The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
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Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
Millennial Marketing Woes: SOLVED
Vertical Booking USA | July 23, 2019
By Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO & President at Vertical Booking USA As we all now know, the Millennials are the largest generation in history (92 million potential guests!) AND have an overwhelming desire to travel so they are a (potentially) hugely profitable demographic for all hotels – if they can get their bookings. As you also know (and probably struggle with on a daily basis) Millennials + the Internet has changed the travel industry significantly (especially when it comes to booking), leaving many hoteliers – especially those who haven’t jumped onboard the operational technology bandwagon - wondering: “How can I increase ...
IHG Signs Agreement to Develop New 170-Key Holiday Inn Dubai Deira Islands With Opening Expected in 2023
IHG | July 23, 2019
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed a management agreement to develop a new Holiday Inn hotel at the upcoming ‘Dubai Deira Islands’. The signing is aligned with IHG’s strategy to increase its midscale offering in the Middle East and cater to the diverse profiles of guests visiting the region. Expected to open in 2023, the 170-key hotel will be in close proximity to the city centre (15-minute drive) and airport (10-minute drive). Comprising four man-made islands, Dubai Deira Islands will be a mixed-use waterfront development featuring almost six million sqft of retail space, ...
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac to Expand South East Asia Footprint Under New Agreement
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac | July 23, 2019
MELBOURNE, Australia, July 23, 2019 – Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, one of the largest hotel franchise groups in Asia Pacific, will further strengthen its presence in the region following the announcement of a hotel management agreement. The leading hotel franchise group has signed an agreement appointing Bangkok-based hotel management company, Krest Hospitality, as Choice Hotels Asia-Pac’s preferred management company in South East Asia. With local market expertise spanning hotel management and international branding, Krest Hospitality – an affiliate of Kosmopolitan Hospitality – expects to drive further development and expand the pr...
Hyatt and T2 Hospitality Developing Thompson Denver Marking Brand Debut in Colorado
Thompson Hotels | July 23, 2019
CHICAGO (July 23, 2019) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) has announced plans for Thompson Denver, the first Thompson Hotels property in the state of Colorado, expected to open in 2021. Currently under development, Thompson Denver recently broke ground at 1600 Market Street in LoDo, a bustling downtown neighborhood in the heart of the city that is steps from iconic Union Station. “Denver has been a priority market for our Thompson Hotels brand and we are excited to have the opportunity to be bringing it to this vibrant city,” said David Tarr, senior vice president, development, Hyatt. “We are looking forward to introduc...
Ascent Hospitality Opens Fairfield by Marriott in Goshen, Indiana
Fairfield by Marriott | July 23, 2019
Goshen, IN – July 23, 2019 – The 92-room Fairfield by Marriott in Goshen, Indiana opened for business on Friday, July 19, 2019 with a new décor that provides guests with a feeling of warmth and calm while traveling. Located at 2110 Keystone Drive, the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Goshen will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Goshen Hotels LLC and managed by Ascent Hospitality Management of Buford, Georgia. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Goshen offers guests convenient access to Goshen College, RV/MH Heritage Hall of Fame, Heritage Trail and the Old Bag Factory. “Delivering both function and comfort, our new design...
Virginia’s Tides Inn Appoints Stuart Barwise as General Manager
Tides Inn | July 23, 2019
(Irvington, VA; July 23, 2019) – The Tides Inn—Virginia’s beloved coastal resort, surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and Rappahannock River—announces the appointment of Stuart Barwise as General Manager. With over 30 years of diversified hotel business experience, Barwise brings extensive hotel operations and management expertise to the Tides Inn’s executive team. With his considerable leadership abilities and intimate understanding of the hospitality industry, Barwise will oversee property operations, resort programming and continued professional development of the resort’s team members. With an ethos rooted in genuine, personaliz...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces Recipient of the John Cahill Student Seat for the 2019 CIO Summit
The CIO Summit | July 23, 2019
Boston University Student in Hospitality Administration Selected ATLANTA, July 23, 2019 – Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced the next recipient of the John Cahill student seat will be Smit Patel, a graduate student of the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration program. The upcoming CIO Summit will be held Sept. 4-6, 2019, in Boston. “Smit possesses a keen interest in learning all aspects of the hotel ownership and asset management disciplines. He has strong aptitudes in project management and sales modeling, and he has used his technical, operational and interpersonal skills in se...
INTELITY and BluIP Partner to Implement Phone Calls Through In-Room Tablets
INTELITY | July 23, 2019
Los Angeles, CA (July 23, 2019) - INTELITY®, the provider of the broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform for hospitality, announced today that it has integrated its platform with BluIP, the premier provider of cloud-based connectivity and communication solutions. This integration removes the need for analog phone solutions in guest rooms and the back office by making BluIP’s VoIP services available to guests and staff via INTELITY’s tablets. INTELITY and BluIP now allow users to place external, guest-to-guest, and guest-to-staff calls through in-room tablets. By implementing this technology, properties can ...
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort Welcomes Sonika Adlakha as Director of Sales and Marketing
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts | July 23, 2019
KONOTTA, MALDIVES -- Outrigger Hospitality Group has named Sonika Adlakha as director of sales and marketing (DOSM) for the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, effective 17 July 2019. As DOSM, Ms Adlakha is responsible for generating top-line revenue for the property by securing new accounts, maintaining existing ones and executing sales strategies to boost hotel profitability. She reports to the property’s general manager, Mr John Allanson with a dotted line to Outrigger vice president sales and marketing, Asia Pacific, Mr Andrew Gee. Most recently director of sales for villa ownership for Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi in the Maldiv...
Group Sales Mystery Shopping No Longer Best Way to Measure Sales Effectiveness
Doug Kennedy | July 23, 2019
By Doug Kennedy For decades, hotel management companies and brands have relied on telephone mystery shopping as a primary tool to measure the sales effectiveness of sales and catering sales colleagues. Here’s what to do instead. For decades, hotel management companies have contracted with outside mystery shopping firms to place telephone inquiry calls posing as prospects for groups, events, and corporate accounts, then report back the results. This is typically done once per quarter, and the results are then used as one of the primary benchmark “KPI’s” to evaluate sales colleagues. Many companies even factor performance on myst...
Announcing Paolo Torchio as NextGuest’s Chief Operating Officer
NextGuest Digital | July 23, 2019
NEW YORK, NY (July 23, 2019) – NextGuest welcomes Paolo Torchio as its Chief Operating Officer, with the overarching goal of creating more synergies between the company’s four pillars: NextGuest Digital, CRM, Labs, and Consulting. Together they form an integrated platform that provides hoteliers with a comprehensive set of services, allowing hotel brands to make the most of their marketing dollars and connect with their guests across all digital touch points. When asked what appealed to him most about the role, Torchio replied, “I’m most excited about the breadth of offerings NextGuest is building. We’re doing something that will...
Advance, Elevate, & Evolve at HSMAI’s Sales Leader Forum
HSMAI | July 23, 2019
(McLean, VA, July 23, 2019) HSMAI is proud to announce the first-ever HSMAI Sales Leader Forum, November 5-6, at the Westin Stonebriar Hotel & Golf Club in Frisco, Texas. This unique event advances the hotel sales discipline by elevating the knowledge and skills of off-property sales leaders with new trends, critical insights, and best practices, and their application to leading hotel sales teams in today’s landscape. Save with early rates by registering through October 2, 2019. This event is specifically designed for seasoned sellers who want to fuel, update, and reinvigorate their careers in sales leadership. All hospitality profes...
Paramount Hotel Group Adds Red Roof PLUS+ Long Island in Westbury, New York to Portfolio
Paramount Hotel Group | July 23, 2019
Fairfield, New Jersey, July 23, 2019 – Paramount Hotel Group, a full-service third party hotel management company, announced today that it has been awarded the management contract for the Red Roof PLUS+ Long Island in Westbury, New York. The property was recently acquired by a subsidiary of the Beechwood Organization in Jericho, New York. Paramount Hotel Group CEO David Simon made the announcement. Located close to all local business and shopping in Garden City/Westbury and just minutes from LaGuardia and Kennedy airports and Long Island beaches, the 163-room hotel has just completed a brand new and complete renovation of all guest ro...
Quore is Helping Hotels Deliver Exceptional Pool Experiences via Its Pool Readings Module
Quore | July 23, 2019
Franklin, Tenn. – July 23, 2019 – It’s summer, and with the heat comes vacationers looking for hotels with swimming pools. This seasonal amenity is a big revenue generator for operators, but it can also be a liability if the pool is not properly maintained. Quore, a hotel workforce communications platform used by more than 3,900 hotels (including 560 management companies and 80 hotel brands in 29 countries) is helping operators ensure that their pools, hot tubs and spas meet water safety standards by automating the water-testing process within its Pool Readings module. Quore’s Recurring app enables hotel engineers to test a pool’...
Aileron Management Partners With ProfitSword to Maximize Performance Forecasting Abilities and Ensure Unmatched Business Intelligence Efficiency
ProfitSword, LLC | July 23, 2019
Hotel management company implements ProfitSage to provide company-wide data performance visibility, ensuring maximum cost-efficiency and revenue-enhancing abilities. GREENVILLE, S.C. (July 23, 2019) – ProfitSword, hospitality’s premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has been selected by Aileron Management to implement its ProfitSage operational and financial reporting solution across all of its current locations within the U.S. A hospitality management company that focuses on overseeing high-quality and select service hotels, Aileron Management is now able to ensure that all its staff are able to inst...
Penn State School of Hospitality Management Receives $4 Million From Marriott Foundation
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | July 23, 2019
University Park, PA—In recognition of a $4 million gift by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, University leaders have approved renaming the Oak Building in the Foundation’s honor. The Marriott Foundation’s commitment, part of a broader, ongoing fundraising effort to renovate the building and support future programing, is creating a dedicated space to encourage innovation and inclusion within Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management. The Penn State Board of Trustees approved naming The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Building at its meeting on Friday, July 19. Renovations to The J. Willard and Alice S....
Danyelle Montgomery Appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Mexico’s Thompson Zihuatanejo
Thompson Zihuatanejo | July 22, 2019
(ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO; July 22, 2019)—Thompson Zihuatanejo—the newest and third property in Mexico from luxury lifestyle brand Thompson Hotels—announces the appointment of their new Director of Sales and Marketing Danyelle Montgomery. With nearly 15 years of leadership experience in the luxury travel sector—including a background working with Mexican resorts—Montgomery brings her passion for travel, industry expertise, and valuable knowledge of Mexico’s hospitality landscape to the Thompson Zihuatanejo team. In her new role she oversees sales, marketing, advertising, and reservations for leisure and group travelers at the beachfron...
Owned and Managed by Titan Hotel Group, Residence Inn by Marriott Set to Open in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Residence Inn by Marriott | July 22, 2019
Harrisburg, PA – July 22, 2019 – The 123-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is scheduled to open on Thursday, July 25, 2019 with its upscale, stylish décor that offers flexibility, while creating a unique environment. Located at 2250 Kohn Road, the all-suite Residence Inn Harrisburg North will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Titan Hotel Group of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Located five minutes to downtown and 12 miles from Harrisburg International Airport, the Residence Inn Harrisburg North offers its guests convenient access to the Pennsylvania State Capitol, the PA Farm Show Complex and ...
Cross Hotels & Resorts Signs Management Agreement With PT Three Land for X2 Vibe Phuket Patong Center
Cross Hotels & Resorts | July 22, 2019
Bangkok, Jul 22, 2019 – Leading hotel management company Cross Hotels & Resorts has continued its strategic expansion into the global visitor hot spot of Phuket, announcing today its third hotel management agreement on the Thai island. Phuket has been included in the ‘World’s Best Places to Visit’ and ‘Best Places to Visit in Asia’ 2019 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. Phuket was ranked number eight out of 30 in the ‘World’s Best Places to Visit’ list and number three out of 15 in the ‘Best Places to Visit in Asia’ list. Cross Hotels & Resorts is very pleased to announce the signing of a hote...
Winning the Battle for Guests: Remaining Competitive in the Age of Airbnb
Roger Sholanki | July 22, 2019
By Roger Sholanki Short-term room rental sites like Airbnb are now firmly entrenched as competitors in the hospitality industry. Millions of rentals – Airbnb alone has grown to include 5 million listings – have intensified the competition for guests and disrupted the industry. Hotels must position themselves to compete in this environment by implementing strategies including using technology, personalization, experiences and amenities to provide a superior guest experience. Technology Embracing technology is essential for hoteliers to offer the customized, frictionless experience travelers want. Guests expect that technology will be se...
Kempinski Hotels Expands in Americas With October Opening of Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski on Caribbean Island of Dominica
Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica | July 22, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, Dominica, July 22, 2019 -- Europe's oldest luxury hotel group is proud to bring its rich heritage of attentive personal service and unparalleled hospitality to its newest destination in the Americas. The long awaited Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica will open its doors to guests and exclusive clientele on the 14 October 2019. The resort will be Kempinski's second Caribbean venture and Dominica's first-ever five-star resort. "Bringing this project to fruition is another remarkable milestone for Kempinski Hotels," says Michael Schoonewagen, General Manager, Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica. "We are especiall...
Wyndham Enters Agreement With Profusion Group to Bring La Quinta by Wyndham Brand to Dominican Republic
Wyndham Hotel Group | July 22, 2019
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 22, 2019 - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the largest hotel franchise company in the world, shows great progress as it continues to expand its hotel portfolio, reaching the Caribbean for the first time through the Dominican development company "PROFUSION GROUP." Profusion Group is a private equity firm dedicated to development, investment, asset management in the real estate and hotel sector, and limited service and luxury. The company's target markets are concentrated in the Caribbean and northern Latin America (LACAR). Through a team of highly qualified professionals, the company seeks to generate v...
Tribute Portfolio Debuts Its First Tented Concept Resort in Tropical Bintan Island With the Opening of Natra Bintan
Tribute Portfolio | July 22, 2019
Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International’s newest collection brand and growing global family of characterful, independent hotels drawn together by their passion for captivating design and their drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike, today announced the opening of Natra Bintan, located in the exotic hub of Bintan Island, Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago. Natra Bintan, inspired by its Arabic origins equating happiness and tranquility, is a personification of the glamping experience that brings to life the concept of being one with nature. A total of 100 safari-themed tents are ready to welcome holiday-goers in th...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: How to Prepare a Financial Budget
David Lund | July 22, 2019
By David Lund Tis the season and most hotels are already well under way with their annual grunt work to prepare a 2020 plan for the regional and corporate teams to review and then it is onward to ownership seeking their approval. In most hotels, this process is a protracted drawn-out marathon of such epic duration that it leaves a streak of several weeks, if not months, for some to endure. Revision after revision is the norm and everyone along the path squeezes a little more until there is nothing left to give anymore. When we consider the goal of the budget it is pretty simple. Create a plan for the coming year that will provide eve...
