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
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 209: Hotel History: The Americana of New York (1962)
Stanley Turkel | February 19, 2019
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Americana of New York The Americana of New York opened on September 25, 1962 as a 2,000-room convention hotel. It was constructed by brothers Laurence Tisch and Preston Tisch, co-owners of the Loews Corporation and was the first over 1,000-room hotel to be built in New York since the Waldorf Astoria in 1931. With 51 floors, it was acclaimed for many years in its advertising and by the media as the tallest hotel in the world, based on the number and height of its inhabited floors. The Americana was built, along with the New York Hilton facing Sixth Avenue on the next block, to serve the huge num...
Choice Hotels Signs With ServiceStar Hospitality to Develop 14 New WoodSpring Suites Hotels
February 19, 2019
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 19, 2019 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) awarded an agreement to ServiceStar Hospitality to develop 14 new WoodSpring Suites hotels throughout Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. "The WoodSpring Suites brand continues to draw strong interest from developers across the country, furthering its position as a leader both in extended stay and the economy segment overall," said Ron Burgett, vice president, extended stay hotels development, Choice Hotels. "This transaction builds on WoodSpring's record-setting 2018 growth and will accelerate the brand's presence across the western United ...
Radisson Hotel Group Enters Bursa With Signing of Turkey’s First Radisson Branded Hotel
February 19, 2019
Brussels/Bursa - February 19, 2019 - Radisson Hospitality AB, publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Sweden and part of the Radisson Hotel Group, is proud to announce the signing of the first Radisson branded hotel in Bursa, Turkey. The agreement with the Turkey-based real estate and construction company IHY Gayrimenkul İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. increases the Radisson Hotel Group's portfolio in Turkey to 25 hotels and more than 4,600 rooms in operation and under development. The hotel is scheduled to open its doors in Q4 2020. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: "We're ...
MJH Bringing New Look, New Technology to Fairfield Inn by Marriott Charlotte Northlake
Meyer Jabara Hotels | February 19, 2019
Meyer Jabara Hotels refreshes this North Carolina property's exterior and invests in new technologies including Marriott's Guest Room Entertainment solution, high-speed guest Internet, virtual concierge, PBX, guestroom phones and mobile-key enabled RFID door locks [Danbury, Conn., Feb. 19, 2019] — Today the Fairfield Inn by Marriott is competing head-on with hotels in the Charlotte/Northlake area now that its owner, Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH), has refreshed the property's exterior and installed new technologies. Reaction to the renovation has been exceedingly positive, with guests and local patrons praising the hotel's new look fea...
Riegel Linen Setting the Stage for a Fine-Dining Experience at Williamsburg Inn
Riegel | February 19, 2019
Linen adds elegance to plating presentations at the Inn's famed Rockefeller Room while the natural fiber lends a luxurious look and feel that invites diners to the table [Aiken, S.C.— Feb. 19, 2019] — How important is tabletop presentation to the dining experience? For Travis Brust, executive chef at the Williamsburg Inn in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., table linen and napery is an ideal way to put a restaurant's best foot forward when showcasing its food-and-beverage offering and the venue's impeccable service. The historic hotel's signature dining experience, the Rockefeller Room, celebrates contemporary fine dining and ...
Meliá Hotels Unveils New INNSiDE Charles de Gaulle Located at Paris’ International Airport
February 19, 2019
London, 19 February 2019 - Meliá Hotels International, Spain's largest hotel brand, unveils the new INNSiDE Charles de Gaulle located at Paris' international airport. Opening in February 2019, the 266 room and 10 loft hotel will perfectly embody INNSiDE by Meliá's refreshed identity, providing a design-led urban hotel for travellers looking to combine work and pleasure. Consumers are looking for flexibility and freedom when they travel, and ultimately hotel brands that fit seamlessly with their lifestyle. Relaunching this year, INNSiDE by Meliá is adapting its business strategy to captivate the younger generation of...
Virgin Hotels With Paradigm Hotels Group Opens Virgin Hotels San Francisco
Virgin Hotels | February 19, 2019
MIAMI and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19, 2019 -- Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, announces today the official opening of its highly anticipated second property, Virgin Hotels San Francisco. The hotel, located at 250 Fourth Street, is situated South of Market (SoMa) just steps from Yerba Buena Gardens and the Moscone Center, and features 192 Chambers and two Penthouse Suites; multiple dining and drinking outlets, including the brand's flagship space, Commons Club and Funny Library Coffee Shop; numerous meeting spaces; and the city's newest rooftop bar, Everdene. The hotel is also in ...
IDScan.net Announces Partnership With Hospitality Software Company Cloudbeds
IDScan.net | February 19, 2019
New "Check-In" Bundle Enhances Guest Experience and Property Operations IDScan.net, a leader in ID scanning and verification, has partnered with Cloudbeds, a leader in hospitality management software, to offer the Check-in Bundle. The integrated ID scanning solution allows properties of all sizes, from resorts to B&B's, to check in guests and gather their information in a matter of seconds by scanning government-issued IDs from anywhere in the world. "We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Cloudbeds," said Denis Petrov, the CEO of IDScan.net. "Cloudbeds customers can use our solution to quickly and easily check in gues...
Maestro PMS Live Chat Support Provides Answers Instantly, While Keeping Property Staff Engaged in Guest Service
Maestro PMS | February 19, 2019
"Maestro's Support Team is the most professional I have found in any system provider" February 19, 2019 – Maestro PMS, the preferred cloud and on-premise hotel software solution suite for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, and multi-property groups announced the launch of Live Chat Support. The newest addition to the Diamond Plus Service program instantly connects staff with Maestro's support specialists for help in any area of the system without leaving their screen or picking up a phone. Live Chat Support was introduced in conjunction with the latest Maestro PMS Version 5.5, offered in both a Windows and Web...
Shiji Group Launches New International Website to Cater for Group’s Growth
Shiji Group | February 19, 2019
The international travel technology giant Shiji, launched a fully redesigned website for the global market. Beijing 19 Feb 2019 After a busy year of strategic technology acquisitions in the hospitality industry and the opening of multiple offices across the world, Shiji Group launched a brand new website www.shijigroup.com to present its offerings and the company's vision to the global audience. "2018 was an important year for us in that it marked a lot of strategic acquisitions that we had been working on for a long time. It was also the year we opened more international offices in the U.S., Australia. Japan, and Europe, to name some l...
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Acquires WorldHotels
February 18, 2019
Phoenix, AZ (February 18, 2019) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announced today it has acquired renowned global hotel brand WorldHotels™ representing a collection of approximately 300 unique and special hotels and resorts in premier destinations around the world. "There is tremendous synergy between Best Western and WorldHotels. By joining forces in this new partnership, we will create competitive advantages for both companies," said David Kong, President and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. "I have the utmost respect for WorldHotels and believe in its vast potential." The acquisition of WorldHotels was com...
New 193-Room Radisson Blu Opens in Vadistanbul, Turkey Led by General Manager Atakan Altug
February 18, 2019
Brussels/Istanbul - February 18, 2019 - Radisson Hospitality AB, publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Sweden and part of Radisson Hotel Group, is proud to announce the opening of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Vadistanbul in the heart of Istanbul. The hotel offers the perfect combination of business and leisure facilities, and is located in one of Istanbul'smost prestigious emerging residential and commercial areas. Michel Stalport, Area Senior Vice President Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey, said: "With this stunning property, we further strengthen our position as the leading international hotel group in Turkey. We're immensely proud to add ...
Compensation for US CEOs in Lodging: Fair Pay Is a Real Issue
Keith Kefgen | February 18, 2019
(February 18, 2019) - AETHOS New York Managing Director Keith Kefgen, in his annual review of CEO compensation for a variety of hospitality disciplines, shares candid insights as a result of his latest look at CEOs of U.S. lodging companies: "What we have found over the twenty years of studying CEO pay, is that the many public boards did a poor job at linking CEO pay to company performance," observes Kefgen. "In fact, that was the goal of creating our pay-for-performance model." The AETHOS Pay-for-Performance Model analyzes key financial metrics such as market capitalization, stock appreciation, EBITDA growth, and to...
8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Publishing to Social Media
Pipeline Social Media | February 18, 2019
By Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media Before hitting publish, post, or share, what can you do to ensure that your post actually has value and potential for good engagement? In this article, we provide a checklist that will help you create posts for your fans and potential hotel guests that are clear, relevant, and easy for fans to interact with. 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Publishing to Social Media: Does my post align with my brand? Do I have permission to use the content in my post? Is my post tailored to the specific platform? Is my post on topic? Does my post have value? Does my post have any errors? Di...
Owned and Managed by Moody National Companies, Residence Inn by Marriott Opens in Houston, Texas
Residence Inn by Marriott | February 18, 2019
HOUSTON – February 18, 2019 – The 182-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Houston, Texas is now open with its upscale, stylish décor that offers flexibility, while creating a unique environment. Located at 7807 Kirby Drive, the all-suite Residence Inn Houston Medical Center/NRG Park will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Moody National Companies. The Residence Inn Houston Medical Center/NRG Park is within walking distance to NRG Park, where you can experience all of the sports and entertainment happening in Houston. The 16-story property offers guests convenient access to the Houston Medical Center,...
Is Trump Organization Slowdown a Confirmation of STR’s Lower Occupancy Projections?
Tucker Johnson | February 18, 2019
By Tucker Johnson On February 12th, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled Slowing Hotel Growth Could be Worst in 10 Years. This headline was based on an STR (formerly Smith Travel Research) forecast suggesting that supply was overbuilt and hotel occupancy would level off, then decline over the next two years. On February 14th the Washington Post published an article titled Trump's Company Officially Halts Hotel Expansion. The Trump Organization cited the 'political climate' as their reason for scrapping their new American IDEA Hotels and Scion brands. As someone who follows hotel news closely this seemed like strange timin...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Roger Penske & The Hotel PMS
David Lund | February 18, 2019
By David Lund I had a chance meeting with Roger Penske in the parking lot behind the paddock in October 1994 at the Indy Car Grand Prix of Monterey in Laguna Seca, California. It was the end of qualifying on Saturday and his pilot and fellow Canadian, Paul Tracy had just won the pole position. For you hoteliers who are not motorsports fans, pole means he was the quickest in qualifying and that means he starts in the first position on Sunday. This is a story about hospitality financial leadership in the face of a challenge and adversity. Before I get into the hotel story and the connection to Roger, a bit more about him and the race. The...
Free Service Excellence Training at the Baltimore Convention Center, Led by Dr. Bryan Williams
BWTV | February 18, 2019
Washington DC (February 18, 2019): Delivering world class service is what separates a good experience from a world-class, memorable experience. Visit Baltimore and its partners the Baltimore Convention Center and Centerplate invite the Baltimore business community to join us for a Day of Customer Service Training. Dr. Bryan K. Williams, a service excellence and leadership effectiveness expert will lead these sessions (Watch Bryan's Video). The goal is to assist organizations in various industries to elevate their service experience to world-class levels for both internal (team) and external customers. Bryan noted, "I'm looking forwa...
CBL Properties and Vision Hospitality Group to Develop 135-Room Aloft by Marriott at Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. | February 15, 2019
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--February 15, 2019 --CBL Properties (NYSE:CBL) and Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. today announced plans to develop a 135-room Aloft by Marriott in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as part of the Sears redevelopment project at Hamilton Place. The new hotel marks the brand's entrance into the Chattanooga market. "We are thrilled to partner with Chattanooga-based Vision Hospitality Group to bring the unique experience of Aloft to Chattanooga as part of the Hamilton Place Sears redevelopment project," said Stephen Lebovitz, chief executive officer of CBL Properties. "We are actively executing our vision to transform our properties...
How Hotels Are Upgrading Their Sustainability Efforts
JLL Real Views | February 15, 2019
Running a more environmentally friendly hotel is becoming part of day-to-day operations for major American hospitality chains, which are exploring new ways to save on costs while giving their properties greater ethical appeal. At the Home2 Suites by Hilton, scraps of soap leftover in the shower after guests check out are purified and recycled, preventing 600,000 pounds of soap from heading to landfills. Marriott International is aiming to cut food waste in half and electricity usage by 30 percent by 2025, and remove all plastic straws from its 6,500-plus hotels by July this year. Westin and Sheraton brands have brought down water and e...
Best Western Hotels & Resorts Launches Vib Brand in Asia With Opening of Vib Best Western Sanam Pao in Bangkok
February 15, 2019
Phoenix, Arizona (February 15, 2019) Best Western Hotels & Resorts today announced the opening of its inaugural Vīb Best WesternSM hotel in Asia Pacific, the brand new Vīb Best Western Sanam Pao in Bangkok. A cutting-edge, tech-savvy midscale hotel for the modern generation, Vīb Best Western Sanam Pao perfectly captures the brand concept with its central location and modern design. Connectivity is at the core of Best Western's Vīb brand (pronounced "vibe"), which allows guests to feel the beat of the city and stay connected at all times. Sleek and stylish, this innovative concept focuses on integrated technology and social inter...
Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Baptist Health Debut the New 184-Room Hilton Miami Dadeland
Interstate Hotels & Resorts | February 15, 2019
MIAMI, Fla. / ARLINGTON, Va. – February 15, 2019 – Following a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place yesterday, Baptist Health South Florida and Interstate Hotels & Resorts unveiled the new Hilton Miami Dadeland, an innovative hotel in the Kendall area of Miami with a distinct focus on wellness. "We are excited to see the opening of Hilton Miami Dadeland," said Ana Lopez- Blazquez, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer for Baptist Health. "Early on, we knew we wanted to introduce a unique product to the market that would serve a variety of needs. Hilton embraced our vision of a multipurpose hotel, with rooms equi...
Three Things Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Can Learn From Hospitality
Samuel Wich | February 15, 2019
By Samuel Wich #1 - Hire the right people and treat them appropriately Whenever an employee is in contact with a customer, this presents an opportunity to leave a great impression in that customer's mind. No matter if it's at a fast food restaurant, drive-through or at the counter of a high-end bank. Companies should focus on hiring people who naturally enjoy being in front of customers and who love putting smiles on people's faces. Aside from a new hire's background and technical ability, their willingness to go above and beyond to satisfy a customer should come at the top of the list in recruitment efforts. Although technical skills a...
Jackson-Shaw Begins Construction on 252-Room AC Hotel by Marriott in Fort Worth, Texas
Jackson-Shaw | February 15, 2019
FORT WORTH (Feb. 15, 2019) – Jackson-Shaw, a national real estate development company headquartered in North Texas, today commenced construction on the 252-room, 16-story AC Hotel Fort Worth in downtown Fort Worth. When the property opens in the fall of 2020, it will be the first AC Hotel by Marriott to debut in Tarrant County, Texas, offering travelers both a thoughtful approach to design and intuitive, elevated guest service. The hotel is rising on the southwest corner of Fifth and Main Street, adjacent to the historical art deco Kress Building, and only minutes away from wonderful restaurants, entertainment, shopping and night ...
