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Powerful Collaboration Produces Efficient and Cost-Saving Labor and Data Management
September 24, 2019
Two Experienced Companies—One Amazing Outcome Hotels run on people and data. But as labor costs increase at record rates and distribution complexity makes revenue generation difficult and expensive, thoughtful, ongoing data analysis to make the right decisions every day is a requirement for success. Fortunately, there are two innovative companies that provide solutions to thousands of hotels to solve these challenges: ProfitSword and Hotel Effectiveness®. They’ve collaborated for years by connecting their two powerful hotel systems—business intelligence + labor management—to deliver maximum performance and profitability for client...
Watermark Baton Rouge Hotel Enhances Property Security With VingCard Essence Door Locks, While Accentuating Unique Art Deco Design
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions | September 24, 2019
Historic luxury property selects the Essence locking system to blend advanced security and encryption technology with sophisticated décor. Stockholm – September 24, 2019 – Watermark Baton Rouge, an iconic luxury hotel and part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, has selected VingCard Essence door locks by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to maximize guest and staff safety with its use of the industry’s latest data encryption protocols. As a historic property that seeks to provide its guests with sophisticated and stylish surroundings, Watermark Baton Rouge also selected Essence due to the lock’s ability to seamlessly blend in with th...
JA Lake View Hotel Dubai Is the First Hotel in the Middle East to Voice-Enable Every Guestroom With Volara-Powered Alexa Solution
JA Resorts and Hotels | September 24, 2019
Volara’s conversation management tools, guest privacy protections, and powerful integrations, empower the hotel staff to fulfill guest requests instantly, securely, and on voice command (Dubai, September 24, 2019) — With its Grand Opening this week, JA Lake View Hotel Dubai becomes the first hotel in the Middle East to feature Amazon Alexa voice assistants powered by Volara in every guestroom. The solution, powered by Volara’s conversation management software and integrated with Amadeus Service Optimization and VDA Group, ensures guests of JA Lake View Hotel Dubai can receive personalized service and adjust the comforts of their gues...
RoomKeyPMS Continues Expanding Customer Support Team with Customer Service & Hospitality Industry Expert
RoomKeyPMS | September 24, 2019
September 24, 2019 – Vancouver, BC – RoomKeyPMS has continued expanding their customer support team with the hiring of another customer service and hospitality industry expert, Mike Watling. Mike comes to RoomKeyPMS with a range of experience in the customer service and hospitality industry. After spending 10 years in the banking sector primarily in customer service management and project-based roles, he moved into the hospitality industry 20 years ago. Working in roles ranging from food services through to executive management, and the leading of sales and service teams, Mike has worked in such properties as Painter's Lodge, April Poi...
Hotel Equities Development Services Division Gives Owners Advantage in Hotel Development
Hotel Equities | September 24, 2019
Collaborative, holistic solution is a value-add for stakeholders Atlanta, GA – (September 23, 2019) – Today, Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (HE) announced details of its development services division designed to add value for new hotel development, renovation and conversion projects. Hotel Equities built its brand on the ability to identify areas in the industry where they can meet a need for owners by applying their expertise. It’s a strategy that has resulted in longevity and relevance for the company celebrating 30 years in the industry. The new division is the latest addition to its platform of services and is designed to benefit t...
Luxury Cayman Villas Enhances Personalized Services With New Software
ALICE | September 24, 2019
Luxury Cayman Villas has selected ALICE to streamline communication and enhance staff efficiency across its expansive property of luxury vacation rental villas. Luxury Cayman Villas offers a carefully curated collection of vacation rentals and a commitment to the highest level of service in the Cayman Islands. ALICE is the hospitality industry’s leading operations technology, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. Prior to implementing ALICE, Luxury Cayman Villas used a variety of manual and often time-consuming methods to track staff work and fulfill guest requests. Man...
Adjara Group Selects Cendyn to Power CRM Across Their Hotels
Cendyn | September 24, 2019
London, United Kingdom, 24 September 2019 – Adjara Group has signed a deal with Cendyn to power CRM across all their hotels located in Georgia. As a leading Georgian company in hospitality, lifestyle development and agropreneurship, Adjara Group has gained worldwide recognition for trend-setting establishments and entrepreneurial projects through developing and managing lifestyle brands. With Cendyn’s CRM Suite of products, the company’s hotels will benefit from a guest intelligence solution that utilizes data collected from multiple sources, to provide an accurate, single source of truth for each guest. This enhanced visibility of e...
The Sarasota Modern Appoints J. Christopher Ayala as Director of Culinary Program
The Sarasota Modern | September 24, 2019
SARASOTA, Fla. – The Sarasota Modern, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, part of Marriott International, Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of J. Christopher Ayala as its new director of culinary program. In this role, Ayala will be responsible for overseeing the hotel’s entire culinary operation, including Rudolph’s, in-room dining, and the catering and banquet offerings. With more than a decade of high-level expertise, Ayala joins The Sarasota Modern from La Tienda Importing Company, where he served as executive chef. Known for his classic flavor combinations that are familiar and comforting, the Massachusetts-turned-Nashville ...
Driftwood Hospitality Management Appoints Executive Team to Launch Canopy West Palm Beach Downtown
Canopy by Hilton | September 24, 2019
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (September 24, 2019) – Driftwood Hospitality Management has appointed three industry-leading executives to launch Canopy by Hilton West Palm Beach Downtown, the brands’ first Canopy in Florida. The Canopy will feature a full complement of locally-inspired design features, amenities and menu selections from hyper-local, favorite food and beverage sources when the hotel opens in January 2020. It will offer 150 “Just-Right” rooms including spacious suites with large balconies, a magnificent rooftop bar, lounge and pool with sweeping views of Downtown West Palm Beach; 6,000 sq. feet of indoor/outdoor meeting spaces ...
InterContinental Hotels Group Appoints Anna-Marie Dowling as Area General Manger for IHG Oman
InterContinental Hotels Group | September 24, 2019
Muscat, Oman, September 24, 2019 - InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Anna-Marie Dowling as Area General Manager for Oman with a concurrent appointment as General Manager of InterContinental® Muscat. Anna-Marie is the first female general manager of this 43-year old iconic property. Dowling’s expertise and experience in the hospitality industry spans over 27 years, taking on various positions in properties in the United Kingdom and in the Middle East. She joins the team from The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre where she was the Complex General Manager. Prior to this, she was the General Ma...
Outrigger Hospitality Group Names Kenny Kan SVP and Chief Development Officer
Outrigger Hospitality Group | September 24, 2019
HONOLULU – Outrigger Hospitality Group adds a new member to its executive team this month, announcing the official appointment of Kenny Kan to senior vice president and chief development officer for the global beach resort brand. In the newly reintroduced role, Kenny will report directly to Outrigger president and CEO, Jeff Wagoner and oversee the company’s growth initiatives, both in Hawaii and around the globe. As chief development officer, Kan will help execute the company’s strategic growth strategy – increasing the Outrigger portfolio through acquisitions of resort properties and securing management contracts in Hawaii as well...
PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management Celebrates 40 Years
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | September 23, 2019
Legendary hotelier P. R. S. Oberoi honoured with SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award (23 September 2019) The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) celebrated its “Splendid 40 Years” by hosting a gala dinner at Hotel ICON, the SHTM’s world-class teaching and research hotel, on 20 September 2019. Close to 400 guests from around the world attended the occasion in celebration of the School’s 40th anniversary. Addressing at the gala dinner, Professor Philip C. H. CHAN, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU said, “The year 2019 is a special year for the SHTM as the School celebrate...
U.S. Hotel Development Cost Survey 2018/19
Luigi Major | September 23, 2019
By Luigi Major In 2018/19, the national lodging market continued to climb to new heights, albeit at a more moderate pace than in previous years. In 2018, hotels in the United States operated at the highest occupancy and average rates ever recorded, with both metrics registering additional growth during the year-to-date July 2019 period. While the pace of new hotel development and the entrance of new supply has remained tamed when compared with the previous cycle, this pace has been accelerating, as evidence by increases in supply in 2018 and 2019, as well as the number of hotel rooms under construction as of mid-year 2019. Through year-end...
Caesars Entertainment to Sell Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to Company Controlled by a Principal of Imperial Companies for $516.3M
Caesars Entertainment | September 23, 2019
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 23, 2019 -- Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) ("Caesars" or "Caesars Entertainment"), one of the world's most diversified casino-entertainment providers, today announced it has signed an agreement to sell the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (the "Rio") to a company controlled by a principal of Imperial Companies (the "Buyer") for $516.3 million, which implies a strong sales price to EBITDA multiple. Under the terms of the agreement, Caesars will continue to operate the property pursuant to a lease for a minimum of two years and pay annualized rent of $45 million. The Buyer has the option to pay Caesars $7 m...
Virgin Hotels Ventures to Miami With New Development in Brickell Slated to Open in 2023
Virgin Hotels | September 23, 2019
MIAMI, Sept. 23, 2019 -- Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson, announces plans to open and operate a new hotel in Miami, Florida. Virgin Hotels Miami will be managed by Virgin Hotels, developed by Blue Jay Capital with BLUR Workshop as the architect, and is slated to open in 2023. "I'm personally very passionate about this property, as it brings Virgin Hotels into a city that holds a great deal of significance for us. In addition to being my home, Miami is the headquarters of Virgin Hotels, so this is a milestone that has been a long time coming," comments Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal. "Miami...
Wharf Hotels Appoints Christopher Johnson General Manager of Marco Polo Jinjiang
Wharf Hotels | September 23, 2019
23 September 2019, Hong Kong SAR – Wharf Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Johnson as General Manager of Marco Polo Jinjiang, to lead the decade-young hotel’s management and its operations. A celebrated, 20-year career in senior leadership roles, Christopher has built a successful name across rapidly-changing markets in Asia with international hotel brands including Hyatt, Hilton, Four Seasons, InterContinental and Fairmont, developing solid business models and a transformational leadership ethos, through his extensive knowledge in hospitality management. Prior to joining Marco Polo Jinjiang, Christopher...
4 Steps to Take When You Get Negative Feedback
Pipeline Social Media | September 23, 2019
By: Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media Though we all strive for positive feedback, receiving a negative review on your hotel’s social media is inevitable. In our hyper-connected world, opportunities to offer an opinion are prevalent and growing. Not to mention, the open line of communication empowers guests to serve up their opinion whenever and from wherever. We’re here to give you some practical advice on how to deal with negative feedback. First, begin to think of your hotel’s negative reviews as a path to improve guest experience and your online image rather than something to avoid. Keep reading to learn how you can respond to...
Garden of the Gods Resort and Club Appoints Denise Perkins as New Director of Marketing
Garden of the Gods Resort and Club | September 23, 2019
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – (September 23, 2019) – Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, Colorado Springs’ luxury resort and private club, today announces the appointment of Denise Perkins as its new director of marketing. With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Perkins will bring innovation and continued growth to the AAA Four-Diamond Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. “With her hospitality background and dedication to outstanding service, Denise is the perfect person to lead our marketing team and their efforts,” said James Gibson, president and CEO of Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. “Denise...
Amid Brexit Fatigue, Hoteliers Converge in Manchester to Talk UK Market
David Eisen | September 23, 2019
By David Eisen It’s wild times in the UK. At least that’s the perception of this here Yankee. Regardless of politics, ever since Jan. 20, 2017, the U.S. has been on a rambunctious ride of its own, and now, with the appointment of Boris Johnson as UK prime minister on July 24, 2019, the UK has gotten to join in the rollicking fun, as the calendar moves closer to Oct. 31, the day the UK is slated to leave the EU bloc. How ironic that the withdrawal date coincides with Halloween; yes, it’s scary times! It’s also precarious times. As reported, British lawmakers voted in favor of a proposal requiring the governme...
Radisson Hotel Group Signs With Beachside Development Company to Open Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence Aruba in Spring 2020
Radisson Blu | September 23, 2019
Radisson Hotel Group today announced the signing of Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence Aruba. Beachside Development Company N.V. and Radisson Hotel Group plan to open the newly constructed hotel in the Spring of 2020. The hotel’s location in Palm Beach is within walking distance to gorgeous beaches, breath-taking scuba diving, outdoor malls and casinos. “We couldn’t be happier to announce this hotel signing on the beautiful island of Aruba,”said Ken Greene, president, Americas, Radisson Hotel Group. “This signing exemplifies our commitment to executing our five-year strategic plan by growing the Radisson Blu brand in key destinatio...
Hampton Inn® & Suites Borger, Texas, to Be Managed by Hospitality Management Corporation
HMC | September 23, 2019
Dallas, TX – Leo Spriggs, President and CEO of Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC), is pleased to announce the addition of this 64-room Hampton Inn® in Borger, Texas, to their portfolio of managed hotels. HMC continues its ongoing business expansion which is made up of full service, conference center, select service and limited service hotels. HMC is one of the country’s largest third-party privately held hotel management companies. The hotel is next door to Frank Phillips College, the Golden Plains Community Hospital and Lake Meredith is a short 11 miles away for fishing and watersports. The Hampton Inn® & Suites Borger is ...
Radisson Hotel Group Signs With Value One Hotel Operations for Three Brand New Radisson RED Hotels in Europe
Radisson RED | September 20, 2019
Brussels/Lisbon/Vienna - September 20, 2019 Radisson Hospitality AB, part of Radisson Hotel Group, is pleased to announce the signing of three brand-new hotels, all arriving under its Radisson RED brand as part of a strategic franchised partnership with developer and operator Value One Hotel Operations. The deal will see the brand make its debut in Portugal, with the Radisson RED Lisbon Olaias and the Radisson RED Porto – not forgetting a second Radisson RED in Vienna due to open in the Austrian capital. Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer for Radisson Hotel Group, says: “We are delighted to expand o...
Radisson Blu Bremen Opts for Knowcross to Achieve Enhanced Service Optimization
Knowcross | September 20, 2019
London, September 20, 2019 - KNOWCROSS, the global leader in providing service quality and optimization solutions, is proud to announce that Radisson Blu Hotel, Bremen, has decided to implement the Knowcross platform in their endeavor to optimize and streamline operations enabling them to provide top-notch, highly personalized experiences to their esteemed guests. Located on Bremen's historic shopping street of Böttcherstrasse, the upscale hotel has taken advantage of the power of Knowcross’ cutting-edge technology to automate its daily back of the house operations, improve staff productivity, increase guest satisfaction and achieve a r...
Hotel Equities Selected to Manage Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton-Fort Worth/Alliance Airport and Residence Inn by Marriott-Fort Worth/Alliance Ai
Hampton by Hilton | September 20, 2019
Atlanta, GA – September 20, 2019 – Today, Hotel Equities (HE) announced its selection as the management partner to operate the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton-Fort Worth/Alliance Airportand Residence Inn by Marriott-Fort Worth/Alliance Airport hotels. The all-suite Residence Inn is located at 13400 North Freeway and the Hampton Inn & Suites is located at 13600 North Freeway. The two hotels are the latest additions to HE’s portfolio of 140+ hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Both hotels are owned by Sagamore Capital. “We are excited to be in Fort Worth operating these best-in-class Marriott and Hilton hotels,” said Joe ...
