experience, allowing guests to feel like...
Hyatt and Homeinns Enter Into Strategic Joint Venture to Expand Footprint Across China
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | February 26, 2019
CHICAGO & SHANGHAI -- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and BTG Hotels (Group) Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Stock Exchange: 600258) announced today affiliates of Hyatt and Homeinns Hotel Group (affiliated with BTG Hotels which is also named BTG Homeinns Hotels Group) have entered a strategic joint venture to create a new hospitality brand. The brand, to be named later, is aimed at meeting the evolving needs and aspirations of a growing number of young travelers in the upper-midscale segment in China, providing them with a seamless and premium travel experience. In an unprecedented move expected to set a new benchmark for the local hospitali...
Forbes Travel Guide Chooses ALICE as Their Official Staff Operations Technology for 2019
ALICE | February 26, 2019
The hotel operations startup has held this distinction since Forbes Travel Guide began their endorsement program in 2017 ALICE, the hospitality industry's leading operations platform, has been chosen by Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) as their Brand Official Staff Operations Technology for 2019. ALICE has held this distinction since FTG created their Brand Official program in 2017. This recognition is, once again, confirmation of the platform's ability to meet and promote the highest standards of hospitality at some of the world's most excellent hotels. The FTG Brand Official program is designed to point the world's best hoteliers towards pro...
Accor Expands in the Americas With Planned 2021 Opening of SO/ Los Cabos Hotel & Residences
SO/ | February 25, 2019
Toronto, February 22, 2019 – Accor announced the continued expansion of its luxury portfolio in the North and Central American region with the introduction of the vibrant and playful SO/ Hotels & Resorts luxury brand in Los Cabos, Mexico. Slated to open at the end of 2021, SO/ Los Cabos Hotel & Residences will be an exciting, fashionable and luxurious new beachfront hotel and residential address located on the renowned Baja California Peninsula on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The first SO/ property in Mexico, and the second in the region, the avant-garde hotel & residences will boast stylish interiors and décor ...
