HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25th, 2024
HVS Market Pulse: Rochester, MN – Medicine at the Forefront of Development
Justin Westad | March 7, 2019
by Justin Westad The healthcare sector is the cornerstone of the Rochester market, represented largely by entities such as the Mayo Clinic, Saint Mary's Hospital, and Rochester Methodist Hospital, which is visited by over 1.3 million patients per year. After years of expansion and growth, the Downtown Rochester market is expected to receive an even bigger boost with approximately $5.6 billion of public and private investment injected over the next 20 years through the Destination Medical Center Initiative (DMC). The goal of the initiative is to transform the city into a world-renowned destination medical center. Projects will be aim...
Sirius Hospitality Holding and IHG Sign for First avid™ Hotel in Germany
avid hotels | March 7, 2019
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, and Germany-based Sirius Hospitality Holding GmbH announce the signing of the first avid™ hotel in Germany which is due to open at Frankfurt Airport. The avid hotels brand was thoughtfully designed for travellers who want a hotel experience that meets their expectations for the type of hospitality they value most - the basics done exceptionally well at a fair price. The first avid hotel signed in Germany will be strategically located at Frankfurt Airport, the fourth-largest international airport in Europe and number 14 worldwide. The hotel will b...
Hotel Owners Have All the Juice
Alan Young | March 7, 2019
by Alan Young Who really has the buying power when it comes to hotel technology purchases? As any good salesperson knows, selling a product (or service) is as much about describing the features and benefits of product itself, as it is being able to effectively sell to the potential buyer. It's a dance, one in which an in-depth understanding of the buyer's unique expectations and values will (more often than not) be the key to making that sale. And of course, the key to appealing to buyers directly begins with understanding who holds the buying power. When it comes to the hospitality industry and the purchase of hotel technology,...
Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa Welcomes Rachael Harman as New General Manager
Le Meridien SIngapore, Sentosa | March 7, 2019
SINGAPORE – 07 MARCH 2019 – Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa is delighted to announce the appointment of its General Manager, Ms. Rachael Harman who brings with her a wealth of experience of over 20 years as a dynamic and service-oriented hotelier. With great passion and enthusiasm, Rachael is responsible for the success of Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa and will be leading hotel operations as well as driving financial performance and revenue, guest satisfaction, associate engagement and development. Overlooking the iconic Merlion and within walking distance to the island's attractions, Le Méridien Singapo...
Hotelbeds expands portfolio with 10,000 new hotels
Hotelbeds | March 6, 2019
Hotelbeds expands portfolio with 10,000 new hotels · Over 10,000 hotels have signed-up for the Hotelbeds platform over the last year, mainly in North America and Asia-Pacific, to reach 180,000 unique hotels. · Growth driven by renewed focus on providing hoteliers with incremental bookings via expanded B2B network of over 60,000 travel buyers. · Increase in the number of strategic partnerships with hotel chains and inclusion of preferred channel managers. Orlando, 6 March 2019. Hotelbeds, the world´s leading bedbank, has today confirmed at ITB Berlin an increase in the number of its hotel partners. During the l...
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...
Want More Direct Bookings? Give the Best Answers
Tambourine | March 6, 2019
Driving direct bookings on your hotel's website isn't just about using tactics like social advertising, PPC campaigns and SEO to ensure a steady flow of visitors to your homepage. It's equally important to ensure that once those viewers arrive, your site is anticipating and answering the questions potential customers have, which in turn moves them along through the booking funnel. According to research by the Nielsen Norman Group, you have about 10 seconds to convince a visitor to stay on your site and potentially make a purchase, before they bail and look elsewhere. That's true for customers looking to buy a hotel stay or a new pair of...
Tourism Tidbits: Marketing To and Protecting Visiting Children - Part One of Two
Dr. Peter Tarlow | March 6, 2019
by Dr. Peter Tarlow One of the most difficult segments of the tourism industry to which to market protect the children or young adult segment, In reality this segment breaks down into at least four sub-segments, and each of these has its own challenges and opportunities. Although in most nations the law defines a child as anyone who is not an adult (under 18 years of age) from the perspective of tourism there are major differences between an infant and a teenager. These differences manifest themselves in not only how we market to them but the products that we offer. One way to analyze this multivariate market is to divide the child/youn...
Hotel Internet Services Releases In-depth Analysis on Hotel Guest Wi-Fi and IoT Expectations in 2019 and Beyond
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | March 6, 2019
New white paper leverages feedback from more than 670 guests and 200 hoteliers to demonstrate what is expected from today's Wi-Fi and internet-based services Clearwater, Fla. — March 6, 2018 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions, has announced the release of a comprehensive new white paper examining how advances in consumer technology have impacted and heightened guest expectations of hotel Wi-Fi and related services. Utilizing feedback from a recent survey conducted with more than 670 guests and 200 hoteliers across the United States, the white paper demonstrates how the...
Eight Technology Trends to Watch Out for in the Travel and Tourism Industry in 2019
Kacey Bradley | March 6, 2019
In the digital age, travel and tourism have taken on new traits. Technology has given the industry new ways to communicate with customers, smoother internal operations and more possibilities for growth. As these innovations have come on the scene, the needs of guests have also evolved. While 2019 unfolds, you can look out for several technology shifts that coincide with your hotel, resort or tourist destination. Check out these eight technology trends affecting travel and tourism to stay informed. Range of WiFi Spreads While WiFi in hotels became an essential, ample internet connectivity on flights lagged. Now that in-flight WiFi has ...
Flexing Hotel Labor Today
Robert Rauch | March 6, 2019
Bob Rauch and Sarah Anderson It's easy to say, "flex down your labor costs" when revenues drop, but is it easy to do? In a market of uncertainty and seasonal fluctuations, managing hotel property expenses is a challenging job that remains on the forefront of the minds of strategic operators. Hotels that implement a staffing strategy that adapts to these changes will keep operations running smoothly throughout the year and even throughout an economic slowdown. This can be a remarkable way to improve profits when revenues are flat or even down. With a focused attention on payroll, creative training programs, automation, and F&B stream...
Global Construction Pipeline Hits Record High at 2018 Year-End
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | March 6, 2019
Lodging Econometrics (LE) has released its year-end Global Construction Pipeline Trend Report, which compiles the construction pipeline counts for every country and market around the world. At the close of 2018, LE analysts state that the total global construction pipeline hit record highs with 13,573 projects/2,265,792 rooms, a 7% increase in projects and a 6% increase in rooms year-over-year (YOY). The global pipeline has been ascending for eight consecutive years after reaching its cyclical low in 2010. All regional pipelines, with the exception of South America, continued their upward trend YOY. It is notable considering economic gr...
CIM Group Acquires the 254-Room the Crowne Plaza Hotel Alexandria in Alexandria, Virginia
CIM Group | March 6, 2019
March 06, 2019--ALEXANDRIA, Va.--CIM Group announced today that it has acquired the Crowne Plaza Hotel Alexandria, a 254-room, 12-story hotel located at 901 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town Alexandria. CIM acquired the hotel with Carr Companies. The hotel is situated on the Potomac River and boasts panoramic views of the Potomac River and Montgomery Park. The hotel also sits adjacent to the Mount Vernon Trail to the east, a popular walking and biking trail that connects George Washington's Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island, and is another outdoor amenity bordering the property. The property is located just a few blocks from King St...
7 Hotel Website Designs That Will Set the Trend in 2019
the Author | March 6, 2019
By Judith Pasztor Duffy Launching a new website for your hotel can be a daunting task… Sure, it is an exciting creative process, but there are so many obligations to fulfill. (Not to mention all the competing interests from various departments.) The result must be a fine balance of splendid visuals, razor-sharp e-commerce and the latest technology. It needs to act as an effective booking tool, while bringing your brand to life. Your website not only has to compete with similar properties on the market, but battle against the OTAs. No easy task, right? Here is a helpful design guide to showcase what will make your hotel website be...
International Society of Hotel Associations Celebrates Member Anniversaries in the United States
International Society of Hotel Associations | March 5, 2019
Boston, Massachusetts, March 2019 ... From the skyscrapers of Manhattan to the soaring peaks of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, the International Society of Hotel Associations (ISHA) is celebrating anniversaries of six of its hotel lodging organization members. Those members include Arizona Hotel & Tourism Association, California Hotel & Lodging Association, Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association, Hotel Association of New York City, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association and Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, whose 2018 and 2019 anniversaries mark a combined 665 years of operation and service. Those years are actually a f...
Developed in Partnership with Hawkeye Hotels and HOS Management, TRYP by Wyndham Savannah Opens
March 5, 2019
SAVANNAH, Ga., March 5, 2019 -- TRYP by Wyndham, the urban, lifestyle hotel brand of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, has opened its newest hotel and ninth U.S. destination in historic Savannah, Georgia. Developed in partnership with Hawkeye Hotels and HOS Management, TRYP by Wyndham Savannah is the latest hotel to join the growing brand adding a coveted destination to its portfolio of locations in emerging cities around the world. It joins the expanding list of up-and-coming travel destinations for the brand, including a recent opening in Newark, N.J.and an upcoming opening this spring in Pittsburgh, Penn. TRYP by Wyndham hotels celebrate...
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...
Different Travelers Want Different Things - So How Do You Know What Hotel Technology You Need?
David Millili | March 5, 2019
By David Millili, CEO of Runtriz Many retail brands embrace generational marketing these days, breaking down their demographics and online/social media campaigns by what they know about baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and the up-and-coming Gen Z generation, those born in the mid-1990s. But for experiential products, like hotels, the concept must be stretched to include the consumer journey. The whole experience and the way it is received (or not) varies based on the age of the traveler, so much so that flags such as Marriott have launched entire brands around catering to millennials. Read an article by a baby boomer who has stayed in ...
Standard Hotels and Bunkhouse Group Share Global Growth Pipeline of Fifteen New Hotel Projects
Standard International | March 5, 2019
NEW YORK -- Standard International, parent company of Standard Hotels and the Bunkhouse Group, today announced its global growth pipeline of fifteen new projects including its first European property, The Standard, London opening this Spring in Kings Cross. Less than 18 months after a $58 million-dollar capital infusion from Bangkok based real estate development firm Sansiri PCL, the company has solidified twelve new Standard hotels in London, Paris, Milan, Lisbon, Mexico City, Chicago, the Maldives, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Hua Hin and Pattaya as well as three new Bunkhouse hotels in Austin, New Orleans and Atlanta. These projects inc...
Apple Hospitality REIT Acquires Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Downtown St. Paul $31.7 million, or Approximately $198,000 Per Key
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. | March 5, 2019
RICHMOND, Va. -- Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) (the "Company" or "Apple Hospitality") today announced the acquisition of the 160-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Downtown St. Paul (the "Hotel") for a purchase price of $31.7 million, or approximately $198,000 per key. "The Hampton Inn & Suites is ideally located in downtown St. Paul and benefits from the area's wide variety of corporate, leisure and healthcare demand generators," said Nelson Knight, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Apple Hospitality. "St. Paul is a vibrant city with a diversified economy, home to numerous corporate offices i...
UBM Development AG and IHG Sign Agreement for First voco™ Hotel in the Netherlands
March 5, 2019
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, and UBM Development AG, today announced the signing of the first voco™ hotel in the Netherlands which is planned to open in 2020. This signing is the first publicly announced signing in Continental Europe underscoring the strong momentum of the voco brand in the region since its launch in June 2018. voco - Kneuterdijk 8 will be set in a beautiful building located in the city centre of The Hague that formerly housed a bank. The hotel will be in close proximity to the town's famous sights, several museums, parks and the shopping mile. Launched ...
How Luxury Hospitality Brand AKA Standardizes Operations Across 10 of Their Properties
ALICE | March 5, 2019
Luxury hospitality brand AKA has partnered with ALICE to standardize operations across ten of its properties. ALICE is the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, connecting every staff department through one platform for all communication and guest requests. Over two thousand hotels and luxury residences around the world have chosen ALICE to streamline operations and communication with a single platform. AKA balances the space and comfort of a fully-appointed luxury condominium with the style and hospitality of an intimate hotel. Designed for weekly and monthly stays in some of the most desirable destinations across the g...
The Employee Benefit Hotel Businesses Can’t Afford Not to Offer
Andrew Hazelton | March 5, 2019
by Andrew Hazelton and Matt Peterson Hotel organizations in today's global marketplace compete heavily, not just among one another but also with other service-focused verticals and customer-facing businesses, in attracting and retaining top talent. Robust compensation and benefits packages certainly help meet candidates' conditions of satisfaction, but these are not enough anymore for retention in the absence of one specific benefit – namely, a company culture devoted to "employee engagement." Defining Employee Engagement Employee engagement is a very old premise, but it has become an increasingly hot topic for our industry over t...
