International Visitors Spent Nearly $20.1 Billion Traveling Within the United States in March
National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) | May 23rd, 2024
CBRE Expects RevPAR Growth to Improve in H2 2024, Driven by Holiday and International Travel
CBRE Group, Inc. | May 16th, 2024
Sietse Nabben Named General Manager at Hotel Hendricks
April 30, 2019
With over twenty years in the hospitality industry, Sietse Nabben brings his unique experiences and accomplishments to Midtown's newest hotspot, Hotel Hendricks. As a native of the Netherlands, Nabben spent time in Amsterdam, Boston, Munich, Chicago, and San Francisco before bringing his talents to New York City. A graduate from the Hotel and Catering College at Heerlen, The Netherlands, Nabben began his career in college where he founded a catering staffing agency before moving to Boston to work at the Marriott Copley Hotel. He then began to secure a series of managerial roles including Restaurant and Bar Manager at the Marriott Munich...
White Lodging Appoints Justin Weeks as General Manager for Moxy Louisville Downtown Opening Fall 2019
White Lodging | April 30, 2019
LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 29, 2019 -- White Lodging is excited to announce Justin Weeks as the Moxy Louisville Downtown's general manager. Scheduled to open in fall of 2019, Moxy Louisville Downtown is the first Moxy hotel In Kentucky and is specifically designed for a new generation of travelers – fun hunters – who are looking for a hotel environment that allows them to have an experience on their own terms. Weeks recently relocated to Louisville from eastern Pennsylvania, where he held the position of assistant general manager at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront. Prior to that, he gained experience as director of food and bever...
Dorothy Dowling Named Allied Leadership Council President for Global Business Travel Association
April 30, 2019
PHOENIX, Arizona (April 30, 2019) – Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts, has been named Allied Leadership Council (ALC) President for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the world's largest professional association and a leading source of business travel knowledge. Appointed to this prominent leadership post by Christle Johnson, GBTA president, and Bhart Sarin, GBTA Chairman, Dowling will continue to play a key role in setting the strategic direction of GBTA and shaping the organization's future. "I am thrilled to have appointed Dorothy Dowling,...
Ventana Big Sur Appoints Onal Kucuk as General Manager
Ventana Big Sur | April 30, 2019
Big Sur, Calif. (April 29, 2019) – Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, has appointed hospitality veteran Onal Kucuk as general manager of the award-winning luxury Big Sur resort. Kucuk, who brings nearly 20 years of boutique hotel and resort experience from across the country, will guide daily and long-term operations for Ventana Big Sur. "Big Sur is such an inspiring destination, and I could not be happier that my return to California brings me to Ventana in time to unveil a number of exciting new developments," said Kucuk. "I'm overwhelmed with joy to join a team that infuses creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit into everythin...
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Appoints Claudia Wattenberg as General Manager
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa | April 30, 2019
Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. (April 30, 2019) – Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, a luxury resort located on the Santa Ana Pueblo, announces Claudia Wattenberg as General Manager. Wattenberg joins the property from the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Massachusetts. "I am excited to be a part of the amazing team at Hyatt Regency Tamaya," said Claudia Wattenberg, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. "I look forward to working closely with my resort colleagues, with the Santa Ana Hospitality Corporation Board, and the people of the Santa Ana Pueblo to continue the synergy and positive results for this truly distinctive...
Big Isle Tourism Yet to Recover Following Kilauea’s Volcanic Eruption Last Year
April 29, 2019
April 30-- Apr. 30--THIRD OF 6 PARTS VOLCANO, HAWAII >> Hot lava can be quite viscous, and so is Hawaii island's tourism recovery a year after worldwide images of Kilauea's volcanic eruption began deterring vacationers. It's been nine months since the eruption ceased after covering 6,000 acres in Puna and destroying more than 700 homes. It's also been eight months since the prior No. 1 statewide tourist attraction -- Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park -- reopened. Yet, visitor arrivals are only creeping back toward pre-eruption levels, prolonging economic pain for many businesses and workers in the state's big...
U.S. Hotels Enjoy Profit Growth, But It Is Becoming Harder to Achieve
CBRE | April 29, 2019
Atlanta – April 29, 2019 – While U.S. hoteliers enjoyed a ninth consecutive year of increasing profits in 2018, it is becoming increasingly difficult for managers to accomplish this task. According to the recently released 2019 edition of Trends® in the Hotel Industry by CBRE Hotels Americas Research, total operating revenue increased by 2.6 percent in 2018 for the average hotel in its survey sample. Managers were able to limit the growth in operating expenses to 2.8 percent, thus allowing for a 2.3 percent increase in gross operating profits (GOP) at the Trends® properties. The 2.8 percent growth in expenses is less...
BENCHMARK® Names Jason Epsenhart Director of Facilities for The Grove Resort Orlando
The Grove Resort Orlando | April 29, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, April 2019 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has appointed Jason Epsenhart director of facilities for The Grove Resort Orlando, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located near Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Bill Lee, general manager, made the announcement. "It is a great pleasure to welcome Jason to The Grove," stated Mr. Lee. "He has brought a remarkable background in resort facilities management and engineering to The Grove, which will further our ability to provide first-rate experiences to all of our guests. We are glad to have him as part of our leadership team." J...
HEI Hotels & Resorts Enhances Operations Team With Three Promotions
HEI Hotels & Resorts | April 29, 2019
NORWALK, Conn., April 29, 2019—Officials of HEI Hotels & Resorts, a leading hospitality management and investment company that owns and/or operates 82 hotels and resorts throughout the United States, today announced that it has enhanced the company's operations team with three new promotions: Rachel Moniz to executive vice president, operations; Dan Walworth to executive vice president and chief compliance officer; and Marcus Harris to executive vice president, hotel finance. "HEI continues to enjoy extremely strong, year-over-year growth in our exceptional portfolio of hotels under management. That growth is a direct result of our c...
KASA Hotel Collections Appoints Kai Jockel Area Manager, Mexico
KASA Hotel Collection | April 29, 2019
(Tulum, MEXICO – April 2019) KASA Hotel Collection announces the appointment of Kai Jockel as Area Manager of KASA Hotel Collection in Mexico. KASA Hotel Collection currently operates one hotel located in Aldea Zama, Hotel KASA Parota Tulum. A second KASA hotel, the Hotel KASA Riviera Maya will open in June 2019, followed by a third in September 2019. Two more hotels are planned for 2020. Hotel KASA Parota Tulum and Hotel KASA Riviera Maya are both members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). A veteran of the hospitality industry with more than 30 years of experience, Kai will have responsibility for overall operation of the...
Claudia Feuß Appointed General Manager for IntercityHotel Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof Süd
IntercityHotel | April 29, 2019
Frankfurt am Main, 26 April 2019 -- Claudia Feuß has taken up the managerial reins at the IntercityHotel Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof Süd, the largest of more than 40 hotels which operate under the IntercityHotel brand. Her appointment is effective from 26 April 2019. The official handover of responsibility from Anton M. Wüstefeld to Ms. Feuß was celebrated by a donation of €20,000 made to the Rödelheim Children's Early Intervention Centre. Mr. Wüstefeld, who won a "Best Iconic Employee" title at the 2017 Worldwide Hospitality Awards, spent almost 50 years with IntercityHotel GmbH's parent company Steigenb...
HVS Market Pulse: Arlington, Texas
Kathleen Donahue | April 25, 2019
By Kathleen Donahue Arlington: History as a Popular Texas Playground Arlington's Entertainment District neighborhood is deep rooted within the sports and entertainment industries. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, followed by Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (opened as Wet 'n Wild) in 1983. Seven Seas Marine Life Park operated in the early 1970s on what is now the site of the Sheraton hotel, with some original structures incorporated into the hotel's physical plant. In 1994, the $191-million Globe Life Park in Arlington replaced Arlington Stadium, which had served as the home for the MLB Texas Rangers from 1972 to 1993. The 2009 openi...
Dream Hollywood Names Vaughn Pierre Davis as General Manager
Dream Hotels | April 25, 2019
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (April 25, 2019) – Dream Hotel Group announces the appointment of Vaughn Pierre Davis as general manager of Dream Hollywood. Davis launched his hospitality career nearly a decade ago in New York City where he began as a guest attendant at Gansevoort Meatpacking. From there, he served as the director of guest services at Dream Downtown for four years before taking on a prominent hotel management position with Joie de Vivre to launch its very first hotel in New York City at 50 Bowery. Davis saw great opportunity with Dream Hollywood's luxurious room product, stellar service and renowned food and beverage operators,...
Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Appoints Spa Director Lindsey Sappenfield
Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach | April 25, 2019
CLEARWATER, F.L. (April 25, 2019) – Located alongside Florida's top-rated sugar white sand beach, Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach announces the appointment of Lindsey Sappenfield as Spa Director of the hotel's Pallavi Luxury Spa. In this position, she will manage and lead the operational and strategic performance of the 6,000-square-foot spa. Sappenfield has more than 15 years of experience in the spa industry as a licensed massage therapist and esthetician, and will bring her expertise in spa operations and luxury treatments to Pallavi Spa's team of world-class therapists. Prior to joining Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, Sappenfie...
In Revenue Management, You Can Have Good Timing AND Good Forecasting
Dan Skodol | April 25, 2019
By Dan Skodol I recently read a piece about an international resort company that introduced a Revenue Management System (RMS) within the last five years. Like many resort properties around the world, their hotels have a high degree of dependence on contracted tour business and other leisure-oriented distribution channels. Because of the long lead-time associated with forming these contracts, "timing" is a very important focus of Revenue Management as missing a contract season means missing out on bookings that are essential to their performance. This certainly makes sense. But I got lost was when the Revenue Manager stated in an intervi...
sbe Appoints Kevin Rohani as Vice President of Development
sbe | April 25, 2019
NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 -- sbe, a leading international hospitality group that develops, manages and operates award-winning global hospitality brands, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Kevin Rohani as Vice President of Development for sbe. Rohani will be responsible for sourcing new hotel and branded residence deals in targeted global markets while leveraging his extensive owner, investor and developer relationships. Rohani will be key in expanding sbe's footprint at a time when the Company's brand demand is at an all-time high. This important announcement builds on sbe's recent leadership growth as the company con...
Number of Visitors to Hawaii Grows as Visitor Spending Shrinks for March
April 24, 2019
April 25-- Apr. 25--More tourists are visiting the Hawaiian islands, but they are creating less economic benefit. Visitor arrivals in March grew more than 4% from the prior year to 939,064, according to preliminary data released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority this morning. March arrivals increased from the U.S. East, the U.S. West, and Canada. Visitor arrivals from Japan were flat, but dropped for cruise ships and the category called other, which includes international arrivals from outside Canada and Japan. March visitor spending fell more than 2% to $1.5 billion as every major market posted either flat or declining results. On averag...
HVS Market Pulse: Anaheim, California
Jessica White | April 24, 2019
By Jessica White Market Overview Since 1955, Anaheim's economy has been driven by The Walt Disney Company, which is also the largest private-sector employer in Orange County with nearly 32,000 employees. Its local operations include Disneyland and the California Adventure theme parks, three Disneyland hotels, and Downtown Disney (a shopping and entertainment area). The area's lodging market is also supported by the Anaheim Convention Center, which currently provides the largest convention facilities on the West Coast. As Disney and the convention center have expanded, the City of Anaheim created the Anaheim Resort Area (ARA) in 1994 to ...
The Peninsula Chicago Welcomes Executive Chef Baasim Zafar
The Peninsula Chicago | April 24, 2019
CHICAGO (April 24, 2019) — The Peninsula Chicago is pleased to announce the appointment of Executive Chef Baasim Zafar, a native of England with more than 25 years of experience in restaurants and luxury hotels in the United States, London and Saudi Arabia. Chef Zafar will oversee all Peninsula restaurant kitchens for The Lobby, Shanghai Terrace, Pierrot Gourmet and Z Bar, as well as banquets, in-room dining and pastry kitchen operations. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and schooled at the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Chef Zafar draws culinary inspiration as much...
Playa Hotels & Resorts Names Fernando Cardoso Lopez General Manager of Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. | April 24, 2019
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (April 23, 2019) – Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. (NASDAQ: PLYA, "Playa") has named Fernando Cardoso Lopez the general manager of Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta. As general manager, Cardoso will oversee the day-to-day operations of the all-inclusive resort, located on the famed Banderas Bay. A native of Mexico City, Cardoso has spent the greater part of the last two decades working in management positions throughout Mexico and Latin America. Fluent in four languages, Lopez is a results-oriented leader with deep-rooted experience in the hospitality industry and comes to Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta with a wealth of knowledge...
White Lodging Names Two New Regional Leaders
White Lodging | April 23, 2019
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., April 23, 2019 -- White Lodging named two new regional leaders as part of a continued strengthening of its operations team. Brian Hutchins joins White Lodging as regional vice president, Urban & Lifestyle, and Nicole Coghlan was promoted from general manager to regional director of operations, Suburban Select. Regional leaders oversee all operations for a portfolio of White Lodging hotel and restaurant properties. "Brian and Nicole join an industry-leading team of operations leaders that relentlessly pursue excellence across the White Lodging portfolio – for our guests, our associates and our owners,&q...
Massimiliano Puglisi Named General Manager of The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection
Auberge Resorts Collection | April 23, 2019
NEWPORT, R.I. (April 23, 2019) – The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection, the historic mansion situated in the charming coastal town of Newport, Rhode Island, announced today that Massimiliano Puglisi has joined as General Manager. In his new role, Puglisi will oversee the daily operations of the elegant hotel, which was originally built in 1909 by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, a scion of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. A seasoned hotelier, Puglisi brings nearly 20 years of experience to the position and has been lauded as an esteemed leader in the luxury hospitality industry. Most recently, Puglisi served as Hotel Manager at The Ca...
Hotel Erwin Welcomes Paola Moreno as Director of Food and Beverage
Hotel Erwin | April 23, 2019
(VENICE, CA – April 23, 2019) California's quintessential "Venice" hotel is pleased to welcome the experienced Paola Moreno as the director of food and beverage program at Hotel Erwin, which includes High Rooftop Lounge, the new Erwin's Kitchen & Cocktails, as well as all events, catering and room service. As the director of food and beverage, Paola is responsible for managing the daily operations of all outlets, including each of the hotel's unique events, maintaining service standards to go above and beyond customer needs and integrating new trends into food and beverage programming. Paola's hospitality path began over 1...
Naples Grande Beach Resort Appoints Melinda Hutchins as Director of Sales and Marketing
Naples Grande Beach Resort | April 23, 2019
Naples, FL (April 23, 2019) - Naples Grande Beach Resort is pleased to announce the appointment of Melinda Hutchins to Director of Sales and Marketing at one of the leading luxury resorts in the destination. Melinda's 18 years of experience in hospitality and sales will serve as an impressive addition to the already seasoned team. "Melinda brings her endless dedication, strong sales and marketing experience and knowledge of the Florida market to our team," said Paul Burke, General Manager of Naples Grande Beach Resort. "We are looking forward to her success and unique direction that she will share with our entire leadership team. Prior ...
