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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
Disaster-Related Hotel Business Loss Recovery – Unique Challenges
Mark Earle | October 18, 2018
By Mark Earle Hurricanes Michael and Florence are both gone, but the extent of their destruction is now coming into clearer focus. Michael-caused losses in property and income are estimated to be $15 to $21 billion, according to Moody's Analytics. Boston-based insurer Karen Clark & Company (KCC) released an estimate of $3.7 billion for storm surge alone. KCC's catastrophe models estimate that Hurricane Michael caused about $8 billion in privately insured losses, which do not include losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. While Michael was the fourth-strongest storm to hit the U.S. since record-keeping began 1951, it...
Raj Patel Hospitality to Open Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Tyler, Texas
Fairfield Inn & Suites | October 18, 2018
The 88-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Tyler, Texas is set to open on Monday, October 22, 2018 with a new décor that provides guests with a feeling of warmth and calm while traveling. Located at 309 West Heritage Drive, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Tyler South will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Raj Patel Hospitality and managed by Hotel Equities of Atlanta, Georgia. General Manager Peter Wagner and Director of Sales Heather Trammell lead the management team at the property. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Tyler South offers guests convenient access to The Village at Cumberland Park, Kiepersol Winery an...
India’s budget hotel brands Treebo and FabHotels initiate merger talks
October 18, 2018
Oct. 18--MUMBAI -- Budget hotel brands Treebo and FabHotels have initiated merger talks, as investor appetite to fund hotel startups is waning following the massive funding round by market leader Oyo Rooms, three people familiar with the matter said. Oyo, India's largest and fastest-growing hotel chain, had secured $800 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund last month. The talks between Treebo, run by Ruptub Solutions Pvt. Ltd, and Casa2 Stays Pvt. Ltd-owned FabHotels are at an early stage, so it is difficult to say whether the deal will go through or not, the people cited above said, requesting anonymity. The talks are being led by...
How would Tillman Fertitta’s vast holdings fit with Caesars’ bid?
October 18, 2018
Oct. 18--Over more than three decades, Tilman Fertitta has taken his Houston restaurant, hospitality and entertainment empire from a private company to a public one, and then private again. Now, the head of Landry's could again find himself at the helm of a much larger publicly-traded company if a deal to combine with Caesars Entertainment Corp. is successful. Fertitta recently approached Caesars about a possible merging his Golden Nugget and restaurant properties with the Las Vegas, sources familiar with the proposal said this week. But aside from the casinos -- Fertitta owns five Golden Nugget properties -- it is unclear which res...
Syracuse’s Parkview Hotel joins Best Western’s upscale brand, BW Premier Collection
October 18, 2018
Oct. 18--Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse's Parkview Hotel is partnering with the Best Western chain, but local hotelier Norm Swanson is remaining its owner. Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced this week that the 83-room boutique hotel at 713 E. Genesee St. has joined its new BW Premier Collection upscale brand. "The Parkview Hotel is an extraordinary addition to our carefully curated portfolio of hotels that make up the BW Premier Collection by Best Western brand," Ron Pohl, senior vice president and chief operations officer for Best Western, said in a statement. Swanson opened the Parkview in 2005 in the former Medical...
Sale of Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Maui Fetches Top Dollar at Nearly $1 Million Per Room
October 18, 2018
Oct. 18--The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Maui has sold for almost $1 million a room -- one of the state's highest hotel sales on a per-room basis ever. Blackstone Real Estate Partners, an affiliate of Blackstone Group, closed Tuesday on the 297-room hotel, which includes 107 condominium residences, for approximately $275 million, according to real estate sources. The transaction is notable for the property's significant jump in value. In 2016, a joint venture made up of funds managed by the Real Estate Group of Ares Management LP, SMW Hospitality LLC, and Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC, paid just over $164 million for the 49-ac...
Okura Nikko Hotel Management to Open Hotel JAL City Tokyo Toyosu in 2019
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. | October 17, 2018
TOKYO—October 17, 2018—Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced today that it will open the Hotel JAL City Tokyo Toyosu in 2019. The company has contracted with Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. for asset and project management services for the new property, which will be located in Tokyo's futuristic Toyosu district. The hotel will occupy the upper level of "D Tower Toyosu", a unique hybrid facility incorporating an athlete training center. Marcel P. van Aelst, CEO, Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., commented, "Tokyo is attracting more and more attention from overseas visit...
Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center Nearing Completion With Projected January 2019 Opening Date
October 17, 2018
City of Allen will welcome the first Delta new build by Marriott in the United States upon its completion ALLEN, TX –This January 2019, the City of Allen will have its first 4-star hotel and convention center--Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center (777 Watters Creek Blvd, Allen, TX 75013, 844-203-8999, Website). It will be the first Delta new build by Marriott in the United States upon its completion. Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center with 90,000 square feet of flexible and state of the art meeting space will position the City of Allen for even more gr...
Vizergy Digital Marketing Named 10 Fastest Growing Google Solution Provider of 2018
October 17, 2018
Vizergy, the hospitality industry's leading provider of digital marketing software and services, has been named one of the 10 Fastest Growing Google Solution Providers of 2018, according to Silicon Valley Review. This recognition not only reaffirms Vizergy's success in strategic vision and product development but also solidifies its market position as the best technology platform for the hospitality industry. The announcement of this prestigious award follows CIO Review naming Vizergy one of the 20 Most Promising Web Development & Marketing Platforms in 2017. The company, based in Jacksonville, FL, attributes its success to a number...
How Hotels Can Compete in the Airbnb Landscape
Mia A. Mackman | October 17, 2018
By Mia A. Mackman Airbnb came on the scene in 2008, amidst corporate scandal, economic downturn and instability. Initially people were skeptical, but Airbnb has gained remarkable momentum building its platform with transparency and trust, at a time people were greatly seeking both. In the early years, Airbnb's inclusive and diverse model provided low-cost travel options with uncommon flexibility, which became an enticing alternative to the traditional big-name hotel booking systems. The social component and owner-intimacy of Airbnb also intrigued adventurous solo travelers, seeking more local and organic destination experiences. The...
Ares Management, SMW Hospitality & Trinity Investments Sell Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Maui to Blackstone Real Estate Partners
Ares Management, L.P. | October 17, 2018
HONOLULU & LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK—October 17, 2018--A joint venture among funds managed by the Real Estate Group of Ares Management, L.P. (NYSE:ARES), SMW Hospitality LLC (a joint venture between affiliates of Square Mile Capital Management LLC ("Square Mile Capital") and Wafra Inc.), and Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC, today announced the sale of The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, to Blackstone Real Estate Partners, an affiliate of Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX). The joint venture acquired The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, a AAA Five Diamond, oceanfront property located on 49 acres of Maui's lush northwest shore, in 201...
NorthPointe Hospitality Names Dominic Simpson as Executive Chef for New Crowne Plaza North Augusta
NorthPointe Hospitality Management | October 17, 2018
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (October 17, 2018) – Chef Dominic Simpson, who has recently served as the executive chef of The Partridge Inn for the past five years, has been named the executive chef for the new Crowne Plaza North Augusta in North Augusta, S.C. Chef Dominic will be responsible for overseeing the culinary program at the upscale hotel, including Salt & Marrow Kitchen, the specialty wood-fired grill restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel; Salt & Marrow Parlor Bar, the hotel's lobby bar; Tod's Bluff, an upscale rooftop bar; catering; banquets; and in-room dining. The boutique hotel is scheduled to open by the...
Joie de Vivre Appoints Christopher Shiel as Director of Sales and Marketing for Hotel 50 Bowery
Joie de Vivre Hotels | October 17, 2018
(New York, NY; October 17, 2018) - Joie de Vivre Hotels has announced the appointment of Christopher Shiel as Director of Sales and Marketing of Hotel 50 Bowery . In his role, Shiel oversees all sales and marketing efforts for the hotel group's first Manhattan address, including planning and implementing innovative strategies and development initiatives to drive revenues from group, business and leisure clientele, while getting word out about the Joie de Vivre brand in the competitive Manhattan market. Shiel joined Hotel 50 Bowery from Refinery Hotel in the Garment District of Manhattan, where he was Director of Sales and Marketing ...
Adjusting to a Hotel Labor Shortage
Larry Mogelonsky | October 17, 2018
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Not necessarily specific to the hospitality industry and certainly not applicable to every geographic territory, but there appears to be a rising labor shortage that will come to affect all manner of jobs in a hotel workplace. With such a diverse array of back-of-house ranks for both university-educated individuals as well as those without a college-level diploma, we must now fight to keep every team member lest we suffer from the long-term consequences associated with increasing onboarding costs, guest service gaps and lack of proper succession planning. Especially in major Western...
Revinate Joins SiteMinder Exchange
Revinate | October 17, 2018
Partnership Allows Revinate to Broaden Addressable Market and Go to Market Even Faster October 17, 2018 – Revinate, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that helps hotels transform guest data into revenue, today announces it has partnered with the global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, as the latest hotel application to connect into SiteMinder Exchange. The connection will make Revinate Marketing accessible to the multitude of leading property management systems (PMSs) integrated into SiteMinder Exchange, a powerfully-simple solution launched this year to solve the connectivity problem for hotel PMSs and h...
Key Takeaways From h2c’s Global PMS Study That Every Hotelier Should Know
Jos Schaap, CEO -Founder and CEO | October 17, 2018
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder – StayNTouch It is a well-known fact that today's travelers have high expectations of a tech-forward, efficient and ultimately personalized experience throughout their travel journey. In many ways, this marks an exciting era in hospitality and inspires technological advancement within an industry which is often hesitant to keep pace with technological evolution. However, this shift into a more guest-centric hospitality model undeniably places newly realized pressure onto hoteliers to upgrade the tools they have in place to continuously enhance their offering and support their staff. A recent, global P...
The Peabody Memphis Installs Aptech PVNG Cloud Accounting to Simplify Processes
Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. | October 17, 2018
PVNG Hotel Accounting Software is Easy to Learn and Use; Fast Response Time Gets Jobs Done Quickly PITTSBURGH, October 17, 2018 – Aptech Computer Systems announced that The Peabody Memphis upgraded its back office financial system to cloud-based PVNG Enterprise Accounting to simplify accounting operations and safeguard data in the cloud. The landmark 464-room Memphis luxury hotel was named the 2018 'Best Historic Hotel' in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Aptech is the leading provider of hospitality business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting, and enterprise hotel accounting software systems. Click here for more o...
Remington Hotels Selects OpenKey for Independent Portfolio
OpenKey | October 17, 2018
Leading Management Company Partners With Largest Mobile Key Platform DALLAS, TEXAS (October 17, 2018) – Remington Hotels, a leading independent hotel management company today announced a portfolio-level partnership with OpenKey, the industry standard for universal mobile key in hotels. The eight largest third-party manager in North America, Remington Hotels provides top quality service in the areas of property management and condominium hotel management with over 40 years of experience in the hospitality business. On the OpenKey partnership Remington Hotels Chief Operating Officer Sloan Dean remarked, "Guests at our hotels are exp...
New 108-Room Fairfield Inn & Suites Kenosha Pleasant Prairie Opens in Wisconsin Led by General Manager Nadia Rodriguez
Fairfield Inn & Suites | October 17, 2018
Marriott International's latest fully modular hotel to open in the Midwest Pleasant Prairie, WI – October 17, 2018 – The 108-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Kenosha Pleasant Prairie opened its doors to the community with a new design that provides guests with a feeling of warmth while paying homage to the brand's Fairfield Farm origins. The hotel's opening also marks a milestone for Marriott International, since it's the company's first hotel in Wisconsin to fully embrace modular construction– an innovative process aimed at saving time, reducing on-site waste and enhancing quality – by utilizing modular guestroo...
Raleigh, NC is Attracting More Hotels, but Are They the Right Ones?
October 17, 2018
Oct. 17--RALEIGH -- From downtown Raleigh to the Beltline, a string of developers has submitted plans in recent weeks for large hotel projects. It's a continuing trend for the city, which has steadily been creating a more diverse offering of lodging options in the past few years. Some of the newest proposed hotels include: * A nine-story hotel near Nash Square at the southwest corner of West Martin and South Dawson streets. The plans, submitted by the Raymond Group of Wisconsin, call for a 190-room hotel that would have a restaurant on the ground floor. The brand of the potential hotel is still unknown. * An 18-story Westin Hotel ad...
Megaworld Corp. set to build new Belmont hotel in Iloilo City’s Mandurriao district
October 17, 2018
Oct. 17--MEGAWORLD Corp. is set to build its fourth Belmont hotel within its 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City's Mandurriao district to meet expected demand. The Andrew Tan-led real estate developer told the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday that the hotel would rise 12 stories along the 1.1-kilometer Festive Walk Parade. It is due for completion in 2023. The hotel will have 405 rooms, ranging from twin and junior suites to queen and executive suites, as well as specially-abled suites for persons with disabilities. "We have seen the huge potential of Iloilo as a tourism destination. With the Iloilo Convent...
CBRE Takes Pulse on Houston Commercial Real Estate in Third Quarter
October 17, 2018
Oct. 17--Houston's industrial and retail sectors remain strong, while the region's hotel and office sectors are improving, brokers at a CBRE commercial real estate panel discussion said Tuesday. The pipeline of proposed hotels totals nearly 16,000 rooms in 152 projects, representing an 18 percent increase in the supply across the Houston area, CBRE said. Not all of the projects will get built. "If you are a hotel owner in Houston, you're dealing with an onslaught of new supply in pretty much every market," CBRE senior vice president Rahul Bijlani said. "Overall demand growth in Houston is going up. It's ju...
Strike could disrupt two high-profile events coming to Oahu and Maui this week
October 17, 2018
Oct. 17--The hotel strike on Oahu and Maui could put a damper on two high-profile group events coming to Hawaii this week, including Waikiki's largest convention of the year. The American Dental Association's 2018 meeting is expected to bring some 16,200 registered attendees and guests to Waikiki from Thursday to Monday. On Maui the strike could affect Spiked!, a Hawai'i Food &Wine Festival event expected to bring up to 500 guests Saturday to the Sheraton Maui, which was charging $590 for two tickets to the event and a one-night stay. Some 2,700 unionized hotel workers went on strike Oct. 8 when negotiations between Unit...
Large tax incentive seals the deal for Yosemite Resort’s new hotel, conference center development in Oakhurst, CA
October 17, 2018
Oct. 17--County leaders this week cut a deal to build a multimillion hotel and conference center in eastern Madera County. The Madera Board of Supervisors unanimously approved plans on Tuesday, Oct. 16, with Yosemite Resort, LLC, during the "On the Road" meeting in Oakhurst, providing the development group with the a major economic incentive to build the $25 to $30 million "upscale" hotel near the Hounds Tooth Inn, on the north end of Oakhurst. The incentive will give the development group 50 percent of the transient occupancy tax from the proposed hotel over 25 years. TOT is a tax placed on lodging costs in Californ...
