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
SHR Named to Inc. 5000 List for Sixth Time
SHR | August 17, 2017
HOUSTON, TX, August 17, 2017—SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a leading provider and pioneer of advanced hotel distribution technologies, has been named to the Inc. 5000 list for the sixth consecutive year. The list is a prestigious and reputable annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and serves as a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurial leadership, ranking companies by overall revenue growth over a three-year period. "To receive this distinction six years running is a true testament to the spirit of hard work and client commitment our team members embrace," said Rod Jimenez, CEO of SHR...
RLJ Shareholders and FelCor Stockholders Approve Merger
RLJ Lodging Trust | August 16, 2017
BETHESDA, Md. & IRVING, Texas--August 16, 2017--RLJ Lodging Trust ( "RLJ") (NYSE:RLJ) and FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated ("FelCor") (NYSE:FCH) today announced that at special meetings held earlier today shareholders of RLJ approved the issuance of common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, of RLJ (the "RLJ Common Shares") in connection with the Merger (as defined below) and stockholders of FelCor approved FelCor's merger with and into a subsidiary of RLJ in a stock-for-stock transaction (the "Merger") in connection with the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 23, 2017, by and...
The Communications Hierarchy in Three Principles and Five Tips
Larry Mogelonsky | August 16, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) For going on a decade now, I've encouraged readers to reexamine their B2B and B2C communications in terms of how the medium impacts the message itself. To help organize my thoughts on the matter, I proposed a heirarchial flowchart outlining 13 different forms of modern communications based on the level of importance conveyed by each. My motivation for tackling this subject was the rise of email and mobile communications, both of which have had sweeping influences on how we behave and socialize. With each passing month, mobile becomes more significant as a channel, thus necessitating...
TRACK Releases First AI Powered Secure Messaging Platform for Homeaway and Airbnb
TRACK Hospitality Software | August 15, 2017
Cottage Grove, Minn.- In June, Homeaway announced that they would no longer pass along critical traveler contact information until a reservation is confirmed, creating concerns about the changing landscape of vacation rental listing sites. These changes by Homeaway have aligned them with the likes of Airbnb and traditional OTA's, creating increased concern and uncertainty for many vacation rental property managers and owners within the hospitality industry. Today, TRACK Hospitality Software (TRACK), the leading all-in-one cloud communications platform for the independent lodging industry, has announced the launch of the first Artificial...
Hard Rock International to Rock the Alps with Hard Rock Hotel Davos Slated to Open December 2017
Hard Rock International | August 15, 2017
Orlando, Fla. – August 15, 2017 – With presence in more than 70 countries across the globe, Hard Rock International is expanding its hotel portfolio to the Swiss Alps, announcing plans to open Hard Rock Hotel Davos. Working in collaboration with International Hospitality Service AG ("IHS"), the owner of Spenglers Hotel and Holsboer Residences in Davos, Hard Rock will electrify the region in December 2017. VIYM, a private equity firm with extensive expertise in the hospitality industry, consulted IHS on the deal. Transforming the 130-year-old building, which houses the recently renovated Spenglers Hotel Davos with a new ...
Service Excellence and the Hotel Industry is in our DNA
August 15, 2017
Jos Schaap, CEO and Founder StayNTouch It is not very often that I write a self-serving article but I think it is important to note that, as a hotel technology company, service excellence is a key element within our DNA. It helps us deliver great technology to our hotel clients and the industry at large. Technology, at its foundation, is developed either to make one's life easier or to enable people to communicate more effectively. The problem with developing technology for technology's sake is that companies become too highly focused on the development of the technology, forgetting to understand its full impact on their end users and a...
Use This Technology to Ensure a Seamless Post-Stay Guest Experience
ALICE | August 14, 2017
You're feeling rejuvenated on the tail end of a glorious island getaway, with the hotel quickly receding in your rearview mirror, when panic suddenly strikes. Shocked, you realize a pivotal personal item was left behind – your carry-on backpack – the one holding not only your half-devoured novel, but most importantly, your passport. With stress-induced clarity, you picture where it was left – in the hotel room wardrobe next to the safe. Speeding back to the hotel, you call to notify the staff of your urgent loss. When you arrive to the reception desk, not only is your bag missing, but it seems the multiple staff you as...
Hotel Equities Names Marcie Pruitt Corporate Controller
Hotel Equities | August 14, 2017
ATLANTA, GA (August 14, 2017) –Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (HE) named Marcie Pruitt to the position of Corporate Controller. Her responsibilities include oversight of the accounting and financial functions for the firm, including staff supervision and owner relations. She reports to Carlos Melgar, Vice President of Finance for Hotel Equities. "Marcie brings leadership experience and excellent accounting skills to our expanding accounting team," said Carlos Melgar, Vice President of Finance for Hotel Equities. "A veteran of the hospitality industry, she understands the financials, but also is skilled at building relationships with...
Strand Hospitality Services Assumes Management of the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Six Flags
Strand Hospitality | August 11, 2017
(Lithia Springs, GA) August 14, 2017 – Strand Hospitality Services, a leading provider of hospitality operations, consulting and advisory services, recently announced that it has assumed management of the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Six Flags located at 960 Bob Arnold Boulevard in Lithia Springs, GA. Ideally situated off I-20 and just 10 minutes from Six Flags over Georgia and 15 minutes from many of downtown Atlanta's attractions, the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Six Flags boasts spacious guestrooms and suites with amenities such as; free Wi-Fi, flat-screen televisions, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, business center and meet...
sbe Unveils World’s Fourth Mondrian Hotel, the Mondrian Park Avenue in NYC
sbe | August 10, 2017
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2017 / -- sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues globally, is thrilled to announce the opening of Mondrian Park Avenue in New York this fall. Initially conceived as an SLS designed by Philippe Starck with a culinary concept by José Andrés, the project evolved after sbe's acquisition of Morgans Hotel Group in late 2016, and a renewed focus was placed on bringing the legacy of the iconic Mondrian brand to new markets around the world. Referring to the project on Park Avenue, Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of sbe, states, "...
Concord Hospitality Opens First-Ever Dual-Branded Marriott Hotel and Residence Inn Located on Ohio State’s Campus
Marriott | August 9, 2017
COLUMBUS, OHIO - August 10, 2017 – Marriott International, Inc. announced today that a dual-branded Marriott Hotel and Residence Inn property will open on the campus of Ohio State University today. Located at 3100 Olentangy River Rd., the hotels are owned by UPH Holdings LLC and will be managed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Marriott Hotel and Residence Inn will offer 240 and 114 guest rooms, respectively. The hotels will share some amenities including an indoor swimming pool, a 1,950-square-foot fitness center, exterior courtyards with fire pits and the Moda Coutoure restaurant and bar. Located...
BENCHMARK’s 2017 Food & Dining Trends: From Farmer Chefs to Sustainable Seafood, Millennials Drive Today’s Culinary Trends
August 9, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017 … Chefs become farmers, eggs are more edible than ever, the drinks of the '20s roar again, onions appear in jams and desserts, while the demand for sustainable fish is rising like the tide. It's largely driven by Millennials with adventurous tastes, disposable income and a good bit of nostalgia for the foods they may have missed growing up. "Chefs from Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and the Gemstone Collection are not just tracking culinary trends; they are setting them with a commitment to sustainability, quality and creativity," according to Todd Parmelee, vice president food & be...
Maestro PMS eLearning Simplifies Training, Boosts Staff Productivity for Independents
Maestro PMS | August 9, 2017
"Anytime" Online Tutorials Give Hotel Teams an Effective Way to Learn Property Software Fast, Gain Confidence in Operations August 9, 2017 – Markham, ON – When an independent operator hires staff, they want their new team members to start fast. With a legacy of providing PMS spanning more than 30 years, Maestro's team understands the needs of hotel operations and systems training. That is why they built online tutorials and eLearning functionality into their family of 20+ Maestro PMS property software solutions. Maestro's eLearning system helps property staff and managers gain confidence in property software system use so t...
Cendyn Partners with roomMaster by InnQuest Software
InnQuest Software | August 9, 2017
Boca Raton, FL, August 9, 2017 – Cendyn has partnered with roomMaster by InnQuest Software, a robust property management system (PMS), to provide hotels with a marketing automation and guest intelligence solution that integrates seamlessly across both platforms. As the leading CRM and sales platform in the hospitality industry, Cendyn is continuously working with partners and hospitality leaders like roomMaster by InnQuest to improve its integration and connectivity capabilities. "We're excited to partner with Cendyn to amplify roomMaster's marketing capabilities so that hoteliers using our PMS can meet the ever-evolv...
Vimana’s Key West Resort on Lake Dora Expands with New Construction
Vimana Franchise Systems LLC | August 9, 2017
Spanning three buildings, the lakefront hotel with marina, restaurants, shops, rooftop event venue, pool and more is attracting guests with its Key West Island look and feel [Windermere, Fla. – August 9, 2017] — With standard guestrooms the size of studio apartments and two-bedroom suites spanning 2,500 square feet, the Key West Resort on Lake Dora in Tavares, Fla., is attracting guests near and far – especially residents from nearby Orlando who are looking for a weekend getaway with a Key West Island appeal. Originally designed as a single 16-unit lakefront studio apartment building, the newly-expanded Key West Resort...
Q2 2017 Financial Reports Round Up – Part 5: Marriott, IHG, Ryman, Xenia, Belmond
August 8, 2017
Marriott International Reports Second Quarter 2017 Results Highlights Second quarter reported diluted EPS totaled $1.08, a 13 percent increase over prior year results. Second quarter adjusted diluted EPS totaled $1.13, a 35 percent increase over second quarter 2016 combined results. Adjusted 2017 second quarter results exclude merger-related Combined 2016 second quarter results assume Marriott's acquisition of Starwood and Starwood's sale of its timeshare business had been completed on January 1, 2015; Worldwide comparable systemwide constant dollar RevPAR rose 2.2 percent in the 2017 second quarter, while North American comparable s...
Twenty-three Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Collection Properties Awarded the Prestigious TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence
August 3, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017 …BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announces that 23 of its properties have been honored with the 2017 TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence, which recognizes top-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions in the United States and globally. The Certificate of Excellence is determined by traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site. Twelve Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and eleven Gemstone Collection properties received the coveted recognition, one of the travel industry's most prestigious awards. "This is an exceptional honor for Benchmark, coming onl...
Wyndham Worldwide Announces Plan To Become Two Publicly Traded Hospitality Companies
Wyndham Worldwide | August 3, 2017
Wyndham Hotel Group to Become Pure-Play Hotel Company Wyndham Vacation Ownership Will Be World's Largest Publicly Traded Timeshare Business Company to Explore Strategic Alternatives for European Rental Brands Public Companies Will Retain Wyndham Rewards Partnership PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 3, 2017 -- Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) today announced plans to spin off the company's hotel business resulting in two separate, publicly traded companies. Wyndham Hotel Group, with headquarters in Parsippany, NJ, will become a new, publicly traded pure-play hotel company with a portfolio of renowned brands. Wyndham Vacation Ownership, with h...
Q2 2017 Financial Reports Round Up – Part 3: Choice, Chesapeake, Chatham, Sunstone & ESA
August 2, 2017
Choice Hotels Reports Results for Second Quarter 2017 Highlights: Overall Results Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter was $0.79, a 16-percent increase from the second quarter of the prior year; Diluted EPS increased 11-percent compared to our adjusted diluted EPS for the second quarter of 2016, which excluded executive termination benefits incurred in 2016. Total revenues and hotel franchising revenues for the second quarter increased 14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, from the second quarter of the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA totaled $81.1 million for the second quarter, a 15-percent increase from the seco...
Eliminating the Offseason
Larry Mogelonsky | August 2, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Consider this your quarterly performance audit, but thinking a bit more ambitiously, it is already time to look ahead to 2018! Now that we have gone through three whole months of 2017, it's the perfect time to reevaluate the goal we proclaimed at the beginning of January, but there's also enough time to plan something bold for next year. A major issue that many hotels confront is the cyclical nature of their revenues and occupancies. Although seasonality affects resorts and rural properties more so than urban hotels, the latter can also suffer from week-to-week or intra-week fluctua...
BENCHMARK Names Jean Marie Napoliello Director of Food & Beverage for Topnotch Resort, Stowe, Vermont, A Gemstone Collection Property
Gemstone Collection | August 1, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Jean Marie Napoliello director of food and beverage for Topnotch Resort, a Gemstone Collection property located in Stowe, Vermont. Robert Burnetti, general manager, made the announcement. "It is with great pleasure that I welcome Jean Marie to Topnotch Resort and to Benchmark," said Mr. Burnetti. "She comes to us with invaluable experience in managing resort food and beverage operations, and also running her own restaurant." Jean Marie Napoliello was most recently food and beverage manager for the Hilton Garden Inn, located in Bu...
Hotel Equities to Manage NYC’s 88-Room Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City
Hotel Equities | August 1, 2017
ATLANTA and NEW YORK CITY–August 1, 2017– Atlanta-based Hotel Equities has been selected to manage the Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City. The hotel recently completed a full renovation of guestrooms, meeting space, restaurant and public space. "Adding another property in New York has been a focus for Hotel Equities," said Joe Reardon, SVP of Business Development and Marketing for Hotel Equities. "The property enjoys the benefits of a vibrant neighborhood scene within proximity to some of the NYC area hot spots." Boasting panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline from its rooftop bar and floor-to-ceiling glass-wrapped m...
Hospitality Management Corporation Adds 114-Room Holiday Inn Sioux City, Iowa to Managment Portfolio
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) | August 1, 2017
Dallas, TX – Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), is pleased to announce the addition of this 114-room Holiday Inn ® in Sioux City, IA, to their portfolio of managed hotels. The company continues its ongoing business expansion which is made up of full service, conference center, select service and limited service hotels. 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. Situated conveniently off I-29 at exit 147B, the property is located close to the area'...
Roch Capital Acquires Hyatt Regency Louisville; Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage
Roch Capital Inc. | July 31, 2017
Glen Mills, PA, July 31, 2017 – Roch Capital Inc. ("Roch") announced today it has completed the acquisition of the 393-key Hyatt Regency hotel in Louisville, Kentucky from an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The 19-story hotel includes: 26,000 square feet of upscale meeting space; a full-service restaurant, Sway; the Louisville Convention & Visitor's Bureau; Chipotle; and a soon-to-open Starbucks. The hotel recently finished a multi-million dollar capital investment plan that updated guest rooms and baths, public areas and Sway, resulting in a highly attractive, market leading product. "This is a high quality hotel in a ...
