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Hyatt Signs With CES Pirie Hotel to Develop New Hyatt Regency in Adelaide Set to Open in 2023
Hyatt Regency | August 2, 2019
CHICAGO, IL -- August 2, 2019 -- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with CES Pirie Hotel (SA) Pty Ltd., an entity wholly owned by Chip Eng Seng Corporation Limited, to develop a new Hyatt Regency in Adelaide. The new 295-room hotel will mark the return of a Hyatt branded hotel to Adelaide, continuing Hyatt’s expansion in Australia. With construction planned to commence in early 2020, Hyatt Regency Adelaide is expected to open in early 2023. The Hyatt Regency brand offers a stress-free environment for event, leisure and business travelers alike to enjoy a produ...
Global Travel Pricing Set to Slow Down in 2020; Flights to Rise 1.2%, Hotels 1.3%
Global Business Travel Association | August 2, 2019
MINNEAPOLIS & ALEXANDRIA, Va.-- August 2, 2019 -- After posting sharp rises in 2019, prices in the global travel industry are likely to slow in 2020, with flights rising a modest 1.2%, hotels rising only 1.3%, and rental car rates up 1%, according to the sixth annual Global Travel Forecast, published today by CWT and GBTA. While the global economy is doing well overall – and expected to grow a solid 3.6% in 2020 – a raft of uncertainties are set to put a damper on pricing. “The risks and ambiguity have increased over the past few months – not least the threat of escalating trade wars, the impact of Brexit, possible oil supply s...
Sheri Thimas Appointed Spa Director at Cape Cod’s Chatham Bars Inn
CHATHAM BARS INN | August 2, 2019
Chatham, MA -- August 2, 2019 -- Cape Cod’s most beloved and iconic luxury resort, Chatham Bars Inn, announces the appointment of Sheri Thimas as Spa Director. In this position, Thimas will manage spa programming, sales, and operations at The Spa at Chatham Bars Inn. Thimas has dedicated experience in both the wellness and hospitality industries, making her a dynamic new addition to the Chatham Bars Inn executive team. Most recently, she was Spa Director at the Armand Salon Spa in Kingston, MA, where she successfully oversaw the spa, salon and its staff. Thimas arrived to Armand Salon Spa 11 years ago, where she quickly rose through the...
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa Promotes Adam Solowitz to Executive Chef
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa | August 2, 2019
August 2, 2019 -- Omni La Costa Resort & Spa announces that F&B Director Adam Solowitz has been promoted to Executive Chef. Chef Adam Solowitz brings over a decade of experience to the team at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa and developed a love for food at a young age. Chef Adam’s mother owned a deli for 10 years and his father owned a bakery for 25 years, allowing him a first-hand look into the culinary world that fueled his passion for cooking. Before coming to Omni La Costa, our Executive Chef gained experience at prestigious locations such as The Hyatt Regency Phoenix and Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa. In 2016, Adam jo...
BENCHMARK Names Jim Koutsky Director of Finance for Grand Plaza Hotel and The Beachcomber, St. Pete Beach, Florida
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® | August 2, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas -- August 2, 2019 -- BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Jim Koutsky director of finance for the Grand Plaza Hotel and The Beachcomber, both Benchmark Resorts & Hotels’ properties located in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Jan McCormick, managing director for the properties, made the announcement. “It is a pleasure to announce Jim’s latest position within our company,” said Mr. McCormick. “He is the perfect professional for this important role, is very familiar with the Florida market, and with Benchmark’s signature Be The Difference service culture. We look forward to his ...
RoomKeyPMS Expands Customer Support Team With Local Hotelier Expert
RoomKeyPMS | August 2, 2019
Vancouver, BC -- August 2, 2019 -- RoomKeyPMS has expanded their customer support team with the hiring of a North American hotelier expert, Fernando Mallari. Born in the Philippines, Fernando was exposed to the industry at a very young age, as part of a family who owned a successful franchise restaurant chain. This experience helped him to develop the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to successfully manage in the hospitality industry. Upon moving to North America 27 years ago, Fernando began his career at the Days Inn, and, over the past 23 years, has immersed himself within the operations and inner workings of hotels. He has hel...
JW Marriott Debuts in the Heart of Edmonton With Opening of JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts | August 1, 2019
August 1, 2019, (Edmonton, Alberta) –Marriott International Inc., is proud to announce the opening of the highly anticipated JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District. Located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District offers a fresh and welcoming take on luxury and will feature modern guest rooms, specialty wellness programs, enriching dining experiences, and 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting and conference spaces, which have been named after iconic Edmonton Oilers Alumni. “We are thrilled to be opening our 250th hotel in Canada as well as bringing our iconic JW brand to the city of Edmonton,” said Don Cleary, President of...
Hotel Equities Opens Adaptive Reuse 146-Room Home2 Suites by Hilton in Marietta, Georgia
Hotel Equities | August 1, 2019
Atlanta, GA -- August 1, 2019 -- Today, Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (HE) announced the opening of the Home2 Suites by Hilton-Marietta, GA, located at 2168 Kingston Court. The 146-room all-suite hotel offers 1,400 square feet of meeting and event space. Owners at Marietta Hotel Investments, LLC, undertook a complete building restoration to actualize their vision for the new, custom hotel. Hotel Equities will operate the hotel. Perry Nichols leads the team as the general manager, alongside Treasure Williams, director of sales and Corbin Tipton, assistant general manager. The new hotel is one of six Home2 Suites-branded hotels in HE’s ...
Concord Hospitality Opens TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Downtown Loveland, Colorado
Towneplace Suites by Marriott | August 1, 2019
LOVELAND, CO -- August 1, 2019 -- Downtown Loveland’s first hotel has announced it is set to open on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. The TownPlace Suites by Marriott, is located at 256 E 2nd Street within The Foundry redevelopment. TownePlace Suites is the premier choice for extended stays, offering both convenience and innovative styles. The opening announcement was made by the hotel’s operator, Concord Hospitality, and ownership, Brinkman and Colmena Group “With the redevelopment of The Foundry, we saw a great opportunity for this new location in downtown Loveland,” said Jay Hardy, Brinkman President. “This area is a dest...
Braemar Hotels & Resorts Plans January 2020 Opening of The Clancy – A New Autograph Collection Property In Downtown San Francisco
Braemar Hotels & Resorts | August 1, 2019
July 2019 (San Francisco, CA) – Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: BHR) ("Braemar" or the "Company") today announced the planned opening of The Clancy in January 2020. Located in San Francisco's vibrant South of Market (SoMa) district, the former Courtyard San Francisco Downtown is undergoing a rebranding and renovation of approximately $30 million to create The Clancy. The hotel now joins Marriott International's Autograph Collection® Hotels, a diverse portfolio of approximately 180 independent hotels around the world that reflect unique vision, design and environments. The Clancy is ideally situated at 299 Second Street, i...
Online Skimming Threatens Hospitality E-Commerce Sites
the PCI Security Standards Council | August 1, 2019
PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and the Retail and Hospitality ISAC Join Forces to Highlight Growing Threat Washington, D.C., August 1, 2019 – Today the PCI Security Standards Council and the Retail & Hospitality ISAC (https://rhisac.org/) issued a joint bulletin to highlight an emerging threat that requires urgent awareness and attention. The full bulletin can be viewed here. What is the threat? A growing threat that all merchants and service providers should be aware of is Web-based or Online Skimming. These attacks infect e-commerce websites with malicious code, known as sniffers or JavaScript (JS) sniffers and ...
The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami Appoints Joseph Fisher as Hotel Manager
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC | August 1, 2019
MIAMI, FL. -- August 1, 2019 -- The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami announces the appointment of Joseph Fisher as Hotel Manager for the 18-story luxury resort. A passionate leader with nearly two decades of knowledge and expertise in hospitality, Joseph will oversee all facets of the resort, including hotel operations, property amenities and guest services. Joseph joins The Ritz-Carlton from the Embassy Suites by Hilton, South Jordan & Palm Beach Gardens in Utah, where he served as the opening general manager. In his role, Joseph developed construction and pre-opening hiring schedules, as well as all sales and marketing plans. His leaders...
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing
NEXTGUEST DIGITAL | August 1, 2019
This month, the latest digital innovations include a new “Swipe to Visit” feature in Google image results, A/B testing tools in Microsoft Ads, and the roll-out of advertisements in Instagram’s “Explore” tab. From SEO to design, find out the top five things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. SEO: AMP-enabled websites will display as previews in Google Image search results. Google has launched a new “Swipe to Visit” feature in Google image results that will drive traffic to AMP-enabled websites. The feature displays a preview of an AMP-enabled website’s header after a user selects an image result. The user...
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, Adds Waves Resort Corpus Christi, to Management Portfolio
Waves Resort Corpus Christi | August 1, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas -- August 1, 2019 -- BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announced today that with mutual agreement, they have added Waves Resort Corpus Christi, located between the bay and the beach on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas, to its growing portfolio. The resort’s new owner, Diamond Beach Holdings, LLC, has already invested over $15 million in property upgrades which includes the property’s conference and entertainment facilities, adding over 30,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor special event, meeting and conference space, outdoor theater and performance stage, and many other planned upgrades...
White Pearl Resorts Launches the INTELITY Platform
INTELITY | August 1, 2019
Los Angeles, CA -- August 01, 2019 -- INTELITY®, the provider of the broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform for hospitality, announced today that its platform is now live at White Pearl Resorts, a luxury property located on Mozambique’s beautiful Lagoon Coast. “We are thrilled to implement the INTELITY platform at our property,” said Cordelia Masher, White Pearl Resorts Managing Director. “We were looking for a solution that would help us remove clutter from guest rooms, digitize our hotel information, support international travelers, and make it easier to access dining, tours and restaurant bookings. W...
Hyatt Reports Second-Quarter 2019 Results; Net Income Increased 10.6% to $86 Million
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | August 1, 2019
Strong transient demand drove 1.3% system-wide RevPAR growth, and fees and net rooms grew at a double-digit pace inclusive of the Two Roads Hospitality LLC acquisition. Second quarter of 2019 financial highlights as compared to the second quarter of 2018 are as follows: Net income increased 10.6% to $86 million. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 2.1% to $213 million, a decrease of 1.0% in constant currency. Comparable system-wide RevPAR increased 1.3%, including an increase of 2.3% at comparable owned and leased hotels. Excluding the negative impact from the timing of the Easter holiday, comparable RevPAR at system-wide hotels and compar...
Cendyn Announces Acquisition of The Rainmaker Group
Cendyn | August 1, 2019
Boca Raton, Florida, USA, Thursday, August 1, 2019 - Cendyn, the leading innovator in hotel CRM and hotel sales platforms for the hospitality industry, today announces the acquisition of The Rainmaker Group, a leading revenue and profit optimization platform for hotels, resorts and casinos. The acquisition of The Rainmaker Group’s integrated solutions will enable Cendyn to drive performance across all aspects of the hotel business. Aligning operations, marketing, sales, and now, revenue will provide hoteliers with the means to optimize their strategies and drive performance and loyalty across their businesses. As part of the acquisition,...
AAA Honors Top Hotels for Cleanliness and Condition
AAA Inspections | August 1, 2019
ORLANDO, Fla. -- August 1, 2019 -- AAA’s new Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping award recognizes AAA Inspected & Approved hotels that receive the highest possible cleanliness and condition scores, giving travelers another important indication of what it means to be a AAA top-rated hotel in North America. While every hotel must meet expected standards of cleanliness and condition to qualify as AAA Inspected & Approved and receive a Diamond Rating, hotels awarded the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping designation significantly surpass expectations, as measured during a comprehensive, on-site inspection. All areas of the property must...
Knowcross Announces Launch of Game-Changing Facilities Management App for Commercial Office Space, Vacation Rentals, and Timeshares
KnowcrossⓇ | August 1, 2019
Innovative KNOW Tenant app delivers real-time scheduling, tracking, notifications and reporting to enhance responsiveness, increase efficiency and reduce costs New York, NY and New Delhi, India -- August 1, 2019 -- Knowcross®, the global leader in providing service quality and optimization solutions, today announced the release of the hospitality industry’s most powerful facility management application, KNOW Tenant. Designed for any size property, KNOW Tenant organizes, tracks, schedules and manages work orders for facility, asset, and property management teams to take action on requests at commercial office complexes, vacation renta...
New York Leads Markets in U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline
Lodging Econometrics | August 1, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, NH -- August 1, 2019 -- At the end of the first half of 2019, analysts at Lodging Econometrics (L.E.) report that the top five markets with the largest hotel construction pipelines are New York City with 166 projects/28,231 rooms. Next are Dallas and Los Angeles with 162 projects/19,972 rooms and 158 projects/25,428 rooms, respectively. Houston follows with 146 projects/14,998 rooms, and Atlanta with 130 projects/17,280 rooms. With the exception of NYC and Houston, these top markets are at record high counts. The top ten markets in the pipeline including the five markets mentioned above plus Nashville, Austin, Orlando, Detroit,...
U.S. Fall in Overseas Travel Market Share to Continue Through 2022
U.S. Travel Association | August 1, 2019
WASHINGTON -- August 1, 2019 -- The steep and steady decline in the U.S. share of the lucrative international travel market is set to continue until at least 2022, according to the latest forecast figures from the U.S. Travel Association. U.S. global long-haul travel market share is on a four-year slide since its previous high of 13.7% in 2015, falling to 11.7% in 2018. The decline in market share represents losses to the U.S. economy of 14 million international visitors, $59 billion in international traveler spending, and 120,000 U.S. jobs. But the market-share drop is now forecast to continue, dipping under 11% in 2022, the latest o...
HSMAI Washington D.C. Announces State of the Industry Program
HSMAI Washington D.C. Chapter | July 31, 2019
Washington, D.C. (July 31, 2019) The Washington, D.C. chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International invited hospitality professionals from throughout the metropolitan area to attend its annual State of the Industry program on Thursday, August, 22, at the MGM National Harbor hotel in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The program, designed to help area hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue-management professionals prepare their plans and budgets for 2020, will feature Elliott Ferguson II, president & CEO, Destination DC, Robert Gilbert, president & CEO, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Internationa...
Revamp Your Casino Revenue Strategy With These Trends
Kacey Bradley | July 31, 2019
By Kacey Bradley New trends are continually disrupting the hospitality industry. Casinos can revamp their current reach and revenue strategy by understanding these trends and what they mean for the future of gaming. 1. Young Marketing If you're only marketing to baby boomers, you're behind on the times. Even a millennial approach to advertising fails to look ahead. Generation Z — those born in the mid-1990s to early-2000s — are about to make a huge impact on the business world. By 2020, they will account for 40% of all consumers, and together, they have $4 billion to spend at their discretion. Social media, including the use of in...
Storytelling in 2019: The Power of Content Marketing
Hospitality Upgrade | July 31, 2019
Content distribution aims to build relationships and increase loyalty By Fran Worrall, Hospitality Upgrade Editor Building a unique identity is no easy task In today’s highly competitive market. In fact, effective differentiation is one of the main challenges facing hospitality providers — hotels and vendors alike. “It’s hard to stand out from the crowd in a fast-paced and constantly changing landscape,” says Lyn Graft, founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas, and author of the bestselling book Start with Story. “Consumers are inundated with so much information that they actively seek to ignore marketin...
