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
StayNTouch Partners with Bunkhouse Group to Bring PMS Mobility to Independent Hotel Portfolio
StayNTouch Inc. | August 30, 2017
Bethesda, MD – AUGUST 30, 2017 – StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology and Property Management Systems (PMS) for hotels, is pleased to announce it's partnership with Bunkhouse Group of Austin, Texas where it plans to deploy its Rover PMS™ and Zest™ products across its seven hotels. In June StayNTouch successfully deployed the products at El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas. Bunkhouse will continue to expand its portfolio in the near future. "At Bunkhouse we create totally immersive experiences that extend beyond the typical front desk and the guest room," said Christian Strobel, President at Bunkhouse Group. "Many...
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Appoints Terry Sanders Chief Development Officer for the Americas
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | August 29, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS - August 29, 2017 - Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group today announced Terry Sanders as its chief development officer for the Americas. Sanders will be based in Minneapolis and report to Ken Greene, President, Americas. As chief development officer, Americas, Sanders will lead, build, and deliver development and growth strategies for the region. He will also manage strategic investments for the portfolio and spearhead merger and acquisition activity to drive portfolio growth. "We are delighted to welcome Terry to this very critical role in our organization," said Ken Greene, President, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. "As we ...
Midas Hospitality to Manage New 124-Room SpringHill Suites in Lenexa, Kansas
Midas Hospitality | August 28, 2017
Lenexa, KS, August 25, 2017 -- SpringHill Suites by Marriott recently opened at 17190 W. 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa, Kan. The $20 million 86,000-square-foot five-story hotel includes 124 all-suite rooms, a 1,300-square-foot meeting space, lobby bar, fitness center, and indoor pool. The property also features a 184-space parking garage, as well as 1,600 square feet of retail space with outdoor seating. Orangetheory Fitness is located in the hotel's storefront. SpringHill Suites is located 24 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, Mo. and will be part of the $50 million mixed-use Lenexa City Center development. Dubbed The District at...
BENCHMARK Names Bryan Lowe Area Director of Finance
August 28, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Bryan Lowe area director of finance. Kirk Jones, chief financial officer, made the announcement. Mr. Lowe will be based in BENCHMARK's regional office in New Brunswick, New Jersey. "I am very pleased to announce Bryan's promotion and expanded responsibilities." said Mr. Jones. "He comes to his new position with significant important experience within the financial operations of hotels and resorts as well as a keen understanding of Benchmark and our signature 'Be The Difference' service culture." Bryan Lowe was most recently contro...
Vertical Booking Increases Its Reach in North America
Vertical Booking | August 28, 2017
Portland, Ore – August 28, 2017 – Vertical Booking, a recognized leader in global reservation technology, is proud to announce the strategic growth of its operation, strengthening their reach in the North American market. Vertical Booking continues to add PMS interfaces to support its clients. This year, integrations to Anand Systems (ASI), StayNTouch and WebRezPro were added, bringing the total to more than 75 fully operational XML Property Management System interfaces. In addition, the company strengthened their offerings in metasearch, improved booking engine tools, and increased customization options available to indepen...
Marriott International Promotes Jose Gonzalez-Espinosa to Area General Manager for Puerto Rico
Marriott International | August 24, 2017
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – August 2017 – Jose Gonzalez-Espinosa, General Manager of San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, has been named Area General Manager for Puerto Rico. In his new position, Gonzalez will continue in his role as General Manager at the 527-room San Juan Marriott Resort, while also overseeing The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan and Sheraton San Juan. He will also act as the liaison to Marriott International franchise partners and will work with area and market organizations and Marriott's Business Council leader to maximize market performance. "Jose has a proven track record with Marriott, and his performa...
Owned by HDP Spruill and Managed by Hotel Equities, Residence Inn Hotel Set to Open in Dunwoody, Georgia
Residence Inn by Marriott | August 24, 2017
Dunwoody, GA – August 24, 2017 – The 127-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Dunwoody, Georgia is scheduled to open on Thursday, August 31, 2017. Located at 4695 Ashford Dunwoody Road, the all-suite Residence Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center/Dunwoody will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by HDP Spruill, LLC and managed by Hotel Equities of Atlanta, Georgia. Located 10 minutes from Braves Stadium, 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta and 20 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Residence Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center/Dunwoody offers its guests convenient access to the Perimeter Center Mall, Georgia Aqua...
HEBS Digital Makes Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
HEBS Digital | August 24, 2017
SUMMARY: HEBS Digital is proud to announce their inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list for 2017 of fastest growing privately held companies, for the second time since 2012. NEW YORK, NY — August 24, 2017 — Inc. Magazine ranked HEBS Digital on its 36th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. HEBS Digital's accelerated global expansion provides more hoteliers with best-of-class hotel technology and solutions fundamental to engaging and acquiring hotel guests, increasing direct bookings, and lowering acquisition and distribution costs. This global strategy has led to remarkab...
Yes—Service is Selling, Too!
Gary Hernbroth | August 24, 2017
By Gary Hernbroth I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear someone say, "I'm not in sales, I'm in customer service." They apparently have not seen the light as to two important tenets that I've learned over my career, being on both sides of the sales and service coin: When you are selling someone something, you are providing a service to them; When you are giving someone customer service, you are in effect selling them something too. Here's why: When you sell a service or product, you are helping the person to get what they want, what they need, what they think they need, etc. The customer's percept...
Concord Hospitality Appoints John Henry as General Manager of New Cambria hotel & suites in Durham, N.C.
Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company | August 23, 2017
RALEIGH, N.C.--August 23, 2017--Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company has announced the appointment of John Henry as General Manager of Cambria hotel & suites in Durham, N.C. The 33-year-old local landmark was acquired in 2015 and went through an $8 million renovation. It reopened as the Cambria Durham in April. Henry's long-term vision includes reinventing the hotel's dining experience with a contemporary farm-to-table menu that will serve as a destination for travelers and locals alike. Property-wide, he will focus on incorporating the city's vibrant style into the design, highlighting the renovations that make the property a fu...
Getting into the Mind Set of Budget Planning Season for 2018
the Author & HeBS Digital | August 23, 2017
A quick look at macro and micro travel trends in preparation for the fall budget planning season By Jason Price, EVP, HeBS Digital Budget season is fast approaching and next month HeBS Digital will publish its annual Smart Hoteliers' Guide to Budgeting for 2018. This popular guide provides hotel marketers with a blue print on where, what, and how for driving the direct online channel and shifting share away from the OTAs. The planning process should take a macro and micro view of the travel economy because the broader market does affect the economic conditions of your local and regional destination. Moving into 2018, travel supply a...
Using Loyalty Programs as a Tool for Brand Education
Larry Mogelonsky | August 23, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) An old school sales technique that today is considered somewhat exploitative and sleazy may in fact help you shed some light on how to improve your loyalty program. Hot button selling was a colloquial term to describe first the process of qualifying your leads in order to decipher the emotional motivations underpinning their logic-based decisions, and then second using this information to pressure and coerce these leads into closing the sale on the spot. From a psychology standpoint, the proliferation of this technique makes sense because of how often we humans are slaves to our emo...
Maestro PMS Earns Repeat Business from Clients with Growing Portfolios
Maestro PMS | August 23, 2017
Independent Operators Expand, Install Maestro Multi-Property Web and Windows Solutions at Additional Properties August 23, 2017 – Markham, ON – Attendees at the 2017 STR Hotel Data Conference in Nashville learned the hospitality industry is enjoying its 7.5 year of RevPAR growth with two more solid years forecasted. Successful independent operators expand their portfolios, and many Maestro PMS users install additional Maestro property management software systems. Maestro property software centralizes guest data, integrates operations and offers mobile and browser based tools to increase staff efficiency and enhance guest ser...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation Names Michael Smith of Hyatt Regency New Orleans General Manager of the Year
Hyatt Regency New Orleans | August 23, 2017
New Orleans, LA (August 23, 2017) – Hyatt Regency New Orleans General Manager, Michael Smith, has been awarded the Jay A. Pritzker Award for Leadership by Hyatt Hotels Corporation. This award recognizes individuals who have consistently demonstrated their ability as leaders and innovators in the hospitality industry. Michael was recognized for his achievements in managing a top performing hotel, as well as representing Hyatt's core values as a leader within the corporation and the New Orleans community. "This is a very well deserved honor for Michael who during his time in New Orleans has proven himself to be not only an accom...
Cayman Islands Newest Addition, the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa, Manages Uniform Inventory with InvoTech Systems
InvoTech Systems, Inc. | August 21, 2017
InvoTech Uniform System Provides Cost Saving Benefits to New Caribbean Resort with Efficient Inventory Control and Accountability LOS ANGELES, CA – August 22, 2017 InvoTech Systems Inc. announces the recent implementation of its Uniform System at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa, located on the Cayman Islands, west of the Caribbean Sea. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers and theme parks. The InvoTech System installed at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa manages ...
Join Us for a Webinar: “How to Increase Customer Loyalty by Fully Integrating Guest Acquisition & Engagement”
HEBS Digital | August 21, 2017
According to Phocuswright, 79 percent of bookings on hotel websites were made by travelers that belonged to a hotel loyalty program or guest recognition program. As the travel planning landscape evolves, the more relevant content you deliver to the website visitor and your current and future potential guests, the better the engagement and the higher the conversions and revenues. HEBS Digital will host a webinar, "How to Increase Customer Loyalty by Fully Integrating Guest Acquisition & Engagement," on Thursday, August 24 at 2:00p.m. EST (11:00a.m. PST) to help hoteliers increase direct bookings and lessen dependency on the OTAs by p...
With Activity Trends from Hammocrafts to Rolling Zorbs, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and the Gemstone Collection Transform Recreation
Gemstone Collection | August 21, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017… Take a hike or an electric bike. Go up a lazy river in a Hammocraft or strike a yoga pose on a paddle board. Make a splash with a waterbike on Arizona's largest lake. Glow Golf after dark. Howl with the wolves or take a rockin' ride & roll on a Zorb, the hottest new trend in adventurous play. With summer in full swing, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and the Gemstone Collection are celebrating life and living with the latest and most exciting recreation trends, spanning the Green Mountains of Vermont across the nation to The Rockies. "With so many Benchmark and Gemstone...
White Lodging Selects UniFocus’ Industry-Leading Labor Management Solution for Its Diverse Hotel Portfolio
White Lodging | August 21, 2017
DALLAS – Aug. 21, 2017 – White Lodging has selected UniFocus' industry-leading labor management system (LMS) for all of its 170 full- and select-service hotels throughout the U.S. The software has been installed at the first five full-service properties, including the JW Marriott Austin, where it has generated a 5:1 return. UniFocus also has contracted with White Lodging to provide consulting services to a select number of its hotels. The most comprehensive and robust LMS on the market today, UniFocus' LMS is also unique in its scalability, which helps companies like White Lodging manage the labor needs of a diverse and quic...
SHR Buys European Firm Cross-Tinental
SHR | August 21, 2017
SHR expands its global reach by acquiring European hospitality tech consultancy firm HOUSTON, TX and BARCELONA, SPAIN, August 21, 2017 —SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a leading provider and pioneer in the field of hotel distribution technology, has purchased Cross-Tinental, a well-known leader in the European hospitality tech consultancy sector, and reseller for SHR products. This purchase serves to immediately jump start SHR's already growing European presence, giving the company a broader base to build upon in the coming years. "We were looking for very strong representation in the European market, now and for the future," ...
BENCHMARK Names Jason W. Jonilonis Director of Food & Beverage for Stonewall Resort
Stonewall Resort | August 18, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Jason W. Jonilonis director of food and beverage for Stonewall Resort, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in Roanoke, West Virginia. Todd Felsen, senior vice president of operations, made the announcement. "It is such a pleasure to welcome Jason to Stonewall Resort and to Benchmark," said Mr. Felsen. "With a broad background and significant experience in all areas of food and beverage, he is the perfect professional to lead our culinary program, taking it to even greater heights of success." Jason Jonilonis previous...
Midas Hospitality Opens New Legacy Suites in Rock Hill, South Carolina with General Manager Michael Williams at the Helm
August 18, 2017
(St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 18, 2017) Legacy Suites recently opened at 1835 Canterbury Glen Lane in Rock Hill, S.C. The $11 million 64,000-square-foot hotel is four stories and includes 115 all-suite rooms with fully-equipped kitchens. This is the second Legacy Suites hotel in the country. The first one is located in Donaldsonville, La. A third Legacy Suites, which will have 107 all-suite rooms and cost $11.5 million, will open in the summer of 2018 at 1011 Woodruff Rd. in Greenville, S.C. General Manager Michael Williams said Rock Hill was selected for Legacy Suites' second hotel location because "our company wants to support and be a part o...
Sage Hospitality Names Kathleen Bates General Manager of Dual-Branded Embassy Suites and Hilton Garden Inn Opening in Boulder
Sage Hospitality | August 18, 2017
Boulder, Colo. (Aug. 18, 2017) – Denver-based Sage Hospitality - one of the nation's top hotel investment and management companies - is excited to announce that a strong senior management team is now in place for the Embassy Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn opening this Fall in Boulder, led by new General Manager Kathleen Bates. Angela Blackstock has been named the Director of Sales and Marketing and Carla Schrock will serve as the Associate Director of Sales at the dual-branded "Hiltons on Canyon," which is currently under construction at the intersection of Canyon Blvd. and 28th St. Director of Sales and Marketing Angela...
BENCHMARK Names Connie Hagston Director of Sales & Marketing for Chaminade Resort & Spa, Santa Cruz
Chaminade Resort & Spa | August 17, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Connie Hagston director of sales and marketing for Chaminade Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in Santa Cruz, California. Kevin Herbst, general manager, made the announcement. "I am very pleased to welcome Connie to our historic resort and to Benchmark," said Mr. Herbst. "She comes to us equipped with a strong record of accomplishments, including awards of excellence showcasing her leadership skills and exemplary sales and marketing expertise. She also brings important knowledge of the northern Ca...
Charles McKee Appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, Americas for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | August 17, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS AND BRUSSELS (August 17, 2017) – Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group today announced it has named Charles McKee as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the Americas. McKee will report to Ken Greene, President, Americas as well as Eric de Neef, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer. He will be based in Minneapolis. "We are delighted to welcome a seasoned international travel and tourism leader, like Charles, to lead this newly created role that will focus on increasing clarity and execution excellence in the Americas team, and fully integrate Marketing, Branding, Development,...
