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Rocco Forte Hotels Appoints Florian Steinmaier as General Manager of Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt
Villa Kennedy | January 15, 2020
Steinmaier joins Villa Kennedy from Roomers Hotel in Munich where he was the Hotel Manager and part of the opening team Rocco Forte Hotels, the prestigious family-owned hotel group led by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi, is pleased to announce the appointment of Florian Steinmaier as General Manager of Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt effective January 1, 2020. Reporting to Frank Heller, Regional Director of Germany for Rocco Forte Hotels, Steinmaier joins Villa Kennedy from Roomers Hotel in Munich where he was the Hotel Manager and part of the opening team. Prior to this he was Director of Food & Beverage at Hotel Vier Jahresze...
TraknProtect Announces New Partnership With Intello Technologies
Intello Technologies | January 15, 2020
TraknProtect expands its leading position in the hospitality technology industry with new Intello Technologies Canadian market partnership Chicago – January 15, 2020 – TraknProtect, a pioneer of real-time location-based technology purpose-built for the hotel industry, has announced a new partnership with Montreal-based Intello Technologies, a leading guest internet and hospitality solutions provider in Canada. In addition to solidifying its position in hospitality technology, this new partnership allows TraknProtect to extend its footprint of innovation across the border and offer its award-winning solutions to Canadian hotels. Emp...
Fuel Promotes Hotel Digital Marketing Innovation as Sponsor of 2020 HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference
Fuel | January 15, 2020
Award-winning hotel software and digital marketing solutions available for demonstration at HSMAI’s annual hospitality marketing summit New York, NY – January 15, 2020 – Fuel, the premier software provider and digital agency for the hotel industry, announces its participation as a Bronze sponsor in the annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) 2020 Marketing Strategy Conference. Taking place January 22 at the New York Marriot Marquis, HSMAI’s Marketing Strategy Conference is highly anticipated each year as the most comprehensive digital marketing event for the hotel industry. With a powerful e...
South Point Hotel Casino & Spa Installs InvoTech Systems to Manage Large Uniform Inventory
InvoTech Systems | January 15, 2020
InvoTech Uniform System Reduces Labor Expense, Automates Tracking for Staff of 3,000 LOS ANGELES, CA – January 15, 2020 -- InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Uniform System at South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers and theme parks. The InvoTech System installed at South Point Hotel Casino & Spa joins InvoTech’s extensive client portfolio of hotel-ca...
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges Interim Leasehold First Mortgage Financing for Residence Inn by Marriott Walnut Creek, Walnut Creek, California
Sonnenblick-Eichner Company | January 15, 2020
Beverly Hills, CA – January 15, 2020 – Sonnenblick-Eichner Company has arranged interim first mortgage leasehold financing for the Residence Inn by Marriott Walnut Creek, located in Walnut Creek, CA. The non-recourse LIBOR-based loan funded upon completion of construction and the opening of the hotel. The Residence Inn by Marriott Walnut Creek is a 160-room, six-story, extended-stay hotel located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek. The 77% loan-to-cost loan with a credit spread in the low 300s over LIBOR, provided a return of cash equity to the borrower and relieves them of the recourse obligations associated with the construction l...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 225: Hotel History: The Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Alabama
Stanley Turkel | January 14, 2020
Hotel History: Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Alabama (306 Rooms) The site on which The Grand Hotel sits today has seen two earlier hotels so named and the area surrounding the hotel and grounds has had a long and exciting history. It begins in 1847, when a Mr. Chamberlain built a rambling, 100-foot long, two-story hotel with lumber brought down from Mobile by sailboats. There were forty guest rooms and a shaded front gallery with outside stairs at each end. The dining room was located in an adjacent structure, and a third two-story building, called The Texas, housed the bar. Destroyed in an 1893 hurricane, the bar was rebuilt and, according to...
Aimbridge Hospitality Selected to Manage Westin Boston Waterfront
Aimbridge Hospitality | January 14, 2020
Aimbridge Hospitality, the world’s leading third-party hotel management company, announces it has been selected to manage the Westin Boston Waterfront, a 793-room contemporary hotel connected to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Westin Boston Waterfront is owned by DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE: DRH) a self-advised real estate investment trust with 31 premium hotels and resorts throughout United States. The Hotel is operated under a franchise agreement with Westin Hotels (a subsidiary of Marriott International) which expires in 2026. “Aimbridge has the specialized expertise to drive results at Boston’s leadi...
MGM Grand Real Estate to be Acquired by Joint Venture of MGM Growth Properties and Blackstone REIT
MGM Resorts International | January 14, 2020
The Joint Venture, which will be owned 50.1% by MGP and 49.9% by BREIT, will also acquire the real estate assets of Mandalay Bay from MGP and will lease both properties to MGM Resorts for an initial rent of $292 million LAS VEGAS, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts International (the "Company" or "MGM Resorts") (NYSE: MGM) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which a newly formed joint venture between MGM Growth Properties LLC ("MGP") and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust ("BREIT") (the "Joint Venture") will acquire the MGM Grand Las Vegas real estate assets in a transaction valued at ...
IHG Opens Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina Led by General Manager Georges Farhat
IHG | January 14, 2020
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group®), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has announced the opening of Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina, part of the newly designed flagship properties launching globally offering a new distinctive stay experience, designed to meet the needs of the modern business traveller. Crowne Plaza hotels & resorts is one of the world’s largest upscale hotel brands, with an increasingly strong reputation for being the first choice for business-class stays. Designed with the modern traveller in mind, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts know that business travel isn’t just about business – it’s about bala...
Director of Penn State School of Hospitality Management Named to National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees
The School of Hospitality Management | January 14, 2020
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Donna Quadri-Felitti, Marvin Ashner Director of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, has been named to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) board of trustees. The NRAEF is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, including career development and community engagement. “Being named to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees is a high honor,” said Quadri-Felitti. “I look forward to furthering the mission of the Foundation as it provides resources and guidance for tomorrow’s hospitality leaders, just as we...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces the 8th Annual Pebby Award Nominations
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | January 14, 2020
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--January 14, 2020-- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) (the “Company”) today announced the nominations for its Eighth Annual Pebby Awards. The Pebby Award nominees were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments in 2019, as determined by the Company. The Academy’s nominations face stiff competition as the candidates are incredibly strong this year. Nevertheless, several hotels earned multiple nominations; Hotel Zelos San Francisco earned six while Argonaut Hotel, Harbor Court Hotel San Francisco, Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection, Paradise Point Resort & Spa, The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, P...
Reducing Friction in Hotel Guest Service: A Recap of ‘Voice’ at CES 2020
Volara | January 14, 2020
Experts say voice technologies are central to the growth of experiential travel and tourism in 2020 and beyond New York — January 14, 2020 — More More than 170,000 people descended on Las Vegas last week to see the most transformative technology products on the planet during the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. New this year was a “Travel & Tourism” educational track that highlighted how smarter and safer technologies are transforming the travel and tourism industries. A technology that remained in the spotlight during the three-session program was voice – such as the in-room solution atop Amazon Alexa powered by Volara that ...
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Appoints Kelly Teo as New Director of Sales and Marketing
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills | January 14, 2020
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – January 14, 2020 – Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is pleased to announce the arrival of the newest addition to its luxury-focused executive team, as Kelly Teo joins the hotel in the role of director of sales and marketing. Teo's longtime sales and marketing expertise in the world of top luxury hotels is a perfect fit for the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. The unique property opened in mid-2017 and quickly established itself as the leading luxury hotel in Southern California, located at the crossroads of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards just west of Rodeo Drive. "Returning to California after spending the l...
Proper Hospitality Appoints Blake Danner as Chief Operating Officer
Proper Hospitality | January 14, 2020
LOS ANGELES, CA (January 14, 2020) Luxury lifestyle brand Proper Hospitality, that designs, brands and operates hotels and residences, has named industry veteran Blake Danner as the new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Danner will oversee business strategy, organizational growth and development, and day-to-day operations within the Proper portfolio, which includes properties in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Austin, and later this year, Downtown Los Angeles. “Blake Danner is an exciting addition to the Proper family, bringing years of hospitality experience to our rapidly expanding luxury brand,” said Brian De Lowe, Co-Founder and Pr...
Legoland® New York Resort Appoints Stephanie Johnson as Divisional Director
Merlin Entertainments | January 14, 2020
GOSHEN, NY (January 14, 2020) – A marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience, Stephanie Johnson has been named Divisional Director for LEGOLAND® New York Resort, parent company Merlin Entertainments announced today. An Orange County native, Johnson is yet another addition to the Park’s growing list of locally sourced talent. In her new role, Johnson will direct, manage and create strategy for LEGOLAND New York Resort to meet and exceed attendance, revenue and profitability goals for the 150-acre theme park. “The theme park arena is a new frontier for me, but I’m no stranger to leading large-scale tourism destinat...
Jonathan Andrew Ross Named Managing Director of the Brenton Hotel, Opening June 2020
Brenton Hotel | January 14, 2020
NEWPORT, RI (January 14, 2020) – Luxury hotel industry veteran Jonathan Andrew Ross takes the helm as managing director of the Brenton Hotel, a new 57-room luxury boutique hotel on the waterfront in Newport, RI opening in June 2020. As the newly appointed managing director, Ross is charged with providing leadership and strategic direction for the new hotel through all pre-opening stages including development, hiring, training, and sales and marketing. Once opened, Ross will spearhead daily property management spanning guest services and operations, to asset management. In making the announcement, Jeff Farrar, Newport resident and pa...
The Future of Hotel PMS – Maestro 2020 Development Roadmap
Maestro PMS | January 14, 2020
Greater Mobile and Booking Channel Versatility Will Increase Reservations Revenue, Personalize Digital Guest Journey; Expanded Integration with Complementary 3rd Party Partner Systems; Online Guest Room Selection January 14, 2020 – “We made great advancements in 2019 with our improved Browser version that, amongst other guest and staff facing mobile features, provided an integrated live chat support capability. That feature has been met by our clients with great enthusiasm as an addition to our already responsive 24-hour help desk and online eLearning services,” stated Warren Dehan, President of Maestro PMS. To complement both our Br...
The Value of Your Meeting Space – You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure
Knowland | January 14, 2020
By Kristi White Meeting space, the last bastion of unmanaged revenue in a hotel. Some of you may balk at the thought, even argue that you effectively manage meeting space. However, for all too many hotels, managing the meeting space looks something like this: The list would go on and on, detailing each room and each time period, however, it often becomes the Ron Popeil “set it and forget it” method of revenue management. Oh, we pull it out once a year and pretend to look at it but really, it only gets the cursory “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” glance. Are you nodding your head yet? Perhaps, there is a sheepish grin...
GuestTek Appoints William Ng as Director of Sales, APAC
GuestTek | January 14, 2020
Company Continues its Aggressive Growth Plans in Region GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., the global leader in providing innovative and interactive technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce that William Ng has been hired as Sales Director, APAC, effective the 13th of January. Based in Singapore, William has over 20 years of B2B business development experience – primarily focused in the hospitality and travel technology sector. William has a strong track record of results stemming from his senior sales leadership experience at FCS Computer Systems, Ideas Revenue Solutions, and Pegasus Solutions ...
Hospitality Leadership Series – Future Leaders: Seeking Advice and Applying the Right Filter
Thomas Mielke | January 13, 2020
By: Thomas Mielke Seasoned executive search professional and human capital advisor, Thomas Mielke, shares thoughts on success for emerging hospitality industry leaders A new year has arrived and with it comes different opportunities and challenges. Some things, though, never change – the great majority of us tend to ‘take stock’ at this time of the year and plan for what we want to achieve or do differently, both personally and professionally. For most industry ‘novices’, the fresh hospitality graduates or apprentices out there, there does not tend to be a limit on their ambitions and aspirations. With a clear target in min...
Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences Breaks Ground
January 13, 2020
The 33-Story, $400 Million+ Project Marks the First Raffles Hotel & Residences in North America Boston, MA – Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences broke ground, writing a new story for both the illustrious Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand and the City of Boston. Projected to open in early 2022, the 33-story, $400 million+ project will be the first mixed-use property in North America for the world-renowned and iconic hospitality brand. Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences will be located at 40 Trinity Place, Boston, MA. The flagship North American property will be a welcoming oasis within the heart of the city...
Serenade Caribbean Hotels Renames New Hotel to Serenade Punta Cana Beach, Spa & Casino Resort
Serenade Caribbean Hotels | January 13, 2020
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (Jan. 13, 2020) - Serenade Caribbean Hotels has announced the renaming of its flagship hotel to Serenade Punta Cana Beach, Spa & Casino Resort, which incorporates "casino" in the title. Casino, along with the existing "beach" and "spa," reflect the value-added amenities that will be available at the new five-star, 603-room, all-inclusive resort scheduled to open in June 2020 on Playa Cabeza de Toro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. "In order to convey a complete vacation experience for guests, we have decided to update the name of our first resort to Serenade Punta Cana Beach, Spa & Casino Resort," s...
Hilton Debuts in Guiyang With Opening of Hilton Guiyang
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | January 13, 2020
GUIYANG, China and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the debut of its flagship brand Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Guiyang, with the opening of Hilton Guiyang, a new-build 299-room, state-of-the-art hotel in the Guanshanhu district. The breathtaking natural scenery, coupled with the authentic local culture, makes Hilton Guiyang a unique offering in the heart of a thriving business hub. Hilton Guiyang is poised to be an ideal destination for business and family travelers visiting from across the globe. “Guiyang is an important economic growth engine in West China, and its economy thrives on travel, big data and the environme...
Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International Break Ground On $400 Million Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
Hard Rock® | January 13, 2020
GARY, Ind., Jan. 13, 2020 -- Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International announced the development and construction of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana at an official groundbreaking ceremony held on Thursday, Jan. 9. The ceremony was conducted at the construction site, located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, and included state and local officials, Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock executives. Concluding the ceremony, Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission Sara Tait, Spectacle Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rod Ratcliff and Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Marcellus Osceolaplanted sh...
