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
HFTP Postpones HITEC Europe 2020
HITEC | February 28, 2020
HITEC Europe was originally slated for April 21-23, 2020 in Palma, Mallorca, Spain Austin, Texas USA - Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), the producers of HITEC®, has postponed HITEC Europe 2020 in response to the global uncertainty related to the Novel Coronavirus and its immediate impact on the hospitality industry. This decision was made following careful consideration for the health and well-being of attendees. HITEC Europe, produced in cooperation with HTNG, was originally planned to take place April 21-23, 2020 in Palma, Mallorca, Spain as Europe's premier hospitality technology event. "Companies and oth...
January Hotel Data Highlights Coronavirus Scourge
David Eisen | February 27, 2020
By David Eisen The World Health Organization says that COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, has the potential to become a pandemic. It’s already rocked the hospitality industry with canceled flights and forced hotel cancellations, even closures. When hotel executives talk about black-swan events — unpredictable occurrences that are beyond what is normally expected of a situation and have potentially severe consequences — coronavirus is about as swannish and dark as it gets. It’s certainly cast a pall over the hotel industry, leaving it reeling in its wake. Worry and uncertainty over the virus’s short-term and full-...
IDeaS Delivers Leading Guidance and Support to Hoteliers Facing COVID-19 Demand Disruption
IDeaS | February 27, 2020
Industry leader produces an educational webinar and actionable guide to help hoteliers proactively manage and recover from significant demand disruption MINNEAPOLIS—Feb. 27, 2020—IDeaS, the world’s leading provider of revenue management software and services, has scheduled a webinar for March 10, 2020 as part of its continued efforts to aid its clients and the global hotel industry. The webinar, “COVID-19: Key Market Impacts and Tips to Optimize in Times of Demand Disruption,” will be co-produced with STR. As a supplement to the webinar, IDeaS will release an educational travel-restriction recovery guide. To learn more and regis...
Dallas’ HALL Arts Hotel Joins Crescent Hotels & Resorts Latitudes Collection
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | February 25, 2020
DALLAS, TX (February 25, 2020) – The new HALL Arts Hotel, which opened its doors in the Dallas Arts District in December 2019, has joined Crescent Hotels & Resorts’ Latitudes collection of lifestyle hotels & resorts. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, Crescent Hotels & Resorts is a nationally recognized operator of major hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. “The HALL Arts Hotel is the epitome of a Dallas luxury hotel and a perfect fit for Crescent’s lifestyle collection, Latitudes,” said Michael George, Crescent’s CEO. “Crescent’s award-winning operating experience in managing luxury independent ...
Leading Travel and Hospitality Consulting Firms Consolidate to Form PROVision Partners International
PROVision Partners International | February 25, 2020
Greg Pesik, Matthew Busch and Gregg Hopkins team to provide strategic expertise and real-world guidance to hospitality brands, hotels and resorts, asset managers, airlines, cruise lines, restaurants, and technology companies NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA, FEBRUARY 25, 2020 — A team of leading industry consultants announce that they have banded together to bring unmatched strategic expertise and real-world guidance to global hospitality brands, independent hotels and resorts, management companies, asset managers, private equity groups, venture capitalists, airlines, cruise lines, restaurants, bars, gaming and entertainment establishments, and...
Hotel Online’s Siegel Sez for February 21, 2020 Featuring Douglas Rice
February 21, 2020
When did LinkedIn add birthdays? Monday was my birthday and since I have a zillion LinkedIn connections, I was overwhelmed with birthday wishes. I decided because it was the President’s Day holiday here in the U.S. that I would respond to those sending notes. Wow -- did that get out of hand quickly. But then I realized how many great people I have met through the hotel and technology industry and was absolutely enjoying reconnecting with those who were part of my past. I must admit, it was quite fun. Of course, now I feel obligated that every time I get a birthday notice for a LinkedIn connection that I need to say happy birthday. It is int...
Travel + Leisure Releases 15th Annual It List, an Editor-Curated Collection of the Best New Hotels in the World
Travel + Leisure | February 20, 2020
72 Hotels Across the Globe Selected, Including 19 Hotels in the United States NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2020 -- Meredith Corporation's (NYSE: MDP; Meredith.com) Travel + Leisure released its 15th annual It List, a selection of the top new and renovated hotels in the world. The list is available on TravelandLeisure.com and in the March issue, available on newsstands February 21. Each year, Travel + Leisure editors scout hundreds of new hotels around the globe in pursuit of those that offer a special, holistic experience based on location, ambiance, service, and amenities. The editors collaborate with Travel + Leisure's global network of expert...
The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, Sees Six-Figure Revenue From Partnership With ResortPass
The Waterfront Beach Resort | February 20, 2020
What started as a way to fill a few pool loungers and cabanas quickly becomes a profitable new opportunity for an award-winning property that now offers a variety of daycation experiences to guests Santa Monica, California (February 20, 2020) – Since partnering with ResortPass in early 2019, The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, has seen an impressive six-figure boost to their bottom line. With full control of who visits the property and which amenities are made available based on inventory and seasonality, the AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort has created unique offerings that cater to their desired audience. From family-fri...
HSMAI Honors Chapters and Leaders at Annual Mike Leven Leadership Conference
HSMAI | February 19, 2020
(McLean, VA, February 19, 2020) The HSMAI Arizona Chapter was named the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Americas 2019 Chapter of the Year as part of HSMAI’s Frank W. Berkman Chapter Award Program — presented at the annual Mike Leven Leadership Conference at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin in Austin, Texas. The program also recognized "Chapter Best of the Best" award recipients. "Year after year our chapters continue to find new and dynamic ways to connect with their members and the hospitality community," said Jenny Teeson, HSMAI's director of chapter management. "It is an honor to recognize our chapter...
Pandemics and the Lodging Industry
Anne R. Lloyd-Jones | February 18, 2020
By Anne R. Lloyd-Jones As of the writing of this article, the Coronavirus pandemic is only a few weeks old, yet it is clear that this event is already having a significant impact on the travel industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the virus, now known as COVID-19, a global health emergency, and individual governments have imposed travel restrictions and other measures, principally directed at travellers arriving from China. To gain some perspective on the potential impact of the current Coronavirus scare on the lodging industry, this article looks at the SARS pandemic of 2003, which has strong parallels to the curren...
TravelNet Solutions and Doug Kennedy Announce Upcoming Webinar for February 21st
TravelNet Solutions | February 17, 2020
Cottage Grove, Minn.- As part of its ongoing commitment to education and training, TravelNet Solutions is pleased to announce their next sponsored webinar with Doug Kennedy, the lodging industry’s most experienced sales and guest service trainer. The webinar titled “Turn Your Inbound Reservations Team Into Sales Hunters!” will take place at 11:00 am CT on February 21st, 2020. To register click here. In this webcast, Doug will present ideas for transitioning reservation agents from their “farmer” role into a new role as “sales hunters!” Presented are: Sample dialogue for turning inbound calls that cannot be closed into ...
Women in Tourism & Hospitality Conference Announces 2020 Honorees
Women in Tourism & Hospitality (W.I.T.H.) | February 14, 2020
San Diego– February 14, 2020 — Women in Tourism & Hospitality (W.I.T.H.) is proud to announce its impactful and inspiring 2020 Honorees. This community of exceptional, ambitious women are the hospitality and tourism industry’s visionaries, leaders, go-getters and futurists who are radically transforming the hotel and tourism landscape. Clara Carter, President and founder of the Multi-Cultural Convention Services Network, a meeting management firm, and also the founder of W.I.T.H., will host its inaugural conference March 19 through 20 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley, to include the 5th Annual W.I.T.H. Aw...
Future-Proofing Your Hotel: Three Experts Discuss the Challenges and Opportunities in the Emerging Hospitality Tech Landscape
Shiji | February 13, 2020
Mike Medsker, from Focal Revenue Solutions, Scott McGraw, from Shiji Professional Services and Daniel Melnyk, from iVvy, sit down ahead of Hotel Revenue Conference Seattle (Feb 19-21, 2020) to discuss key challenges, trends and actionable opportunities in the emerging hospitality technology landscape. In this interview, each expert talks about key issues to be presented in their upcoming fireside chat and breakout sessions at the Hotel Revenue Conference, including how hoteliers can better integrate current technology solutions, how hotels can find future-proofed and scalable technology solutions, how to avoid common PMS sticking points, h...
Coronavirus: What Impact on the Swiss Hotel Industry
Dr Giuliano Bianchi | February 12, 2020
Following the outbreak of the coronavirus there will inevitably be a shutdown of Chinese tourists. How bad is this for the Swiss tourism industry? Forecasting the Effects of Coronavirus on the Swiss Hotel Industry A novel coronavirus (formally known as 2019-nCoV) has sprung up over the last few weeks, with its epidemic center in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province (China). Little is known about this virus, but we do know that has an incubation period of 2 to 14 days and a mortality rate of 2.07%, according to CNN. While urgent research is being carried out, authorities are taking steps to contain the spread of the virus by closing air traf...
Forbes Travel Guide Honors Hospitality’s Finest in 2020 Star Rating Awards
Forbes Travel Guide | February 12, 2020
107 Properties Earn New Five-Star Accolades Largest-Ever Global Expansion as Awards Launch in 16 New Countries Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Triumphs as Hotel Brand with Most Five-Star Hotels London Takes Starring Role as the Five-Star Capital City of the World ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2020 -- Forbes Travel Guide ("FTG"), the global expert on genuine Five-Star service, today presented a galaxy of "Stars" to the world's most luxurious properties. A record 107 new Five-Star awards have been announced, owing to the company's significant expansion across 16 countries. The 2020 awards celebrate 1,898 Star-Rated properties in 73 coun...
Hospitality Upgrade’s 2020 Executive Vendor Summit Registration Opened
the Executive Vendor Summit | February 11, 2020
Nashville announced as the host city for the March event February 11, 2020 - Hospitality Upgrade Magazine’s 16th Annual Executive Vendor Summit has opened registration and announced Nashville as its host city for the March 25-27 event. The Executive Vendor Summit (EVS) is a unique industry event that focuses on C-level executives from the hospitality technology solutions industry. This invitation-only event brings executives together for learning, leadership discovery and networking. The 2020 EVS will take place in the heart of Music City at the newly opened Drury Plaza Hotel, located just minutes from all that downtown Nashville has to...
Hotel Online’s Siegel Sez for February 7, 2020
February 7, 2020
I love this time of year. As much as I enjoy working with all the technology companies that we partner with and all the industry CIOs, nothing beats the eye-opening conversations with those who use these technology systems. You always find them when you’re at users’ groups where the programs include so much valuable training. I started my tech career in the PMS industry and I enjoyed when our PMS users came together for these meetings. Last week I was at San Diego for Oracle Hospitality Connect 2020. Being the event was just the hospitality sector was new for Oracle and I thought it was extremely successful. Oracle has had a rough ride af...
AETHOS Shares Assessment of Hotel CEO Pay and Performance in 2019 / Keith Kefgen
AETHOS Consulting Group | February 5, 2020
A year passes with the hotel industry having solid but unspectacular performance. That is probably a good thing in comparison to what many prognosticators predicted. It appears that strategy and execution were the best predictors of performance. Companies that executed poorly got penalized, just look at Red Lion. Greg Mount was one of the top performing CEOs in 2018 but 2019 was not so kind. In contrast, RMR and Ashford has changes in strategy that had legs. We predict that 2020 will be another “down in the trenches” year as investors watch the economy and the presidential election very carefully. What we have found over the twenty-plu...
Crestline Hotels & Resorts to Manage Four Additional Hotels
Crestline Hotels & Resorts | February 5, 2020
FAIRFAX, VA – February 5, 2020 Crestline Hotels & Resorts, LLC (“Crestline”) announced today that it has been appointed to manage four additional hotels: the 78-guestroom Courtyard Asheville and the 88-guest suite SpringHill Suites Asheville in Asheville, NC, the 105-guestroom Courtyard Athens Downtown in Athens, GA, and the 112-guestroom Courtyard Orlando Altamonte Springs/Maitland in Orlando, FL. “These four hotels are important to Crestline’s ongoing growth,” said James Carroll, Crestline’s President and CEO. “We anticipate several additional significant expansion announcements this year as we continue to attract...
BENCHMARK Shares Five Trends Transforming Meetings in 2020
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company. | February 3, 2020
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 3, 2020 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announces Five Trends that will Transform Meetings in 2020. The trends have been observed by its diverse portfolio of meeting properties located coast to coast. Benchmark is the leading U.S.-based independent hospitality management company, operating 80 award-winning hotels, resorts, and conference centers within its Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, Gemstone Collection and Benchmark Conference Centers brands. Benchmark’s 2020 meeting trends were announced by Ted Davis, chief sales and marketing officer. "We’ve seen this coming, but in 2020 mi...
Tourism Tidbits: The Rebirth of Tourism Security Conferences
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | February 3, 2020
By Dr. Peter Tarlow This article is an update of one published in honor of the Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Las Vegas International Tourism Security and Safety Conference. The 27th conference will be “reborn” on April 26-30, 2020 and it is hoped that the “mother conference” will spawn new interest in the importance of tourism security and safety around the world. If your community is interested in hosting a tourism safety and security conference, please contact Dr. Peter Tarlow or Jordan Clark. The Conference will take place against a background of both political and health crises that could impact the world’s entire touris...
The Allen Morris Company and Stormont Hospitality Group Launch AMS Hospitality, LLC (AMS)
The Allen Morris Company | January 29, 2020
ATLANTA--January 29, 2020--The Allen Morris Company, one of the largest diversified real estate firms in the southeast, and Stormont Hospitality Group, a highly-acclaimed hotel developer, announced the formation of a new enterprise – AMS Hospitality (AMS). AMS Hospitality will focus on the acquiring and building hotel assets, initially focusing on southeast U.S. markets. The venture will be formally launched with the closing of two new lifestyle hotel development projects in Atlanta. The 176-key Star Metals Hotel, scheduled for completion in Q4 2021, will focus on the local leisure and transient market. Star Metals Hotel is part of th...
The Guestbook Contributes to Caribbean Travel Marketplace Bahamas Relief Effort Fund During Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2020
The Guestbook | January 29, 2020
The Guestbook joins Bay Gardens Resort and other industry partners in donating to ongoing hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas BAHA MAR, BAHAMAS — January 29, 2020 — The Guestbook, the world's largest rewards program for independent and boutique hotels, presented a donation to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace and Bahamas Relief Effort Fund last week, during a special ceremony at the opening of Caribbean Marketplace 2020. In addition to the direct contribution, The Guestbook also worked alongside Bay Gardens Resort in the development of a special charitable program following Hurricane Dorian that created widespread damage to the isla...
Cycas Signs First UK Contract With Accor to Manage Ibis Bridgwater
Cycas Hospitality | January 28, 2020
Cycas Hospitality has signed a management agreement with Zeal Hotels and Sandgate Investors to operate its first property in the South West of England and its second with Accor. The 144-room new-build Ibis Bridgwater will become the largest internationally-branded hotel in the Somerset town when it opens in Q4 2020. Set within the Woodlands Court Business Park, the five-storey Ibis Bridgwater will feature a Keepers bar and restaurant area, parking for 81 cars plus meeting facilities. With good proximity to J23 of the M5 and easy access to Bristol, Bristol Airport and Taunton, the hotel will be less than half an hour’s drive from the n...
