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Tourism Tidbits: The Rebirth of Tourism Security Conferences
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow | February 3, 2020
By Dr. Peter Tarlow This article is an update of one published in honor of the Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Las Vegas International Tourism Security and Safety Conference. The 27th conference will be “reborn” on April 26-30, 2020 and it is hoped that the “mother conference” will spawn new interest in the importance of tourism security and safety around the world. If your community is interested in hosting a tourism safety and security conference, please contact Dr. Peter Tarlow or Jordan Clark. The Conference will take place against a background of both political and health crises that could impact the world’s entire touris...
Dream Hotel Group Signs With EA Group to Develop The Bight by Dream Hotel Group in the Turks and Caicos
Dream Hotel Group | February 3, 2020
NEW YORK, NY (February 3, 2020) – Celebrated hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group announces plans to open The Bight by Dream Hotel Group with 90 guest rooms and suites and multiple food and beverage concepts in the Turks and Caicos in 2022. The development is led by EA Group, a dynamic and successful team of construction, real estate and hospitality companies in the Turks and Caicos Islands for more than 25 years. “EA Group’s roots are based in the Turks and Caicos. They have an intimate knowledge of the culture, as well as extensive expertise and understanding of the market. They are innovators with a vision to brin...
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Appoints David Samuel as Director of Food & Beverage
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar | February 3, 2020
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS (February 3, 2020) – Grand Hyatt Baha Mar announces the appointment of David Samuel as the director of food & beverage. In his new role, Samuel will oversee daily operations of the 1,800-room oceanfront resort’s more than twenty globally inspired food and beverage outlets, which range from haute Chinese cuisine to casual Bahamian fare. “Samuel’s near two decades of hotel management experience and passion for food, wine and spirits make him an ideal candidate to sustain the resort’s reputation as an established culinary destination,” said Ulrich Samietz, general manager, Grand Hyatt Baga Mar. “With his ...
Rosewood Hotel Group Promotes Caroline MacDonald to Group Vice President of Sales, Distribution and Business
Rosewood Hotel Group | February 3, 2020
Rosewood Hotel Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Caroline MacDonald from vice president of global sales & marketing to group vice president of sales, distribution and business performance. In this role, Caroline will be responsible for leading the global sales, revenue management and partnership marketing teams across the group’s distinct brands including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, New World Hotels & Resorts® and KHOS™. In her four-year tenure with Rosewood Hotel Group, Caroline has played an important role in the company’s successful expansion and growth, driving performance and elevating the identity of the...
Parks Hospitality Opens New Tru by Hilton Columbia Greystone in South Carolina
Tru by Hilton | February 3, 2020
COLUMBIA, S.C. – January 21, 2020 – Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) innovative hotel brand, Tru by Hilton, today announced the opening of its latest property, Tru by Hilton Columbia Greystone in Columbia, South Carolina. The 117-room, four-story hotel is located at 185 Stonebridge Drive and is owned and operated by Parks Hospitality Group. Tru by Hilton Columbia is located off I-126 and is conveniently located minutes from the downtown area and the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden. "We are excited to bring Tru by Hilton to the Columbia Greystone area and to introduce business and leisure travelers to an innovative midscale lodging experi...
Olympia Hotel Management to Operate the Best Western University Inn in Canton, NY
St. Lawrence University | February 3, 2020
February 3, 2020. Portland, Maine. Olympia Hotel Management (OHM) is proud to announce the addition of the Best Western University Inn to their third-party portfolio. Located adjacent to and owned by St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, the hotel adjoins The Oliver D. Appleton Golf Course at St. Lawrence University, which OHM will also manage. “It is an honor to add this prestigious affiliation to our growing campus hospitality portfolio and to become part of the university community,” said Sara Masterson, President, Hotel Management, for Olympia Hotel Management. OHM currently manages such campus properties as The Alfond Inn a...
IHG Signs With Valor Hospitality Partners to Develop voco The Bank, Rosebank in South Africa
Valor Hospitality Partners | February 3, 2020
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 3, 2020 - InterContinental Hotels Group (www.IHG.com), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed voco™ The Bank, Rosebank in South Africa in partnership with Valor Hospitality Partners Africa. Earlier this year, IHG announced the signing of a Master Development Agreement (MDA) with Valor Hospitality Partners Africa to roll out multiple franchise hotels over the next 10 years, across IHG’s portfolio of brands in midscale, upscale and luxury segments. This is the first signing under the MDA and adds to IHG’s growing pipeline in the Middle East and Africa whilst strengthens the growth of ...
Owned and Managed by Wisco Hotel Group, Fairfield by Marriott Opens in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Fairfield by Marriott | February 3, 2020
Sheboygan, WI – February 3, 2020 – The 108-room Fairfield by Marriott hotel in Sheboygan, Wisconsin is set to open today with a new décor that provides guests with a feeling of warmth and calm while traveling. Located at 4117 South Taylor Drive, the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Sheboygan will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Wisco Hotel Group of Madison, Wisconsin. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Sheboygan offers guests convenient access to Road America Race Track, the Kohler Design Center, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Kohler Andre State Park,...
The Facebook Algorithm in 2020: What Hotels & Resorts Need to Know
Lodging Interactive & commingle:engage | February 3, 2020
It’s no secret that organic Facebook marketing can be a little fickle for anyone with a business account on the platform. We’ve been seeing organic reach decline for more than five years, making it increasingly difficult to reach potential guests without paying, even if they’re already following you. This all comes down to the Facebook algorithm, which decides which content will gain the most visibility in users’ newsfeeds. And there is a silver lining here: Facebook marketing is still a good investment for businesses, and knowing how to work with the algorithm can help you gain more visibility and connect with potential, current, ...
Allen Highfield Named General Manager for Montage Healdsburg
Montage Hotels & Resorts | February 3, 2020
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF.(February 3, 2020) – Montage Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Allen Highfield to the position of general manager of Montage Healdsburg. A Montage veteran with an extensive and diverse background in luxury hospitality, including nearly five years leading sister resort Montage Deer Valley, Highfield will oversee the opening of Montage’s newest ultra-luxury address and seventh property, which invites travelers to experience the beauty, art, and local culture of Northern California wine country. “We are thrilled to have Allen open our first resort in the Northern California wine ...
BPR Hotels Appoints Dannel Christian as General Manager for Portland’s Hi-Lo Hotel
Hi-Lo Hotel | February 3, 2020
Portland, OR (February 3, 2020) - Downtown Portland’s Hi-Lo Hotel welcomes a new General Manager, Dannel Christian. The Hi-Lo Hotel, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is a 120 room boutique hotel with nearly 5,000 square feet of meeting space and a full-service restaurant, bar, and lounge, CraftPDX. Dannel comes to Hi-Lo with extensive experience with the Marriott, Hilton, and Ritz Carlton brands and has extensive management experience in full and focus-service properties, hotel renovation projects, and fine dining. “I’ve enjoyed working in the Portland hospitality industry for the last 12 years and am excited about this new o...
How Data Can Help With Seasonality Shifts
HotStats | February 3, 2020
Hoteliers can learn a valuable lesson in seasonality from boxing. Contrary to what some might believe, great boxers don’t just roll with the punches. They study their opponent’s every move, quickly plan, make adjustments, attack and counter attack. The same strategy should go for planning for the dips and swings of seasonality changes in the hotel industry. Too many hoteliers have fallen into a revenue-based rhythm. They set up a strategy based only on traditional high, shoulder and low seasons. Unfortunately, when seasonality changes, this simple strategy leaves hotels vulnerable to financial body blows. However, it doesn’t have ...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Two Lies You Need to Stop Telling Yourself
David Lund | February 3, 2020
#1 – The Lie is Complexifying Everything That’s a word that means we’re making things complex or what complexifying also means: You are taking one issue and applying it to many situations or people. For instance, the issue of leaders not giving you the information you need so you can do your job is complexifying. You are putting them all into the same basket. What you want to be able to do is take one by one—the conversations you need to have—and think about them one by one rather than thinking that nobody wants to help you, nobody wants to do their forecast, nobody wants to give you their month end stuff. You can’t put everybo...
For the Second Consecutive Quarter, Los Angeles Leads in U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | January 31, 2020
January 31, 2020 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – At the close of 2019, analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE) report that the top five U.S. markets with the largest total hotel construction pipelines are: Los Angeles, at a cyclical high, with 168 projects/28,501 rooms; Dallas with 160 projects/19,787 rooms; New York City with 158 projects/25,825 rooms; Atlanta, also at a cyclical high, with 143 projects/19,660 rooms; and Houston with 136 projects/14,114 rooms. Under construction project counts are at an all-time high with 1,768 projects with 237,362 rooms. Markets with the greatest number of projects already in the ground are New York with 107 p...
Tharaldson Hospitality Management Company Opens Hyatt House Nashville/Franklin-Cool
Hyatt House | January 31, 2020
CHICAGO (January 30, 2020) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) today announced the opening of Hyatt House Nashville/Franklin-Cool Springs, marking the first Hyatt House hotel in Franklin, Tenn. and twelfth Hyatt-branded hotel in the Nashville area. Hyatt House Nashville/Franklin-Cool Springs is conveniently located halfway between Nashville and Franklin, providing guests the service and convenience of hotel living with the casual comforts of home. The hotel is owned by H. H. Heritage Inn of Franklin, LLC and managed by Tharaldson Hospitality Management Company. “Hyatt House Nashville/Franklin-Cool Springs offers a welcoming and warm e...
Cambria Celebrates Grand Opening of Largest Hotel, Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area
Cambria® Hotels | January 31, 2020
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 31, 2020 -- Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) known for delivering little luxuries to guests, marked the opening of its 50th and largest location, the Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area, with an exclusive ribbon cutting ceremony. Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu and representatives from Visit Anaheim, the city's tourism marketing organization, joined executives from Choice Hotels and Cambria Hotels for the occasion. The event drew inspiration from the hotel's ideal location in the heart of Orange County and highlighted the hotel's unique amenities, such as a waterpark, outdoor mo...
HVS Market Pulse: Kalispell and Whitefish, Montana
Desiree Flanary | January 31, 2020
By Desiree Flanary and Lauren Reynolds Kalispell Due to Kalispell’s proximity to Glacier National Park, the region’s local economy is largely tied to tourism and is highly seasonal. Kalispell is home to 22 open and operating hotels, encompassing 1,885 guestrooms. Of those 22 hotels, four of them (totaling 348 guestrooms) have opened in the last six years, accounting for an 18% increase in hotel rooms in less than a decade. These new properties include a SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and MyPlace, which opened in 2016, 2018, and 2019, respectively. The property types in this market range from economy...
5 Trends Making an Impact on the Hotel Industry
Karan Iyer | January 31, 2020
By Karan Iyer Technology and other trends are creating big ripples in the hospitality industry. When you know what is working and what is not, it allows you to serve your customers better. Let us look at 5 important trends in the hotel industry that will help you grow your hotel business. Technology Supporting Smoother Hotel Operations Managing a hotel is no longer chaotic or challenging, thanks to modern technology and software sophistication. Systems like property management software and revenue management system for hotels are increasingly being adopted. Such software helps in providing a hassle-free booking experience for ...
New Leadership at Sotavento Keeps Project On-Track
Sotavento Ocean Resort & Villas | January 31, 2020
Sales Are Booming Thanks to Expanded World-Class Management Team. Zihuatanejo, Mexico (January 31, 2020) – After almost 18 months of careful planning at Sotavento Ocean Resort & Villas in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, a new leadership team is at the helm to take the first two phases to completion by this coming winter. Demolition of the north tower is almost complete, and Phase One construction has begun, putting the resort on-track for occupancy in Winter 2020. The Beach Club is open, serving delicious local fare and great margaritas, and the Sales Center is bustling with activity. “Under our new ownership, the Sotavento project had s...
Hotel Equities Appoints Leadership for REVERB by Hard Rock Opening in Atlanta June 2020
REVERB by Hard Rock | January 31, 2020
Atlanta, GA., January 31, 2020 — Today, Hotel Equities announced the hiring of Tyrone Tindell as the general manager of the Reverb by Hard Rock in downtown Atlanta. Tindell will lead the new hotel’s opening team alongside Terri Hunt, director of sales and marketing. Hard Rock International revealed REVERB by Hard Rock™, the brand’s entrance into the upscale select service hotel category in late 2018 and partnered with the hotel’s ownership group, Bolton Atlanta LP; hotel operator, Hotel Equities; and consultant and asset manager, Horwath HTL, to launch the inaugural flagship hotel in Atlanta. Tindell brings extensive e...
Occupancy Softens in London’s Hotels in Q4 2019, Says Hotel Market Tracker
HVS | January 30, 2020
30 January 2020, London: Hotels in London saw RevPAR growth of 0.9% in Q4 2019, to £135.25 compared with the previous year, according to the latest UK Hotel Market Tracker: Q4 2019, produced by HVS London, AlixPartners and STR. Average occupancy for hotels in the capital dropped back slightly in the final quarter of the decade to 84.8%, although average room rates rose 1.9% to £159.53. The UK’s regional hotels saw RevPAR [rooms revenue per available room] fall in the quarter, down 2.7% to £50.73 and occupancy down marginally to 73.6%, while room rates fell by 2.1% to £68.94. “Softening occupancy will be a concern in London, p...
NewcrestImage and Baywood Hotels Start Joint Venture Canopy by Hilton in Downtown New Orleans
NewcrestImage | January 30, 2020
Dallas-based NewcrestImage and Baywood Hotels, Inc., based in Columbia, Maryland, will begin historic renovation construction in early February of a 176-room, 14-floor Canopy by Hilton in downtown New Orleans. This joint venture launches the third hotel in New Orleans for NewcrestImage and the fourth hotel in Louisiana for Baywood. Canopy by Hilton New Orleans Downtown is scheduled to open in the summer of 2021 at 1100 Tulane Avenue in the heart of the Central Business District, immediately adjacent to the French Quarter. It will revive the former Oil and Gas Building, which originally opened in 1959 and was placed on the National Register...
True North Hotel Group Announces Leadership Title Changes
January 30, 2020
Overland Park, Kan. – Jan. 30, 2020 – The board of directors of True North Hotel Group today announced the following leadership title changes, effective January 1: Lewis (Lew) Wiens has shifted from chairman and CEO to chairman; Richard (Dick) Merkel, formerly president and chief operating officer, is now CEO; and Bradley (Brad) Wiens, formerly executive vice president and chief development officer, is now president and chief development officer of the hotel management and development company that was originally established as a construction company by Lew Wiens in 1996. Citing the title changes as “a step in the evolving management ...
Marin Management Founder and President John Manderfeld to Retire
Marin Management, Inc. | January 30, 2020
SAUSALITO, California (Jan. 30, 2020) — Marin Management, Inc., a California-based hotel management company, has announced that its founder and president, John Manderfeld, will retire effective Aug. 31 after more than 50 years in the hospitality industry. Manderfeld will continue in an advisory role after his official retirement and will work closely with Hogan Hospitality’s leadership team during the transition. A successor will be announced in the upcoming months. “Helping hotel owners realize the potential of their investments and provide better experiences for their guests is the reason I founded Marin Management, and has driv...
