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
Crescent Hotels & Resorts Adds Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Joins Crescent’s Latitudes Collection
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | February 6, 2019
Palm Desert, CA (February 6, 2019) – The AAA 4 Diamond Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa will join Crescent Hotels & Resorts"Latitudes" collection of lifestyle resorts. Crescent & Latitudes, based in Fairfax, Virginia is a nationally recognized operator of major hotels, resorts and conference centers throughout the United States and Canada. In the heart of Southern California, the 11-acre property features 215 guest rooms, suites & villas, affiliation with Hilton's Curio Collection, award-winning Well Spa, world-class golf and tennis, fitness programs, outdoor games and activities, and stunning views of the Santa...
KARA Hospitality Breaks Ground on Extended Stay America Hotel in Colonial Heights Virginia
Extended Stay America | February 6, 2019
Charlotte, NC, February 6, 2019 – Extended Stay America, Inc. (NASDAQ:STAY) ("ESA") announced today the start of hotel construction on the first franchise new build of an Extended Stay America hotel in Colonial Heights, Virginia. The property is expected to open in early 2020. The four-story 92-room hotel will feature the new StayPlay lobby design, and other modern features in the guest rooms driven by research in the value extended stay segment, including all vinyl plank flooring throughout, modernized kitchens with open cabinetry, solid surface countertops, raised platform beds for better storage options for guests, black-out sh...
Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe Signs With Hyatt for Hyatt Regency Insurgentes Mexico City Expected to Open in Q2 2020
HOTEL | February 6, 2019
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe, S.A.B. Of C.V. (BMV: HOTEL) ("HOTEL" or "the Company"), one of the leading companies in the hotel industry in Mexico, announces the signing of a second franchise agreement with Hyatt for Hyatt Regency Insurgentes Mexico City which is expected to open in Q2 2020. This Grand Tourism category hotel will have 250 rooms and will be located on Insurgentes Avenue in the south of the city, in front of the World Trade Center and the Polyforum Siqueiros in a mixed-use real estate complex, that will also include a gourmet experience area, retail area, resid...
JLL Projects 2019 Global Hotel Investment Volume Will Total $67 Billion
JLL | February 6, 2019
After outperforming industry expectations in 2018, Americas transaction volume expected to reach $36.5 billion CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2019 – Cautious yet confident may best describe the global hotel market's investor sentiment according to JLL Hotels & Hospitality's annual Hotel Investment Outlook. The newly issued report projects global hotel investment volume will reach $67.2 billion, nearly equal to 2018's total of $67.7 billion. While there is anticipated moderating economic growth and geopolitical uncertainty, hotel property performance remains strong, travel and tourism is anticipated to reach another record year and investors...
Dimension Development Completes Multi-Million Dollar Renovation at Hyatt Regency Valencia
Dimension Development Co. | February 6, 2019
Valencia. Calif. (February 6, 2019) – Hyatt Regency Valencia and Dimension Development are proud to announce the completion of an expansive transformation of Hyatt Regency Valencia, and the introduction of Greater Pacific, a destination dining experience. Focusing on providing guests with a modern and effortless travel experience, the project enhanced all 244 guest rooms and suites, the lobby, public spaces, and all indoor and outdoor meeting spaces. Guests now arrive to a welcoming lobby which opens to the sights and scents of Greater Pacific's bar. Guestrooms feature modern design elements with a focus on premium style and comfo...
Sawyer Realty Holdings Acquires 130-Room Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Tewksbury/Andover in Massachusetts
Sawyer Realty Holding | February 6, 2019
(Tewksbury, MA) – February 6, 2019 – Sawyer Realty Holdings has announced the acquisition of the 130-room Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Tewksbury/Andover located at 1775 Andover Street in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Founded over 25 years ago, Sawyer Realty Holdings, a Newton, Massachusetts based multi-disciplinary real estate investment firm, maintains a diverse portfolio of multi-family, senior housing and hotel properties throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland. The company also owns and operates five restaurants in Massachusetts under the Good N U Hospitality brand. The acquisition of the Tewksbury Residence...
NAVIS and GCommerce Announce an Integrative Partnership to Support Hoteliers
NAVIS | February 6, 2019
What happens when two hospitality companies discover that they not only share values but also offer complementary solutions and services to the hotel industry? They partner to better serve the marketplace! BEND, Ore. (February 6, 2019) – The hospitality industry is quickly evolving, and this evolution is making it more challenging than ever for hoteliers to serve their guests in new ways and lead their businesses. There are modern challenges, and new ways to do business that can seem overwhelming. It's also more critical than ever for hospitality professionals to know that they have complete data (online and offline), and focus th...
Merchandizing Romantic Getaways
Larry Mogelonsky | February 6, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) As we slide into February, the traditional low occupancy winter blues for hotels (outside of the sun destinations) is punctured by the healthy returns netted from Valentine's Day couples' getaways. While standard articles might focus on ways to drum up last minute purchases through packaging and promotional efforts, the next step is to ask yourself: how to capture more incremental revenue before guests arrive? The concept here is to maximize the profits from each customer so that this romantic time of year becomes a truly fantastic cash grab. And a great way to achieve this goal is ...
How to Get the Most Out of The New Google Hotel Search Interface
HEBS Digital | February 6, 2019
By Noor Eltahawy, SEO Specialist A few months ago, Google began unrolling a new design for their hotel search results. With the updated design, they now display four hotels instead of three and have updated the filters available to the user, all in an effort to help people easily find the hotel that best fits their needs. So, how can hotels make sure that they are in the best position possible when it comes to this new design? Read on to understand how a hotel can optimize their brand recognition, and ultimately drive more traffic to the hotel website using Google's new search results interface for hotels. Understanding the search queri...
Travel Tripper and Pegasus Join Forces in Merger Backed by Accel-KKR Investment
Travel Tripper | February 6, 2019
Combination of two industry pioneers brings together deep talent and leadership to innovate on solutions delivering revenue growth and deeper guest relationships to the hospitality industry New York, NY – February 6, 2019 – Travel Tripper and Pegasus, two leading hospitality technology providers, today announced that they are joining forces to deliver greater value and innovation to hotel groups worldwide. The combination is backed by a substantial investment from Accel-KKR, a leading technology-focused private equity firm. The merger brings together two companies known for their industry-leading reservations, distribution, ...
Going Beyond Transactions: ‘Conversational Commerce’ and Its Impact on the Travel and Hospitality Industry
Alan Young | February 6, 2019
Coined by Uber's Chris Messina, consumer demand for digital-centric interactions with hotel and travel brands is on the rise By Alan E. Young, Puzzle Partner It's 2019, and I would argue that there have never been more marketing-related "buzzwords" battling it out for conversational real-estate across thought leadership articles, webinars, white papers and more. Whether it's agile marketing, catering to the 'age of the consumer,' hyper-personalization, or the mobile age — there are plenty of commerce-related silos to get lost in as industry leaders seek out the trends and methods which can best benefit their respective brand a...
UgoVirtual Debuts as Virtual Event Platform Exclusively Focused on the Global Hospitality and Travel Sector
UgoVirtual | February 6, 2019
Comprehensive virtual event hosting platform now available to event organizers, meeting planners and travel/hospitality industry organizations worldwide. Sugar Hill, GA – February 6, 2019 – Virtua Hospitality Inc., a provider of advanced virtual solutions for the travel and hospitality industry, has announced the launch of UgoVirtual, a comprehensive online platform designed to meet the growing virtual travel and event management/hosting needs of the global travel and hospitality sectors. Leveraging the most recent advancements in virtual reality, web conferencing and e-learning technology, the exclusive UgoVirtual platform...
Developed and Managed by Plamondon Hospitality Partners, 103-Room Residence Inn by Marriott Set to Open in Fulton, Maryland
Residence Inn by Marriott | February 6, 2019
Fulton, MD – February 6, 2019 – The 103-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Fulton, Maryland is scheduled to open this Monday, February 11, 2019 with its upscale, stylish décor that offers flexibility, while creating a unique environment. Located at 11800 West Market Place, the all-suite Residence Inn Fulton at Maple Lawn will operate as a Marriott franchise, developed and managed by Plamondon Hospitality Partners of Frederick, Maryland. General Manager Stan Martin and Director of Sales Meredith Emerson lead the management team at the property for Plamondon Hospitality Partners. Situated in the Maple Lawn community and...
New Research Finds a Majority of Hotel Guests Rank Unfriendly Staff as Most Frustrating Part of Their Stay
ALICE | February 5, 2019
ALICE, the hotel operations platform that empowers operational excellence and meaningful guest experiences, released new research uncovering what factors influence hotel satisfaction and found that almost two-thirds of guests (62 percent) with complaints said unfriendly staff are the most frustrating part of their stay. The "Hotels at Face Value" report, commissioned by ALICE and conducted by third-party research firm YouGov, also revealed the changing expectations of modern hotel guests. Modern Hotel Guest Priorities According to the research, when booking hotels nearly three in five (59 percent) guests who prioritize amenities care m...
IHCL Opens Taj Theog Resort & Spa in Shimla, Marking Taj Hotel’s First Mountain Resort
Taj | February 5, 2019
Mumbai, 5 February, 2019: The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia's largest hospitality company is introducing the iconic Taj brand in Himachal Pradesh with the opening of Taj Theog Resort & Spa, Shimla. Nestled amidst thick Cedar forests and spread over five acres, every nook and corner of the hotel offers mesmerizing views of the mighty Himalayas. Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said "We are delighted to open our first hotel in Himachal Pradesh, often referred to as the Land of Gods. This will be the Company's first mountain resort. With this new addition, we have expanded our...
Go Moment Wins 2019 HEDNA Innov8 With Smartconcierge Ivy®
February 5, 2019
Showcasing the power of AI to enhance and measure guest experiences, increased upservice revenues, and reduced staff disruptions, Go Moment goes home with the exclusive win SANTA MONICA, CA (FEBRUARY 5, 2019) – Go Moment®, the world's leading provider of real-time artificial intelligence guest communication solutions for the hospitality industry – its smartconcierge, Ivy® – today announced that it has won the prestigious HEDNA 2019 "Connected Like Never Before" Global Distribution Conference Innov8 challenge in Los Angeles. Selected from an exclusive field of eight pre-selected, pre-qualified technology provide...
Hilton Signs With Atlantica Hotels to Develop and Manage DoubleTree by Hilton in Porto Alegre, Brazil Set to Open in 2021
Atlantica Hotels | February 5, 2019
MCLEAN, Va. and SÃO PAULO - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Atlantica Hotels today announced the signing of a management license agreement whereby Atlantica plans to develop and manage DoubleTree by Hilton hotels in Brazil. As part of this agreement, the companies also announced the first planned DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This agreement will introduce DoubleTree by Hilton in Brazil, underscoring Hilton's continued commitment in the Caribbean and Latin America to introduce the company's industry-leading brands across the region. "Through our partnership with Atlantica Hotels, we successfully launched the Hilt...
The New Era of Personalization: The Hyperconnected Guest Experience
Jos Schaap | February 5, 2019
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder – StayNTouch With the onset of 2019, we've stumbled upon a rather interesting (albeit, integral) crossroads in the hospitality realm. As consumer technology continues to expand its influence and popular adoption across industries, brands are realizing mounting pressure to adapt to this new age of technological personalization and hyper-connectivity. Why? Because with heightened technology and uninhibited connection across platforms, comes higher stakes and those companies who fail to keep up are, simply put, at risk of being left behind. And rest assured, hotels are no different. Welcome, hoteliers, t...
A Primer on 2019 in the Lodging Industry: Economy, Loyalty, and Specific Markets
Robert Rauch | February 5, 2019
By Robert Rauch When forecasting what will occur in a given year, I often quote lots of others, which reduces the risk I am taking as a sole prognosticator. Yet having now been around the industry exactly 45 years, I am going to create some predictions of my own. 2019 is the year where supply and demand come in balance, with about two percent growth for each. That means occupancy levels will be flat in the U.S. – though certain markets have some supply growth well beyond that and might see occupancy reductions. Let's begin with the economy, and then move into lodging industry projections. U.S. Economy Stock market volatility won't...
GCommerce Honored With Two Adrian Awards for Outstanding Travel Marketing
HSMAI | February 5, 2019
PARK CITY, UT February 5, 2019 – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored GCommerce with two Silver Adrian Awards for digital marketing excellence for its winning entries in the 62nd annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition. Catering to a wide variety of clients in the hospitality and tourism industry, GCommerce provides a customized, strategic, and client-focused approach to digital marketing. GCommerce provides digital marketing services to some of the country's most iconic 4 and 5 star and diamond hotels and resorts. GCommerce received the ...
How Viceroy Los Cabos Creates an Immersive Guest Experience
ALICE | February 5, 2019
ALICE is excited to share that the alliance with Viceroy Hotel Group continues to grow. Marking the fifth Viceroy property partnership, Viceroy Los Cabos is the latest to begin standardizing their operations through the ALICE platform. ALICE is the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. ALICE recently acquired concierge software provider GoConcierge to augment its technology and customer service offering. The Viceroy Los Cabos property is a stunning dreamscape with minimalist architecture from renowned Mexican archit...
Travel Trends Index: Domestic Biz Travel Projected to Surge, Int’l Inbound Travel Falters
U.S. Travel Association | February 5, 2019
WASHINGTON (February 5, 2019)—Travel to and within the U.S. grew 3.6 percent year-over-year in December, according to the U.S. Travel Association's latest Travel Trends Index (TTI)—marking the industry's 108th straight month of overall expansion. The growth trend is tempered by concerning signs in the lucrative international inbound market, however. That segment grew at a rate of 2.8 percent in December—well off November's hot pace of 3.8 percent growth year-over-year. Worse, the deceleration trend is expected to continue, with the Leading Travel Index (LTI) projecting international inbound travel to slow t...
Thought Leadership: How to Power-Up Your Guest Engagement and Supercharge Loyalty
Maestro PMS | February 5, 2019
A Successful Guest Engagement Strategy Begins with The Property's Business Objectives, Then Leverages Technology to Create A Personalized Guest Journey By Warren Dehan, President of Maestro PMS Hoteliers know an engaged guest is a repeat guest and often the most persuasive sales person a property has. Understanding how to effectively engage with guests is essential for a hotel's success, but what is the best way to do this? An effective guest engagement strategy is based on total property commitment, and the initial step to establish a successful program is planning. First, a property must decide on the level of guest engagement it wan...
Erynn Torrenga and Young Lee Join INTELITY as SVP of Sales, East and VP of Finance; Benjamin Keller Promoted to SVP of Sales, West
INTELITY | February 5, 2019
Following its recent funding announcement, INTELITY hires key players to aid in its plans to expand into new markets and verticals Los Angeles, CA (February 5, 2019) - INTELITY™, provider of the travel industry's first and broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform, announced today that Young Lee and Erynn Torrenga have joined the company. Additionally, the company has promoted Benjamin Keller to SVP of Sales, West. These team members are integral in the company's plans to expand and scale in 2019. Erynn Torrenga rejoins INTELITY as the new Senior Vice President of Sales, East. Torrenga will oversee INT...
