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Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
GCommerce Adds Metasearch to Its Hospitality Digital Marketing Services
GCommerce | September 29, 2020
Adding metasearch to the company’s repertoire will complete the digital media mix for independent hotels and resorts Park City, UT, September 29, 2020 - GCommerce, a leading, hospitality digital marketing agency, has announced its newest offering, metasearch advertising. “Metasearch advertising has continued its rise in importance for hotels and resorts. Our clients are dedicating a higher percentage of their marketing budgets to Metasearch because of its premium returns” says Lindley Cotton, President of GCommerce Solutions. “Our goal is always to generate premium digital revenue for our clients, and metasearch has become an in...
New WTTC Campaign Highlights the Social Benefits of Travel & Tourism
September 28, 2020
‘Travel the world. Make a difference’ and share experiences Campaign launched on World Tourism Day (27 Sept) London, UK: A major social media campaign has today been launched to raise awareness of the wide-ranging social benefits of travel by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The new initiative asks travellers to think about the positive social impact that travel makes to people, places and communities dependent upon the Travel & Tourism sector for their livelihoods. It also encourages people around the world to share stories of how tourism has made a difference and changed their lives. The campaign strap...
PM Hotel Group Selected to Manage the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
PM Hotel Group | September 28, 2020
CHEVY CHASE, Md., Sept. 28, 2020 - PM Hotel Group today announces that it has been selected to manage the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, further expanding the company's portfolio of Marriott-affiliated lifestyle properties. "We are proud to be selected to manage the previously brand managed property," said Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group. "We know and love the Renaissance brand ethos and its dedication to helping travelers navigate neighborhoods and discover hidden gems wherever they are. Together with the hotel's spectacular location in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, guests here will experience the best that Cha...
Anna Lawrence Joins Hawks Cay Resort as Director of Sales
Hawks Cay Resort | September 28, 2020
DUCK KEY, Fla. – September 28, 2020 – Hawks Cay Resort, an iconic destination resort in the Florida Keys, announces the appointment of Anna Lawrence as the resort’s new director of sales. Having worked in various properties throughout the Florida Keys for nearly a decade, Lawrence brings a deep understanding of the local market and experience implementing innovative sales campaigns. “The ability to create and drive fresh sales campaigns is imperative for the success of Hawks Cay Resort as we continue to adapt to new market trends and traveler preferences,” said Sheldon Suga, Hawks Cay Resort regional vice president and managing d...
Hotel CEO Pay For Performance Study 2020
Keith Kefgen | September 28, 2020
By Keith Kefgen, Terry Donovan What a difference 6 months makes. 2020 began with hotel companies coming off one of the strongest years in history and feeling optimistic the good times would continue. Since then, the industry has had widespread closures, massive layoffs, and CEO’s taking significant pay cuts while grappling with a global pandemic. While we will explore the ramifications of this crisis in this article’s conclusion, much of this study is focused on 2019 compensation data. What we have found over the twenty-plus years of studying CEO pay, that boards are still challenged with linking CEO pay to company performance. In f...
Property Taxes Post COVID-19
Brian F. Bisema | September 28, 2020
By Brian Bisema, Suzanne Mellen After realizing record-high RevPAR levels with over 100 consecutive months of growth, the lodging industry continued to strengthen through 2019, albeit at a significantly more tempered rate. Then, in the first quarter of 2020, COVID-19 struck. The unimaginable pandemic erased years of RevPAR gains virtually overnight, leaving owners and operators scrambling to strategize the forthcoming steps. While logistics pertaining to reopening hotels, new sanitation standards, and controlling variable operational expenses are on the forefront of hoteliers’ minds, fixed expenses, particularly an asset’s property tax...
Harrah’s Resort Southern California Appoints Robert Livingston to General Manager and Senior Vice President of Tribal Development
Harrah’s Resort SoCal | September 28, 2020
FUNNER, CALIF. (September 28, 2020) – Harrah’s Resort Southern California has welcomed Robert Livingston as the resort’s new senior vice president of tribal development and general manager. Livingston has been a valued member of the Caesars Entertainment team for over 29 years, holding eight years of previous experience as assistant general manager of Harrah’s Resort Southern California, followed by time as the senior vice president, general manager of Harrah’s Ak-Chin, where he has led this team for the past 10 years. During the last four years of his tenure at Ak-Chin, Livingston also served as the regional president and liaised w...
Luxury Boutique Hotels – a Growing Concept in India
Akash Datta | September 28, 2020
By Akash Datta, Dipti Mohan Luxury boutique hotels and resorts, a widely prevalent concept globally, is still at a nascent stage in India, with very few brands and properties. The increasing desire for experiential travel, by not only the millennials but across different cohorts often looking for unique and exclusive stays, has led to the growing popularity of this concept in the country. So, what are luxury boutique hotels and resorts? The term has evolved over the years, and while there is no standard definition, a luxury boutique hotel is typically a small property with less than 60 keys with its USP being the customized service a...
Jackson-Shaw Opens 16-Story AC Hotel Downtown Fort Worth
AC Hotel Fort Worth | September 28, 2020
FORT WORTH (Sept. 28, 2020) – Jackson-Shaw, a national real estate development company headquartered in North Texas, today announced that the 252-room, 16-story AC Hotel Fort Worth is now open. The first AC Hotels by Marriott® to debut in Tarrant County, the highly anticipated property is owned and developed by Jackson-Shaw and managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts. It is located 101 West 5th Street near Sundance Square on the southwest corner of Main and Fifth Street. “The AC Hotel Fort Worth is designed for creative, well-traveled, visionaries who appreciate a thoughtfully designed space. The hotel features gallery-like art insta...
Fairfield by Marriott to Expand Presence in Japan With the Signing of 11 New Hotels
Marriott International | September 28, 2020
Marriott International (Nasdaq: MAR) today announced it has signed an agreement with Japanese real estate developer, Sekisui House, to bring 11 new Fairfield by Marriott hotels to Japan. The agreement expands the collaboration with Sekisui House for the Michi-no-Eki project, adding on to the 15 Fairfield by Marriott hotels signed in 2018. All properties are anticipated to open by late 2022. The signing expects to introduce the Fairfield by Marriott brand to five new prefectures, spanning from the North to South of Japan, including Hokkaido, Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kagoshima. The hotels are slated to be built in key locations near roa...
Paramount Capital Advisors Welcomes Matt Mitchell to the Team
Paramount Capital Advisors | September 28, 2020
Paramount Capital Advisors is pleased to announce the addition of Matt Mitchell to the team as Managing Director. Mitchell brings over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, having worked in roles financing complex real estate transactions throughout the U.S. Most recently, Mitchell served as Senior Vice President with Hall Structured Finance (Hall) where his responsibilities included loan origination for their construction and bridge lending program. Mitchell was responsible for executing over $500 million of real estate transactions primarily focused on funding loans for the construction of hotels, multifamily and condo proj...
The Gettys Group Unveils The Hotel of Tomorrow Project With Five New Hospitality Concepts
The Gettys Group | September 25, 2020
Global Hospitality Think Tank Presents Ideas and Industry Experts Offer Feedback Chicago, IL (September 24, 2020) -- Robots serving drinks? Meeting rooms that resemble a giant terrarium? These are just some of the concepts guests may experience as hotel operators attempt to adapt and innovate amid the COVID-19 crisis according to The Hotel of Tomorrow Project, a global think tank consisting of 325 hospitality industry executives and spearheaded by The Gettys Group, a Chicago-based design, development and consulting firm. Since June, designers, manufacturers, owners, and operators from a wide range of brands - including Four Season...
How to Pick the Perfect Hotel
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | September 25, 2020
Online travel agencies should be able to better predict their customers’ decision making and meet their needs, suggest Dr Sangwon Park of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his co-researchers in a ground-breaking study published recently. Through identifying a simple typology of decision-making styles, the researchers offer unprecedented insights into precisely how and why Internet users decide which travel products to buy. As the online share of travel revenue increases in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, their findings have far-reaching implications not only for online hotel ma...
SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Spartanburg Opens in South Carolina
Best Western Hotels & Resorts | September 25, 2020
Spartanburg, South Carolina (September 25, 2020) The newly renovated SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Spartanburg has opened its doors in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and invites travelers to experience one of the newest hotel brands in the industry – the SureStay Hotel Group®. The SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Spartanburg will provide guests with an experience they can count on and the amenities today’s travelers have come to expect. The SureStay® service promise reflects the brand and the hotel’s commitment to providing quality service and value to its guests. Located at 501 South Blackstock Road in Spartanburg...
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Sets January 2021 Opening Date
irgin Hotels Las Vegas | September 25, 2020
Today, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton™, announced the property’s grand opening date at a press event featuring property partners and investors at the porte-cochere. The revitalized property will open as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas with opening date, Jan. 15, 2021, being revealed on a digital mobile billboard. During his heartfelt speech, Richard “Boz” Bosworth, President and CEO of JC Hospitality, owner of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, stressed the resilience of the hospitality, gaming and entertainment industry, the city of Las Vegas as a whole and expressed how he looks forward to bringing employees back t...
Hāna-Maui, A Destination Hotel by Hyatt, Appoints Jon Benson as General Manager
Destination Hotels | September 25, 2020
HĀNA, HI (September 25, 2020) – Hāna-Maui Resort, A Destination Hotel, proudly announces the appointment of Jon Benson as general manager of the hotel, which recently joined the Hyatt portfolio. In this new role, Benson is responsible for management, operations and marketing of the resort, suites, bungalows and family residences, as well as assisting with the rebrand of the resort. Benson is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 34 years of experience. He began his tenure with Hyatt in Southern California and has held various roles throughout his career. Most recently, Benson served as Area General Manager at Hyatt Regency Lon...
Four Seasons Debuts in Spain With Opening of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid
OHL | September 25, 2020
After eight years of anticipation, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid is now open. “Four Seasons Hotel Madrid began with a visionary plan by our owner partner OHL to unite and breathe new life into a collection of historic buildings in the heart of Madrid. Together with recent partners Mohari Hospitality, the result is a modern luxury experience in a magnificently restored property - the perfect debut for Four Seasons in Spain,” notes Christian Clerc, President, Global Operations, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. José Antonio Fernández Gallar, OHL’s Second Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, comments, “OHL...
Colony Capital Enters Agreement With Highgate to Sell Six Hospitality Portfolios for $2.8 Billion
Colony Capital, Inc. | September 25, 2020
LOS ANGELES - Colony Capital, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) (“Colony Capital” or the “Company”) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell six of its hospitality portfolios to Highgate, a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company, in a transaction valued at $2.8 billion, including $67.5 million of gross proceeds on a consolidated basis and the assumption of $2.7 billion in consolidated investment-level debt. The six portfolios consist of 22,676 rooms across 197 hotel properties. As part of the transaction with Highgate, Colony will transfer (i) five of the six portfolios held in the Hospitality ...
Service Properties Trust Sends Notice of Payment Shortfall to Marriott for Agreement Covering 122 Hotels
Service Properties Trust | September 25, 2020
Marriott Failed to Meet the Termination Threshold of 80% of Owner’s Priority Return through August. Failure to Pay the Shortfall Will Trigger SVC Termination Rights NEWTON, Mass. - Service Properties Trust (Nasdaq: SVC), or SVC, today sent a letter to Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), or MAR, requesting MAR advance $11.0 million to cover the shortfall between the payments SVC has received to date from MAR and 80% of the priority returns due to SVC for the eight months ended August 2020. MAR has 10 days from receipt of the letter to make the payment, or SVC will have the right to terminate its agreement with MAR. SVC’s agreem...
Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta
Aimbridge Hospitality | September 25, 2020
Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company with more than 1,400 branded and independent properties across 49 states and 20 countries, has been selected to manage the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta. With specialized operating expertise across all verticals and a deep understanding of full-service properties, Aimbridge Hospitality leverages their scale to add resources, efficiencies and proprietary tools while keeping their operating acumen focused on nuance. “We are honored to be the designated management company for Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta, and we look forward to leverage Aimbridge’s experience to...
Hyatt Place Moncton-Downtown Opens in New Brunswick
Hyatt Place | September 25, 2020
MONCTON, New Brunswick (September 25, 2020) – Hyatt Place Moncton-Downtown, the first Hyatt Place branded hotel in Atlantic Canada is officially open, expanding the Hyatt Place brand’s footprint globally in markets that matter most to guests and World of Hyatt members. The new hotel features the Hyatt Place brand’s intuitive design, casual atmosphere and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings. Because Hyatt’s efforts are grounded in listening and fueled by care, Hyatt Place hotels combine style, innovation and 24/7 conveniences to create an easy to navigate experience for today’s multi-tasking trav...
Second Wave Brings Uncertainty to Business Travel Recovery
The Global Business Travel Association | September 25, 2020
Attention turns to 2021 as two-thirds of companies plan return to in-person events Alexandria, VA (September 24, 2020) – The majority of Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) companies expect their employees to return to in-person events in 2021. Almost half (45%) expect attendance to resume in the first half of the year, according to the latest poll conducted between September 15-19, 2020, by GBTA, with an additional 25% expecting a return to in-person events in the second half of 2021. While most do not expect their company to host in-person meetings, events or conferences in 2020, there is growing optimism for 2021, with 37% ex...
U.S. Hotel Profitability Improvements Slow in August
STR | September 25, 2020
BROOMFIELD, Colorado—Improvements in U.S. hotel profitability metrics slowed in August, according to STR‘s latest monthly P&L data release. In a year-over-year comparison with August 2019, the industry reported the following: GOPPAR: -91.3% to US$6.90 TRevPAR: -74.5% to US$55.72 EBITDA PAR: -112.1% to US$-6.96 LPAR (Labor Costs): -64.4% to US$27.19 “Overall profitability (GOPPAR) remained in positive territory for a second straight month, but the incremental improvements we had seen over the previous two months slowed,” said Raquel Ortiz, STR’s assistant director of financial performance. “Even though Augus...
U.S. Only Region to Not Return to Profitability; China Hits 2019 Levels
HotStats | September 25, 2020
Hoteliers outside the U.S. have cause for muffled celebration: Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East all showed positive gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) in August. The U.S. now becomes the only region that has yet to turn a positive month of profit since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Meanwhile, China is showing a true V-shaped recovery in profit, having matched December 2019 GOPPAR in August. One thing is sure, the global hospitality industry will be tested in the months to come, as the summer months give way to the fall and winter, where a dip in travel, particularly on the leisure side, is typical. This, compound...
