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
IHG and SAMHI Inaugurate the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50 as the First of 14 Properties to Be Rebranded as HIE Hotels
IHG | September 4, 2018
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today inaugurated the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Gurugram. As a part of IHG's partnership with SAMHI for a portfolio of 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels, this property will be the first to open its doors to guests on September 15th. Marking this celebration, IHG®'s regional leadership team including CEO, EMEAA, Kenneth Macpherson and MD, IMEA Pascal Gauvin were present at the ceremony. The launch also marked the unveiling of a new Holiday Inn Express brand campaign in India, centered around 'More Than...
Park Inn by Radisson to Debut in Thailand With 2020 Opening of Park Inn by Radisson Phuket Town
Radisson Hotel Group | September 4, 2018
Park Inn® by Radisson, the upper midscale brand from Radisson Hotel Group™, will make its debut in Thailand with the launch of a brand-new hotel in Phuket Town, the island's provincial capital and cultural heart. Phuket welcomed a record 8.4 million international visitors in 2017, making it Thailand's most popular resort destination. The island's expanding international airport receives travelers from across the globe, including direct flights from Beijing, Sydney, London, Dubai and Moscow. Scheduled to open in Q1 2020, the three-story Park Inn by Radisson Phuket Town will form part of a mixed-use development featuring shops a...
AccorHotels Completes Acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts
AccorHotels | September 4, 2018
AccorHotels announces the completion of its acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. The Enterprise Value (EV) represents CHF 560M (€482M) and encompasses 100% of Mövenpick company's share capital, as well as ownership of the Mövenpick brand for all activities related to the hospitality business. The transaction illustrates AccorHotels' ambition to seize tactical opportunities to strengthen its positions and consolidate its leadership, as well as to leverage growth. As an asset-light business, the acquisition of Mövenpick is perfectly aligned with AccorHotels' strategy. Comprised of 84 properties with over...
The Ultimate Guide to TripAdvisor for Hotels
Vikram Singh | September 4, 2018
By Vikram Singh When TripAdvisor was founded in February 2000 in a small office above Kostas Pizza on 315 Chestnut Street in Needham, Massachusetts, I don't think anyone could have predicted the amount of time and energy it would consume, and the strong emotions it would conjure. Since I started my blog in 2013, I have consistently fielded questions about TripAdvisor. Looking back at the sheer volume of time I spent answering these complex emails, I think it's time to for me aggregate my knowledge, experience and advice in one place. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions, along with my responses. Is my competition trying ...
Noble Investment Group Acquires 193-Room Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center
Hilton Garden Inn | September 4, 2018
Atlanta, Georgia (September 4, 2018) – Noble Investment Group ("Noble") today announced the acquisition of the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center and will complete a comprehensive guest room and public area upgrade and renovation. The Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center hotel is situated in the heart of the Perimeter Center, one of the largest office markets in the southeast with nearly 29 million square feet of office space. Perimeter Center is home to the world headquarters of United Parcel Service, Cox Enterprises, AT&T Mobility, Haverty's and Newell Rubbermaid and major hubs for State Farm, Auto Tr...
HEI Hotels & Resorts Appoints Timothy Wolfe as Complex General Manager for The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa and Adjacent Holiday Inn Express Denver Downto
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa | September 4, 2018
Denver – Sept. 4, 2018 – The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, a legend among Downtown Denver hotels since 1892, proudly announces Timothy Wolfe as Complex General Manager of the 241-room iconic landmark and the adjacent 231-room Holiday Inn Express Denver Downtown, part of The Brown Palace hotel complex. In this role, Wolfe will be responsible for managing the complex's day-to-day success, overseeing all operational aspects of the sister properties, including everything from sales and marketing to food and beverage, while maximizing revenue and maintaining focus on strategic goals. "We're thrilled to have Timothy Wolfe join The...
Fairmont San Francisco Appoints Sion Edwards as Director of Sales & Marketing and Darren Matsumoto as Director of Conference Services
Fairmont San Francisco | September 4, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, September 2018 – Summer has brought new additions to key roles at the iconic Fairmont San Francisco with the appointment of Sion Edwards as Director of Sales & Marketing and Darren Matsumoto as Director of Conference Services. Sion Edwards, Fairmont San Francisco Director of Sales & Marketing Sion began his Fairmont Hotels & Resorts career in 2000 as an Assistant Reception Manager at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, ON. He soon transitioned to the Conference Services team at the hotel, where he held several positions including Conference Concierge Manager, Executive Meetings Manager and Conference Service...
Q&A With Mr. Parris Jordan, Chairman, Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS)
Parris Jordan | September 4, 2018
Hotel Online recently spoke with Parris Jordan, Chairman of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit. Parris passion for the region stems from his native Trinidad and his desire to bring his hospitality education and career for positive development and tourism to the entire area. As a senior consultant with industry leader HVS for 15 years, his expertise in project development, financing and hotel ownership has evolved. He is also keenly interested in sustainability and the opportunities to maintain a respect for individual islands which make up the Caribbean. Here, Parris discusses his insights coming off a year ...
Shiji and Fliggy Partner to Pioneer Facial Recognition Hotel Check-In and Payment
Shiji | September 4, 2018
Beijing, Sept 4th 2018, Shiji working with Alibaba's Fliggy (formerly known as AliTrip), have achieved a hotel industry first by integrating full facial recognition for hotel check-in including credit authorization for 50 hotels in Hainan district of China. Fliggy provided the reservation and customer data with Shiji providing the integration, distribution, payment gateway and on-property systems to provide a seamless guest experience for the China travelers. With China's rapid advance in New Retail systems and mobile technology, the country has become a pioneer in integrated business processes to improve the customer experience using m...
Spirides Arranges $2.33 Million Hotel Debt Refinancing for Hampton Inn Laurinburg, NC
Spirides Hospitality Finance Company, LLC | September 4, 2018
TAMPA, FL—Spirides Hospitality Finance Company has successfully arranged, and its client has closed on a $2.33 million debt refinancing with a permanent loan from a southeast U.S. headquartered lender to refinance existing debt for the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Hampton Inn Laurinburg, NC features 50 guest rooms with an interior corridor in one 3-story building and is situated on 6 acres of land. The hotel is located just off of Interstate 74 at 115 Hampton Circle, Laurinburg, Scotland County, North Carolina. It is located one mile from St. Andrews College and is near the Scottish Heritage Center. Scottish immig...
Destination Weddings | Is India Losing Out?
Hotelivate Private Limited | September 4, 2018
by Juie Mobar and Manav Thadani The size of the global wedding industry is estimated to be upwards of US$300 billion according to various sources, and destination weddings make up a substantial portion of it. The past decade has witnessed a remarkable growth of this segment, which is not surprising when one considers the following: A couple planning a destination wedding has several locations to choose from – beaches, mountains, palaces, backwaters…you name it; local weddings can be very limiting in this regard. Planning, though being a very critical aspect of a destination wedding, is usually easier with most of the pre...
Waldorf Astoria Hotels Debut in Las Vegas and Bangkok
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts | August 31, 2018
MCLEAN, Va. – August 31, 2018 – Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton (NYSE: HLT)'s iconic luxury brand, today announced the addition of two new notable properties to the global Waldorf Astoria portfolio. The brand is comprised of just over 30 iconic hotels, all that create a unique sense of place with a relentless commitment to personal service and culinary expertise in landmark locations around the world. "With over 30 stunning properties in our portfolio and nearly 20 in our pipeline, we are incredibly excited about the continued growth of our most iconic brand," said Martin Rinck, executive vice president and glob...
The Case for Reading MORE About the Hotel Industry (yes more!)
Dean Minett | August 31, 2018
By Dean Minett How did hoteliers know about industry trends before the Internet came about? Cyberspace may not have existed in 1970, but there were plenty of trade journals and books to go around. Travel Trade, Travel Week, Travel Digest, Hotel Weekly…. The list goes on. Promotional materials from other hotels were another way to collect valuable information and if all else failed, we could book a room at that hotel and see for ourself what the competition was doing. Of course travel and hotels were also featured in newspapers and reading magazines from Conde Nast made hotels seem magical. Here in 2018, it's impossible to keep tr...
Middle East Hotel Construction Pipeline Continues Rapid Expansion With Highest Counts in Over a Decade
Lodging Econometrics | August 31, 2018
In the recent Middle East hotel construction pipeline report by analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE), the region continues to show rapid pipeline expansion in the second quarter of 2018 with the highest counts since 2007 when LE first began recording. The total pipeline stands at 603 projects/175,288 rooms, an all-time high. These numbers show a lofty 119% increase in projects and 125% increase in rooms since the region's low in the fourth quarter of 2013 when the total pipeline bottomed at 275 projects/77,772 rooms. Projects presently under construction are at 355 projects/113,635 rooms and are at an all-time high. Projects scheduled ...
Castle Resorts & Hotels Expands Its Portfolio in New Zealand With the Management of New Liberté Hotel Project
Castle Resorts & Hotels | August 31, 2018
HONOLULU, Aug. 31, 2018 -- Castle Resorts & Hotels, one of Hawaii's largest hotel and resort management companies, continues to expand its portfolio in Auckland, New Zealand with the Liberté Hotel. The project is a hotel conversion of one of Auckland's most iconic buildings in a historic section of the Central Business District, and adjacent to the city's art and theatre district. The building will be converted into a 125-room lifestyle boutique hotel unlike anything currently in the New Zealand market, with its first phase slated to open in March 2019. Comprehensive renovations are underway, and Shine Communicati...
CityCenter Holdings Closes on Sale of Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas
CityCenter | August 31, 2018
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 31, 2018 -- CityCenter Holdings, LLC ("CityCenter"), a venture between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Infinity World Development Corp, today announced that it has closed on the sale of the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas and adjacent retail parcels for $214 million in cash. CityCenter expects to use the proceeds from the sale to pay a dividend to its shareholders. "CityCenter has continued to deliver strong operating results and has cemented itself as a premier luxury destination in Las Vegas," said Jim Murren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM Resorts International. "As a result...
Chatham Lodging Trust and Island Hospitality Management Open Residence Inn by Marriott in Summerville, South
Residence Inn by Marriott | August 31, 2018
Summerville, SC – August 31, 2018 – The 96-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Summerville, South Carolina is set to open today with its upscale, stylish décor that offers flexibility, while creating a unique environment. Located at 1528 North Main Street, the all-suite Residence Inn Charleston Summerville will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Chatham Lodging Trust and managed by Island Hospitality Management of West Palm Beach, Florida. Located in the Nexton Development, 15 minutes from Charleston International Airport, the Residence Inn Charleston Summerville offers its guests convenient access to historic S...
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, Names Jackie D. Johnson, Jr., Director of Facilities for Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu
Turtle Bay Resort | August 31, 2018
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2018 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has appointed Jackie D. Johnson, Jr., director of facilities forTurtle Bay Resort. The Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property is located on Oahu's legendary North Shore. Jerry Gibson, Benchmark's vice president and managing director for the resort, made the announcement. "I am very pleased to welcome Jack to Benchmark and to Turtle Bay Resort," said Mr. Gibson. "His career credentials are unsurpassed, and we are fortunate to have him lead our facilities management team and join our resort's executive leadership team. Given Jackie's previo...
Vietnam’s First Radisson Blu Resort Appoints Myla Caceres as Director of Commercial
Radisson Hotel Group | August 31, 2018
Phu Quoc, Vietnam, August 30, 2018 -- In her new role, Myla Caceres will oversee sales, marketing, reservations and revenue at the soon-to-open resort on Phu Quoc's northwest coast. Before joining the property's pre-opening team, Manila-born Caceres worked as Ascott International Group's Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing in Thailand, overseeing 11 properties. She has held director of sales and marketing roles at several leading hotels in Thailand, including the Dusit Thani and the Crowne Plaza in Bangkok, as well as two upscale resorts on the coast of Vietnam, including a Swiss-Belhotel. Caceres earned Bachelor of Scie...
The Anam Appoints Vu Thi Huong Giang as Director of Food & Beverage and Ye Chang Sheng as Executive Chef
August 31, 2018
CAM RANH, Vietnam (August 31, 2018) – The Anam has welcomed two new senior recruits who bring more than two decades of combined experience to the food and beverage team behind the beachfront property on Vietnam's southern coastline. The Anam's general manager Herbert Laubichler-Pichler announced the appointments of Ye Chang Sheng and Vu Thi Huong Giang to the positions of executive chef and director of F&B respectively in the lead up to the resort's opening of a sports bar and grill by the beach. After receiving two diplomas in international hotel management and professional cooking, Sheng, a Chinese national, embarked on his ...
Gold Key | PHR Appoints Kevin Thorstenson as Managing Director of Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN
Gold Key | PHR | August 31, 2018
(NORFOLK, VA; Aug. 31, 2018) — Gold Key | PHR is proud to announce Kevin C. Thorstenson as Managing Director of Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN, Norfolk's premier hotel, meeting and event facility. Thorstenson brings an impressive understanding of the luxury hospitality industry to THE MAIN, with over 30 years of experience in hotel management at notable properties across the country, including several AAA Four Diamond rated hotels & resorts. As Managing Director of Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN, Kevin C. Thorstenson oversees all hotel operations, including sales & marketing initiatives, food & beverage programming, and meeting &...
Want More Positive Guest Feedback? Invest in the Right Improvements
Luz Candelas | August 31, 2018
By Luz Candelas Not all resort facilities warrant the same level of investment during a capital expenditure program. The guest impact of any single resort space can often be over or underestimated and the ramifications on future margins can be dire. When traveling to Mexico or the Caribbean, guests expect their chosen resort will have all the attributes of a tropical paradise. Ensuring the design program is in line with these expectations also guarantees some measure of profitability while protecting the capital expenditure investment from the pitfalls of further redesign. In fact, taking guests' preferences into account at the onset of...
Spire Hospitality Appoints Dawna Comeaux as Senior Vice President
Spire Hospitality | August 31, 2018
CHICAGO (Aug. 31, 2018) – Spire Hospitality, one of the nation's leading hotel management companies, proudly announces the addition of Dawna Comeaux as its senior vice president. Comeaux brings a wealth of experience having guided the sales, revenue management and operation teams of one of the largest third-party hospitality management companies. Alongside Chris Russell, Spire Hospitality's new chief executive officer, Comeaux will play a key leadership role in maximizing value through improved operations, sales, service and overall company objectives. "Bringing Dawna onboard to an already strong leadership team is indicative of t...
Auditing the Auditors, Part II of III: The Art of Finding the Pulse
Steven Ferry | August 31, 2018
By Steven Ferry Services that fail to change with the times, fall out of use: Robust, third-party QA programs are, surprisingly, one such otherwise valuable service that we may see disappearing as social media are increasingly used by guests and management alike, to determine the state of affairs and rankings of hotels and resorts. The replacement of professionals by amateurs, who are armed with a little knowledge and the full confidence of their own particular experience, is not necessarily an improvement; but it is certainly a reality. Part II of the three-part series on Quality Assurance looks at the pros and cons of each, and the best ...
