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Mark Hehir Appointed General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands Opening in 2021
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company | December 7, 2020
Male, Maldives – December 07, 2020 – The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is pleased to announce that Mark Hehir has been appointed General Manager of the highly anticipated and luxurious Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, set to open in Q2 of 2021. With more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and 20 years of experience in the Maldives, Mark is truly an accomplished resort executive in the region. Born and raised in Australia, Hehir worked in his home country as well as in Europe, Asia and the Indian Ocean region but came to the know the Maldives region by chance. His first role in ...
Improving the Hotel Bottom-Line Begins With Knowing How to Read a P&L
HotStats | December 7, 2020
By Aggie Wojciechowska "Here's the bottom line..." It's a familiar turn of phrase that is succeeded by the speaker getting to the sum or crux of the issue—the overarching point. In running a hotel, getting to the bottom line means getting to what matters: profit. In order to arrive at that point, there are many inputs, both revenue and expense related, which mingle together to produce an outcome. The telling of that dance is recorded in the profit and loss statement (P&L), a signpost that records the story, of which the bottom line is the finale. How to read the story is the first step toward financial success. The P&L (al...
Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index Jumped 31.0% in November
Baird | December 7, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee, and MILWAUKEE—The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index was up 31.0% in November to a level of 4,354. Year to date through the first 11 months of 2020, the stock index was down 17.4%. “Election clarity and several positive vaccine updates caused a sharp reversal in investor expectations and led to significant outperformance for hotel stocks during November,” said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. “The positive vaccine updates allow investors to look to ‘the other side’ and reset their expectations for growth in 2022 and beyond. Worst-case scenarios, especially for the ho...
AMJ Group Plans First Hyatt-Branded Hotel in Gainesville, Florida
Hyatt Place | December 7, 2020
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (December 7, 2020) – AMJ Group today announced plans to develop the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Gainesville, Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown. Expected to open in spring 2022, Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown will bring the brand’s intuitive design, inspired by Gainesville’s uniquely creative and artistic culture, casual atmosphere and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings, to downtown Gainesville, adding to the historic neighborhood. With 145 guestrooms, a second-floor elevated pool, market, lounge, restaurant and 1,800 square feet of meeting space, Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown wi...
IHG Signs With Calvia Country Club for Kimpton Mallorca in Spain
IHG | December 7, 2020
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has completed a landmark deal to sign their first luxury hotel in Mallorca, under the Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants brand. When it opens in 2022, Kimpton Mallorca will further expand the brand’s presence in Spain, following the launch of Kimpton® Vividora Hotel in Barcelona earlier this year. The hotel will operate under a management agreement with Calvia Country Club S.A. The 79-room luxury boutique hotel will be nestled next to one of the island’s most renowned golf courses, Santa Ponsa Golf, on the site of the existing Santa Ponsa Co...
Westin Hotels & Resorts Expands in Indonesia With the Opening of The Westin Surabaya
Westin Hotels & Resorts | December 7, 2020
Westin Hotels & Resorts today announced the brand’s debut in Surabaya with the opening of The Westin Surabaya. Embracing the brand’s foundational pillars of Eat Well, Move Well and Sleep Well, the new hotel features signature brand programs that enable guests to maintain their wellbeing while they are on the road. As the second largest city in Indonesia and the capital of the East Java province, Surabaya is home to colonial architecture and historical monuments including the Heroes Monument, Surabaya Submarine Monument and Tunjungan Plaza, all within close proximity of the hotel. Guests staying at The Westin Surabaya also have dir...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: A Boring Routine Secretly Equals Power
David Lund | December 7, 2020
By David Lund If you wish you could do more each day and you’re open to looking at things differently, to consider there may be a stronger system to follow, perhaps this one is for you. Also, if you’re a big fan of multi-tasking then YOU HAVE TO read this. When we have a routine, we have a system that helps us generate tremendous results on the core work we do. We cannot be creative outside of a solid routine that gets the function of what we need to accomplish every day done. When the core work is done we then have a license to create outside of that routine. Scott Adams, author of “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still W...
Volara Achieves AWS Travel and Hospitality Competency Status
Volara | December 7, 2020
December 7, 2020, NEW YORK — Volara, the voice hub for the hotel industry, announces that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Travel and Hospitality Competency status. This designation recognizes that Volara has demonstrated deep experience helping its hotel customers accelerate the industry’s modernization and innovation from behind-the-scenes operational efficiencies to guest-facing customer experiences – while ensuring the protection of guest privacy and hotel proprietary data. The launch of the AWS Travel and Hospitality Competency comes at a crucial time for the industry as it looks to innovate to address changing demands ...
Siegel Sez: Takeaways From HT-NEXT With Doug Rice
December 4, 2020
For the many of you who have commented on our latest HU High Five, thank you. Interviewing hotel tech leaders and creating these videos is fun, but this week it was nice to do one with an ex-tech industry leader. Page Petry who spent most of her adult life at Marriott tells us about starting as a front desk person and becoming the CIO for the Americas and most recently her retirement. If you have not seen it, please click here. I had to smile when she mentioned starting her career at the front desk of a hotel. I remember my first hotel job working the front desk at the Laurels Lake Hotel and Resort in the Catskill Mountains wanting to learn ...
The Story Tells The Story
Shep Hyken | December 3, 2020
By Shep Hyken What’s your story? What reasons compel your customers to do business with you? What gets them excited about doing business with you? Consider this. If you’re selling a trip to Hawaii, you probably try to paint a vision of a day on the beach, an amazing luau and a beautiful oceanfront balcony that includes a gorgeous sunset. The story you don’t tell—at least I hope you don’t—is the one that includes the technical specs of the engine on the plane that’s flying you to that exotic location, the type of tires on the resort’s van that will be waiting at the airport or the number of parking spaces in the resort’...
Hilton Launches First Hotel Under Tapestry Collection in Asia Pacific: Hotel Resonance Taipei
Prince Housing and Development Corp | December 3, 2020
TAIPEI and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the opening of HOTEL RESONANCE TAIPEI, a 14-story, 175-room modern hotel located at Happy Village of Zhong Zheng District, Taipei. The latest addition to the Tapestry Collection portfolio and the first hotel under the brand to launch in Asia Pacific, Hotel Resonance Taipei is owned by Times Square International Stays Corp, a subsidiary of Prince Housing & Development Corp, under a franchise agreement with Hilton. Providing easy access to the city’s downtown recreational and cultural attractions, Hotel Resonance Taipei is located 37 kilometers from Taoyuan International Ai...
Q : What Is Disintermediation?
EHL Insights | December 3, 2020
In the modern age, how businesses engage their customers continues to evolve rapidly. Consumers have changed how they search out the brands they want to buy from, how they choose between options and what they expect with regards to service. Hotels need to make sure they understand the concept of "disintermediation" (the reduction in intermediaries between producers and consumers), so that they can better grasp customer needs, make the necessary changes and continue to exceed their customers’ expectations in order to thrive as a business. A keen understanding of the latest trends allows professionals in the hospitality industry to adapt ...
IHG Signs With Siamese Asset to Bring Crowne Plaza to Bangkok
IHG | December 3, 2020
Franchise agreement signed with long-term partner for Crowne Plaza Bangkok Rama 9 InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) has signed a landmark franchise agreement with real estate experts, Siamese Asset to expand its world-renowned Crowne Plaza brand in Bangkok. The new Crowne Plaza Bangkok Rama 9 hotel will open in 2025in a prime city location, close to the Thai capital’s new central business district. The announcement signals the first time IHG has completed a franchise agreement in Thailand, as they expand their relationship with long-term partner Kew Green, a franchisee of more than 40 hotels in the UK. Kew Gree...
The Living Company Expands Hospitality Leadership Team
The Living Company | December 3, 2020
The Living Company (TLC) announced today that three veterans of the furniture industry will join its executive team as part of its continued expansion in the hospitality space. Beyond hospitality, TLC has experienced significant growth in the burgeoning workforce housing and co-living sectors. Through its University Furnishings brand, it is the leading supplier of furniture, fixtures, and equipment to off-campus student housing. Backed by Lee Equity Partners, TLC offers a comprehensive range of services, including design, sourcing, kitting, warehousing, delivery, installation, replacement, and rehabilitation. According to President and CEO...
Mind the ‘COVID’ Gap
Thomas Mielke | December 3, 2020
By: Thomas Mielke, London | James Houran, Ph.D., Dallas There was a collective sigh of relief in early November when Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and the Oxford-AstraZeneca team announced in rapid succession their news of vaccines with 90%-plus efficacy rates. However, business leaders in the hospitality industry understand that these positive developments are not a ‘silver bullet’ to solving pressing problems in the here and now. Neither will be the breaking news of the now UK-approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that coronavirus vaccines might be deployed, at scale, early to mid-2021. Challen...
Accessible Tourism Identified as ‘Game Changer’ for Destinations
UNWTO | December 3, 2020
Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a ‘game changer’ for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. A new set of Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the ONCE Foundation of Spain and Travability from Australia, makes clear the importance of placing inclusivity at the centre of recovery plans and provides key recommendations for achieving this. Launched on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guid...
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 28 November
STR | December 3, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—STR data for 22-28 November 2020 showed Canada’s hotel industry with slightly lower occupancy from the previous week. 22-28 November 2020 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019): Occupancy: 25.7% (-56.6%) Average daily rate (ADR): CAD106.57 (-26.2%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD27.36 (-68.0%) Occupancy for previous weeks came in at 27.8% (21 November), 27.8% (14 November), and 29.4% (7 November). For the week ending with 28 November, British Columbia recorded the highest occupancy level (29.2%) among the provinces. Among the major markets, Vancouver (27.3%) saw the...
STR: U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 28 November
STR | December 3, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—U.S. weekly hotel occupancy fell to its lowest level since late May, according to the latest data from STR through 28 November. 22-28 November 2020 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019): Occupancy: 36.2% (-28.5%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$92.49 (-17.8%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$33.49 (-41.2%) TSA checkpoint counts increased sharply with more than 6 million passengers during both the week before and of Thanksgiving. However, that increased air travel volume did not translate to more hotel rooms sold as weekly demand (13.2 million) and occupancy fell to their lowest lev...
Aimbridge Hospitality and Evolution Hospitality Appoint John Caparella as President of Evolution Hospitality, Lifestyle Division
Evolution Hospitality | December 3, 2020
PLANO, TX./SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. (December 3, 2020) – Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading global, third-party hotel management company, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Evolution Hospitality, announce the appointment of John Caparella to President of Evolution Hospitality. In his new role, Caparalla is responsible for managing all facets of the Evolution Hospitality division, which includes a portfolio of lifestyle, luxury, and independent hotels. With a robust development pipeline of soft brands and independent lifestyle properties, it is an opportune time to add Caparella's leadership to Aimbridge's lifestyle operating division. "John's...
Turnstone Group Selects Sandpiper Hospitality to Manage New WoodSpring Suites Atlanta – Newnan
Sandpiper Hospitality | December 3, 2020
Richmond, Va. – Dec. 2, 2020 – Sandpiper Hospitality – a Virginia-based hotel management company that specializes in the extended-stay segment – is pleased to announce that it has signed another new third party management agreement, this time with Atlanta’s Turnstone Group. Sandpiper will be managing the Turnstone Group’s new WoodSpring Suites Atlanta – Newnan, which is scheduled to open in early February 2021. Located close to the Piedmont Newnan Hospital and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, The Ashley Park shopping center and Historic Downtown Newnan Square, the hotel will offer 125 suites all featuring a full kitchen,...
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Opens the Kimpton Aluna Hotel, Its First Hotel in Mexico
Grupo Presidente | December 3, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO (December 3, 2020) – Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today it will open a new 78-room lifestyle luxury hotel in Tulum, marking the brand’s first opening in Mexico. Set to open on December 18, the luxurious Kimpton Aluna Hotel offers guests a tucked-away oasis in the Mayan Riviera. Grupo Presidente, a long-standing partner of Kimpton’s parent company, IHG® (Intercontinental Hotels Group), will manage hotel operations and bring the Kimpton experience to life. Originally opened in 2018 as a luxury anchor for the prestigious Aldea Zama community, the now Kimpton Aluna Hotel is situated on the edge of nearly on...
Midas Hospitality Opens SpringHill Suites-Overland Park
Midas Hospitality | December 3, 2020
(St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 3, 2020) Leading hotel development, management and investment firm Midas Hospitality recently opened its first Overland Park, Kansas property. Located at 4081 Indian Creek Parkway, the $20 million SpringHill Suites-Overland Park is a five-story hotel with 128 spacious suites. The all-suites hotel features a fitness center, indoor swimming pool, and meeting room. SpringHill Suites-Overland Park is conveniently located near the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens and Topgolf. Midas Hospitality developed the hotel that was built by Thomas Construction, which is headquartered in Osage Beach, Missouri. Thi...
Edwardian Hotels London Plans April 2021 Opening of The Londoner
Edwardian Hotels London | December 3, 2020
December 3 2020 - As some of the most prolific players in the London hospitality scene, Edwardian Hotels London has not slowed in their quest to launch The Londoner, at a time when the industry needs it most. Taking center stage on Leicester Square, The Londoner will welcome arrivals from April 2021, not only placing guests in the world’s first super boutique hotel, but also at the heart of the West End theatreland. Boutique in feeling yet staggering in scale, The Londoner is set to transform the city’s hotel landscape. In excess of £300 million of investment towards the group’s most ambitious project to date, Edwardian Hotels London ...
Virdee and SALTO Systems Partner to Deliver Contactless Arrival and Entry Solutions Across the Built Environment
Virdee | December 3, 2020
Integration accelerates the roll out of Virdee’s industry-leading API-first, contactless check-in and check-out solutions AUSTIN, Texas– Dec. 3, 2020 - Virdee, a SaaS company serving the lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries, announced today a partnership with SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions. The integration provides a powerful answer to the market’s demand for contactless arrival options by leveraging Virdee’s advanced ID verification module and the ability for guests to video chat with a remote agent before accessing a property. Under the partnership, SALTO System...
