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Zoox Smart Data Continues Rapid Americas Expansion With Key Hospitality and Travel Client Wins
Zoox Smart Data | March 4, 2021
Leading innovator of guest profile technology grows regional portfolio as more hospitality and travel organizations adopt big data strategies proven to maximize experience personalization and business revenues. Alpharetta, GA — March 4, 2021 — Zoox Smart Data (“Zoox”), an international provider of technological solutions that harnesses big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, continues to bolster its presence in hospitality and travel markets throughout the Americas with more major organizations seeking to deploy its industry-leading smart data solutions. Notable regional customers that have recently adopt...
Sunstone Hotel Investors Announces Chief Operating Officer Transition
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. | March 4, 2021
IRVINE, CA - March 4, 2021 - Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (the "Company" or "Sunstone"), the owner of Long-Term Relevant Real Estate® in the hospitality sector, today announced the retirement of Marc Hoffman, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Hoffman joined Sunstone in 2006 and has been responsible for Asset Management and Design & Construction. Chris Ostapovicz has been appointed Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Ostapovicz will join the Company in March and will report to John Arabia, President & Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Hoffman will remain with the Company during ...
Sandy Minskoff Named National Sales Manager of Lansdowne Resort
Lansdowne Resort | March 4, 2021
LEESBURG, VA - March 4, 2021- Sandy Minskoff has been appointed National Sales Manager of Lansdowne Resort located in Leesburg, Virginia. With more than twenty years of hospitality and management experience, Minskoff is positioned to cultivate relationships that introduce new business as the resort moves through post pandemic recovery. Minskoff joins the resort team most recently from neighboring National Conference Center where she successfully grew the Corporate, Federal and State Government markets. Her experience expands from well-known Virginia destinations such as Airlie Resort, The Boar’s Head Inn, the Homestead Resort and Belmo...
Wyndham Breaks Ground on First LaQuinta and Hawthorn Suites Dual-Brand Hotel in Pflugerville, Texas
La Quinta by Wyndham | March 4, 2021
PARSIPPANY, NJ - March 4, 2021 - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) – the world's largest hotel franchising company with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries and territories – announced today the first groundbreaking of its new La Quinta and Hawthorn Suites dual-brand hotel concept in Pflugerville, Texas. This marks the first-ever pairing of these two flags under the same roof and enables owners to target both the business transient and extended-stay demand within any given market. The company has 36 La Quinta and Hawthorn dual-branded hotels in its development pipeline in markets such as San Antonio and El Paso, Texas; Yuma,...
INTEREL Names Scott Watts to Head Expanded Americas Presence
INTEREL | March 4, 2021
LAS VEGAS – March 4, 2021 -- INTEREL, the global leader in providing award-winning hospitality guest-room automation solutions, is pleased to announce that Scott Watts has joined the company as the Senior Vice President, Americas. In this role, Watts will provide the company’s overall direction for INTEREL’s continued growth and expansion in the Americas market with a focus on increasing market share in multiple vertical markets including hospitality, senior living, and MDUs. Watts joins INTEREL after serving as President of the Americas for GuestTek Interactive Entertainment, and previously served in other leadership positions for G...
White Lodging Opens Austin Marriott Downtown
White Lodging | March 4, 2021
AUSTIN – The new Austin Marriott Downtown opens today, steps away from the most popular downtown tourist attractions, bars and restaurants. The hotel represents the newest design vision for Marriott Hotels, the signature brand of Marriott International, where spaces and amenities are crafted to allow guests to achieve moments of creative brilliance. The 31-story stylishly-designed tower fits seamlessly into the Austin skyline and speaks to the needs of today’s modern traveler, including hand-crafted food and beverage offerings, advanced health and safety features, and plenty of outdoor and socially distant options for connecting with...
Porter, a New Contact-Free Food Ordering Technology, Launches in 10 U.S. Hotels
Porter | March 4, 2021
Company Aims to Disrupt Traditional Hospitality Model with Room Service via Smartphone LOS ANGELES, March 4, 2021 – A web-based technology called Porter is powering up a new digital era of food service at hotels, starting in Los Angeles but with its sights set on growth across the United States. Porter, an award-winning business transformation platform that fundamentally changes hospitality, is now operational at the H Hotel Los Angeles from the Curio Collection by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton LAX and the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard. Together with seven limited-service hotels near the company’s head...
AWH Partners Completes Multimillion-Dollar Renovation of Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter
Spire Hospitality | March 4, 2021
IRVING, TX — March 4, 2021 — Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, a riverfront hotel with breathtaking views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati’s downtown skyline, and in proximity to Cincinnati’s eclectic food and beverage scene, has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. In addition to the completed renovations of the property’s 321 guestrooms, meeting spaces, and public spaces, the new M Club and Marriot Greatroom are now available to both leisure and business travelers looking to catch up on work, grab a quick bite to eat in between meetings, or wind down at the end of an exhausting day. The property’s spacious guestro...
Hybrid Meetings Impact on Group Business
Craig Jacobs | March 4, 2021
By Craig Jacobs Who could have predicted a year ago that Zoom would be a major disruptive influence in the Meetings Industry? Years of speculation about the threat to hotels from videoconferencing was much ado about nothing until the Pandemic. Now, conventional wisdom suggests that Hybrid Groups, which combine teleconferencing with person-to-person meetings, will be prevalent for the foreseeable future and a permanent part of the new normal. NEW PARADIGM, NEW CHALLENGES The same forces (perceived cost savings, enhanced convenience, health concerns,) that have exalted the benefits of working from home also wreak havoc on in-person eve...
Hospitality Asset Funding Group Completes Acquisition of Tremont House Hotel
Hospitality Asset Funding Group | March 3, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas - March 3, 2021 - Hospitality Asset Funding Group (HAF), a leading provider of capital market solutions for the hospitality industry, recently completed its acquisition of the landmark Tremont House Hotel in Galveston. HAF acquired The Tremont House Hotel in Galveston and made major equity investments in the Hyatt Place Cedar Park and Courtyard by Marriott Austin Pflugerville. Hospitality Asset Funding Group is a joint venture between SRH Hospitality, based in Addison, and JLM Financial Investments, based in Austin. The Tremont House Hotel, with roots dating back to 1865, is an iconic Texas landmark, located in t...
Evolution Hospitality Appoints Angela S. Kuzma to Vice President of Lifestyle Operations
Evolution Hospitality | March 3, 2021
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF – March 3, 2021 – Evolution Hospitality, the lifestyle division of Aimbridge Hospitality, announced that Angela S. Kuzma has joined the team as Vice President of Lifestyle Operations where she will oversee a group of complex assets, providing leadership to achieve hotel performance, guest satisfaction, associate engagement and owners’ investment goals. She brings 25 years of lifestyle and food and beverage experience to her new role overseeing full service, boutique, and resort properties with complex food and beverage and experiential environments that will require her to rely on her extensive restaurant concept a...
STAY Builds for Growth With Infor
Infor | March 3, 2021
LONDON – March 3, 2021 – Infor today announced that luxury serviced apartments provider STAY has deployed Infor HMS property management system for its 169 apartment properties in Camden, London. The application will help deliver customer service excellence and provide a platform for new processes including flexible, contactless check-in. Learn more about Infor HMS here: https://www.infor.com/en-gb/products/hms Following a thorough review of the market, Infor was chosen based on specific invoicing capabilities for the extended stay sector, deep domain expertise within the hospitality industry (including references with Fraser Suites...
Managing Travel Recovery via App-Based Shift Workers
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 3, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky We all know a recovery is coming. But there are problems associated with ramping up quickly in order to capitalize upon a demand surge. Namely, you will need to rapidly deploy more labor, all the while preventing service errors from occurring. This is especially troublesome given that many hotels still have much of their labor force furloughed from the lockdowns earlier last year. In a world that is vaccinated but still exceedingly sensitive to COVID-19, you cannot have new employees onsite who play fast and loose with the safety guidelines or with your brand standards. This is hurt your reputation and ultim...
Beverly Magee Appointed Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
March 3, 2021
Baltimore, MD - March 3, 2021 - Four Seasons veteran Beverly Magee has been named Regional Vice President in addition to her role as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, with regional responsibilities for Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown and Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston. “I feel honoured and privileged to take on this additional role with Four Seasons,” said Magee. “Each property is a dynamic destination full of art, entertainment, and culture and I look forward to working with these talented teams to continue to push boundaries and achieve even more success.” A true brand ambassador, Magee’s Fo...
U.S. Hotel Profitability Improved Slightly in January
STR | March 3, 2021
BROOMFIELD, Colorado — 3 March 2021 — U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) improved slightly from prior months but remained in the low single digits, according to STR‘s January 2021 monthly P&L data release. In a year-over-year comparison with January 2020, the industry reported the following: GOPPAR: -95.9% to US$3.14 TRevPAR: -73.3% to US$60.94 EBITDA PAR: -120.1% to US$-11.88 LPAR (Labor Costs): -63.3% to US$31.82 The industry’s GOPPAR was its highest since October (US$12.69). “As we approach the one-year mark of the first major restrictions in the U.S., profitability is at le...
How to Handle Lost Luggage: A Lesson From the Airlines
Shep Hyken | March 3, 2021
By Shep Hyken It’s been almost a year since my last business trip. I’m excited as I’m writing this article because I’m about ready to take the first trip since the COVID-19 lockdown. I reflected on what I love about travel, and even some of what I don’t love. Falling into the latter category of what I don’t love is checking luggage. I’m not sure if there is a term for this phobia, but I have the fear of airlines losing my luggage. Many of us “road warriors” choose to be “luggage minimalists” and pack everything into one small piece of luggage that fits in the overhead. If the trip is under seven days, I can usual...
Lodging Interactive Helps 2 & 3 Star Properties Thrive Online With Affordable Website Solutions
Lodging Interactive | March 3, 2021
Award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency, Lodging Interactive, announced the continued expansion of its HotelSiteXPRESS custom website and digital marketing programs tailored to meet the unique needs of 2 and 3-star properties. HotelSiteXPRESS offers an affordable mix of digital marketing services on a low-cost, monthly subscription basis with no long-term contracts and a website ownership program. “Since 2001 we’ve helped hundreds of full-service luxury properties capture increasing levels of online market share through our various technology and service offerings. And now, for properties with limited bu...
VICI Properties and Apollo Funds Ink $6.25B Deal to Acquire Las Vegas Sands’ Venetian Resort and Sands Expo Center
VICI Properties | March 3, 2021
NEW YORK -- March 3, 2021 -- VICI Properties Inc. (“VICI Properties” or the “Company”) announced today it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire from Las Vegas Sands Corp. (“LVS”) all of the land and real estate assets associated with the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Sands Expo and Convention Center, located in Las Vegas, Nevada (collectively, the “Venetian Resort”), for $4.0 billion in cash, representing a 6.25% cap rate. An affiliate of certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (the “Apollo Funds”), has agreed to acquire the operating company of the Venetian Resort for $2.25 bi...
New Sapphire Bay Resort, a Destination Hotel, Will Anchor New $1 Billion Mixed-Use Community in Rowlett, Texas
Sapphire Bay | March 3, 2021
ROWLETT, Texas -- March 3, 2021 -- Sapphire Bay, the new $1 billion master-planned mixed-use development project on the shore of Lake Ray Hubbard with a multiphase opening beginning in 2022, announced today that Hyatt will operate the new Sapphire Bay Resort & Conference Center on behalf of a public-private partnership with the City of Rowlett. Set to be located on the Sapphire Bay Peninsula and expected to open in fall 2023, the resort will join Hyatt’s Destination Hotels brand and showcase more than 500 guestrooms, suites and villas each with waterfront views overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard and the seven-acre man-made Sapphire Bay Lagoon...
Highgate Appoints Marianne Balfe as Vice President of Sustainability
Highgate | March 3, 2021
NEW YORK -- March 3, 2021 -- Highgate, the premier global real estate investment and hospitality management company, announces the appointment of Marianne Balfe to Vice President of Sustainability. In this new role, Marianne will be responsible for driving Highgate’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy across the company's guest experience, construction projects, external reporting, and corporate culture - with the goal of ensuring Highgate remains a leader in sustainable business practices. The hire reflects Highgate’s continued commitment to driving resiliency and sustainability in global hospitality. Marianne’s str...
Extended Stay America Opens Newest Location in Ormond Beach, Florida
Extended Stay America® | March 3, 2021
Charlotte, NC — March 3, 2021 — Extended Stay America, Inc. (“ESA”) and ESH Hospitality, Inc. (together, the “Company”), the largest mid-priced extended-stay hotel brand announced today the opening of the Extended Stay America Ormond Beach located in Ormand Beach, Florida. The four-story 124 room property features complimentary Wi-Fi, premium cable, a STAYFIT fitness room, STAYCLEAN laundry room, and our signature spacious STAYPLAY lobby with additional vending options. The rooms include fully equipped kitchens with full-size refrigerators, stovetop, cookware, utensils, and dishes, as well as pillowtop beds, recliners, spacious ...
Legacy Ventures Opens Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center
Hyatt House Atlanta Perimeter Center | March 3, 2021
ATLANTA – March 3, 2021 – Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center and Legacy Ventures proudly announced today the hotel’s opening in the Georgia state capital. Located in Sandy Springs’ “Pill Hill” medical district, the extended stay property is comprised of 186 guestrooms. Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center features an elevated pool, the H Bar with a Sip + Snack menu, as well as indoor and outdoor communal spaces, including fire pits and outdoor games. In collaboration with general contractor Choate Construction and architecture firm Cooper Cary, Hyatt House Atlanta Perimeter Center is Legacy Ventures’ fourth groun...
Pure Wellness Rooms Now Available at Loews Boston Hotel
Pure Wellness | March 3, 2021
Pure Rooms Added at Historic Back Bay Hotel DALLAS TX – MARCH 3, 2021 – Pure Wellness, the global leader in health and wellness for the hospitality industry has announced that they will add Pure rooms to Loews Boston Hotel, once home to the former Boston Police Headquarters. “The addition of Pure rooms gives the Loews Boston Hotel an additive draw for both leisure travelers and corporate business in the Boston market” commented Brian Shedd, Senior Vice President for Pure Wellness. “Guest needs are changing and providing additional options like Pure Rooms is a smart and strategic investment.” Pure Rooms utilize advanced...
What Drove Hotel Values to Decline in 2020?
Joseph Pierce | March 3, 2021
By Joseph Pierce The once-in-a-century pandemic has caused hoteliers to endure a firestorm that decimated the hotel and leisure industries. The growing COVID-19 cases across the U.S., as well as government restrictions on travel that further stress demand, continue to leave the hotel industry significantly behind pre-pandemic levels in terms of revenues, profitability and valuations. Gateway cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are experiencing some of the highest delinquencies in the nation as international travel and tourism in the U.S. remains at a near standstill. Other markets, such as Houston, have been especially ...
