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
Learning from Sushi Master Jiro
Larry Mogelonsky | January 24, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) I trust that many of you have seen the beautiful, 81-minute documentary called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" which was produced in 2011 (if not, look for it on Netflix). The film discusses the life and opus of Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 12-seat sushi restaurant located within Tokyo Ginza subway station. The restaurant does not even have its own washroom, and yet it has been awarded three Michelin stars, with Jiro being the oldest chef ever to obtain this level of prestige. How did he do this? While the movie will explain his methodology and philosophy in de...
Maestro PMS Extends System Innovation, Announces 2018 Development Roadmap
Maestro PMS | January 24, 2018
Tablet Full-Front Office Operation, Strengthened Direct Online Booking, Spa Tablet Capability and 2-Way Guest Service Texting Lead List Markham, Ontario – January 24, 2018 – When there is a revolution in technology, it reshapes how hoteliers do business. Maestro PMS is a leader in adapting emerging technologies and property software. Maestro's newest solutions make hotel operations more efficient, staff more productive, and properties more profitable. Maestro PMS's 2018 Product Development Roadmap includes versatile mobile processes, online booking innovations that drive revenue, and flexible 2-way mobile guest engagement th...
New Study Finds U.S. Millennial Travelers Still Prefer Hotels Over Airbnb
Resonance Consultancy | January 23, 2018
Full-service hotels are preferred to short-term apartment rentals by margin of more than 2-to-1 Millennial travelers. NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2018 -- According to a new report on the future of U.S. Millennial travel, American travelers between 20 and 36 years of age prefer full-service hotels to an Airbnb rental, even as the home-sharing service expands in 65,000 cities and in preparation for an imminent IPO. Resonance Consultancy, a leading advisor in real estate, tourism, and economic development for countries, cities and communities, reveals this and many other insights in the 2018 Future of Millennial Travel Report: A survey of America&#...
Area Vice-President and General Manager Gottfried Bogensperger Welcomes Guests to New Grand Hyatt Manila
Grand Hyatt | January 23, 2018
CHICAGO (January 23, 2018) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) announced today the opening of Grand Hyatt Manila, the first Grand Hyatt hotel in the Philippines. The 461-room luxury hotel tops the tallest skyscraper in the Philippines at 1,043 feet, offering breathtaking and unobstructed panoramic views of the Makati skyline and Manila Bay. Located at the crossroads of the financial, commercial and entertainment districts of Taguig, Bonifacio Global City, the hotel offers superior service, first-class accommodations and an abundance of options within a multicultural backdrop of dramatic architecture and innovative design. Grand Hy...
TripAdvisor Reveals the World’s Best Hotels With 2018 Travelers’ Choice Awards
TripAdvisor | January 23, 2018
NEEDHAM, Mass., Jan. 23, 2018 -- TripAdvisor®, the travel site that helps find the latest reviews and lowest prices, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice® awards for Hotels. Travelers' Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worldwide. In the 16th year of the awards, TripAdvisor has recognized 8,095 properties in 94 countries and eight regions worldwide. The hallmarks of Travelers' Choice hotels winners are remarkable quality, service and value. The awards celebrate hotel winners in the categories of Top H...
Strategic Property Partners, LLC Announces JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts Brand as Flag for New Hotel in Downtown Tampa Set to Open in 2020
Strategic Property Partners | January 23, 2018
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 22, 2018 -- Strategic Property Partners, LLC ("SPP") today announced that it will bring Marriott International's JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts luxury brand for the first time to Tampa, within the Water Street Tampa neighborhood. The 519-room, 26-story hotel will rise steps from the Tampa Convention Center and Amalie Arena, where the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning play. Construction on the hotel will start in early 2018. SPP, which is developing downtown's $3 billion Water Street Tampa neighborhood, announced renovations are underway at the adjacent 727-room Tampa Marriott Watersid...
Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo Opens Marking Asia-Pacific Debut of the Hyatt Centric Brand
The Hyatt Centric Experience | January 23, 2018
CHICAGO--Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, the first Hyatt Centric hotel in the Asia-Pacific region. Located on the fashionable Namiki-dori street in cosmopolitan Ginza, the 164-room full-service lifestyle hotel offers travelers a home base in a neighborhood where even the most avid explorers can stay entertained for days on end. Designed for a growing segment of millennial-minded travelers seeking curated, yet authentically local experiences, Hyatt Centric hotels provide insider knowledge and resources to put guests comfortably at the center of action. Cosmopolitan Ginza has be...
In Memoriam: A Tribute to Dennis Blyshak (1950 – 2018)
| January 22, 2018
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 2018… Dennis Blyshak passed away peacefully on January 4th, 2018. Though he had retired from Benchmark in 2012--a company he was instrumental in helping grow into one of the largest privately-held, independent hospitality companies in the US--his spirit and presence never left Benchmark. Dennis last served the company as Chief Corporate Officer. Burt Cabañas, founder & chairman of Benchmark said upon Mr. Blyshak's retirement in 2012, "Dennis is one of the finest persons I've had the pleasure to work with over many decades within hospitality, initially with Stouffer Hotel...
SHR Announces New CRS Product, Global PMS Integrations, and European Direct Connect
SHR | January 22, 2018
HOUSTON, TX, January 22, 2018—SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a leading provider and pioneer of advanced hotel distribution technologies, has unveiled a new CRS product, in addition to three new global Property Management System (PMS) integrations for its Windsurfer® CRS, and a powerful new direct connect with one of the largest Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in Europe. New CRS Product Expanding on its legacy of innovative CRS solutions, and in direct response to market demand, the company is now offering a new CRS product, Windsurfer® CRS Essentials. A truly new Windsurfer, Essentials is a streamlined CRS and booking e...
Condor Hospitality Trust Acquires TownePlace Suites Austin North Tech Ridge in Texas for $19.75 Million
Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. | January 19, 2018
BETHESDA, Md.--January 19, 2018--Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE American: CDOR), a hotel-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered and incorporated in the state of Maryland, today announced that it has closed on its previously-announced agreement to purchase the 122-room TownePlace Suites located in the North Tech Ridge submarket of Austin, Texas. The hotel was purchased for $19.75 million and will continue to be managed by Aimbridge Hospitality. "With the closing of the TownePlace Suites Austin North Tech Ridge, we have added another young, high-quality select-service asset into our growing portfolio of new invest...
Two Roads Hospitality Names John Remmers Area General Manager Overseeing Joie de Vivre’s Hotel Vitale and The Marker
Joie de Vivre Hotels | January 19, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO (January 19, 2018) – Hotel Vitale, a Joie de Vivre hotel, is pleased to announce that John Remmers has been named General Manager. Remmers will assume the Hotel Vitale role as part of his new assignment as Area General Manager for Two Roads Hospitality in San Francisco, where he will also oversee Joie de Vivre's The Marker. With 32 years of experience managing hotels and boutique hotel brands, John is perfectly suited to step into this leadership position and guide two distinctive, San Francisco Joie de Vivre properties. "I am delighted to lead the team at Hotel Vitale, and especially to have the opportunity to work ...
S.D. Malkin and Two Roads Hospitality to Develop Two New-Build Oceanfront Hotels in Southern California
S.D. Malkin Properties | January 19, 2018
DENVER, CO. – January 19, 2018 – S.D. Malkin Properties, Inc., an innovative developer and owner of iconic retail, hotel and entertainment destinations, and Two Roads Hospitality, an international lifestyle hotel company, jointly announce two new-build oceanfront hotels in Southern California. The adjacent hotels will be operated as Joie de Vivre Hotels and Destination Hotels properties, and together will be the largest beachfront development on the San Diego coastline in over twenty years. Located in Oceanside, a beachside enclave approximately 45 minutes up the coast from downtown San Diego, the two hotels will accelerate ...
Your Top 10 Digital Marketing New Year’s Resolutions
HEBS Digital | January 19, 2018
By Garrick Lee and Kerryn Gower As we say hello to 2018, January marks a time of resolutions and new beginnings. During this month, it's important for hoteliers to reflect on their past strategies and analyze results in order to set the framework for a successful year. Mapping out goals and determining your top digital marketing priorities are the first steps in executing a strong plan that achieves greater results than the year before. With the trend of increasing levels of supply and steadying levels of demand continuing in 2018, hoteliers need to reach potential guests at meaningful micro-moments throughout the entire travel planning...
Hyatt to Realign its Corporate Leadership Team and Operations
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | January 18, 2018
CHICAGO (January 18, 2018) – Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), today announced that Hyatt will realign its corporate leadership team and operations to accelerate its differentiated strategy to care for the high-end traveler with distinctive experiences. The key changes, expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018, include the formation of a new commercial services portfolio at the Executive Committee level that will combine guest and customer engagement functions under a new chief commercial officer position. Further, the company is also consolidating managed ...
Wyndham Worldwide to Acquire La Quinta’s Franchise and Management Businesses for $1.95 Billion in Cash
Wyndham Worldwide | January 18, 2018
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and IRVING, Texas , Jan. 18, 2018 -- Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN) and La Quinta Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LQ) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Wyndham Worldwide will acquire La Quinta's hotel franchise and hotel management businesses for $1.95 billion in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. Under the terms of the agreement, stockholders of La Quinta will receive $8.40 per share in cash (approximately $1.0 billion in aggregate), and Wyndham Worldwide will repay approximately $715 million of La Quinta debt net of cash and set as...
Midas Hospitality Opens Dual-Branded Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites in Maryland Heights, Missouri
Midas Hospitality | January 17, 2018
(St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 17, 2018) Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott recently opened at 11918 Westline Industrial Dr. in Maryland Heights, Mo. The 119,000-square-foot hotel, which was the previous home of Clayton Engineering, cost $25 million. This is Marriott's first dual-branded hotel in the St. Louis area. The hotel includes 96 suites for the Residence Inn and 88 rooms for the Fairfield Inn & Suites. The property features a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor pool, meetings rooms, guest laundry facilities, and backyard seating areas with a grill and pergola. Located on Page Rd. east of I-270, the hotel is ...
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Announces Name Change to Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
January 17, 2018
Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, a leading upper midscale hotel brand, today announced it has changed its name to Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson. This strategic name change will allow the brand and the individual hotels to leverage the global recognition and strength of the Radisson® brand. Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson is a part of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which also includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson RED®, Park Plaza® and Park Inn® by Radisson. The consumer-facing changes will be made in stages throughout the first half of 2018. Changes will include...
Taking Another Look at Airbnb’s Advertising
Larry Mogelonsky | January 17, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) I have to hand it to the folks running Airbnb. Their brilliance in communicating their message makes all of us in the hotel business look a bit amateurish. And incredibly for that matter, Airbnb's latest TV missive has nothing to do with travel or even accommodations. For those who have restricted their television viewing to Netflix or other streaming services and have missed the advertisement, here's a short synopsis. The ad depicts an retired couple talking about how renting out a room in their home helps them keep up with payments. It goes on to suggest that Airbnb is helping tho...
SHR 2017—Another Year of Growth and Innovation
SHR | January 17, 2018
HOUSTON, TX, January 17, 2018—SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a pioneer and leading provider of advanced hotel distribution technologies and developer of Windsurfer® CRS, is pleased to provide a look back at its activities over 2017, a year full of new clients, partners, and innovation, including the following highlights and milestones. Growth and Market Expansion Cross-Tinental Acquisition. In August, SHR acquired Cross-Tinental, a well-known leader in the European hospitality tech consultancy sector. This purchase served to immediately jump start SHR's already growing European presence, giving the company a broader base ...
What to Expect in 2018 from the Battle Between Hotels and Airbnb
Linchi Kwok | January 16, 2018
By Linchi Kwok Entering 2018, Airbnb will soon celebrate the company's 10th anniversary. The company has now turned into one giant service provider in the lodging industry. Today, Airbnb has already served more than 200 million travelers in more than 65,000 cities around the world. With a supply of more than 3 million listings, Airbnb has more available "rooms" than any hotel chain in the world. It was inevitable that Airbnb would make a significant negative impact on hotels due to its increasing supply and the low entry costs for Airbnb operators. But hotels are fighting back. They are trying every possible way to stop th...
Live! Casino & Hotel Selects KEYPR as Guest Experience Technology Partner
KEYPR | January 16, 2018
New Live! Hotel to deploy KEYPR's cloud-based platform which brings the latest guest experience technology to the hospitality industry Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, January 16th) -- KEYPR®, the leading cloud-based technology platform for the hospitality industry providing an integrated end-to-end experience for guests and staff through embedded and mobile devices, announced today that Live! Casino & Hotel, one of the largest commercial casinos in the country, will deploy its expansive hospitality platform at the new Live! Hotel, which is set to open in Spring 2018. "After conducting a thorough and extensive search, we have deter...
BENCHMARK®, a Global Hospitality Company, Announces the “Top Ten Meeting Trends for 2018”
January 15, 2018
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 2018 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announces the "Top Meeting Trends for 2018" as observed by its properties. Benchmark is a leading U.S.-based global hospitality management company, which operates 70 award-winning hotels, resorts, and conference centers within its Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Collection brands in locations coast to coast, off shore, and internationally. Trend 1 Entering 2018 Cautiously Optimistic. The meetings marketplace is cautious nationwide for 2018, but optimistic in major markets like Boston and Los Angeles where demand is s...
Plaza Hospitality Selects Hotel Equities to Manage Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Trinity, Florida
Hotel Equities | January 15, 2018
ATLANTA–January 15, 2018–Atlanta-based Hotel Equities recently announced its selection as the management firm for the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Trinity, Florida. Owned by Plaza Hospitality, LLC, the property continues to be a first choice for travelers in the Trinity, Florida market with some of the highest guest satisfaction scores and a top ranking among nearly 300 hotels in the Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater area. Located in the North Tampa Bay community of Trinity, the lakefront, resort-style hotel stands conveniently among shopping and restaurants and within minutes of beaches and the wide variety of attracti...
Mariana Safer of HEBS Digital to Be Honored at HSMAI’s 2018 Adrian Awards as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Hospitality
HEBS Digital | January 15, 2018
Summary: HEBS Digital's SVP of Client Success, Mariana Mechoso Safer, has been included in the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization" class of 2017. NEW YORK, NY (January 15, 2018) – Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has awarded Mariana Mechoso Safer, Senior Vice President of Client Success at HEBS Digital, a spot on the 2017 list of the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization." This is the third such honor to be given to a HEBS Digital team member, following the selection of Jason Price, Executive Vice...
