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
The Most Important Question Every Hotel Should Ask of Their Hotel Software Providers
June 6, 2017
By Jos Schaap, CEO, StayNTouch There are many important questions every hotelier should ask before investing in any new hotel software system. There are questions regarding features, functions, integration, SaaS or license, cloud or on premise, training - and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, one of the big questions that often gets overlooked and doesn't get researched enough is the question of service and support. Service and support of your hotel software platform is integral to the success of your hotel on many levels. Yes, there may be the occasional hiccup during the initial implementation phase, but where the rubber meets t...
Hotel Legends and Travel Experts, including BENCHMARK’s CEO Alex Cabañas, to Take the TEDxWilmington Stage on June 7th
TEDx | June 6, 2017
Theme: Lust for Life, Adventure Travel Hospitality The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 6, 2017 … Well respected leaders and innovators from the hospitality industry around the world will be giving a TEDx talk at TEDxWilmingtonSalon on Wednesday, June 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Queen, a historic theater located at 500 N. Market St., in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. Alex Cabañas, chief executive officer of BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, will join distinguished colleagues in the TEDx Talks. The TEDxWilmington theme for June 7 is, "Lust for Life: Adventure Travel Hospitality." In addition ...
Scarlett Hotel Group Takes Over Management of Marriott Residence Inn in Downtown Clearwater
Scarlett Hotel Group | June 6, 2017
The Scarlett Hotel Group, a hospitality investment and management company founded by and for the next generation of hoteliers, is proud to announce it has taken over management of the Marriott Residence Inn in Downtown Clearwater. The 115-room property is proximate to Clearwater Beach, the #1 beach in the country (TripAdvisor 2016), Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training Stadium and is a short 25-minute drive from Tampa International Airport. Scarlett Hotel Group acquired the hotel in 2016 and the property fits within SHG's core focus of acquiring and managing first-class lodging assets throughout the coun...
StayNTouch, SHR, and Rainmaker Announce Webinar to Optimize Connectivity between Hotel PMS/CRS/RO
StayNTouch | June 6, 2017
June 14th Webinar "Get the Balance Right: Mastering the PMS/CRS/RO Connection in a Changing Economy" offers a guide to maximizing the use and integration of key hotel systems June 6, 2017 – Bethesda – With HITEC quickly approaching, it's time to focus on your hotel's unique areas of opportunity. Join StayNTouch, SHR, and Rainmaker for a special LIVE event on Wed, June 14th at 1pm EDT/10am PDT, dedicated to de-mystifying and optimizing the PMS, CRS, and Revenue Optimization (RO) relationship to your best advantage. Click here to register for the "Get the Balance Right: Mastering the PMS/CRS/RO Connection in a Changing Econom...
Wyndham Hotel Group Launches The Trademark Hotel Collection, a New Independent Concept for Upper-Midscale-and-Above Hoteliers
Wyndham Hotel Group | June 5, 2017
PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 5, 2017 -- Strengthening its position as the true champion for hoteliers in every segment, Wyndham Hotel Group - hospitality giant with an unparalleled portfolio of more than 8,000 hotels globally - today launched a new independent concept for upper-midscale-and-above hoteliers: The Trademark Hotel Collection. Trademark is designed for independent entrepreneurs who have built an iconic hotel and are looking to boost its distinctive legacy with unmatched support. The brand invites hoteliers who operate landmark, 3 - 4 star hotels to maintain their individual spirit while taking advantage of Wyndham's scale, dis...
Closing the Loop on the Travel Journey: Action Plan to Achieve a 360-Degree Past and Future Guest Engagement, Retention, and Acquisition Strategy
HEBS Digital | June 5, 2017
By Max Starkov and Margaret Mastrogiacomo Today's hotel planning and booking customer journey is becoming increasingly complex in this multi-device, multi-channel and multi-touch point digital landscape. In fact, according to Google, the average consumer engages in 38,983 digital micro-moments in just under two months. That's over 38,000 digital moments in a 60-day booking window. As consumers are living their lives digitally connected throughout these digital micro-moments, when they embark on the travel planning journey, which on average, includes 19 different touchpoints before making a booking (Google research), each one of these to...
Carrie Harrington Appointed General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia Center City
Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia Center City | June 1, 2017
PHILADELPHIA, June 01, 2017 -- Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia Center City is pleased to announce the promotion of Carrie Harrington from Task Force General Manager to General Manager of the property, effective immediately. Carrie began her career in hospitality shortly after earning a bachelor's degree from The New York University Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, where she discovered her love for the industry. After graduation, Carrie held leadership roles at leading hotels, including Le Meridien Philadelphia, The Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown and Westin Washington D.C. City Center. Her success eventually led her t...
FCS Streamlines Connectivity and Efficiency with Integration of CosmoPMS and FCS Unicorn
FCS | June 1, 2017
Hospitality's premier PMS solution for smaller properties seamlessly connects all FCS solutions and third party systems via new Unicorn interface. Singapore – 1 June, 2017 – FCS Computer Systems (FCS), a leading provider of operations-enhancing technology solutions and services, has announced the integration of its FCS Unicorn call accounting and interface gateway solution with CosmoPMS, a cutting-edge SaaS-based property management platform designed specifically to meet the needs of smaller properties. As a solution that provides these hoteliers with the tools needed to streamline operations such as guest reservations, rat...
DoubleTree by Hilton Opens in Atlanta Perimeter Following $12M Transformation
DoubleTree by Hilton | May 31, 2017
ATLANTA (May 31, 2017) – The new DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Perimeter Dunwoody hotel opens today following a $12 million transformation. Owned by Whitman Peterson and Sage Hospitality and managed by Sage Hospitality, the completely redesigned and renovated property embodies modern Southern hospitality. The soulful design of the hotel is a fresh take on the South, with dramatic wood beams, features that welcome in ample natural light and a soothing color palette. Guests will be treated to open and contemporary public spaces, beautifully appointed guest rooms, customizable meeting spaces that are as functional as they are fashiona...
Unsung Heroes of Hospitality – Security Director
Larry Mogelonsky | May 31, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) While most of us in hospitality focus our efforts on finding ways to enhance our guests' comfort (and make more revenues!), we can only do so in an environment where both safety and security are assured. We often take the role of our security department for granted. After all, this is a department where reports stating 'nothing has happened' are considered the norm, and management tends to respond to incidents versus the status quo. It is also hard to measure the performance of the security department when assessments are largely binary. How do you know if team members are meeting y...
IHG Opens Hotel Indigo Warsaw – Nowy Swiat in Poland with General Manager Grazyna Kania at the Helm
IHG | May 30, 2017
InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces the opening of Hotel Indigo® Warsaw – Nowy Swiat Centrally located on Nowy Świat – or "New World" – street, one of the main historic thoroughfares of the city, the opening highlights IHG's growing footprint across the region, following the opening of Hotel Indigo® Krakow - Old Town in 2016. Nowy Świat street is one of the most recognisable, fashionable and entertaining areas in Poland. It connects the two elements of the capital – the historical and the contemporary, leading straight to the Old Tow...
Xenia Hotels & Resorts Acquires Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando for $205.5 Million
Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | May 30, 2017
ORLANDO, Fla., May 30, 2017-- Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) ("Xenia" or the "Company") today announced its acquisition of the 815-key Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Floridafrom an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation for a purchase price of $205.5 million, or approximately $252,000per key. The acquisition was funded with cash available on the Company's balance sheet and its senior unsecured credit facility. Additional details on the transaction can be found in the presentation posted on the Company's website, www.xeniareit.com. "The acquisition of Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress repr...
SMASHotels and Autograph Collection Hotels Open Hotel EMC2 in Downtown Chicago
Hotel EMC2 | May 25, 2017
Chicago – May 25, 2017 – Autograph Collection Hotels and SMASHotels, an award-winning hospitality management company, today announced the official opening of Hotel EMC2 in downtown Chicago. Hotel EMC2 joins the diverse and dynamic portfolio of more than one hundred Autograph Collection Hotels around the world that are independent, one-of-a-kind and share the brand's values of vision, design and craft. Driven by the vision and passion of local real estate developer, leader and disruptor Scott Greenberg, President & CEO of SMASHotels, the innovative hotel, led by General Manager Christine Wechter, celebrates the convergenc...
Pursuit Selects Maestro Web Multi-Property PMS for 15 Properties Totaling 1,400 Rooms
Maestro PMS | May 24, 2017
Cloud-Based Maestro Web Supports 15 Destinations on a Single Database for Centralized Multi-Property Reservations, Management Controls, and Personalized Guest Service Markham, Ontario – May 24, 2017 – Maestro PMS announced that Pursuit, an international independent hospitality destination company, selected the Maestro Web Property Management Suite to consolidate hotel management operations at Pursuit's 15 distinctive lodging properties with more than 1,400 rooms. Maestro PMS is the preferred cloud and on-premise property management solution for independent hotels, resorts, conference centers, and multi-property groups. Purs...
The Downfalls of Overcharging for Bottled Water
Larry Mogelonsky | May 24, 2017
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) You've trained your bellman, concierge and front desk staff to a tee. Your guests immediately feel welcome at your property with the awful nightmare of security lines, air travel and bag collection finally behind them. They enter their guestroom, just starting to unwind, and then prominently displayed is a bottle of water with an unmistakably exorbitant price tag. And it is all for naught. Why is it that this one markup grinds guests' gears more than almost everything else? Perhaps the wording of 'unmistakably exorbitant' offers a clue. When a commoditized item like bottled water, i...
Owned by TC Triumph & Managed by North Mich Hospitality Management, New Fairfield Inn & Suites to Open in Gaylord, Michigan
Fairfield Inn & Suites | May 24, 2017
Gaylord, MI – May 24, 2017 – The 83-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Gaylord, Michigan is scheduled to open this Friday, May 26, 2017 with its smart, inventive public space and guest room design, and its bright and inviting décor. Located at 826 Carpenter Street, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Gaylord will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by TC Triumph and managed by North Mich Hospitality Management of Traverse City, Michigan. Located just two miles from Gaylord Regional Airport and five minutes from downtown, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Gaylord offers guests convenient access to Mackinac Islan...
“All Things Culinary” Design Concept Inspires a Multi-Million Dollar Renovation at The Essex-Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa
May 24, 2017
Restaurants, Cook Academy, Leading Chefs, Local Ingredients Inspire a Nostalgic, Warm, Whimsical Design The Woodlands, Texas, May 2017 … Eurowest Inns, Inc., owners of The Essex - Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa, have announced a multi-million dollar renovation program that will bring new levels of comfort, innovation and culinary inspiration to the landmark property. The design concept, "All Things Culinary", is inspired by The Essex's noted Cook Academy and its critically acclaimed restaurant, Junction, where a team of professional chefs bring the best of Vermont's bounty to the tables of the resort. Robert Botjer, Chairman...
The Smart Hotelier’s Pre-Opening Digital Strategy
the Author & HeBS Digital | May 23, 2017
By Garrick Lee Opening a new hotel requires an 'all-hands-on-deck' approach. From checking the allowable voltage for hairdryers to staging rooms for test shots and much more, there's an endless list of tasks to complete. Unfortunately, the most critical part of a pre-opening strategy oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle: the new property's digital presence and strategy. In today's landscape, hoteliers cannot afford to forgo a pre-opening digital strategy, as this missing piece will lead to lost bookings and revenue not only for the first opening months, but will set the hotel up for over-reliance on the OTAs in the long term. Conversely,...
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rob Dellibovi as Vice President of Global Sales
Dream Hotel Group | May 23, 2017
NEW YORK, NY (May 23, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob DelliBovi as Vice President of Global Sales for Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels. Bringing more than 15 years of corporate sales experience, DelliBovi most recently served as VP of Global Sales for Dream Hotels, the company's founding luxury lifestyle brand. In this role, DelliBovi will be responsible for the day-to-day management of existing corporate account relationships and the prospecting and development of new busin...
So Many Hotel Software Systems, So Little Time: How to Choose the Best PMS for Your Needs and Budget
May 23, 2017
Jos Schaap, CEO of StayNTouch It's a jungle out there! The jungle of different hotel software solutions has grown very thick, and the competition between vendors on who has the best solution has hardened. In the vendor section of Hospitality Upgrades' online portal, there are 15 property management systems from which to choose. There are over 12 PMS providers displayed on the vendor directory of HospitalityNet's website. The hotel software systems listed on these leading sites are a mere drop in the ocean of property management systems available these days. According to many industry experts, there are over 100 solution providers that d...
Dream Hotel Group Signs Nine Hotels Totaling $750 Million in New Hotel Development Expected to Open by End of 2020
Dream Hotel Group | May 22, 2017
NEW YORK, NY (May 22, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group, home to its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and soon-to-launch Unscripted Hotels brands, today announced another year of unprecedented international growth with nine new hotels expected to open in new destinations by the end of 2020. "We signed more new hotel deals in the last six months than any other year in the company's history," said Dream Hotel Group chairman Sant Singh Chatwal. "After significant investment and repositioning from ownership to hotel brand and management, Dream Hotel Group now boasts its strongest portfolio eve...
HeBS Digital Launches Enhanced Brand Website for RLHC, Featuring Over 1,100 Properties and 14 Brands
RLHC | May 22, 2017
NEW YORK, NY — HeBS Digital announces the launch of a completely customized and enhanced brand website for RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corporation). Featuring over 1,100 properties and 14 brands, this is one of the largest additions to HeBS Digital's diverse portfolio of hotel websites, and the company is proud to share the results of months of dedicated work by dozens of team members across many departments. "The complete RLHC portfolio of brands is now on one domain," said RLHC CMO Bill Linehan. "The new RLHC website streamlines the booking process for guests, making it easier to book a stay at any of our properties whether using thei...
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Gemstone Collection Offer up to 50% off on Summer Cyber Tuesday
Gemstone Collection | May 22, 2017
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, May 2017 – More than two dozen hotel and resort properties from Gemstone Collection and Benchmark Resorts & Hotels roll out their finest summer travel values of the season on Tuesday, May 30th when they celebrate their annual Summer Cyber Tuesday program. With a collection of limited-time travel sale opportunities of up to 50% off, summer adventure-seekers can take advantage of this exclusive one-day cyber event that serves up a chance to explore destinations reaching from Massachusetts to Hawaii. "This summer should be an outstanding travel season and we wanted to kick it off with a compel...
Marriott Signs with Pennyroyal Gibraltar to Debut The Ritz-Carlton Brand in the Zanzibar Archipelago
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC | May 22, 2017
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 22, 2017/ -- Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) (www.Marriott.com) today announced the signing of an agreement with Pennyroyal Gibraltar Limited, to debut The Ritz-Carlton brand (www.RitzCarlton.com) in the exotic Zanzibar Archipelago. Slated to open in 2021, the 90 room all-suite and villa resort will bring the defining luxury experience of The Ritz-Carlton to one of the most magical destinations in the world. Located within a convenient 45-minute drive from Zanzibar International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, Zanzibar will provide easy access to the fabled and magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sto...
