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Saudi Arabia Leads the World in Projected Hotel Supply Growth
STR | April 1, 2021
LONDON — April 1, 2021 — Saudi Arabia shows 73,057 rooms across the three phases of the hotel pipeline, and the country’s projected 67.1% increase in room supply over the next three years is the highest among the world’s 50 most populated countries, according to STR’s AM:PM platform. Of the total rooms in the pipeline as of 11 March 2021, 16,965 were scheduled to come online over the duration of 2021. The 67.1% increase assumes completion of all projects in construction, final planning and planning. “Saudi Arabia’s growth aspirations, along with the strength of other Middle East hospitality markets such as Qatar and the ...
Tourism Sector to See Skill Shortage Amid Returning Demand, Says GlobalData
GLOBALDATA | April 1, 2021
With a swift vaccination program underway, demand for international tourism has surged in the UK. Travel companies are preparing to tackle this pent-up demand by hiring – in fact, the number of posted job advertisements within the sector increased by approximately 38% in Q1 2021, according to the Job Analytics tool by GlobalData. However, to cope with this ‘new normal’ and ever-changing layers of complexity within the sector, there is an urgent need for experienced, skilled travel professionals. This may be especially difficult at a time when such workers have moved on to other industries. Craig Bradley, Associate Travel Tourism Anal...
Get to Know Your Customer Day
Shep Hyken | April 1, 2021
By Shep Hyken It’s been years since I’ve written about Get to Know Your Customer Day. Recently, however, I’ve been asked what it’s all about, so I thought it was time to bring it up again. This time I want to share a few tips on what to do for these special days that are observed throughout the year. Get to Know Your Customer Day happens four times a year, on the third Thursday of each quarter, so they are held in January, April, July, and October. Here’s something most people don’t know … I actually invented the holiday, if you want to call it that. That’s right! I was looking to create some buzz about co...
Commonwealth Hotels Appoints Nathan Lipps as General Manager of The Courtyard Dayton Beavercreek
Commonwealth Hotels, LLC | April 1, 2021
COVINGTON, Ky. - April 1, 2021 - Commonwealth Hotels announced today the promotion of Nathan Lipps to the position of general manager of the Courtyard Dayton Beavercreek, a Marriott hotel. Mr. Lipps brings over 25 years of hospitality experience to his new role as general manager having previously served as the assistant general manager of the Courtyard Cincinnati Airport. "We are excited to have Nathan on board at the Courtyard Dayton Beavercreek hotel," said Todd Smith, area director of operations for Commonwealth Hotels. "His extensive general manager experience and focus on revenue management will be key to the hotel's success." ...
MCR Acquires SpringHill Suites by Marriott Charlotte-Southwest in North Carolina
MCR | April 1, 2021
NEW YORK - April 1, 2021 - Come along for the rides! MCR, the fourth-largest owner-operator in the United States, has acquired the new-build, 124-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott Charlotte-Southwest in Charlotte, North Carolina. Just 10 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and 20 minutes from downtown Charlotte, the all-suite hotel off Interstate 77 is nestled in the popular Steele Creek suburb. Pile the entire crew (family dog, too!) in the car and hightail it to a spacious SpringHill Suites pad, complete with a mini-refrigerator, microwave, 55-inch HDTV and sofa bed. After a coffee-fueled grab and go breakfast and ...
Dr. Lloyd Terrier on the Fascinating Intersection of Hospitality and Healthcare
EHL & CHUV collaboration | April 1, 2021
By Beatrice Venturini As the patient experience moves to the forefront of healthcare delivery, what are the hospitality systems, processes and knowledge that might enhance customer outcomes in the healthcare sector? EHL, no. 1 in the hospitality school rankings, is committed to crossing boundaries and creating bridges via transferable skills at a time when interdisciplinary learning is more in demand than ever before. Despite the inescapable fact that a patient rarely choses to be in hospital whereas a guest at a hotel usually does, there are a myriad of important similarities between the two sectors. Whether patient or guest, both ...
JdV by Hyatt Brand Expands into Canada With The 115-Room Anndore House in Toronto
JdV by Hyatt | April 1, 2021
CHICAGO - April 1, 2021 - Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced the continued expansion of the JdV by Hyatt brand with The Anndore House joining the brand today and plans for The Walper Hotel to join the brand later this year. This milestone signifies the JdV by Hyatt brand’s intentional growth in a new market while offering experiences in places that matter most to guests, members, customers and owners. While the brand has 14 properties across the United States and China, The Anndore House marks its debut in Toronto today, and The Walper Hotel is currently slated to join the JdV by Hyatt brand this May. “We are thrilled to i...
IHG’s InterContinental Brand Coming to Sorrento With Redevelopment Hotel Continental
IHG Hotels & Resorts | April 1, 2021
IHG Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to announce that its luxury InterContinental brand will come to Sorrento in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula as part of the redevelopment of the Hotel Continental. It follows the signing of a management agreement with the Consortium behind the iconic Hotel Continental redevelopment on the state’s famed coastal strip. Hotel Continental, or the ‘Conti’ as it is endearingly called by locals, will have a new, luxurious lease on life when the InterContinental Sorrento opens in November 2021, as the property poises itself to once again become a beacon of glamour and sophistication on the Mornington Pen...
Synergy Hospitality Management Selected to Manage the Holiday Inn Lancaster, Pennsylvania
HOLIDAY INN LANCASTER | April 1, 2021
Synergy Hospitality Management has been selected to manage the Holiday Inn Lancaster located on Chestnut Street in idyllic Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This partnership brings hospitality management expertise that strongly aligns with the ownership’s commitment to the improvement and advancement of Lancaster. This expansion of Synergy’s third-party managed portfolio showcases the balance of operations and partnership that the company has long been known for. THE STORIED REVIVAL OF HOLIDAY INN LANCASTER The Holiday Inn Lancaster has a story to tell as it looks forward to welcoming more visitors in the hospitality rebound of...
Mexico’s Mystique Holbox by Royalton to Join Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio Brand
Sunwing Travel Group | April 1, 2021
Sunwing Travel Group is pleased to announce that Mystique Holbox by Royalton will be joining Marriott International’s portfolio and is expected to align with the Tribute Portfolio brand later this year. The news follows last month’s monumental announcement that Sunwing Travel Group’s resort division, Blue Diamond Resorts, had entered into a long-term agreement with Marriott International. The move will bring one of Mexico’s most stylish destinations to the Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International’s growing global family of independent hotels highly regarded for their unique, captivating design and vibrant social experiences. ...
Best Western Fishers/Indianapolis Area Hotel Now Open in Fishers, Indiana
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts | April 1, 2021
Fishers, Indiana — April 1, 2021 — Best Western® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the newly renovated Best Western Fishers/Indianapolis Area, located at 9790 North by Northeast Boulevard in Fishers, Indiana. Owned by Deven Patel, the hotel recently underwent a $3M renovation and features 126 spacious guest rooms and 11 suites. Amenities at the Best Western Fishers/Indianapolis Area include complimentary hot breakfast, a state-of-the-art fitness center and an outdoor pool. The hotel also offers free wireless internet and has onsite guest laundry. Each newly renovated room is equipped with a large flat-screen television, micr...
Sage Hospitality Group Opens UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Marriott Hotels | April 1, 2021
CHARLOTTE, NC – April 1, 2021 – UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center will open its doors to guests beginning March 31, 2021. The $87 million, 173,000-square-foot project, is owned by the UNC Charlotte Endowment Fund, financed by the UNC Charlotte Foundation and operated by Sage Hotel Management, a Sage Hospitality Group company. Developed by AMS Hospitality, the hotel features 226 guest rooms and 21,563 square feet of event space. “This conference center and hotel is a 30-year dream realized for UNC Charlotte and another example of the University’s growth and commitment to playing a significant role in the region’...
Wild Dunes Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel, Appoints Robb Walker as New Managing Director
Wild Dunes Resort, A Destination by Hyatt Hotel | April 1, 2021
CHARLESTON, S.C. – April 1, 2021 – Wild Dunes Resort, a Destination by Hyatt hotel in Isle of Palms, S.C., is pleased to announce the appointment of Robb Walker as Managing Director. Walker most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of Catalina Island Company in Avalon, Calif. With 30 years of leadership experience in the hospitality industry, leading first-class operations throughout the United States and Canada, Walker is responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations in the Wild Dunes Resort community, with an immediate focus on the successful launch of its new 153-key Sweetgrass Inn which opened last month. “Ro...
Tourist Arrivals Down 87% in January 2021 as UNWTO Calls for Stronger Coordination to Restart Tourism
UNWTO | March 31, 2021
The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism has carried on into 2021, with new data showing an 87% fall in international tourist arrivals in January as compared to 2020. The outlook for the rest of the year remain cautious as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) continues to call for stronger coordination on travel protocols between countries to ensure the safe restart of tourism and avoid another year of massive losses for the sector. Following a difficult end to 2020, global tourism suffered further setbacks in the beginning of the year as countries tightened travel restrictions in response to new virus outbreaks....
Content Is Critical for the Coming Travel Surge
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 31, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky It’s the night before the storm for the start of a solid recovery in hospitality. It will happen first at the domestic level, then internationally. For the latter, all eyes are on IATA to open some bubbles amongst the most vaccinated countries, with our particular interest on an EU-US reopening. But there are some issues associated with this reopening of flight routes in that customers have changed where and how they are booking their hotels since the pandemic started early last year. You have to be ready, and this means ensuring that your content is fully up to date on all the channels where potential gue...
Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia Appoints New Executive Chef Mako
Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia Hotel | March 31, 2021
Los Angeles, Calif. — March 31, 2021 — The much-anticipated Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia Hotel, the new hotel that will bring Le Méridien’s distinctive European heritage to the Southern California destination on May 26, 2021, announces the appointment of Executive Chef Mako (Makoto Tanaka) to helm the opening of Mélange, the swanky new on-site eatery that will feature delectable Asian-European inspired cuisine. The seasoned chef boasts an impressive career, complete with catering to some of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities and entertainment industry executives after working at Spago by Wolfgang Puck and later opening his own res...
HFTP Forms Global Hospitality PII Management Task Force to Develop Guidance on Secure Data Collection
HFTP | March 31, 2021
The movement toward high-tech solutions to engage guests and customers has greatly increased in the hospitality industry and has especially accelerated over the past year as hospitality enterprises implemented health safety protocols to address distancing guidelines. As a result, the implementation of property-wide technologies using personal identifiable information (PII) has presented a conundrum to hospitality organizations: how to safely manage this data — to use it for meaningful guest services, while also protecting it from malicious cyber activity. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is taking the step to ...
388 Ventures Acquires 3 Historic B&Bs in Downtown Lenox, MA in Partnership with Life House
Life House | March 31, 2021
LENOX, Mass. - March 31, 2021 - New York-based real estate investor 388 Ventures has closed on the acquisition of a portfolio of historic bed-and-breakfasts in Lenox, MA. The portfolio was assembled through 3 separate off-market transactions and encompasses 65-rooms and suites, a locally-rooted restaurant, bar and various inspiring public space areas. 388 Ventures has partnered with award-winning boutique hotel company Life House, who will provide branding, interior design, and hotel & restaurant management services. The new portfolio comprises 3 storied boutique properties located in downtown Lenox, MA, which Life House will operate...
B&T Hospitality Management Opens 107-Room Hyatt Place Fayetteville/Springdale in Arkansas
Hyatt Place Fayetteville/Springdale | March 31, 2021
Fayetteville, Ark. – March 31, 2021 – Today, Hyatt Place Fayetteville/Springdale celebrated the 107-room hotel’s opening. The new four-story hotel offers business and leisure travelers alike an open, intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour food offerings and a 24-hour fitness center. “Fayetteville is a world-class city and key business and leisure destination, and Hyatt Place Fayetteville/Springdale adds a wonderful new option for business and leisure travelers visiting the heart of the city’s business and financial district,” said General Manager Jonathan Schalk. ...
El Capitan, a JdV by Hyatt Hotel, Opens in Downtown Merced, California
JdV by Hyatt | March 31, 2021
Merced, Calif. – March 31, 2021 – El Capitan, a JdV by Hyatt hotel, opened today in Merced, Calif., the heart of the state’s lush Central Valley. The hotel represents a Golden State original, reborn with approachable sophistication and modern comfort in a historic turn-of-the-century property of the same name. Originally built to serve train passengers and guests traveling to Yosemite National Park, the new 114-guestroom El Capitan honors that spirit of exploration and adventure with three locally driven dining options, unique entertainment at the restored historic Mainzer theatre, and access to a rediscovered downtown, abundant local ...
Hyatt Signs With Metric Ventures for Second Hyatt Regency Hotel in Uzbekistan
Hyatt Regency | March 31, 2021
ZURICH – March 31, 2021 – Hyatt today announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered a franchise agreement with Metric Ventures LLC (which is owned by Mr. Murari Lal Jalan, Chairman at MJ Developers) for Hyatt Regency Bukhara. Slated to open in 2022, the 223-room hotel will be the second Hyatt Regency hotel in Uzbekistan and marks Hyatt’s ambition to further strengthen its brand footprint in Central Asia. Set to be located on a 6.78 acres (2.75 hectares) site just outside the historic city, Hyatt Regency Bukhara will connect guests seeking inspiring experiences with the mosques, madrasas and remains of old bazaars that the city is ren...
Spire Hospitality Adds Marriott Park Ridge to Management Portfolio
Spire Hospitality | March 31, 2021
IRVING, TX — March 31, 2021 — Spire Hospitality, a nationally recognized third-party hotel management company, has expanded its portfolio’s geographic footprint to New Jersey with the addition of Marriott Park Ridge. “Our growing portfolio validates our excellent performance as a third-party management company”, said Chris Russell, CEO of Spire Hospitality. “Our proven track record of financial results for our owners, as well as the passion that our team has for guest service and employee culture, is a great fit for the Marriott Park Ridge. We’re excited to add this hotel to our portfolio and look forward to working with all ...
Cycas Hospitality Opens Newly Built ibis Bridgwater in the UK
Cycas Hospitality | March 31, 2021
Accor has this week opened the largest internationally-branded hotel in the Somerset town of Bridgwater; the 144-room ibis Bridgwater. Operated by Cycas Hospitality as part of a management agreement with Zeal Hotels and Sandgate Investors, the new-build property is the first ibis hotel in the UK to showcase the brand’s new Plaza design throughout. The new ibis Bridgwater also becomes the first UK ibis hotel to feature a Keepers Kitchen and Bar; an all-day dining restaurant and bar whose locally-sourced menus champion the regional produce and support a wide range of nearby suppliers. Set within Woodlands Court Business Park, just 1...
Europe’s Hotels See Values Fall by up to 15% but Longer Term Outlook Strong, Reveals HVS Report
HVS | March 31, 2021
London - March 31, 2021 - Sharp declines in revenue caused by the pandemic coupled with a more cautious approach to lending has prompted hotel valuations to fall over the past 12 months, although not as steeply as some had initially anticipated. This is the key finding of the annual European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) compiled by global hotel consultancy HVS, which reports that in the year of the COVID-19 outbreak hotel values saw average declines of between 5% and 15% compared with the previous year. Last year followed a decade of hotel value rises across Europe, with 2019 posting an average 3% increase – with some properties in...
