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The Castell Project Releases Fourth Annual Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership Report
THE CASTELL PROJECT | April 27, 2021
ATLANTA — April 27, 2021 — Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today released the 2021 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report. Celebrating its fourth year, the report details women’s progress in leadership within the hospitality industry. “While the rhetoric surrounding women and diversity in leadership escalated in 2020, the needle barely moved, exacerbated by COVID-related layoffs and furloughs,” said Peggy Berg, chair, Castell Project, Inc. “The effects of the pandemic on women and minorities ...
Three Forks Ranch Selects Suite of Agilysys Property Management, Point of Sale, Spa & Inventory Management Solutions
Agilysys | April 27, 2021
Luxury Resort Looks To Agilysys For Cloud-Native SaaS Solutions Including Agilysys Stay PMS, Agilysys Spa, Agilysys Seat, InfoGenesis POS And Agilysys Eatec ALPHARETTA, GA. — April 27, 2021 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Three Forks Ranch has selected Agilysys Cloud-Native SaaS solutions for its premier wellness destination resort on the Colorado/Wyoming border including Agilysys Stay PMS, Agilysys Spa for spa management, Agilysys Seat for venue reservations, Agilysys InfoGenesis POS and Agilysys Eatec for inventory and pr...
What Hoteliers Want From Their PMS in 2021; Top Features Requested by Hoteliers as They Prepare for Reopening
Audrey MacRae | April 27, 2021
Independent hotel and resort group operators are demanding more choice, more flexibility, more functionality, and more support as they prepare for industrywide resurgence By Audrey D. MacRae It is not surprising that 2021 brought with it a lot of hotel operational changes as management had ample time last year to evaluate which technology solutions were working and which were not. What many hotels are discovering — based on the increasing call volume to our North America sales team — is that their current property-management systems do not have the breadth of features or the contactless tools needed to support returning guests along t...
When It Comes to Employee Safety, ‘Don’t Wait’ to React
Robb Monkman | April 27, 2021
Hotels are opening and travelers are returning; Hotels must equip staff with employee safety devices to avoid potential safety risks By Robb Monkman Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes hope of a rebounding hospitality industry. With people now vaccinated, properties now adopting enhanced cleaning policies, and social distancing practices and contactless technologies now in place, hoteliers are focusing on hiring and training employees. But finding help is not as easy as it used to be. Those struggling to get people back to work must do everything possible to ensure that the right security measures and safety techn...
Arbor Lodging Management Is Emerging Strong From Pandemic With Aptech Financial Solutions
Aptech Computer Systems Inc. | April 27, 2021
Leveraging Execuvue and Targetvue for business intelligence and budgeting and forecasting since 2020, this hotel management group is retrieving relevant data in real time and making smarter business decisions that impact its profitability and growth PITTSBURGH — April 27, 2021 — Prior to the 2020 pandemic, Arbor Lodging Management made a critical financial decision; the hotel management group operating Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and InterContinental Hotel Group brands partnered with Aptech, the industry standard for hospitality financial management. With 12 new hotels entering its system in January 2020, Aptech’s Execuvue business intell...
How a Hospitality CRM Vendor Helped Fight Unemployment Benefits Fraud
Clairvoyix | April 27, 2021
Clairvoyix Marketing Database leveraged by the State of Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) LAS VEGAS – April 27, 2021 – March of 2020 was the beginning of a long, forced hibernation for many travel and leisure focused companies, and like many Clairvoyix was faced with dwindling revenues as their client properties either shut their doors or significantly reduced their operations. With state governments enforcing “stay at home orders” business came to a near standstill, resulting in an unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims. As the unemployment claims backlog was growing, Governor S...
Social Media for Hotels – Is It Worth It?
Ines Barreiros | April 27, 2021
By Ines Barreiros We all know the social media hype and have read plenty of articles of how important it is. And the truth is that your hotel needs to be where your guests are right? But the question here is, at what cost? Maybe you are considering working with an agency to help run your social media accounts. Perhaps you want to appoint someone as a community manager. Maybe you think that the time you spend managing these channels internally is enough. But how can you determine what is the right option for you and whether your efforts are generating a return on investment? This article will explore the rise of social media for hotel...
GBTA Poll: Positive Momentum Continues for Return to Business Travel
the Global Business Travel Association | April 26, 2021
Alexandria, VA – April 26, 2021 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association, today issued the findings from its 18th COVID-19 poll assessing the impact of the pandemic and the road to recovery for the business travel industry. Nearly one-quarter of poll respondents report that their company has resumed non-essential business travel, or that the company has in place a plan to resume travel. This latest poll shows multiple positive signs for business travel recovery, including an increase in willingness to travel, a decrease in trips cancelled and a more optimistic view towards retur...
Seeing the Post-Pandemic Travel Landscape as an Opportunity for Hotels to ‘Be Direct’
Nancy Huang | April 26, 2021
By Nancy Huang More than any time in the last decade, travel consumer purchasing habits are up for grabs. In New York City, the sidewalk cafes are bustling, the parks are full of picnics, and the city’s attractions are coming back to life. The city is blooming again, cautiously but happily. And tourists are coming back to town. The same is true across the United States. While hoteliers are optimistic that the industry is starting its path to recovery, it remains impossible to overstate Covid’s effect on travel. The late Arne Sorenson, Marriott CEO, estimated in the early stages of the pandemic that “Covid-19 is having a more ...
STR: Canada Hotel Performance for March 2021
STR | April 26, 2021
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee — April 26, 2021 — Canada’s hotel industry reported slightly higher performance when compared with recent months, according to STR’s March 2021 data. Each of the three key performance metrics were the country’s highest since September 2020. Year-over-year declines in ADR and RevPAR remained significant but will improve in future months due to comparisons with pandemic-affected months last year. While occupancy increased slightly year over year, it remained well below the pre-pandemic comparable of March 2019 (-46.8%). Occupancy: 31.9% Average daily rate (ADR): CAD117.86 Revenue per available r...
Beach Destinations Lead Mexico’s March Hotel Uptick
STR | April 26, 2021
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee — April 26, 2021 — March produced improved hotel occupancy across most of Mexico’s markets, but beach destinations continued to lead the country’s recovery, according to data from STR. Overall, Mexico’s March occupancy came in at 37.0%, up from 28.3% in February and 26.4% in January. Popular spring break spots for U.S. students, Cancun (49.0%) saw the highest level in the metric, followed by Acapulco (46.8%). Occupancy was even higher later in the month. During 14-20 March, Acapulco reached 58.9% occupancy, while Cancun reported a level of 52.8%. The following week, Cancun was up to 53.4%, while Aca...
Park Hotels & Resorts Completes Sale of W New Orleans – French Quarter for $24.1M ($249K per Key)
Park Hotels & Resorts | April 26, 2021
TYSONS, Va. - April 26, 2021 - Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. today announced that it has closed on the sale of the 97-room W New Orleans – French Quarter (the “Hotel”) located in New Orleans, LA, for gross proceeds of approximately $24.1 million, or $249,000 per key. When adjusted for Park’s anticipated capital expenditures (“capex”), the sale price represents a 4.3% capitalization rate on the Hotel’s 2019 net operating income (5.8% excluding capex), or 17.9x the Hotel’s 2019 EBITDA (13.3x excluding capex). Proceeds from the sale will be used to repay debt. The sale of the Hotel marks the 25th non-core hotel that Park has...
Rosewood Partners With Mitsubishi Estate Co. for 2024 Opening of Rosewood Miyakojima in Japan
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts | April 26, 2021
HONG KONG - April 26, 2021 - Rosewood Hotels & Resorts® has been appointed by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. to manage Rosewood Miyakojima on Mikayo Island in the Okinawan archipelago, opening in 2024. The 55-villa, ultra-luxury resort represents the first Rosewood property in Japan, in a destination acclaimed for its exquisite beaches with several of the country's most scenic locations. Miyako Island and nearby isles offer miles of soft, white sand with endless vistas of turquoise-blue sea. Aquatic adventures range from snorkeling at Yabiji, the largest coral reef expanse in Japan, to diving through underwater caverns teeming wi...
Cambria Hotels Marks Expansion in Airport Markets With Orlando Debut
Cambria Hotels | April 26, 2021
ROCKVILLE, Md. - April 26, 2021 - Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc., continues its domestic expansion with the opening of the Cambria Hotel Orlando Airport. The five-story, 108-room hotel is the brand's fourth property to open this year, joining the Cambria Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach, Cambria Hotel Rock Hill – University Center and the Cambria Hotel Washington D.C. Capitol Riverfront, as it continues to add new locations throughout the U.S. in top-tier markets. Cambria Hotels is set to open two more airport-area hotels this year in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. Located ...
Hard Rock Hotels® Plans Global Expansion With Eight New Properties Across Brazil
Hard Rock | April 26, 2021
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - April 26, 2021 - Hard Rock Hotels today announced plans for development of eight hotels with approximately 3,000 rooms in several key cities throughout Brazil, including Sao Paulo, Fortaleza, Ilha de Sol, Campos do Jordão, Foz do Iguaçu, Jericoacoara, Natal and Recife. The hotel properties, developed and owned by Brazil-based real estate developer VCI S.A., will be managed by the Hard Rock Hotel brand, which is renowned for the top-notch guest experiences it provides travelers around the world. The addition of these properties under Hard Rock's diverse hospitality portfolio marks the continued international expansio...
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Opens La Quinta Hotel With Del Sol Prototype in Selma, NC
About La Quinta by Wyndham | April 26, 2021
PARSIPPANY, N.J. - April 26, 2021 - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries, announced today the opening of La Quinta by Wyndham Selma, the milestone 120th hotel in the La Quinta portfolio featuring the sought-after Del Sol prototype. There are 175 La Quinta hotels in the development pipeline, with openings scheduled this year in key markets such as Nashville, Tenn.; Santa Cruz, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Denver, Colo.; and Corpus Christi, Texas. The brand has also announced plans to bring La Quinta to other countries including Do...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces the 9th Annual Pebby Award Winners
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | April 26, 2021
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - April 26, 2021 - Pebblebrook Hotel Trust today announced the winners of its Ninth Annual Pebby Awards. The Pebby Award winners were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments in 2020, as determined by the Company. “This year, a Pebby Award symbolizes not only hotel management excellence, but extraordinary work despite severely restrictive conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jon E. Bortz, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. “Today, we recognize and celebrate our talented property teams and skilled asset managers, and we look forward to jou...
PACE Financing on a Roll: $6 Million Loan for Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood
David Sudeck | April 26, 2021
By Jim Butler, David Sudeck Hotel finance lawyer: PACE Financing is now mainstream Over the past five years, PACE financing has gained wider acceptance, and moved from a novel technique to a mainstream practical solution for financing. For more background on what PACE financing is, why it can be attractive, why it is becoming more popular and how JMBM’s attorneys can help, see PACE Financing – Now an accepted tool for hotel lenders and borrowers. Our lawyers are at the leading edge of this important new trend. And we think that sharing some of our client’s successes with PACE financing may help others evaluate this t...
Waterparks: Despite 2020 Challenges, Growth Forecasted in 2021
David J. Sangree | April 26, 2021
By David J. Sangree The COVID-19 crisis was the definitive event of 2020. The lodging and attractions industries were among the most negatively impacted sectors and experienced record declines in occupancy, attendance, and revenue. With mandated closures, limited capacities, and travel restrictions, many outdoor waterparks delayed their season openings while others decided, or were mandated, not to open at all in 2020. Many resorts with both indoor and outdoor waterparks and standalone indoor waterparks were forced to close for several months. Current projections for the vaccine rollout indicate a return to normalcy no earlier th...
Introducing Pre-Made Social Media Posts for Hotels & Restaurants
Pipeline Social Media | April 26, 2021
By Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media The Pipeline team is excited to offer a new product to hospitality professionals—Social Media Post Packs: Ready-made posts for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or wherever you share posts! Our May Holiday Pack features 27 complete social media posts, including graphics, animated graphics, and captions, for the top holidays in May. What’s Included in the May Social Media Holiday Pack? Cinco de Mayo: 3 captions / 2 graphics / 1 animated graphic Memorial Day: 3 captions / 3 graphics / 1 animated graphic Mother’s Day: 4 captions, 3 graphics / 1 animated graphic National Armed Force...
Siegel Sez: The COVID Year – What Tech Changes Will Last?
April 23, 2021
I will encourage you to read Doug Rice’s column that follows which includes the latest technology news. This week Doug talks about the technology changes inspired by COVID-19, which will stay, and which won’t. For those of you who have been out to eat - would you really want to look at a menu any other way than holding it in your hand when COVID-19 is behind us? Doug brings up some good points as to possibly why you wouldn’t, especially if you owned the restaurant. There will be a transition in the world and especially in the hotel industry as the recovery gains legs. Leisure travel will probably set records this year and groups and ...
Priceline Reveals the Top Travel Trends for U.S. Travelers This Season
Priceline | April 22, 2021
NORWALK, Conn. - April 22, 2021 - After a devastating pandemic kept us at home for over a year, Priceline did a deep dive into how travel has changed and what trends are emerging as we enter the spring and summer peak travel season. "Not only are leisure travelers desperate to make up for lost travel opportunities in 2020," says Priceline CEO Brett Keller, "but the slow recovery of business travel and broad availability of deals will fuel even more leisure demand." Here are highlights of how American travel preferences are changing: Escapism is top of mind. When it comes to air travel, hotel stays and car rentals, Americans are ...
Caesars Entertainment to Invest $400 Million Into Its Atlantic City Resorts By 2023
Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City | April 22, 2021
Master plan includes remodeled room towers, new restaurants and amenities, and a focus on revitalizing the Company's flagship casino-hotel, Caesars Atlantic City, on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk First phase of $170 million in guestroom and suite upgrades at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City will debut Summer 2021 ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., April 22, 2021 -- Caesars Entertainment, Inc. ("Caesars" or the "Company") shared exciting details today on its $400 million master plan investment in Atlantic City where it owns and operates three of the region's preeminent casino destinations – Caesars, Harrah's Resort...
Concord Hospitality Plans June Opening of AC Hotel Columbus Downtown in Ohio
AC Hotel Columbus Downtown | April 22, 2021
COLUMBUS, OHIO – April 22, 2021 – AC Hotel Columbus Downtown is slated to welcome its first guests in June. The property features a prime location that intersects the city’s bustling business district, Arena District and Short North Arts District. As part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, developed by Continental Hospitality Group and managed by Concord Hospitality, the modern, 160-room urban property will be a premier getaway for leisure and business travelers looking to experience the best Columbus has to offer. “The opening of the AC Hotel Columbus Downtown is symbolic of our city’s cultural growth...
