The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4th, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
ADA Update: New Website Accessibility Law Impacting Most Businesses
Jim Butler | October 31, 2023
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of HotelLawBlog.com Many hotel owners already know they need to pay attention to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, both to provide a positive experience for guests and to avoid costly litigation. A proposed new California law, however, should bring their focus to website accessibility; if adopted, business owners, as well as their web developers, would be vulnerable to substantial statutory damages and attorney’s fee if sued by a plaintiff who succeeds in court. JMBM’s ADA Compliance and Defense Team outlines the potential impact of this law...
Parks Hospitality Holdings Acquires Boston Park Plaza
Parks Hospitality Holdings | October 31, 2023
BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2023 -- In a move signaling its U.S. market expansion strategy, Parks Hospitality Holdings (PHH), a leading hospitality developer and hotel owner, today confirmed the acquisition of the strategically positioned Boston Park Plaza. Located at 50 Park Plaza in Boston's central Back Bay neighborhood, the 1,060-key property will see the property transition to Hilton Boston Park Plaza as part of a post-acquisition rebranding initiative. The architecturally impressive hotel features contemporary and pet-friendly guestrooms and suites, two restaurants, a variety of amenities, and 70,000 square feet of meetings and event spac...
Hotel Chatbot: Top Benefits for Hoteliers
Eva Lacalle | October 31, 2023
By Eva Lacalle Are you wondering what a hotel chatbot is and whether it’s suitable for your property? From answering questions to providing relevant information, this emerging technology is changing how hotels interact with guests. And they can do it 24/7. Hotel chatbots are the perfect solution for modern guests who look for quicker answers and customer support availability around the clock. If you want to know how they can help your property thrive, keep reading to discover their benefits. What is a hotel chatbot? A hotel chatbot is a technology that assists guests and customers in the hospitality industry. It can respond to que...
How Technology Is Making De-Flagging Easier and Levels the Playing Field for Going Independent
Aaron Shepherd | October 31, 2023
By Aaron Shepherd, the CEO and Co-Founder of APS (Above Property Services) For many of us, entrepreneurship is a terrifying pursuit. Breaking away from the traditional mold to create something new or different is, admittedly, the path of more resistance. It takes courage, innovative thinking and creativity, agility, relentless execution and unflappable commitment to make it work – and even then, many ventures will fail. But those ventures that do find success act as a beacon to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit; a sign that big dreams can, sometimes, glean even bigger results. Within the world of entrepreneurship, however, exists ...
Canada’s Pipeline Remains Robust – Early Planning Stage Shows Significant Increase
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | October 31, 2023
October 31, 2023 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – In the Q3 2023 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report for Canada by Lodging Econometrics (LE), analysts report that the total construction pipeline in Canada stands at 275 projects/37,780 rooms, up 5% by projects and 8% by rooms year-over-year (YOY). In the third quarter, Canada had 22 new project announcements with 2,816 rooms. Hotel projects presently under construction in Canada at Q3 stand at 56 projects/8,228 rooms, up 4% and 18% YOY, respectively. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 101 projects/11,548 rooms at Q3, while projects in the early planning stag...
UrVenue Adds Director of Partnerships Position With the Hiring of Nicole Navitsky
UrVenue | October 31, 2023
New hire tasked with optimizing partner strategies and improving the service offering of hospitality’s first Property Experience Management System (PXMS) LAS VEGAS, Nev., October 31, 2023 — To support its rapid growth and streamline integrations among the vendor community, UrVenue has hired Nicole Navitsky as Director of Partnerships. In this newly created position, Navitsky is responsible for driving sustainable growth and ensuring that UrVenue – pioneer of the hospitality industry’s first official Property Experience Management System (PXMS) – delivers an exceptional product for its hotel customers and technology partners. ...
Brent Baudier Named Vice President of Food & Beverage and Hospitality for Expotel Hospitality
October 30, 2023
Metairie, LA, October 30, 2023 - Expotel Hospitality, a nationally recognized hotel owner, developer, and manager, announced today that it has hired accomplished industry executive Brent Baudier to serve as the company’s Vice President of Food & Beverage and Hospitality. Mike Nixon, President and Chief Development Officer of Expotel, made the announcement. A seasoned hospitality executive, Brent has more than 20 years of executive-level experience in the hospitality industry including resorts, private clubs, and restaurants. During that time, Brent served both the PGA TOUR and the PGA of America with increasing levels of responsibi...
DS Group in Partnership With IHG Hotel & Resorts Launches 218-Key InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road
IHG Hotels & Resorts | October 30, 2023
JAIPUR, 30 October 2023: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world’s first and largest hotel brand, and DS Group, a multi-business corporation and a leading FMCG Conglomerate, announces the grand unveiling of InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road following a monumental transformation. Situated in the 'Pink City,' this opulent hotel exemplifies Jaipur's vibrant and distinctive allure, redefining the luxury of India's heritage. The transformation of the Jaipur hotel from Crowne Plaza to InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road reflects IHG Hotels & Resorts dedication to growing its luxury & lifestyle portfolio around the world. With ex...
Washington Hilton Appoints James Wescoe as New Executive Chef
Washington Hilton | October 30, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 30, 2023 — Washington Hilton announced that James Wescoe has been appointed as the renowned property’s Executive Chef. Wescoe brings over 20 years of culinary expertise to his role having worked in destinations spanning from Chicago to Orlando with Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. At the historic Washington Hilton, Chef Wescoe is at the helm of the expansive 23,000-plus sq. ft. kitchen and historic property’s food and beverage operations featuring more than 60 culinary team members. In his new role, he oversees the servicing of notable events that have taken place o...
Marriott International Unveils a Trio of New Beachside Resorts in Nha Trang, Danang and Hoi An, Vietnam
Marriott International | October 30, 2023
Marriott International, Inc. proudly announced the opening of three premium brands hotels in Vietnam’s popular leisure destinations: Nha Trang Marriott Resort & Spa, Hon Tre Island, Danang Marriott Resort & Spa, Non Nuoc Beach Villas, and Renaissance Hoi An Resort & Spa. Owned by the leading hospitality company in Vietnam Vinpearl, the three newly opened hotels will be offering travelers unique and distinctive experiences while they explore the beauty of Vietnam. “We are excited to unveil these three exceptional resorts on the same day. It marks a milestone for the company’s expansion in Vietnam, providing domestic and...
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa to Debut in Indian Wells, California
TOMMY BAHAMA | October 30, 2023
INDIAN WELLS, CA. (October 30, 2023) – Located in Indian Wells in the Greater Palm Springs area, the first resort concept for elevated lifestyle brand, Tommy Bahama, will debut on November 1 as Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, following an extensive, $20 million renovation and redesign that pairs island living with desert luxury. Situated against the Santa Rosa Mountains, the transformed resort boasts 215 guestrooms and reimagined villa suites infused with a custom tropical design aesthetic woven into 11 acres of olive trees, fragrant citrus groves and flower gardens. With 35,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space; t...
Damon Page Joins SH Hotels & Resorts as Area Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Region
SH Hotels & Resorts | October 30, 2023
Miami, FL (October 30, 2023) – SH Hotels & Resorts, the sustainable hotel brand management company that operates 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels, today announced the appointment of Damon Page as Area Managing Director for its Asia-Pacific region, an area that is a focus of exponential growth for the company. Damon will oversee each brand’s development throughout the region starting with the 2024 opening of 1 Hotels & Homes Melbourne (277 guest rooms & 114 hotel-branded residences), which he will manage directly on a day-to-day basis, and followed by the 2026 arrival of Treehouse Adelaide, each brand’s firs...
Boosting Employee Engagement: 3 Key Benefits of Prioritizing Mental Health in the Hospitality Industry
Strategic Solution Partners | October 30, 2023
It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has had one of the highest employee turnover rates — since well before the pandemic. High turnover rates in any industry are a big cost to the company, and in a high-pressure sector like hospitality, the associated costs can be huge. Not only tangible costs, such as the expenses of recruiting and training new employees, but also the substantial cost of lost productivity among staff. In fact, reduced productivity costs the global economy around 1 trillion dollars each year. Luckily, recent research shows that concentrating on the mental health of your talent can not only increase staff pro...
New Memphis Hotels Raise the Bar for Rate While Extending Occupancy Recovery
Marc Greeley | October 30, 2023
By Marc Greeley The last eight years were an active period for Downtown Memphis hotel development. Prior to 2015, no new hotels had opened in Memphis since 2010, most of which were in the midscale or upper-midscale chains. Beginning in 2015, Memphis experienced notable supply growth, and although some of this development was in suburban areas, several new downtown hotels opened between 2015 and 2019, including the Hilton Garden Inn; Central Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton; Moxy Hotel; and ARRIVE Memphis. Moreover, during this period, some existing hotels were renovated and repositioned to higher-tier products, including the ...
AHLA Partners With IncentiFind to Identify Sustainability-Related Savings for Owners, Operators
AHLA | October 30, 2023
New partnership makes it easy for hoteliers to find $70 billion of incentives like tax credits, grants, fee waivers WASHINGTON (Oct. 30, 2023) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and IncentiFind today announced a new partnership to help AHLA’s more than 30,000 members identify sustainability-related cost savings. IncentiFind, a leading green building incentive database, offers more than a half million incentives, including tax credits, grants, fee waivers, rebates, and bill credits. These lucrative credits support the implementation of green measures like energy efficiency, renewables, water conservation, and more, ...
The Dallas Market Maintains Grasp on the Greatest Number of Projects in the U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline at Q3 2023
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – As seen in the third quarter United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), the top five markets with the largest hotel construction pipelines by projects at Q3 2023 are led by Dallas, with an all-time high of 189 projects/21,840 rooms, followed by Atlanta, with 140 projects/17,775 rooms, and Nashville, with 122 projects/16,046 rooms. Next is Phoenix, with 119 projects/16,455 rooms, and the Inland Empire, with 117 projects/11,784 rooms. At the Q3 close, New York City continues to have the greatest number of projects under construction, with 46 projects/8,386 rooms. ...
Hotel Financial Performance Influenced by Changes in Hotel Food and Beverage Offerings
Robert Mandelbaum, Ed Stacy | October 30, 2023
By Robert Mandelbaum and Ed Stacy The 2020 COVID-influenced lodging industry recession resulted in some noticeable changes to the way hotels provide food and beverage (F&B) service. • Social distancing regulations forced operators to be creative in the way they served food and beverages to guests. • Rising wage rates and sharp increases in the cost of food and beverage products compelled hotel managers to find ways to control costs. • The inability of hotels to attract employees to fill the positions eliminated during the recession required creative solutions to improve productivity and offer more with less. These facto...
Global Business Travel Industry Sees Rebound in 2023 With Shifting Challenges and Opportunities for 2024
GBTA | October 30, 2023
Latest GBTA Business Travel Outlook Poll reveals positive recovery sentiment, emerging forecasts, industry priorities and potential barriers for the year ahead The majority of professionals in the global business travel industry say the sector has reached near-full recovery this year since the pandemic days of 2019. But even as business travel has rebounded, the industry is looking ahead at key areas poised for change and impact in 2024, with an emphasis around travel cost management strategies, sustainability, the transformation of retailing models, and the integration of emerging technologies. This is according to the latest GBTA Bus...
Accor Reports Third-Quarter 2023 Revenue of €1,286 Million Up 13% Like-for-Like
Accor | October 27, 2023
REVPAR UP 15% COMPARED WITH Q3 2022 UPGRADED REVPAR GROWTH GUIDANCE FOR 2023 EBITDA EXPECTED TO IMPROVE AT BETWEEN €955 MILLION AND €985 MILLION Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor, said: “The Group’s strong performance during the quarter illustrates once again the strength of business momentum in all of our markets, notably in Asia, and for the brands in our two segments: Premium, Midscale and Economy, on the one hand, and Luxury and Lifestyle on the other. For Accor, this is the 6th consecutive quarter of growth since the return to post-pandemic business levels. These positive trends and our strict ...
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | October 27, 2023
Company Raises Full-Year 2023 EPS Outlook Grows Development Pipeline by Another 12% PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 27, 2023 -- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Highlights include: Global RevPAR grew 3% compared to third quarter 2022 in constant currency. System-wide rooms grew 3% year-over-year. Development pipeline grew 4% sequentially and 12% year-over-year to a record 237,000 rooms. Signed over 230 contracts, an increase of 8% year-over-year, including 60 new construction projects for ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham. Returned $134 million to sh...
Sunstone Hotel Investors Complete Sale of 1,060-Key Boston Park Plaza for $370M
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. | October 27, 2023
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 27, 2023 -- Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (the "Company" or "Sunstone") (NYSE: SHO) today announced that it has completed the sale of the 1,060-room Boston Park Plaza (the "Hotel") for a gross sale price of $370 million, or approximately $350,000 per key. The sale price represents a 12.1x multiple on Hotel Adjusted EBITDAre and a 7.1% cap rate on Hotel Net Operating Income for the trailing four quarter period ended June 30, 2023. The Company acquired the Hotel in 2013 and successfully executed a business plan to reinvigorate the well-located historic hotel. Over the course of the Company's ownership period, the H...
Exploring Buy Now, Pay Later to Enhance Guest Loyalty and Boost Hotel Direct Bookings
Cendyn | October 27, 2023
The hospitality industry has consistently led the way in adapting to the ever-changing needs of travelers and guests. One notable innovation that has recently gained substantial momentum is the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) payment option. This innovative payment solution is revolutionizing the way travelers make reservations, dine at restaurants, and access a wide range of services within the hospitality sector. What is Buy Now, Pay Later! Buy Now, Pay Later is a modern, consumer-friendly payment model that has gained significant popularity in recent years. It offers consumers the flexibility to shop for their desired product...
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque Appoints Desiree Brehm as New Director of Sales
Spire Hospitality | October 27, 2023
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — October 27, 2023 – Desiree Brehm has been named as the new director of sales at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM, a property managed by Spire Hospitality. In her new role, Brehm oversees all sales and marketing initiatives for DoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque, including strategic planning for group and leisure sales, revenue, and marketing efforts. "Desiree's love for the DoubleTree brand and depth of sales expertise make her the ideal candidate to guide DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque in reaching its aggressive sales goals," said Molly Stevens, general manager of DoubleTree by ...
Minor Hotels to Debut in Finland With NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa
Minor Hotels | October 27, 2023
Project sees the refurbishment of two historic buildings in collaboration with Ylva Madrid, 27th October 2023 — Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor with more than 530 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, South America and North America, announces the upcoming launch of its first property in Finland – the five-star NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa – as part of its expansion plans in the region. Currently under construction in partnership with Ylva and slated to open during Q1 2024, this will be Minor Hotels’ second property in the Nordic region...
