The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4th, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius Appoints New Executive Chef Alexandre Giraud
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | October 31, 2018
Mauritius, October 31, 2018 – Shangri-La's Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius announces the appointment of Alexandre Giraud as executive chef. Chef Giraud will be responsible for maintaining the high standards of the resort's culinary department while managing a team of chefs, sous-chefs and stewards. He will also work on exciting new culinary experiences and enhancing the resort's reputation as an international dining hotspot. Originally from France, Giraud has over 18 years of fine dining experience and has worked at an executive level for some of the world's leading hotels across Europe, Dubai, Brazil and Mauritius. Girau...
McKibbon Hospitality Names Jasmine Malu Market Director of Sales for Its Tampa Westshore Market
McKibbon Hospitality | October 31, 2018
Tampa, F.L. (October 31, 2018) – McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in the hotel development and management industry, is pleased to announce the addition of Jasmine Malu as Market Director of Sales. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of sales tactics for the Tampa Westshore market, which includes the Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Airport Avion Park Westshore, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore, Homewood Suites Tampa Airport Westshore, Residence Inn Tampa Westshore and TownePlace Suites Tampa Westshore. Malu brings more than 20 years of hospitality and sales management expe...
Viceroy Hotel Group Appoints Brad Busby as General Manager of Hotel Emblem San Francisco
Hotel Emblem San Francisco | October 31, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO (October 31, 2018) – Viceroy Hotel Group is pleased to appoint Brad Busby as the General Manager of Hotel Emblem San Francisco. A seasoned hospitality veteran with more than a decade of experience in luxury hotel and resorts throughout the country, Busby is committed to a successful opening and the growth of Hotel Emblem, formerly Hotel Rex, which is undergoing an extensive renovation and bold rebrand to debut in early 2019. "We are delighted and lucky to have Brad at the helm of Hotel Emblem; he's been a trusted member of our Viceroy family for the past two years and he has the perfect expertise and persona for this...
Paramount Lodging Advisors Successfully Completes Another Texas Transaction with the Sale of the Courtyard by Marriott in Beaumont, TX
Paramount Lodging Advisors | October 31, 2018
Beaumont, TX - Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) has successfully executed the transaction of the Courtyard by Marriott in Beaumont, TX. Managing Director Kami Burnette and Managing Director Adam Montufar represented the seller in the sale. The 78-room upscale hotel is ideally located on Interstate 10 in Beaumont. This transaction represented the buyer's objective to capitalize on increasing revenues generated from the oil-driven market. Upon completion of the property improvement plan (PIP), the buyer should be well-positioned to penetrate the market. "The shale boom has generated a surge in Texas oil exports and its impact on employmen...
Marriott International and Eagle Hills Sign St. Regis Tamuda Bay Slated to Open Mid-2020
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts | October 31, 2018
MARYLAND, United States of America, October 31, 2018/ -- Marriott International (www.Marriott.com) and Eagle Hills today announced the signing of The St. Regis Tamuda Bay, marking the debut of the iconic luxury hospitality brand in Morocco. Located in the stylish epicenter of Tamuda Bay on the country's northwestern coast, the hotel is slated to open in mid 2020. The property will be part of La Bahia Blanca, a landmark lifestyle resort development being built by Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based private real estate investment and development company. The resort will exude Moroccan charm and pay tribute to the Andalusian cultural legacy th...
Ledrae Hotels Pty Ltd Signs With Hilton for Development of Hilton Parramatta in Australia
Hilton Hotels & Resorts | October 31, 2018
SYDNEY and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton today announced the signing of Hilton Parramatta, which will add to Hilton Hotels & Resorts' portfolio of 101 world class properties in the Asia Pacific region. Under a management agreement with Ledrae Hotels Pty Ltd, Hilton will manage the new-build hotel, located in the heart of one of Sydney's fastest growing suburbs. Construction of the 245-room hotel will commence Q4 2018 and is due for completion by late 2020. "The signing of Hilton Parramatta is the latest example of Hilton's commitment to growing our portfolio within fast-emerging business and leisure markets," said Sean Wooden, vice president...
Brookwood Hotels Enters Agreement With Choice Hotels to Develop More Than 20 New WoodSpring Suites
WoodSpring Suites | October 31, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 30, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) signed an agreement with Brookwood Hotels to develop more than 20 new WoodSpring Suites hotels over the next few years. The brand now has more than 130 hotels in the pipeline and more than 245 are open. "Sustained interest in the WoodSpring Suites brand and the performance of the business model affirms our growth strategy is working," said Ron Burgett, vice president, WoodSpring Suites development, Choice Hotels. "WoodSpring has experienced tremendous success since Choice's acquisition, breaking the brand's record for most franchise con...
Choice Hotels Grows Presence in Latin America and Spain With 40 Hotel Openings in 2018
Choice Hotels | October 31, 2018
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 31, 2018 -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) continues to expand its international footprint with 40 hotel openings planned this year in Latin America and Spain. This includes introducing the first Choice Hotels brands in Spain and Colombia, as well as opening hotels in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama, adding nearly 5,000 rooms. This growth is highlighted by: Spain: 16 Ascend Hotel Collection properties were introduced through Choice Hotels' recent alliance with Sercotel, a leading hotel operator and franchisor based in Spain. Another eight Ascend properties are expected to open before the end...
The Value of Teamwork in Service
Stuart Pallister | October 31, 2018
By Stuart Pallister How does one of the top restaurants in the world approach teamwork in service? Two EHL lecturers have just spent several days at Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Plaza Athénée in Paris and came away with a number of insights which they will now pass on to their students, as they seek to make sure the education they provide is up-to-date and aligned with the latest trends in the industry. The two faculty members spoke to Hospitality Insights about their key takeaways. Eric Iunker and Lionel Sauvère who teach on EHL's practical arts (or AP program) have a challenge. How can they make sure what the...
Amy McPherson, Marriott’s President and Managing Director of Europe, to Retire
Marriott International, Inc. | October 31, 2018
BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 31, 2018 -- Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today that Amy McPherson, President and Managing Director of Europe, which encompasses the United Kingdom, Ireland and Continental Europe, will retire from the position effective the end of March 2019. McPherson, who has been with the company for 32 years, is leaving to pursue two of her passions: nurturing a start-up business in the UK, of which she is a principal investor, and spending more time with her family in the United States. "It's hard to imagine life at Marriott without one of its most accomplished, home-grown leaders," said Arn...
Tambourine Shares What’s Haunting Hotel Marketers This Halloween?
Tambourine | October 31, 2018
Continuing our annual Halloween tradition, we've asked hotel marketers nationwide, across all chain scales and property sizes, what they're most spooked about right now. In past years, the list has included: Unrealistic goals set by ownership Product deterioration The cost of guest acquisition Shaky job security Many of those were on the minds of the folks we spoke to this year, however, here are five particularly frightening problems keeping hotel marketers up at night right now: 1. Brand Proliferation/Differentiation Many hotel marketers (and owners) view the industry's numerous and ever-growing assortment of brands as an increa...
3 Things the Hospitality Industry Can Learn From Google
Amadeus | October 31, 2018
In 2018, digital travel sales are expected to reach $198 billion, with more than 140 million adults researching a trip online. As global travel increases, people are consuming more digital content than ever before as they search the web for the cheapest flights, best hotels, and popular tourist sites at their destination. In return, shoppers are flooded with information from companies hoping to inspire interest early in the travel planning process. Brands are investing big in digital ads and paid search campaigns to increase visibility, creating a cash cow for Google. This year alone, the tech giant will rake in almost $40 billion in to...
Sustainability Set to Shape New Standard of Tourism Statistics
UNWTO | October 31, 2018
Madrid, Spain, 31 October 2018 – The World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) initiative Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) received a boost last week when its working group met in Madrid (24-25 October). After successful pilot studies to produce credible and comparable data, the initiative is on track with its aim of getting the MST framework adopted as the third international standard on tourism statistics. The group of experts creating a statistical framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism met to establish the MST initiative's major goals for 2019. The initiative is creating a draft framework for a data stan...
The Need for True Careers in Housekeeping
Larry Mogelonsky | October 31, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) A widespread problem that hotels are currently facing pertains to staffing shortages. Lensing our discussion to the housekeeping department where turnover is often at resource-exhaustive rates, a common thread I've seen and heard from executive housekeepers and human resource directors is that this line of work is not seen as desirable, only attracting those candidates who desperately need a job and who are not motivated to stay beyond the base need for a weekly stipend. Some room attendants end up staying from lengthy breadths of time – decades even – and become cheris...
Hotel Internet Services Unveils New Research Report on Trends in Guestroom Entertainment and Voice Control Technology
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | October 31, 2018
Newly released white paper guides hoteliers on best practices for implementing revenue-enhancing guestroom amenities, based on today's guest preferences for online content streaming and instant access to hotel information Clearwater, Florida — October 31, 2018 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the release of a comprehensive new white paper examining how mainstream technology, such as online streaming and voice-activated assistants, are having a profound effect on guest behavior and their evolving hotel stay expectations. Le...
TrustYou Becomes 100th Hotel Technology Brand to Embrace SiteMinder Exchange
SiteMinder | October 31, 2018
Dallas, USA / Munich, Germany – The world's largest guest feedback platform, TrustYou, has become the 100th hotel technology provider to sign up for SiteMinder Exchange, a powerfully-simple solution launched in June by the global hotel industry's leading guest acquisition platform, SiteMinder to solve the connectivity problem for hotel property management systems (PMSs) and hotel applications. The connection, which went live this month, now makes TrustYou accessible to the multitude of leading PMSs integrated into SiteMinder Exchange, and will offer further adoption of TrustYou's review marketing and guest messaging tools beyond t...
Historic downtown St. Paul convent, music conservatory will become a boutique hotel
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--Sister Charlotte Berres was barely 5 years old, if not younger, when she fell in love with the Persian rugs, Victorian furniture and hand-tiled fireplace in the lobby of St. Agatha's Conservatory of Music and Art in downtown St. Paul. The convent and music school at 26 E. Exchange St. called to her, and so did God. Berres followed her cousin's footsteps and became a nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who ran one of the city's first and most successful women-owned businesses for decades from the two 1910-era Beaux Arts-style buildings, where as many as 90 nuns worked at a time. The sisters hand-tiled t...
MGM Springfield revenues in line with expectations, company tells investors
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--SPRINGFIELD -- MGM Springfield brought in $42.5 million in net revenue over its first five weeks of operation, according to the third-quarter earnings report released this week by parent company MGM Resorts International. That revenue resulted in earnings of $7.6 million. MGM reported $31.6 million in start-up preopening expenses recorded just in the third quarter. Regarding MGM Springfield, MGM Resorts chairman and CEO Jim Murren had this to say during a conference call with stock analysts: "While it's still in its early days, we're encouraged that the resort is performing in line with our expectations on both the...
Miami voters approved a hotel for Jungle Island. The design is out, but does it fit in?
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--The owners of Jungle Island have submitted a proposed design for their promised hotel to Miami planners, hitting the first in a series of benchmarks under a voter-approved deal that would transform the struggling Watson Island theme park into an eco-adventure-oriented resort. New architectural renderings released Tuesday by attraction owner ESJ Capital Partners show a streamlined hotel building very much like the one shown in images made public last summer, when the developers were trying to win public support before the August referendum. About 60 percent of Miami voters supported an extension of the attraction's lease to ...
Hawaii tourism up despite declines on Big Island
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--Hawaii's visitor industry realized statewide growth in visitor arrivals and spending despite September decreases on the Big Island. Visitor spending in the state reached $1.28 billion, a more than 6 percent gain from September 2017, according to preliminary statistics released Tuesday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. September visitor arrivals rose almost 4 percent year over year to 724,863. Jack Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, said, "Hawaii's tourism market performed much better than I expected given the hurricanes that we experienced in the later part of August and early September." Richard...
By the numbers: Penn National unveils plans for Berks County mini-casino
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--Penn National Gaming Inc. on Wednesday announced it has filed an application with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for its second mini-casino, which will be in southern Berks County. Here's a look at the planned Hollywood Casino Morgantown by the numbers: $111 million That's the expected total investment in Hollywood Casino Morgantown, including the slot machines and table games license fees. The planned 80,000-square-foot facility, which will be built on a vacant 36-acre site in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, is expected to have 750 slot machines and 30 table games, with the ability to eventually accommodate a...
Alabama’s new $140 million mega-hotel ready to weather storms that may come
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--A $140 million seaside hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park will open Friday to plenty of pageantry and remarks about how it's a "crown jewel" that will lure more tourists to the Alabama beaches. But perhaps overshadowing the celebrations will be the fact that The Lodge at Gulf State Park, which includes a 350-room Hilton Hotel, is the first commercially built structure along the Gulf of Mexico to receive one of the highest designations for fortification against storms. That fact comes at a coincidental time: The Lodge complex has been under construction for several years, but it's opening ceremonies...
The closed Baker Hotel in North Texas hotel is said to be haunted. Will it come back from the dead?
October 31, 2018
Oct. 31--MINERAL WELLS -- On Saturday night, about 250 people showed up for the Baker Hotel Ghost Walk looking for signs of the paranormal from the old shuttered hotel. Whether they're believers or skeptics, visitors are drawn to the massive 14-story structure that towers over the Mineral Wells skyline and hints at the town's colorful history. "Everybody wants to have something they can't obtain and the fact that you can't go inside -- that's a big part of the draw," said Mineral Wells native Angela Morgan, who has been conducting ghost walks in fall weekends since 2012. "I've been offered thousand...
Lexington, KY should have new Hampton Inn by Hilton hotel by this time next year
October 30, 2018
Oct. 31--Lexington should have a new hotel, a Hampton Inn by Hilton, by this time next year. Alan Carson, Lexington City manager, said the development company has received approval for a major zoning permit and will submit the building plans within the next couple of weeks. "Once those are approved and they don't make any major changes, they should be ready to start construction by the first of the year," Carson said. "If everything goes well, they should be operational by this time next year." He said that once construction begins, it should take between eight and 10 months to complete. In January, real estate m...
