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Aimbridge Hospitality Adds Six Caribbean Hotels to Management Portfolio
Aimbridge Hospitality | August 19, 2019
DALLAS, TX (August 19, 2019) - Aimbridge Hospitality, the nation’s largest independent hotel management company, is heating up its international portfolio with the addition of six Caribbean resorts. The new Caribbean resorts now under Aimbridge Hospitality management include: Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino, Curaçao After undergoing a complete rebuild, the property is set to reopen in fall 2019. Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Hotel & Residence, Cayman Islands The resort is set to break ground by year end 2019 and set to open Fall 2021. Margaritaville Beach Resort at The Pointe, Nassau, Bahamas This new bu...
Tennessee Quality Inn & Suites Will Be Auctioned on RealINSIGHT Marketplace This September
RealINSIGHT | August 19, 2019
CENTERVILLE, TN—August 19, 2019—RealINSIGHT Marketplace and CBRE Hotels are pleased to offer the fee-simple interest in the 39-room Quality Inn & Suites, situated in Centerville, Tennessee. This full-service hotel is situated along Highway 100, between Highway 50 and Highway 48, and is approximately 15 miles from Interstate 40. This Quality Inn & Suites benefits from great accessibility and is within close proximity to some of Centerville’s main demand generators, including the Duck River (1.8 miles), Centerville RiverPark, Life Care Center of Centerville, Saint Thomas Hickman Hospital, Pink Cadillac Drive In Movie Theater, G...
Study: A Record 768 Million U.S. Vacation Days Went Unused in ’18, Opportunity Cost in the Billions
U.S. Travel Association | August 19, 2019
WASHINGTON American workers left a record number of vacation days on the table last year—768 million days, up 9% from 2017—according to new research from the U.S. Travel Association, Oxford Economics and Ipsos. Of the unused days, 236 million were forfeited completely, equating to $65.5 billion in lost benefits. More than half (55%) of workers reported they did not use all their allotted time off. While American workers are leaving more unused days on the table, they are also taking more days of paid time off; American workers took off an average of 17.2 days in 2017 and 17.4 days in 2018. Employment in the U.S. is st...
The Boston Lodging Market: What the Supply Surge Means Moving Forward
Sebastian Colella | August 19, 2019
At year-end 2018, the Boston and Cambridge lodging market was comprised of 105 hotels with approximately 24,000 rooms. While this has grown considerably in four years, lodging supply in this market remains small relative to other major gateway cities. The ongoing building boom in Boston and Cambridge has contributed greatly to the recent surge in lodging supply and is expected to continue through 2021 and beyond. What does the pipeline of hotel development, its largest in recent history, mean for the Boston lodging market’s performance? Recent & Continued Supply Growth Between 2000 and 2014, rooms supply in market increased at ...
Southeast Hotel Investments in Partnership With Strand Hospitality Services Affiliate Acquires Hampton Inn Atlanta – Fairburn, GA
Strand Hospitality | August 19, 2019
(Fairburn, GA) August 19, 2019 – Strand Hospitality Services, a leading provider of hospitality management, consulting and advisory services, recently announced that it assumed management of the Hampton Inn Atlanta – Fairburn, Georgia located at 7790 Ella Lane. The Fairburn hotel offers 99-rooms and will undergo a renovation within the next year. The hotel is conveniently located on I-85, 20 miles southwest of Atlanta and only 13 miles southwest of the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This Hampton Inn is the first acquired property by Southeast Hotel Investments. The Fairburn hotel is the 8th Hampton brand in Strand’...
Crestline Hotels & Resorts to Manage the Residence Inn Tampa North/I-75 Fletcher
Crestline Hotels & Resorts | August 19, 2019
FAIRFAX, VA August 19, 2019 Crestline Hotels & Resorts, LLC (“Crestline”), announced today it has been appointed to manage of the 78-suite Residence Inn Tampa North/I-75 Fletcher in Tampa, FL. The recently renovated hotel is located in a serene setting in close proximity to the University of South Florida and provides easy access to Florida Hospital Center and the Moffitt Cancer Center. It is also convenient to area attractions including Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and the Museum of Science and Industry. “The Residence Inn Tampa North is ideally situated for business, leisure, and medical travelers. It offers the comfo...
Radisson Hotel Group Signs With Bamboo Capital Group for Radisson Blu Hoi An on Vietnam’s Central Coast
Radisson Hotel Group | August 19, 2019
Radisson Hotel Group has announced the signing of a stylish, design-led beachfront property close to Hoi An, the heritage port town on Vietnam’s central coast. Scheduled to open in 2021, Radisson Blu Hoi An will be nestled directly on the soft sands of Hà My Beach, just 8km from Hoi An’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed town center and 30 minutes’ drive from Danang International Airport. Infused with tropical touches, this elegant low-rise property will flow around a series of reflective pools, with wooden walkways and landscaped gardens. Comprising 734 rooms, suites and villas, this will become the largest property in the company’...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Top 10 Hotel Budget Review Tips
David Lund | August 19, 2019
By David Lund When you are reviewing a hotel budget you want to ask the right questions—the ones that will yield the biggest treasure. You see, the game of budgets in most hotel companies where the corporate or regional master needs to approve the plan before it is presented to the owner, is a game of under promise now and hopefully over deliver next year. Some people I know call this the practice of sandbagging. It is not mean or deceitful, rather it is a game. If you are asleep at the switch when you are doing the review, well, that is your problem. Operators are always looking for items they can keep in their back pocket for the...
Olympia Hotel Management Chosen to Operate the New Hyatt Place Harrisonburg
Hyatt Place | August 19, 2019
August 19, 2019. Portland, ME. Olympia Hotel Management (OHM) is proud to announce that developer Harman Realty, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia has chosen OHM to manage the new Hyatt Place Harrisonburg. The hotel broke ground on August 2 and is expected to open in September 2020. The general contractor is Harman Construction, Inc. The city of Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university, and a visitor gateway to nearby Shenandoah National Park. It was rated the “#6 Favorite Town in America" by Travel + Leisure in 2016. Hyatt Place Harrisonburg will be the city’s newest and most contemporary ho...
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Set to Open in Springfield, Illinois Led by General Manager Darin Dame
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | August 15, 2019
Springfield, IL– August 15, 2019 – Marriott International announced today that the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Springfield, Illinois is scheduled to open this Monday, August 19, 2019. The 80-suite hotel, located at 3921 MacArthur Boulevard, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Legacy Hospitality, LLC and managed by Ehrhardt Hospitality of Hannibal, Missouri. The SpringHill Suites Springfield Southwest offers guests convenient access to downtown Springfield, Engrained Brewery & Restaurant, SCHEELS, Knights Action Park, the Illinois State Capitol, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “As a bran...
Redefining Luxury and Culture in Hospitality
Kimberly Yoong | August 15, 2019
The hospitality industry has been abuzz with the growing need to redefine the notion of luxury to cater to an increasingly diverse clientele. Gone are the days when enjoying a luxurious experience meant indulgent in-room candlelight dinners and a rose petal-filled jacuzzi; today’s travelers seek authenticity and experiential travel. Eugenio Pirri, Chief People & Culture Officer at the Dorchester Collection, emphasizes just that as he tells the Young Hoteliers Summit in an interview, that luxury has to be defined by the customer. Hoteliers often say that they are customer-focused. However, Pirri also highlights the need to take it a s...
Winning Decisions Are Sometimes Tough Decisions
Shep Hyken | August 15, 2019
By Shep Hyken I enjoy going to a baseball game. I live in St. Louis, and the fans of the St. Louis Cardinals are known throughout the sports world as being some of the best fans in all of baseball. Many fans remember Albert Pujols as one of the most skilled—not to mention beloved—members of the St. Louis Cardinals team. He was one of our best—and still is one of the best to ever play the game. The fans loved him, and he loved our city. But eight years ago, he left the Cardinals to play for the California Angels. Why did Pujols leave? The Angels offered him LOTS of money and the Cardinals wouldn’t match the offer. It was a sad da...
Ashford Trust Announces Sale of Two Hotels for $37.8 million
August 15, 2019
DALLAS -- August 15, 2019 -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) ("Ashford Trust" or the "Company") today announced the sales of the 156-room Courtyard Savannah Downtown in Savannah, Georgia and the 128-room Hilton Garden Inn in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin for $37.8 million. The combined sales price, inclusive of the buyers' estimated anticipated capex of $8.2 million, represents a trailing twelve-month cap rate of 5.3% on net operating income and a 16.2x Hotel EBITDA multiple as of June 30, 2019. The hotels had existing allocated loan balances of approximately $32.8 million that were paid off at closing along with an ad...
Henley Investments Acquires Iconic 81-Room Lord Balfour Hotel on Miami’s Ocean Drive
Henley | August 15, 2019
BOSTON --August 15, 2019 -- Henley Investments, a leading private equity real estate firm based in the UK and the US, has announced the acquisition of their fourth boutique hotel in partnership with Life House, the venture-backed, technology-enabled hotel management company. The largest US hotel acquisition to-date by Henley with a total project capitalization in excess of $40M (including acquisition and renovation cost), this deal signals Life House's expansion into managing bigger hotels where its proprietary approach to hotel operations will continue to add significant value to both the underlying real estate and the hotel guest experienc...
Concord Hospitality Plans Winter Opening of The Ben West Palm Following Renovation and Rebranding
The Ben West Palm | August 15, 2019
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- August 15, 2019 -- West Palm Beach’s highly anticipated hotel, The Ben West Palm, is slated for a Winter opening and is now accepting wedding and group business for 2020. Part of Autograph Collection, Marriott International’s newest collection of independent, characterful hotels, The Ben is the focal point of Flagler Banyan Square, a 3.5-acre mixed-use waterfront development in downtown West Palm Beach. Owned and operated by Concord Hospitality, The Ben is located at 251 Narcissus Avenue, only steps away from buzzing Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, and a short drive from PBI airport. The Ben...
Thompson Toronto to Undergo Transformation to 1 Hotel Toronto Set to Debut Summer 2020
1 Hotels | August 15, 2019
NEW YORK -- August 15, 2019 -- Barry Sternlicht, 1 Hotels Founder and CEO & Chairman of Starwood Capital Group, announced plans today for its newest property, 1 Hotel Toronto, inspired by Canada'snatural beauty, the vibrant character of King Street West and the Torontomarketplace. The hotel is being developed in partnership with Mohari Hospitality, a global real estate investment company and owner of the building which is currently operated as the Thompson Toronto. The downtown property will undergo an extensive transformation into a relaxing luxury sustainable 1 retreat. 1 Hotels brings its sustainable vision to life by incorpora...
Pennsylvania Hampton Inn to Be Auctioned on RealINSIGHT Marketplace
RealINSIGHT Marketplace | August 15, 2019
PITTSBURGH, PA—August 15, 2019—RealINSIGHT Marketplace and Berkadia are pleased to offer the fee-simple interest in the 88-room Hampton Inn Wexford Sewickley for your acquisition consideration. The most recent proto-type Hampton Inn is ideally located just off Interstate 79, one of the Ohio Valley’s primary north-south corridors running from Lake Erie to the north and to Charleston, West Virginia to the south. The Hotel is also 15 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh’s many businesses and regionally popular leisure attractions. This represents an exceptional opportunity for investors to acquire a new-build Hampton, which is also t...
Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection Welcomes Lacey Lou Franklin as Executive Chef
Auberge Resorts Collection | August 15, 2019
WASHINGTON, Conn. (August 15, 2019) – Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection, the luxurious countryside retreat, surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and woodland in the idyllic town of Washington, Conn., today announced the appointment of Lacey Lou Franklin as Executive Chef. Drawing upon culinary experience honed at Michelin-starred restaurants in Napa Valley, Calif., Franklin will oversee culinary development, operations and programming at the hotel’s signature restaurant, The Mayflower Dining Room, and the Tap Room, the more relaxed, pub-style lounge serving a dynamic take on casual country fare. Franklin bri...
Davidson Hotels Appoints Tim Graham as Executive Chef for Thompson Chicago
Nico Osteria | August 15, 2019
CHICAGO, IL (August 15, 2019) – The Thompson Chicago is pleased to welcome Chef Tim Graham as the hotel’s new Executive Chef. In this role, Chef Graham will oversee all culinary operations of the hotel including private events, in-room dining, and the hotel’s renowned restaurant, Nico Osteria. Chef Graham joins the Thompson Chicago having served as Executive Chef at several acclaimed Chicago restaurants including Michelin-starred Tru, Paris Club (where Chef Graham was an instrumental member of the team that developed and opened the restaurant) and Travelle at the Langham hotel. Most recently Graham was the executive chef and owner of hi...
Roberto Simone Apointed New General Manager of Villa Rosa Kempinski & Olare Mara Kempinski in Kenya
Villa Rosa Kempinski | August 15, 2019
Nairobi, 15 August 2019 - Kempinski Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of a well-rounded luxury hospitality professional, Roberto Simone, as the new General Manager in charge of the luxury city hotel, Villa Rosa Kempinski and the high-end tented camp in Masai Mara, Olare Mara Kempinski. An Italian native, Roberto Simone brings onboard a wealth of experience honed working for some of the world’s leading luxury hospitality brands such as JW Marriott, Anantara Hotels & Resorts and Silversea Six Star Cruise Line, among many others. Since 2017, Roberto occupied the role of Chief Operating Officer with the Tonino La...
Coury Hospitality Names Tom Santora Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director of Hotel Vin, Autograph Collection
Coury Hospitality | August 15, 2019
GRAPEVINE, Texas (August 15, 2019) – Coury Hospitality today announced that Tom Santora will serve as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, as well as Managing Director of both Hotel Vin, an Autograph Collection boutique hotel, and Harvest Hall, a food hall offering hand-crafted cuisine and entertainment options. Both are part of Grapevine Main, a $114 million mixed-use development in Grapevine, Texas. In his role as Chief Commercial Officer, Santora is responsible for the commercial strategy and advancement of the Coury Hospitality brand. Santora will create and drive innovative branding, marketing and business development strat...
INTELITY to Attend the Hotel360 Expo in London
INTELITY | August 15, 2019
The company looks to expand existing international relationships and further extend its presence in the global market Los Angeles, CA (August 15, 2019) - INTELITY® announced today that it will exhibit at the Hotel360 Expo, which will take place this September 18-19 at ExCeL in London. The company, well known for offering the broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform in hospitality, is focused on further expanding its international reach and nurturing new relationships within the European market. INTELITY’s platform is organized into INTELITY Guest, INTELITY Staff, and INTELITY Connect, which includes over 120...
Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara Appoints Travis Watson as New Executive Chef
Hotel Californian | August 14, 2019
Santa Barbara, Calif. (August 14, 2019) – Shaking up the culinary scene in Santa Barbara’s trendsetting Funk Zone neighborhood, Hotel Californian announces the appointment of a new Executive Chef, Travis Watson, who will lead the creation of a fresh culinary experience at Blackbird. The signature restaurant will relaunch in Fall 2019 as Bar Blackbird, a lively and upscale bar-first concept, featuring an inventive cocktail program from Houston Hospitality veteran Devon Espinosa and celebrating the intersection of food and beverage on California’s Central Coast. Chef Travis will also infuse new culinary inspiration throughout the resor...
LodgeWorks Partners Bringing ARCHER Hotel to Tysons, Virginia
ARCHER | August 14, 2019
Tysons, VA – August 14, 2019 – ARCHER® Hotel Tysons, a new-build property in the heart of Scotts Run South, is officially underway. LodgeWorks Partners, L.P., the owner, operator and developer of the growing Archer Hotel collection, hand-picked this location adjacent to the McLean Silver Line Metro Station, which provides easy access to Washington, D.C., just nine miles away, and the city’s two airports, Dulles International and Reagan National. Archer Hotel Tysons is currently the only hotel in the development plans for Scotts Run South. The dynamic Scotts Run development is destined to be a new walkable urban village and will attract...
