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Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel Appoints Robert Felios III as Executive Chef
Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center | September 17, 2019
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 (Georgetown, Texas) Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center announces the appointment of Robert Felios III as Executive Chef. Chef Felios will be responsible for the culinary direction and day to day operation of all food and beverage outlets for the hotel including the signature restaurant, Brix And Ale, the lobby bar Jack’s Lounge, banquets, and catering. Chef Felios will be revamping the Brix And Ale menu, focusing on the restaurant’s unique Texas spin on classic American fare. Patrons can expect dishes that pair perfectly with Brix And Ale’s robust beer and wine selection. In addition to a new ...
Prince Waikiki Appoints Joy Tomita Anderson as New Director of Sales & Marketing
Prince Resorts Hawaii | September 17, 2019
HONOLULU, September 11, 2019 – Prince Waikiki announced today the appointment of Joy Tomita Anderson as director of sales and marketing. An industry veteran with a strong presence in the Hawaii hospitality industry, Anderson will oversee all sales, marketing and public relations initiatives for the 563-room Honolulu hotel, including its signature 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar, expansive meeting and events space and the 27-hole championship golf course, Hawaii Prince Golf Club. “We are thrilled to welcome Joy to the Prince Waikiki family,” said Joshua Hargrove, general manager of Prince Waikiki. “Her expertise of the destination an...
Award-Winning All Season SilverStar Mountain Resort Trusts Maestro PMS for Guest-Focused Multi-Property Resort and Owner Operations
Maestro PMS | September 17, 2019
Summer Bike and Winter Ski Experiences, Groups Events, Seasonal Staff, and Corporate Events, Maestro Brings It All Together Under One System and, “It Is easy to use and learn so SilverStar can get new hires using the system with confidence quickly.” September 17, 2019 – SilverStar Mountain Resort has all the amenities of a luxurious alpine village. Four hotel style properties, more than 10 food and beverage outlets, a variety of retail and grocery stores, fitness center, bike rental and repair store, ski shops, plus multiple residential ownership units. The entire operation is supported by the Maestro Multi-Property hotel software sy...
AKARYN Hotel Group Appoints Eugene Chew as New VP of Development and Operations
AKARYN Hotel Group | September 17, 2019
Bangkok, Thailand – AKARYN Hotel Group, Thailand’s homegrown five-star boutique hotel specialist, is ramping up its international expansion strategy with the appointment of Eugene Chew, its new Vice President of Development and Operations. Eugene, who joins the company on 16th September 2019, has a strong background in the hospitality industry and speaks five languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien. With more than 20 years of experience in Asia and the West, he is uniquely positioned to drive the development of an ambitious and fast-growing Asian hospitality business. Having graduated from the University of Michig...
Le Méridien New York, Central Park Welcomes New General Manager and Director Of Sales
Le Méridien New York, Central Park | September 17, 2019
NEW YORK (September 17, 2019) – Le Méridien New York, Central Park is pleased to announce the appointments of two new team members at the recently opened Manhattan property: Shahram Khan, General Manager, and Mirian Ortega, Director of Sales. A self-motivated leader with over 20 years of hospitality experience, Shahram Khan comes to New York from Boston where he was General Manager at the Le Méridien Boston Cambridge. He played an active role in the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and Tourism council and held a Marriott Advisory Board position for Children’s Miracle Network, which helped raise funding for the Boston Children’s Ho...
Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) Soft-Launches New Websites and Programs for Members
BLLA | September 17, 2019
Includes Phase 1 of the official global Master List of bookable boutique hotels and city guides showcasing boutique business concepts Los Angeles, September 17, 2019 – BLLA, the official association of the world’s boutique hotels, is re-energizing and extending its leading brand with the debut of two bold websites offering a host of benefits and enhanced features for hotel members and boutique-loving customers. Continuing to successfully reinvent and expand the global boutique experience, BLLA has launched Stay-Boutique.com which offers the first-ever Master List of the world’s authentic boutique and lifestyle hotels that are bookabl...
How to Respond Properly to Online Hotel Reviews
Kacey Bradley | September 16, 2019
By Kacey Bradley In today’s digitally-inclined world, online reviews are a significant part of the hotel booking process. According to one study, more than 50% of travelers don’t want to book until they read reviews — typically between six and 12. They want first-hand accounts of a stay on your property, whether good or bad. The newer the feedback, the more helpful. You can’t prevent bad reviews — no matter how stellar your guest experience. What you can control is how you respond. The majority of travelers — 87% — say an appropriate response to a bad review improves their impression of the hotel. On the flip-side, a...
IHG’s New Atwell Suites™ Brand Launches Franchise Sales in the U.S.
ihg | September 16, 2019
All-suites brand focused on thoughtful design and guest experience offers owners the opportunity to tap into growing upper-midscale segment IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announces today that it has launched franchise sales efforts for its newest brand – Atwell Suites™ – in the U.S. The new upper-midscale hotel brand targets an estimated $18 billion industry segment which has grown by 70 percent over the last four years. Atwell Suites was first unveiled in May 2019 to thousands of IHG owners and operators at its Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. Elie ...
Wharf Hotels Appoints Michael Ganster General Manager of Niccolo Chengdu
Niccolo Hotels | September 16, 2019
CHENGDU, China, Sept. 16, 2019- Wharf Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Ganster as General Manager of contemporary chic hotel, Niccolo Chengdu, taking the helm of the group's first luxury hotel, which opened in 2015. Amplifying the strategies initiated by Adriano Vences, who successfully captained the hotel as its preceding General Manager for 4 years and has since taken up the leading role at The Murray, Hong Kong a Niccolo Hotel, the group's flagship, Michael's new remit is to lead the award-winning hotel in Chengdu, to new heights. Originally from Austria, Michael has a wealth of hospitality experience spanning...
Dream Hotel Group Names Michael Lindenbaum as New Chief Operating Officer
Dream Hotel Group | September 16, 2019
NEW YORK, NY (September 16, 2019) – Renowned hotel brand and management company, Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Lindenbaum to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Lindenbaum has been with the company for nine years. As Chief Operating Officer, Lindenbaum will oversee the operations of all Dream Hotel Group owned and managed hotels worldwide, including its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels and Unscripted Hotels brands. Lindenbaum will maintain responsibility for the alignment and prioritization of new property openings and ensuring operational excellence across the portfolio. He will continue to oversee the techni...
The Set Hotels Appoints François-Xavier Schoeffer as General Manager of the Hotel Lutetia
The Set Hotels | September 16, 2019
Over the last six years of his successful tenure as Hotel Manager François has contributed significantly to Hotel Café Royal’s positioning as one of the leading hotels in London. He possesses a wealth of experience in delivering luxury service standards and a truly refined guest experience that is reflected in the hotel’s continued success. He began his career at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes over twenty years ago, subsequently working in several luxury hotels across Europe before joining in 2008 the Hotel Lutetia as Hotel Manager. Thus, it’s a real come back on the “Rive gauche” for François-Xavier Schoeffer in his emblema...
The Hype Behind Blockchain: What Is it and Why Is it Important to the Travel Industry?
Rob Sudakow | September 16, 2019
By Rob Sudakow If you haven’t noticed Blockchain is one of the new catchphrases thrown around at every travel conference you go to, but it’s probable that most of those throwing the word around actually understand blockchain or how it could revolutionize the travel industry. The travel industry isn't alone in its excitement over blockchain. The buzzword is making its way into the vocabulary of many industries with good reason. But the big question is how and why. What is Blockchain: Wikipedia’s definition of blockchain “a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptog...
Greenwood Hospitality Selected to Manage Hyatt Place in Champaign, Illinois
Greenwood Hospitality | September 16, 2019
Champaign, Illinois, September 16, 2019 – Greenwood Hospitality Group, a full-service third party hotel management company, announced today that it has been awarded the management contract for the Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana located in Champaign, Illinois. Greenwood Principal Thomas Conran made the announcement. Located at the intersection of Neil Street and Church Street in Champaign’s vibrant downtown area, this contemporary hotel is conveniently situated steps from 36 different restaurants and bars and popular attractions such as the Virginia Theatre. The hotel is also just minutes from the University of Illinois campus. Feature...
Lakeland Hospitality Group Celebrates Topping-Out of SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Lakeland, Florida
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | September 16, 2019
LAKELAND, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2019) – Lakeland Hospitality Group announced today the topping out construction milestone of the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in downtown Lakeland. The topping out signifies the completion of the building’s preliminary structural framework with the placement of its final steel beam. The hotel broke ground on October 1, 2018 and is slated to open in mid-April 2020. “We are thrilled to bring the first SpringHill Suites by Marriott to downtown Lakeland, creating jobs and economic growth for the area,” said Wesley Barnett, manager of Lakeland Hospitality Group, and grandson of Publix Super Markets founder G...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Creating and Using Staffing Guides
David Lund | September 16, 2019
By David Lund In our business it is no secret that labor is our single biggest expense. Last year the average hotel in North America, according to data collected from thousands of medium- and full-service hotels by a popular industry partner, was right around 50 percent of total revenues. What is a secret is how most hotels manage their largest cost. In this piece I am going to talk about creating and using a staffing formula for all scheduled positions. In addition, I will talk about the best practices as it relates to having and using staffing guides. First of all, let’s define what a staffing guide is and what constitutes a staf...
IHG Signs With Inmobiliaria Vistamar to Debut InterContinental® and Hotel Indigo® Brands in Peru
IHG ® | September 16, 2019
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announces the debut of both the InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Indigo® brands in Peru, with two new properties now under construction in the capital city of Lima. The Hotel Indigo Lima Miraflores will also be the brand’s first property in South America. Both hotels are expected to open in early 2022 and will be owned by Inmobiliaria Vistamar and managed by IHG. The InterContinental Lima Miraflores and Hotel Indigo Lima Miraflores will be located next to each other in the vibrant epicenter of Miraflores, steps away from Larcomar,...
Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners, Valor Hospitality, Acquire D.C.’s Kimpton Rouge Hotel
Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners | September 16, 2019
WASHINGTON (September 16, 2019) – Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners (KWHP) today officially announced that they have acquired the Kimpton Rouge Hotel in Washington, D.C. Valor Hospitality (Valor), which owns, operates, asset manages and consults on over 60+ hotels worldwide, is co-investing and will oversee a complete rebrand and renovation of the property and will be adding a new restaurant and rooftop bar within the next 18 months. KWHP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kemmons Wilson Companies, is the hospitality investment arm of the Kemmons Wilson family, which founded Holiday Inn Hotels in 1952. After 65 years of leadership in the hosp...
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center Set to Open This November in the New Orleans Arts and Warehouse District
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center | September 12, 2019
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 12, 2019) - The National WWII Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of its signature Hotel, The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton, which will officially open its doors this November. Bringing a storied era in American history to New Orleans’ Arts and Warehouse District, The Higgins Hotel and its state-of-the-art conference facility will serve as a premier destination for travelers as part of the exclusive Curio Collection by Hilton, the brand’s first in the state of Louisiana. The newest addition to the Museum’s growing campus is named after Andrew Higgins, the founder a...
How to Optimize for Marriott SEO
Stephanie Smith | September 12, 2019
By Stephanie Smith There are likely many Marriott properties in your given market, and it is important to distinguish your hotel from other Marriott properties as well as other hotels in your competitive set. Doing Marriott SEO (Search engine optimization) is just one differentiating technique when understanding where brand marketing stops and individual hotel marketing begins. Whether you are doing it yourself, hiring Marriott Digital Services or an outside agency, consider these factors when doing search engine optimization (SEO) for a Marriott branded hotel. Factors in Marriott SEO For ease, let’s divide our SEO strategy i...
The Okura Tokyo Opens Its Doors Following Four-Year Rebuilding
Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. | September 12, 2019
TOKYO—September 12, 2019 --In a much-anticipated event and to the delight of its many followers worldwide, The Okura Tokyo, the new flagship hotel of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd, today opened its doors to the public. The original Hotel Okura Tokyo opened in 1962 as a first-class hotel that quickly became renowned worldwide for its blending of traditional Japanese beauty with the very best in accommodation, cuisine and service. It closed its doors in August 2015, and after four years of rebuilding work, it reopened today as The Okura Tokyo. Masaharu Naruse, President and Representative Director, Hotel Okura Tokyo Co., Ltd., said, “I’m pro...
That “Something Extra” You Offer to Make Customers Love You
Shep Hyken | September 12, 2019
In the realm of business—and especially customer service—we often talk about how to differentiate yourself from your competition. It’s those companies that manage to stand out from the crowd that end up being successful. When I work with companies, I urge them to find what makes them unique and use it as a competitive advantage. It’s always a treat when I meet people who not only agree with my philosophies but take them a step further. That’s where Rodney Gaddis comes in. I met Rodney at a conference where I was speaking about customer service. Rodney is in the very competitive field of lawn care as a Spring-Green franchisee, and...
Hoteliers, Are You Offering the Highest Level of Service?
Karen O'Neill | September 12, 2019
By Karen O'Neill, President-Americas at Knowcross In this time, better known as the ‘Age of the Customer,’ what differentiates companies like Apple, Amazon, Zappos from the rest? The simple answer would be their never-ending efforts to exceed customer service expectations and create memorable, ever-lasting experiences. When it comes to the hospitality industry, while there is no shortage of sentiments that should guide a hotelier’s approach to success, there is one which arguably stands above the rest: great hospitality is defined by exceptional service. A recent Walker study, states that by the year 2020, customer experience will...
Marriott International Announces Alex Kyriakidis to Step Down as President of Middle East & Africa
Marriott International | September 12, 2019
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today that Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director of the company’s Middle East & Africa division, will transition from the position effective 31 December 2019 to take up an executive advisory role for the company. “As Marriott’s head of Middle East & Africa, Alex has, in a short amount of time, propelled the company to new heights,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. “His passion, tenacity and global mindset have driven our growth in the region. During his tenure, Marriott’s presence in MEA has grown seven-fold...
Oxford Hotels & Resorts Promotes George Jordan to President
Oxford Hotels & Resorts | September 12, 2019
(CHICAGO, IL; September 12, 2019) – Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, a wholly owned management subsidiary of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, announced today George Jordan’s promotion to president of Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. Most recently, George served as executive vice president following his position as senior vice president at the company. In his new role, Jordan oversees a growing portfolio of hotels and resorts across the United States, totaling nearly four thousand hotel rooms. Jordan is also responsible for operations, human resources, legal, revenue management, and property finance teams, and continues to report directly to t...
