The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
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Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
2020: Worst Year in Tourism History With 1 Billion Fewer International Arrivals
UNWTO | January 28, 2021
ALL REGIONS - 28 January 21 - According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the collapse in international travel represents an estimated loss of USD 1.3 trillion in export revenues - more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis. The crisis has put between 100 and 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk, many of them in small and medium-sized enterprises. Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, many countries are now reintroducing stricter travel restrictions. These include mandatory testing, quarantines and in some cases a complete closure of borders, all weighing on the resumption of internat...
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village Appoints Marwan Haddad as New Director of Hotel Sales
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village | January 28, 2021
Cape Coral, FL – January 28, 2021 – The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village proudly announces the appointment of Marwan Haddad as Director of Hotel Sales. An experienced hotelier recognized for his work introducing and elevating Marriott brands across new domestic and international markets, Haddad will lead all sales and marketing initiatives for the luxury hotel. His day to day focuses will include identifying new and innovative business-generating strategies and implementing targeted sales techniques to broaden guest reach. Haddad brings nearly two decades of global sales and marketing-re...
Radisson Blu Fargo Opens in North Dakota Following Renovation and Rebranding
Radisson Blu | January 28, 2021
Minneapolis - January 28, 2021 - Radisson Blu, an upper upscale hotel brand delivering positive and personalized service in stylish spaces, today announced the opening of Radisson Blu Fargo, a chic new property located at 201 5th Street N. in downtown Fargo, North Dakota. Centrally located among the city’s best attractions and just four miles from Hector International Airport (FAR), the hotel’s downtown location serves as the perfect home base for business and leisure travelers alike. The opening comes amid a period of impressive growth for the Radisson Blu brand, which has expanded its footprint with several hotels throughout the Amer...
Janko Hospitality Set for March Opening of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lockport in Illinois
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lockport | January 28, 2021
LOCKPORT, Ill. – January 28 2020 – The “City of Historic Pride” will now be adding an exciting moment to its timeline: the addition of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lockport, its first-ever hotel opening this March. Located off of I-355 at 16223 W. 159th St.,the new hotel is brought to Lockport by Janko Group and will be managed by Janko Hospitality. The new hotel will feature 81 comfortable guestrooms and suites, an indoor pool, fitness facility, business and meeting centers, grab-and-go breakfast options and a 24-hour market for guests to enjoy during their stay. “We’re both excited and honored to be bringing the first...
TAFER Hotels & Resorts Appoints Sasa Milojevic as Chief Operating Officer
Tafer Hotels & Resorts | January 28, 2021
Puerto Vallarta - January 28, 2021 - TAFER Hotels & Resorts, a forward-thinking leisure and hospitality company with an award-winning collection of resorts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Sasa Milojevic as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Milojevic brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his new role and will help TAFER Hotels & Resorts grow their luxury hotel and real estate portfolio while adapting to forthcoming sales trends and further improving the excellent customer service the company is known and recognized. Sasa is a well-versed operations and business strategist who has worked with noted hotel br...
Aimbridge Hospitality Opens New DoubleTree by Hilton Lubbock University Area
Aimbridge Hospitality | January 28, 2021
PLANO, TX - January 28, 2021 - Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, announces it has opened and is managing the newly built, 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Lubbock University Area. “Our team is delighted to open our doors to guests and serve the community in this vital area of Lubbock,” said General Manager Matthew Roig. “Lubbock has so much to offer visitors and locals, and our debut, with DoubleTree by Hilton’s signature hospitality, adds to the fabric of this vibrant city.” Rob Smith, Aimbridge Hospitality’s executive vice president of operations-full service and resorts, added:...
State of the Travel Industry Event Maps Out Comeback for Hardest-Hit U.S. Industry
U.S. Travel Association | January 28, 2021
WASHINGTON — January 28, 2021 — “Travel’s Next Great Chapter.” That’s how U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow described the coming era for the American travel and tourism industry following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the industry lose 4.5 million jobs by the end of last year—the most of any U.S. industry. In the annual State of the Travel Industry address delivered via webcast from the National Press Club on Wednesday, Dow acknowledged the hardships the pandemic has inflicted on travel—both as an industry and as a fundamental part of American life—but struck an optimistic tone abou...
INTELITY Collaborates With the Leading Hotels of the World to Develop Custom Mobile App and Guest Experience Platform for Brand and Member Hotels
INTELITY | January 28, 2021
Los Angeles, CA - January 28, 2021 - INTELITY®, the developer of hospitality’s broadest guest experience platform, announced today a new collaboration with The Leading Hotels of the World (Leading Hotels). The relationship will launch the INTELITY platform worldwide with the future development of a Leading Hotels mobile app. The app will be customer-facing and specifically designed for Leaders Club loyalty members by catering to their needs at Leading Hotels’ more than 400 properties across 80 countries. The collaboration also includes preferred options for Leading Hotels’ members to partner with INTELITY for an app completely customi...
Grand Okanagan Resort in British Columbia Selects Clear Sky Software for Better Control of Beverage and Tableware Inventory
Clear Sky Software | January 28, 2021
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – January 28, 2021 – Clear Sky Software, Inc. ® announced today that Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort has completed the installation of Clear Sky’s Beverage and Tableware inventory control system. This large resort in beautiful British Columbia, selected Clear Sky Software and has been busy taking advantage of this industry-leading inventory system. Called Clear Sky BEVERAGE and Clear Sky TABLEWARE, this is a comprehensive, perpetual inventory system that tracks and controls all beverage and tableware products to include beer, liquor, wine, china, glassware and linens.. Functions include purchas...
Three Ways Smart Data Technology Gives Your Casino an Edge in Generating Guest Loyalty and Revenue in the Post-COVID World
David Tyre | January 28, 2021
By David Tyre, VP of Business Development – North America at Zoox Smart Data The global casino and gaming market has seen significant market upheaval over the last year with industry professionals questioning what they should do next to regain much needed revenue from their operations. Yet as the pandemic has continued to grow, so too have advances in the area of big data technology for the casino industry. With the rise of big data, casino businesses have the ability to gather the vital intelligence they need to identify market conditions and act on both revenue opportunities and threats. While casinos may typically gather and mainta...
After Unanticipated 2020, Hotel Industry Knows What It’s Up Against
HotStats | January 27, 2021
The end of 2020 is not the end of the problems for the global hotel industry, but it does bring hope on the wings of a vaccine that, in time, could be a panacea for what ails it: fear. The hotel industry does not perform well without its most significant ingredient: people. The pandemic has removed that element. In its place sit unused guestrooms, vacant restaurants and empty conference and meeting spaces. It’s a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what was concocted last year. But the close of the calendar doesn’t automatically mean a brighter 2021. It will still take time. Last year ended on a high note for hotels in the Midd...
Pandemic Lessons From a Las Vegas Hotel Leader
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | January 27, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky The city of Las Vegas always presents an interesting picture for the state of global hospitality. Often standing in contrast to the rest of the world, this nexus of conventions and sometimes excessive leisure trips is also a center of hotel innovation. Now with the sharp demand for contactless experiences so as to prevent the spread of viruses through The Strip’s innumerous corridors and grandiose lobby floors which can see tens of thousands of visitors a day, we look once more to this city for how it is adapting to the times. We’ve known Shannon McCallum for well over a decade. And like the two of us, s...
Be a Goldfish
Shep Hyken | January 27, 2021
By Shep Hyken I was recently asked what three traits I think are most important for someone in customer service to have. I’d like to broaden the topic to anyone dealing with someone else’s problem or question, be it a customer or another person inside the organization, also known as an inside customer. My response to the question was quick: Empathy, which I have chosen as The Word of the Year. More than ever, our customers need to feel a connection. Good communications skills, which includes listening and also ties back to empathy. If you miscommunicate with customers, that could lead to them saying something like, “I...
Las Vegas Sands Appoints Executive Leadership Team
Las Vegas Sands Corp. | January 27, 2021
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 27, 2021 -- Las Vegas Sands has named long-time company executive Robert G. Goldstein chairman and chief executive officer, after having assumed the role as acting chairman and chief executive officer on January 7, 2021. Patrick Dumont has been named president and chief operating officer, and Randy Hyzak will now serve as chief financial officer. Mr. Dumont previously served as executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Mr. Hyzak was chief accounting officer. The changes come as the company continues to mourn the loss of its visionary founder, Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson, who was the company's chairman ...
Omni Oklahoma City Hotel Opens Its Doors to the Oklahoma City Community
Omni Hotels & Resorts | January 27, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Jan. 27, 2021) – Today, Omni Hotels & Resorts celebrates the grand opening of the highly anticipated Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, a 605-guest room convention center hotel in the heart of Oklahoma City. Executives from Omni held a ribbon cutting alongside Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Interim Director Mike Burns, The Honorable Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, The Honorable Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City President and CEO Cathy O’Connor and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President and CEO Roy Williams. The 17-story hotel located at 100 West Oklahoma City Bl...
Hyatt Announces Plans for the Addition of Three Story Hotels in Sweden
JDV Hotels | January 27, 2021
CHICAGO (JANUARY 27, 2021) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into franchise agreements with Story Hotels Holding AB to bring three hotels in Sweden under the JDV Hotel brand, helping to grow Hyatt’s independent collection brand in Europe. The three boutique hotels – Story Hotel Riddargatan and Story Hotel Signalfabriken in Stockholm, as well as Story Hotel Studio Malmö, Sweden – will all retain their individual hotel names and unique identities. The three Story Hotels will be available for reservation through Hyatt’s booking channels and for World of Hyatt members to earn and r...
Hilton Expands Indonesia Footprint With Opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Surabaya
PT. Indo Citra Eka Abadi | January 27, 2021
SURABAYA, Indonesia - January 27, 2021 - DoubleTree by Hilton, one of the fastest-growing brands in the Hilton portfolio, today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Surabaya. The 310-room hotel marks the sixth property in Hilton’s Indonesia portfolio. It is owned by PT. Indo Citra Eka Abadi and managed by Hilton. “As the largest economy in South East Asia, Indonesia plays a key role in Hilton’s regional growth and expansion. We are delighted to welcome our latest addition to the Hilton family in no less than one of the best locations in Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia. With its strategic location in close pr...
Vision Hospitality Plans Spring 2021 Opening of Kinley Chattanooga Southside
Kinley Chattanooga Southside | January 27, 2021
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – January 27, 2021 - Vision Hospitality Group announces its newest lifestyle hotel, Kinley Chattanooga Southside, is slated to open this spring and is now accepting reservations beginning April 29. The 64-room hotel is nestled in the city’s entertainment district, a walkable neighborhood where art and culture make up the community, at 1409 Market Street. Unpretentiously hip, the hotel embodies small-city sensibility combined with innovative appeal and extraordinary warmth to act as a living room. Kinley is taking a modern approach to all things Chattanooga, incorporating design inspiration from local makers, f...
Give Guests a Rest!
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | January 27, 2021
27 January 2021 - A good night’s sleep is the most important service a hotel can offer its overnight guests, according to Dr Alice Hon and Dr Clare Fung of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Analysing hotels’ sleep-management strategies from the perspective of both business and leisure travellers, the researchers show how hotels can best allocate their resources to optimise guests’ sleep quality. Such strategies may offer hotels a unique source of competitive advantage, enabling them to survive and even thrive in today’s precarious market environment. The chance to sleep well an...
IHG Signs MDA With Ishraq Hospitality to Open 8 New Holiday Inn Express Hotels Across MEA
IHG | January 27, 2021
27 JANUARY 2021 - IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has recently signed a Master Development Agreement (MDA) with Ishraq Hospitality, a division of the Dubai-based Mohamed & Obaid Almulla Group, to develop eight hotels across IHG’s midscale brand, Holiday Inn Express, in the MEA region. The multi-property portfolio license will see new hotel openings in the United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt in the near term. Ishraq Hospitality, which operates HIEX under the IHG franchise, currently owns four Holiday Inn Express hotels in the UAE in partnership with IHG. Holiday ...
Tom Underwood Appointed CEO of StayNTouch
StayNTouch | January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021 - StayNTouch, a leader in cloud hotel property management software and contactless solutions, and a wholly owned subsidiary of MCR, announced today that Tom Underwood has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Underwood benefits from more than 20 years of senior executive experience in travel and hospitality technology, including serving as CFO and SVP of Corporate Development at Lola.com, a SaaS-based travel expense management platform, and as Senior Vice President of Hotels at Orbitz Worldwide, an online travel company acquired by Expedia Group. “We are excited to welcome Tom as the new CEO o...
Margaritaville Hotel Opens Its Doors on Jacksonville Beach
MARGARITAVILLE | January 27, 2021
Jacksonville Beach, FL. (January 27, 2021) - Global lifestyle and hospitality brand Margaritaville and Elite Hospitality debut Margaritaville Beach Hotel Jacksonville Beach, an oceanfront hotel located a few blocks north of the Jacksonville Beach Pier. The property is the first Margaritaville destination to open in 2021. The brand-new hotel features 202 rooms with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean or hotel grounds from private terraces and patios; three Margaritaville-inspired dining options with ocean view outdoor seating; a 1,050 square foot retail store; and a 1,700 square foot meeting room. Designed by McBride Design to embody ...
Agilysys Reports Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Revenue of $36.7M
Agilysys | January 27, 2021
Reports Record Recurring Revenue of $22.8M Inclusive of Subscription Revenue Growth of 18% Reports Positive Adjusted EBITDA of $7.6M Quarterly Free Cash Flow of $7.8M and Cash Balance Increase of $6.9M to $92.6M Alpharetta, GA – January 26, 2021 - Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today reported operating results for its fiscal 2021 third quarter and period ended December 31, 2020. Summary of Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Financial Results Total net revenue was $36.7 million, compared to total net revenue of $42.0 million in the comparable prior-year peri...
Shaner Hotel Group Selects Cloud5 for New Build HSIA and PBX Services
Cloud5 Communications | January 27, 2021
Chicago, IL. — January 27, 2021 — Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, today announced that they’ve expanded their long-standing relationship with the Shaner Hotel Group by providing HSIA and PBX solutions for six newly built Marriott-branded properties: Courtyard Downtown Fort Lauderdale, FL (Opening Q1 2021) Fairfield Inn & Suites Mechanicsburg, PA (Now Open) Springhill Suites Dublin, OH (Opening Q1 2021) TownePlace Suites Columbus North-OSU, OH (Now Open) Fairfield Inn & Suites, Lebanon, PA (Opening Q2 2021) Fairf...
