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
Nearly a decade in the making, project in San Francisco’s Mid-Market signs LINE as hotel tenant
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--It's been nearly a decade in the making, but the hospitality and condominium project next to the Warfield Theatre on Market Street is finally taking shape. And it has a new Taiwanese financial partner and a splashy hotel brand to help make it happen. The old buildings on the site were razed a few months ago, and construction crews are starting excavation at 950 Market St. The project, which was approved two years ago, will include a 236-room hotel from the Sydell Group, the company behind the NoMad, LINE and Freehand hotel brands. The project is being financed by the Continental Development Corp., a Taiwanese real estate de...
Study: The good and the bad of trying to recruit workers to San Diego
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--In the effort to attract workers to metro San Diego, the business community has a few hurdles compared to competitor regions. Workers are paid less here than other locations where top workers are going, and housing costs -- because of lower wages -- are more of a burden than San Francisco, said a blunt report released Thursday from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. The chamber identified nine cities that local businesses said they compete head-to-head for workers: San Jose, Raleigh, Austin, Denver, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles and Portland. Despite affordability concerns, the report highlighted the posi...
Miller-Valentine Group sells its downtown Dayton, OH building to First Barclay, LLC for development of branded boutique hotel
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--Miller-Valentine Group has sold the building housing its Dayton headquarters, the Barclay building, 137 N. Main St., to a hotel developer, Miller Valentine's Dayton market president confirmed Thursday. The building sold Wednesday for $750,000 to First Barclay LLC, according to Montgomery County property records. First Barclay's mailing address is the same as hotel developer First Hospitality Group, in Rosemont, Illinois. The 10-story building is anchored by Miller-Valentine Group, which has brokerage and construction services. The sale of the Barclay building closely follows the opening of downtown Dayton's first ne...
Dunedin, Florida welcomes official return of its ‘Grand Lady,’ the historic Fenway Hotel
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--DUNEDIN -- The Grand Lady of Dunedin is back and more lavish than ever. Once the old Fenway Hotel fell into disrepair, it seemed impossible it could ever become the destination it was when it opened in 1927. By the 2000's, it was covered in graffiti. Transient people had been illegally living within the abandoned rooms. The derelict building's infrastructure was falling apart. But on Thursday, the Fenway Hotel was back in business. Not as some college campus -- like it had been a few times throughout its 91-year history -- but as a modern, 83-room hotel. "This is going to be a real shining star of Dunedin and north...
Mill Development submits plan for 151-room hotel at Hale Mill in Norwich, CT
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--NORWICH -- A New York developer has submitted plans to convert the granite and brick former Hale Mill in Yantic into a 151-room hotel with several amenities. Mill Development LLC of Woodside, N.Y., which purchased the mill for $826,000 on June 1, submitted three sets of plans to the city Planning and Neighborhood Services Department for inland wetlands, site development and special permits needed for the project. The plans call for converting the historical four-story, nearly 100,000-square-foot mill into a 151-room hotel with a swimming pool, fitness room, lounge with breakfast area, beauty salon and an 11,300-square-foot mult...
City of El Paso proposes huge subsidies, land trade with Paul Foster for development of Great Wolf Lodge resort
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--City officials are proposing a multimillion-dollar package of tax subsidies, cash grants, and a huge land trade with El Paso businessman Paul Foster to get Great Wolf Resorts to build an indoor water park/hotel/convention center resort complex in West El Paso. The incentives package, land trade, and other items tied to the proposedare scheduled to go before the City Council on Tuesday for a vote. Great Wolf executives are to make a presentation at the meeting. The Wisconsin-based company bills itself as North America's largest chain of indoor water park resorts. It has 16 locations in the United States, and one in Canada. I...
New strategy to fill summer tourism jobs: Maine trade group to start staffing service
October 25, 2018
Oct. 25--Maine's workforce crisis is pushing the tourism industry to take extra steps to find enough seasonal workers. The Maine Tourism Association soon will start a staffing service to connect its members with job seekers in Maine and other parts of the country. "We've seen year after year of successful tourism seasons, and Maine unemployment hovers around 3 percent. These are great pieces of news, but it does mean that there is demand for employees that can't be met with Maine workers alone," Chris Fogg, executive director of the tourism association, said in a news release. In recent years, restaurants, hotels a...
Adding More “Tech” to Tech-Savvy YOTEL Boston
ALICE | October 24, 2018
YOTEL Boston, a cutting-edge, tech-savvy hotel located in the innovative Boston Seaport district, has selected ALICE to enhance their internal communication, preventative maintenance, concierge operations, and guest engagement. This central Boston hotel is uncompromisingly designed for the guest experience, and is revolutionizing the traditional view of a luxury hotel stay by focusing on everything guests need, and nothing they don't. Through implementing ALICE, YOTEL Boston will create a seamless level of communication staff-to-staff, and guest-to-staff. ALICE is the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, connecting ever...
Late Cycle Supply Sources of the Occupancy Gap
Bram Gallagher | October 24, 2018
By Bram Gallagher The present hotel cycle is defying conventional expectations of late-cycle Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) behavior. Over the previous two cycles, recovery began primarily with occupancy. As the cycles continued, average daily rate (ADR) began to rise. Eventually, the increases to ADR were the dominant contributor to RevPAR growth, and occupancy leveled off or even slightly declined. These cycles, occurring from August 1992 to November 2002 and November 2002 to May 2010, lasted approximately ten and eight years, respectively. Well into the ninth year of its current cycle, we would expect that the hotel market would...
Direct Booking Summit: Asia-Pacific Announces Venue, Agenda and First Speakers
October 24, 2018
LONDON, UK [23.10.18] - The inaugural Direct Booking Summit: Asia-Pacific will take place in The Fullerton Hotel Singapore on February 27-28. The event, hosted by Triptease, will bring together hoteliers from across the region to discuss practical strategies to increase the number of bookings that come directly through the hotel website (as opposed to through online travel agents, or 'OTAs'). The conference will specifically address regional challenges such as the problem of rogue wholesale rates, mobile UX challenges and the struggle to maintain rate parity in a fragmented OTA market. "We're excited and honoured to be hosting the first...
CHICOS 2018 to Kick Off With Charitable Soccer Showdown Between Caribbean Hotel Consultants and Investors
CHICOS | October 24, 2018
October 24, 2018 – In response to years of prodding from the attendees, speakers and sponsors of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS), the 2018 event will, for the first time, feature a scheduled soccer match between host organization HVS and rival consultancy KPMG. Professionals from other firms will also participate among the two (loosely!) organized teams. "What better way to add adrenaline and bring camaraderie to a group of business professionals than with a heated and perhaps even competitive soccer match?" remarks Parris E. Jordan, Chair of CHICOS. "Conference attendees have reached out...
The St. Joe Company and InterMountain Management Celebrate Groundbreaking for New TownePlace Suites Hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida
St. Joe | October 24, 2018
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.—October 24, 2018—The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) ("St. Joe") and InterMountain Management, LLC ("InterMountain") today announce the groundbreaking for a new TownePlace Suites hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida, will take place this week. This 124-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott will be located adjacent to Frank Brown Park and will include amenities such as a fitness center, pool, business center and more. TownePlace Suites' model offers an extended stay hotel with suites designed to provide everything travelers need to live life uninterrupted. St. Joe and InterMountain believe this hotel brand is ...
Developers Break Ground on New $29 Million Hammetts Wharf Project on Newport, Rhode Island’s Waterfront
October 24, 2018
Newport, RI: With a ceremonial firing of a starter cannon, developers, and dignitaries, including Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Newport Mayor Harry Winthrop, marked the construction launch of Hammetts Wharf on Newport's waterfront. The $29 million project, supported by a TIF from the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, will include an upscale 84-room boutique hotel, a 4,000 S.F. waterfront restaurant and 3,000 S.F of retail space fronting America's Cup Avenue. The project will also create permanent public waterfront access. "The Hammetts Wharf team is delighted to be starting in Newport this week," said Colin Kane, Partner, Managing Memb...
Sense of Place Has a Human Side
Larry Mogelonsky | October 24, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Too often when we refer to the concept of a 'sense of place', our thoughts tend to drift towards the physicality of a hotel – mainly its exterior and interior design elements. Yes, these are both insurmountably important towards creating a unique impression on guests and bringing them into your property's exceptional experience, but they are hardly everything. While next down the list would be guestroom design, staff uniforms, authentically local additions to F&B, lobby or spa treatments and perhaps the keepsakes you give guests at checkout, one area that you cannot overlo...
How Technological Accountability Can Boost Guest Service
Jos Schaap, CEO -Founder and CEO | October 24, 2018
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder StayNTouch Ask any leader — regardless of industry — what they believe is the key to driving customer experience and exceeding consumer demands, and their answer will likely detail some form of technological transformation. We have long since entered the age of the customer, which means customer experience can now be earmarked as the defining factor in the creation of brand longevity and customer loyalty. In fact, according to recent studies, 74% of respondents believe that digital is reinventing the overall experience that they deliver to customers and improving digital channels is the top acti...
BeyondTV Solution Awarded U.S. Patent for Advanced Guest Data Protection and Privacy Technology
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | October 24, 2018
United States Patent Office (USPTO) recognizes Hotel Internet Services for security protocol developed for the BeyondTV Entertainment Streaming Solution CLEARWATER, Fla. — October 24, 2018 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS) has been awarded a patent by the USPTO for the guest data security protocol used in its BeyondTV solution, an industry leading platform that allows hotel guests to access content from online streaming subscriptions or wirelessly cast from personal devices onto guestroom televisions. Issued with patent No. 10,097,864 and officially named 'Guest Personal Data Protection,' the technology provides guests with th...
Clarkston Lodging Group could start building new 80-room Best Western Hotel in Clarkston, Idaho
October 24, 2018
Oct. 24--Construction crews may be building walls for a new 80-room Best Western Hotel in Clarkston as early as the week of Thanksgiving. The city of Clarkston is expecting to receive architectural plans for the hotel at any time, said Clarkston Public Works Director Kevin Poole. Once they arrive, the review could take as little as 14 business days, Poole said. "Right now, we've issued them a permit to do site work and foundation only." The hotel is part of a Yakima-area developer's plan for 5 acres of formerly vacant property in the 1300 block of Bridge Street that was unveiled earlier this year. Tom Denlea of Grandvi...
Heritage hotels are the way ahead for Indian Hotels Co.: Taj CEO Puneet Chhatwal
October 24, 2018
Oct. 24--CHENNAI -- It has been a landmark year for Indian Hotels Co. Ltd (IHCL), which runs the Taj group of hotels. In June, the company won a 33-year lease for The Connaught, which will be opened for renovation next year under the SeleQtions brand. In September, after years of legal battle, Indian Hotels retained its lease on the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel on Delhi's Mansingh Road. On Saturday, it re-launched Taj Connemara, south India's oldest hotel dating back to 1854, after a 22-month-long renovation project that cost ?90 crore. That's not all. In December, the company plans to re-launch Ginger, the budget hotel unit of th...
Developer Hinman Company set to break ground on 13-story Residence Inn by Marriott in Grand Rapids, MI
October 24, 2018
Oct. 24--GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Construction on a 13-story hotel -- a Marriott Residence Inn with first floor retail space -- could start in late December or early January, the project developer told the Grand Rapids City Commission Tuesday night. "We think that hotel and that brand and flag will do a number of things," said Rich MacDonald, chief operating officer at Hinman Company. "Obviously it will help support the arena and the convention center, increase critical mass with visitors closer to the mall, which will help support and sustain retail." Commissioners on Tuesday approved a Brownfield reimbursement reques...
Iowa’s Mason City terminates agreement with downtown hotel developer
October 24, 2018
Oct. 24--MASON CITY -- Mason City is moving forward with the downtown River City Renaissance Project and it's leaving Philip Chodur behind -- again. On Tuesday, the Mason City Council unanimously approved a resolution to terminate its Purchase, Sale and Development agreement with G8 Development, Chodur's San Diego-based company, during a special meeting. "The path forward obviously we'll provide the notice of termination and then the staff will work to provide further recommendations from that point," said Aaron Burnett, Mason City administrator. "We really have to take this step before we can do anything else...
Ruby Hospitality & GVD Commercial Assume Management of the Soon to be Former Red Lion River Inn
October 23, 2018
Oct. 24--The Red Lion River Inn will soon be no more. On Nov. 1, a full renovation will begin, and the 45-year-old hotel will be called the River Hotel and Onyx Kitchen. The name change and development plans follow the decision by Red Lion to not renew its lease on the property at 700 N. Division St. The hotel was purchased by GVD Commercial for $10.75 million in 2003. GVD and Ruby Hospitality, which will take over management of the hotel, are owned by Jerry and Patty Dicker, who spent 40 years in California building large shopping centers and malls before moving to Spokane in 2001. In July, the Red Lion Hotel at the Park was sold to Wo...
Midas Hospitality Set to Open Dual-Branded Residence Inn and Courtyard Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri
Midas Hospitality | October 23, 2018
(St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 24, 2018) While Midas Hospitality has multiple hotels in 14 states throughout the country, the latest property – its 15th in Missouri – was built practically in its very own backyard. The dual-branded Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott will open its doors Oct. 26 at 12815 Daylight Dr. in West County. The four-story, 136,000-square foot hotel is located at Manchester Rd. and I-270. The hotels were developed and are owned by the Roberts' families, principals of Commercial Development Company, Inc., who have owned the former quarry property for more than 25 years. The 101-room Residence Inn and the 11...
Fusion Expands Collection With Launch of New Hotel Brand, Fusion Originals
Fusion Resorts | October 23, 2018
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Oct. 23, 2018) - An innovative hospitality force in Vietnam, known for its upscale all-spa-inclusive resorts and chic city hotels, will add a third brand to its portfolio with the opening of the first Fusion Originals hotel in Ho Chi Minh City next year. Breaking with convention, each Originals hotel will bear the name of a pioneering artist, inventor, scientist, or social leader. For the inaugural member of the collection, they've selected Charles Darwin a British botanist, scientist, and naturalist who redefined mankind's place in the universe. "World-changing ideas are what Fusion is all about," said Remco ...
HVS Market Pulse: Cincinnati, OH
Brian Arevalo | October 23, 2018
By Brian Arevalo Market Overview The Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area encompasses a three-state region, including parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Top firms in Cincinnati represent key industries, such as aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, brand design, creative services, chemistry, financial services, IT services, and consumer goods. Together, these sectors have helped fortify the city's economic position, allowing the city to be somewhat buffered from the major fluctuations that other cities experienced during the recession. The city has been successful at not only retaining area businesses, but also attracting new companies. The...
