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IHG Signs With Redhat Al Jabal LLC to Bring Hotel Indigo to the Sultanate of Oman
IHG | October 6, 2020
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel groups, has signed a Management Agreement with Redhat Al Jabal LLC to debut its global upscale boutique brand, Hotel Indigo, in Oman. A new built property, Hotel Indigo Jabal Al Akhdar will feature 176 design-led rooms and will open its doors to guests in early 2022. Offering authentic local experiences combined with a modern design, Hotel Indigo Jabal Al Akhdar will be located in Nizwa, in Ad Dakhliyah Governorate, and will be in proximity to the most scenic mountains in the country encompassing Jabal Akhdar. Situated at 2,000 meters above sea level, the hotel will offer 360...
Buenos Aires Marriott Hotel Opens Following Conversion of Hotel Panamericano Buenos Aires
Marriott Hotels | October 6, 2020
The 298-room Buenos Aires Marriott Hotel will be managed by Gotel Hotel Management, a company belonging to Grupo Hoteles Panamericano Marriott International announced today the long-awaited opening of the Buenos Aires Marriott Hotel. Previously operating as the Hotel Panamericano Buenos Aires, the property underwent an extensive conversion to meet Marriott's elevated quality standards. Located in the heart of the city, with convenient access to must-see attractions such as the Teatro Colón, the Obelisk and the Palace of Justice, the hotel is well positioned to become a favorite among business and leisure travelers visiting this South Amer...
Driving Revenue and Digital Guest Journeys Using Salesforce and Real-Time Guest Data
Hapi | October 6, 2020
Hapi’s CRM Connector App for Salesforce is powering up the customer journey and helping drive revenue through smarter marketing. Data Travel, LLC is releasing a new version of Hapi Connect, a native Salesforce App that is available on the Salesforce AppExchange. The product is designed to bring PMS data directly into Salesforce, the world’s best CRM. “Productized connectivity is important because you can be integrated and operational in a matter of days rather than months, and Salesforce offers maximum flexibility in customizing your hotel group’s CRM/EDM solution”. - Luis Segredo, CEO of Data Travel. In the latest rel...
Dean Bannon Appointed Managing Director, Europe for The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (Leading Hotels) | October 6, 2020
NEW YORK, NY— (October 6 2020) -The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd (LHW) has appointed Dean Bannon to the position of Managing Director, Europe. Mr. Bannon assumed the position on August 17, 2020 and will be based in London, England. Europe is a critically important market for LHW and its members. Nearly two thirds of LHW’s portfolio of more than 400 hotels are located in Europe, and the European market represents nearly 30 percent of LHW’s business. Mr. Bannon will be responsible for mapping the strategic direction for the organization in Europe and navigating the team through a successful COVID-19 recovery. Additionally he ...
Aparium Appoints Evan Sheridan as Brand Culinary Director
Aparium Hotel Group | October 6, 2020
CHICAGO, Ill. – Aparium Hotel Group recently announced the appointment of Evan Sheridan as Corporate Culinary Director of the brand. Sheridan will oversee menu and program development across Aparium’s entire portfolio, currently eight hotels with seven more opening by 2022. Douglas Rodriguez, known as “The Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine” will lead the culinary program at Hotel Haya as Executive Chef, set to open in September in the eclectic neighborhood of Ybor City in Tampa, Fla. Amber Lancaster will be at the helm of the recently reopened The MC Hotel in Montclair, N.J. as Executive Chef. Pre-pandemic, food and beverage offe...
Core Hospitality Appoints Monica Selvik General Manager for Upcoming Moxy Bergen
Core Hospitality | October 6, 2020
The hotel operator Core Hospitality has appointed Monica Selvik as General Manager of upcoming hotel Moxy Bergen. The international brand opens in the Norwegian city in six months. Monica Selvik takes on the role as “Captain” (General Manager in Moxy speak) at Moxy Bergen, a 199-room hotel that opens in March 2021 on the Norwegian west coast. Monica has more than 30 years’ experience from the hotel industry in a plurality of positions from receptionist and revenue manager to hotel manager and sales director. Her experience is mainly from Bergen where she has worked for Nordic Choice Hotels, First Hotels, Thon Hotels and Magic Hotels....
Does Quality Assurance, as We Know It, Have a Future?
Jochen Ehrhardt | October 6, 2020
By Jochen Ehrhardt Hotel group revenues are down by as much as 90% across the boards for the second quarter of 2020. The third quarter isn't looking much better, with many hotels only re-opening in the fourth quarter. The global demand-reduced crisis is here to stay and any recovery to 2019 levels is expected to take years, not months. As a result, hotels are forced to cut costs wherever possible: Anything that is not considered an essential part of the core business is put to the test. Quality Assurance falls into this category, raising the question whether traditional Quality Assurance hasn't been an anachronism for some time anywa...
Oliver Companies Partners With ProfitSword to Enhance Company Growth and Stability Using Latest in Business Intelligence and Forecasting Technology
ProfitSword, LLC | October 6, 2020
Hotel Management company leverages the adoption of ProfitSage to gain instant access to real-time business performance along with ability to identify future revenue and expense trends despite ongoing market fluctuations. DULUTH, Minn. – (October 6, 2020) – ProfitSword, hospitality’s premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has been selected by Oliver Companies, Inc. to provide each of its hotel locations with the industry’s ultimate in business and market performance insight with the implementation of ProfitSage. Seeking to continue the company’s impressive growth since its founding in 1978, Oli...
A-List Osthoff Resort Positions for Travel Restart; Selects Maestro PMS During Industry Pause for Guest-Focused Mobile Services and Integrated Operati
Maestro | October 6, 2020
Data mining and analytics, touchless operations, and robust third-party integrations are enabling personalized guest service, spa productivity MARKHAM, ONTARIO, OCT. 6, 2020 — The Osthoff Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond stunning year-round resort, spa and event destination in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. The 238-room Resort offers its award winning Aspira Spa, the L'ecole de la Maison cooking school, its family-friendly Pleasures™ Program, gift shops, dining outlets, as well as a fitness center, arcade and outdoor activities venue. Adam Hartenberger, Reservations Sales Manager for The Osthoff Resort, said, “It was the resort’s goal to bring al...
Hotel Equities Appoints Ryan McRae as Senior Vice President of Business Development
Hotel Equities | October 5, 2020
Former Marriott executive expected to advance growth in Canada ATLANTA – October 5, 2020 – Today, hotel ownership, management and development firm, Hotel Equities (“HE”), announced Ryan McRae has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Business Development. McRae most recently served as Area Vice President of Lodging Development with Marriott International. Based in Vancouver, in his new role McRae will focus on continuing to grow Hotel Equities’ Canadian portfolio of full service, select service and extended stay hotels. Prior to joining Marriott in 2014, McRae was Vice President, Acquisitions and Development for Silv...
Xenia Hotels & Resorts Sells Residence Inn Boston Cambridge for $107.5 Million
Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | October 5, 2020
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 5, 2020 -- Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) ("Xenia" or the "Company") today announced it has sold the 221-room Residence Inn Boston Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts for a price of $107.5 million, or approximately $486,500 per key. The sale price represents a 11.6x multiple and a 7.8% capitalization rate on the hotel's 2019 Hotel EBITDA and net operating income, respectively. In connection with the transaction, the buyer assumed the $60.3 million mortgage collateralized by the hotel. The transaction generated approximately $46.0 million in net proceeds for the Company after transaction costs. P...
Why Tracking RevPAR Only Is a Recipe for Failure
HotStats | October 5, 2020
What’s the problem with a RevPAR-only hotel performance focus? Imagine you’re trying to bake a world-class cake. You’ve picked out the best ingredients, tossed them in a bowl, and ... you’re done, right? Of course not. The ingredients going into the batter tell you very little about how your cake will turn out. The way ingredients mix, along with the baking temperature, and which tastes and textures are left after you bake all contribute to the final product. The same problem is at the heart of RevPAR-only strategies. RevPAR may touch on the basic ingredients for a profitable hotel operation, but it doesn’t even start to...
Blue Flag Acquires The Kelley House in Martha’s Vineyard, Partnering With Life House on Management
Life House Hotels | October 5, 2020
MARTHAS VINEYARD, Mass. - Boston-based real estate private equity firm Blue Flag Capital, part of Blue Flag Partners, has acquired The Kelley House, partnering with award-winning Life House through its Life Hospitality independent management platform on the operation of the historic, 57-room boutique hotel. This transaction represents the fourth collaboration between NYC-based Life House and Boston-based Blue Flag. Their partnership continues to prosper, with multiple additional assets under contract in key target markets, and active discussions underway to acquire hotels in Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Long Island. The Kelley H...
Highgate Assumes Management of Trust Hospitality Portfolio of 22 Lifestyle Properties
Highgate | October 5, 2020
New York, NY – Oct. 5, 2020 – Leading real estate investment and hospitality management company Highgate announced today it has assumed management of Trust Hospitality’s portfolio assets, comprised of 22 hotels and resorts – approximately 3,100 rooms – throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America. The portfolio includes a combination of existing and under development hotels and resorts. This transaction increases Highgate’s footprint in the Caribbean and Latin America, and will enable the company to be the leading hotel manager in the region. Trust CEO Richard Millard and Partner/Head of Development Michael Registe...
RED Hospitality Selects Pure Wellness for Vessel Sanitization
Pure Wellness | October 5, 2020
RED Hospitality, a leading provider of vertically integrated resort services, has partnered with Pure Wellness to sanitize and disinfect its line of ferries, charter boats and other vessels. Pure Wellness is the global leader in anti-viral and anti-microbial protection for the hospitality industry as well as other businesses and organizations. RED Hospitality (which stands for Resort, Experience and Destination Services) has been working to adapt their cleaning and maintenance procedures to meet the demands of COVID-19. The company understood the need for effective, scientifically-proven methods to help protect its customers and keep t...
DCF Is the Most Appropriate Method of Hotel Valuations, Especially During the COVID Era
Akash Datta | October 5, 2020
By Akash Datta, Dipti Mohan In a market like India, where land most often than not is mis-appropriately valued resulting in exaggerated project costs and hotel transactions are limited in number, the only viable methodology that remains relevant especially in the current uncertain & volatile market scenario is that of Discounted Cash Flows (DCF). Moreover, the current pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the hospitality sector, with hotels being temporarily closed and the sector witnessing all-time low performance metrics, by the virtue of which, assessing the value of a hotel on current income fails miserably. Hotels are ext...
Hyatt Signs With TTS Resorts to Develop 345-Room Grand Hyatt Hotel in St. Lucia
Grand Hyatt | October 5, 2020
CHICAGO (October 5, 2020) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with TTS Resorts LTD. for the first Hyatt-branded hotel in St. Lucia. The 345-room luxury Grand Hyatt hotel is expected to open in 2023 and signifies Hyatt’s continued brand growth into the Caribbean’s leading travel destinations. A new-build resort, Grand Hyatt St. Lucia will be located on the southwestern corner of the island in Sunset Bay, Choiseul. Grand Hyatt St. Lucia will be a captivating destination, featuring 345 guestrooms, including more than 50 luxury suites; three restaurants tha...
DoubleTree by Hilton Opens Beachfront Property in Mazatlán, Mexico
DoubleTree by Hilton | October 5, 2020
MAZATLÁN, Sinaloa, México - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Mazatlán. The 18-story, 281-room full service hotel just minutes from Mazatlán’s famous Boardwalk is the latest addition to DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton’s 18 market-leading brands. Located in the heart of the “Golden Zone” of Mazatlán, known for having the best restaurants, shops and nightlife, DoubleTree by Hilton Mazatlán features bright and vibrant accommodations with direct beach access and breathtaking views over the Mazatlán Pacific coastline. “We are thrilled to welcome DoubleTree by Hilton Mazatlán as the n...
New Holiday Inn Express® Bicester Opens in Oxfordshire
IHG | October 5, 2020
Developed by L+R Hotels, IHG® Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of its newest UK hotel, managed by Atlas Hotels - Holiday Inn Express® Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Just a ten-minute walk from Bicester Village, a top UK shopping destination, a five-minute drive from Bicester town centre and with free on-site parking for guests, this new-build hotel is the ideal base for those looking for a shopping getaway or some local sightseeing. Holiday Inn Express champions simple, smart travel by serving as a no-fuss basecamp where guests can work, rest, relax and recharge. All 149 bedrooms feature the Holiday Inn Express Next Generati...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Internal Control Reviews
David Lund | October 5, 2020
By David Lund Hot on the heels of creating a hotel policy manual is the newfound ability to create an internal control review process. Policies are all about the rules of the road and the ICR is all about the roadside check stop. “Excuse me, Sir, have you been drinking tonight?” “Why no, Officer, we’re just coming back from church.” In this piece I am going to examine how to create and use the ICR so your hotel and hotel company will have an effective, efficient and low-cost method of catching the rule breakers and most importantly, making sure everyone stays on the right side of the rules and we all make it home safely....
Lee Kramer Promoted to Director of Sales & Revenue Growth for NextPax Inc
October 5, 2020
NextPax Inc, a leader in channel management, is pleased to announce that Lee Kramer has been promoted to Director of Sales & Revenue Growth. In his new role, Kramer will manage the sales and revenue growth for NextPax in the Americas. Joining NextPax in 2018, Kramer served as an account manager. He possesses over 10 years of experience in the vacation rental industry as a property manager in Gulf Shores, AL. Prior to joining NextPax, Kramer served as Director of Operations for Mandoki Hospitality under the tutelage of Pedro Mandoki. Jim Barsch, President of NextPax Inc. states, ‘I’m very excited to promote Lee to Director of Sales &...
FAU Expert Insists Deep Price Discounts Now Will Set Bad Precedent for Hotels After Coronavirus Crisis Ends
Florida Atlantic University | October 5, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2020) – Hoteliers are bracing for a tenuous tourist season as the fallout from the COVID-19 recession lingers, but deep discounting should not be part of the recovery playbook, said Peter Ricci, Ed.D, director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. Ricci contends that hotels should keep rates what they were prior to the pandemic and instead institute a bare-bones operation that includes reduced staffing and expenses with only a small percentage of rooms available to reserve. “This will maintain brand integrity and the quality expectations wi...
STR: U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 26 September
STR | October 1, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—U.S. hotel occupancy remained nearly flat from the previous week, according to the latest data from STR through 26 September. 20-26 September 2020 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019): Occupancy: 48.7% (-31.5%) Average daily rate (ADR): US$96.38 (-29.6%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$46.96 (-51.7%) Most of the markets with the highest occupancy levels were those in areas with displaced residents from natural disasters. Affected by Hurricane Sally, Mobile, Alabama, reported the week’s highest occupancy level at 74.9%. Amid continued wildfires, California South/Central was nex...
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 26 September
STR | October 1, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—STR data for 20-26 September 2020 showed slightly lower performance from prior weeks for Canada’s hotel industry. Year-over-year declines also worsened. In comparison with the week of 22-28 September 2019, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: 35.6% (-53.7%) Average daily rate (ADR): CAD119.39 (-32.8%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD42.46 (-68.9%) Occupancy for previous weeks came in at 37.0% (19 September), 39.8% (12 September) and 41.9% (5 September), respectively For the week ending with 26 September, British Columbia (44.0%) was the only province to reach or surpass a 40...
