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Crowne Plaza Los Angeles-Commerce Casino to Be Managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts
Crescent Hotels & Resorts | September 7, 2016
Los Angeles (September 7, 2016) – Crescent Hotels & Resorts has been hired to manage The Crowne Plaza Los Angeles-Commerce Casino. Crescent, based in Fairfax, Virginia is a nationally recognized operator of hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. The 194 room Crowne Plaza hotel is located in the City of Commerce, two blocks from the Citadel Outlet Shopping Center, and only six miles from downtown Los Angeles. "The Crowne Plaza Los Angeles-Commerce Casino is a great fit for our expertise," said Michael George, Chief Executive Office of Crescent Hotels & Resorts. "Our unique approach as an elite InterCont...
Waterford Hotel Group Promotes Duane Schroder to General Manager of Marriott Hartford Downtown
Marriott Hartford Downtown | September 6, 2016
Waterford, CT (September 6, 2016) – Waterford Hotel Group has announced the promotion of Duane Schroder to General Manager of Marriott Hartford Downtown. As General Manager, Schroder is responsible for all aspects of the hotel's operations. Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm, manages the 409-room hotel. Schroder joined the Waterford Hotel Group in 2002 as Director of Operations at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa and served as General Manager at the Radisson in Bloomfield Hills, MI, Hilton Hartford in Hartford, CT and the Holiday Inn Express in Southington, CT. Additionally, Schroder s...
Hotel Equities Selected to Operate Newly-Renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites in Alamogordo, New Mexico
Hotel Equities | September 1, 2016
ATLANTA–September 1, 2016–Atlanta-based Hotel Equities recently announced its selection as the management firm for the newly-renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Conveniently located next to 2,900 square feet of convention space, the hotel welcomes business travelers and tourists visiting the scenic Southwest on the edge of the Lincoln National Forest near the San Andres Mountains. White Sands National Monument and Holloman Air Force Base are both within a short drive. Nearby Desert Lakes Golf Course attracts players and visitors for tournaments or just a casual game. "We are excited to...
M3 Unleashes Budget & Forecasting for Hoteliers
M3 Accounting + Analytics | August 31, 2016
Powerful web-based tool seamlessly integrates data from accounting and analytics platforms M3 Accounting + Analytics has experienced exponential growth over the past five years, but that has not stopped the Gainesville, Georgia based company from being attuned to their customers' needs. Through the years, many M3 customers have utilized the budget and forecasting modules embedded into M3's accounting tool, which is now installed in over 4,500 individual properties nationwide. After exhaustive feedback from M3's Advisory Board, user groups and selected customers, M3 has put in place a powerful new tool that combines the best of both wor...
Midas Hospitality Hires Karen Pitts as New Task Force Director of Sales
Midas Hospitality | August 31, 2016
(St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 31, 2016) Midas Hospitality, a premier hotel management group, recently hired Karen Pitts as its Task Force Director of Sales. In this position, Pitts will provide additional support to the company's growing portfolio by conducting on-property assistance and ongoing training. Pitts also will assist with implementing sales and marketing strategies for the company's multi-branded hotels. This includes supervising, monitoring and developing programs based on Midas Hospitality's existing standard operation procedures. Pitts is a seasoned hospitality sales and management professional. Prior to joining Midas Hospitality,...
Maestro PMS Launches Personalized ResWave Internet Booking Enhancements at Users Conference
NORTHWIND Maestro | August 31, 2016
Personalized Loyalty-Based and Shoulder Rate Capabilities; Customizable User Experience Lets Bookers Add Stay Activities; Creates Tailored Event Itinerary with Confirmation August 31, 2016 – Maestro PMS, the leading provider of hotel management systems to independent operators, announced new direct booking enhancements to its ResWave internet reservations system. ResWave now creates a more personal user experience with features that include loyalty-based and shoulder-optimized rate capabilities, flexible reservation options to let guests add amenities, activities and events to their reservation, and online deposit payment posting...
Loyalty Points Are No Trade Off For Housekeeping
Larry Mogelonsky | August 31, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Traveling for work puts me up close and personal with a wide variety of hotels, but even though I love dabbling in the luxury segment, the wallet just isn't fat enough to make that a year-round thing. Instead, I opt for business-oriented properties, often downtown or near a convention center, and shrewdly designed for the harried guest. As you all know, this is a humungous category of hotels worldwide, and any new features that help optimize revenue for this market are often rapidly gormandized across all major brands. I could address the omnipresent issue here of whether such widespread ad...
sbe Names Rod Lapasin as General Manager of SLS Seattle, Slated to Open Summer 2017
sbe | August 30, 2016
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30, 2016 -- sbe, the Los Angeles-based leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues, announced today it has appointed Rod Lapasin as General Manager of the highly-anticipated SLS Seattle. Spanning 16 floors of The Mark, a premier mixed-use 44-story development on the iconic Seattle skyline, SLS Seattle is situated in the heart of the city. With over 35 years of hospitality experience, Lapasin will oversee the day-to-day operations of the SLS Hotel's debut in Seattle, slated for the summer of 2017. "I have known Rod for over 20 years, and it gives me...
Wyndham Hotel Group to Manage New Build Wyndham Soleil Danang Slated to Open in 2018
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts | August 30, 2016
Danang, Vietnam (Wednesday 30 August, 2016) – Wyndham Hotel Group unveiled plans at a recent signing ceremony for a five-star Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® location in Danang's Son Tra district, set to become the city's tallest building at 199 metres. The four-tower condotel complex currently under construction will stand at 57-storeys at its tallest point and will consist of 3,200 apartments, studios and hotel rooms; extensive conference facilities; a retail and dining precinct; and recreation parks. The US$446 million project, expected to open in September 2018, is being developed by PPC An Thinh Danang. Wyndham Hotel Asia Pac...
4PANT and Dream Hotel Group Celebrate Groundbreaking of Dream Hotel in Downtown Nashville’s Printers Alley
Dream Hotels | August 25, 2016
NASHVILLE, TN – Developed by 4PANT, LLC, in partnership with Dream Hotel Group, Dream Nashville will be a driving force in the ongoing restoration and revitalization of downtown Nashville. Located in Printers Alley at Fourth Avenue North, the 169-room hotel is expected to open with eight experiential dining and nightlife venues in mid-2018 and pairs Earl Swensson Architects with Meyer Davis Studio for the interiors. The groundbreaking ceremony for this exciting redevelopment took place today, Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at 11:00am, and featured Vice Mayor David Briley as keynote speaker, as well as key members of the Dream team, dev...
HRI Properties Opens Embassy Suites Minneapolis Downtown Following Renovation of Historic Plymouth Building
HRI Properties, LLC | August 25, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS and MCLEAN, Va. - Embassy Suites by Hilton, a global brand of upscale, all-suite hotels from Hilton (NYSE: HLT), announced today the opening of its fifth property in the Twin Cities - and first in downtown Minneapolis. Embassy Suites Minneapolis Downtown is located in the historic Plymouth Building, an iconic landmark building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ideally situated in the city's Central Business and Warehouse District, the 290-suite hotel is directly linked to the Minneapolis Skyway System for a quick walk to offices, restaurants, shops, nightlife and both the Target Center and Target Field,...
Redefining Modern American Cuisine
Larry Mogelonsky | August 24, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) When it comes to food, the United States of America has 50 states and 320 million people with clam chowder in New England, burritos in the Southwest, fried chicken in the South, deep dish pizza in Chicago and so much in between. How are we supposed to summarize the culinary habits of this gigantic nation under the banner of 'Modern American Cuisine' let alone 'American Cuisine' when there is so much diversity? In the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, before the rise of craft enterprises and our present food revolution, perhaps we could have written about the homogeneity of American cuisine &nd...
HeBS Digital Nominated for Most Effective Digital Media Buy by The Drum Digital Trading Awards USA
HeBS Digital | August 22, 2016
HeBS Digital has been nominated in the Most Effective Digital Media Buy category by The Drum Digital Trading Awards USA for their highly effective Dynamic Rate Marketing campaign with Lotte New York Palace. New York, NY – August 22, 2016 – HeBS Digital is excited to announce that their Dynamic Rate Marketing (DRM) campaign with Lotte New York Palace has been nominated in the Most Effective Media Buy category by The Drum's inaugural 2016 Digital Trading Awards USA. This nomination recognizes HeBS Digital, a leading hotel digital technology, full-service digital marketing and website optimization consulting firm, as a pioneer ...
Eric Holder’s Next Challenge? Training 640,000 Airbnb Hosts About Unconscious Bias
Bashar Wali | August 19, 2016
by Bashar Wali, Principal / President & Chief Creative Officer, Provenance Hotels Good Luck, Mr. Holder. Seriously! Let me be clear: I'm not anti-Airbnb. I'm pro-Guest. To me, the sharing economy reflects a heartening and positive shift in collective values (from "mine" to "ours," hence the word "sharing") and an impressively agile and rapid pivot toward resourcefulness and efficiency (hence the word "economy"). Am I the only one who thinks humanity should be giving itself a high five right now? The sharing economy is really us. At our caring, clever best. The recent wave of discrimination lawsuits and horror stories about Airbnb ma...
How to Jumpstart Your Hotel’s Direct Bookings Through SEO
HeBS Digital | August 19, 2016
By Steven Briley In hospitality marketing, the digital landscape is constantly evolving and the travel consumer journey to a direct booking is becoming more and more complex. To help you better navigate the digital landscape and shift share to the direct online channel, HeBS Digital's "Jumpstart Direct Bookings" Series shares industry best practices to boost direct bookings through the top revenue-generating marketing channels. From SEO to Multichannel Campaigns, you'll learn insider strategies and concrete action steps to start shifting share from the OTAs today. The first best practices action plan in our series is "Jumpstart Direct B...
White Lodging to Develop an Autograph Collection and AC Hotels by Marriott Adjacent to the University of Texas in Austin
White Lodging Services Corporation | August 17, 2016
Development will bring an additional 1,000 rooms to downtown Austin; Constructin scheduled to begin in Summer 2017 MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Aug. 17, 2016 -- A new property adjacent to the iconic University of Texas campus will feature both the Autograph Collection and AC Hotels by Marriott brands, White Lodging announced today. The hotel investment, development and management company also released further details on a 615-room Marriott in downtown Austin, adjacent to the Austin Convention Center. "These projects demonstrate our continued belief in Austin's near and long term future," said Deno Yiankes, President and CEO Investm...
Say Goodbye to the Business Center
Larry Mogelonsky | August 17, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Reaching its zenith in the mid-1990s following the proliferation of the personal computer, I have many fond memories of the hotel business center. Such facilities were a high priority for road warriors who needed to refine presentations, print materials, prepare travel itineraries or work on just about everything else, all while hotel staffers stood at the ready to assist wherever they could. The advent of mobile devices, tablets and streamlined laptops have proven to be the business center's downfall, rendering it as obsolete as the stapler and three-hole paper punch (anything involving pa...
Becoming The True Hub of Your Destination
Dr. Michael Arner | August 16, 2016
Thinking Bigger About Mobile Applications For CVBs and DMOs By Dr. Michael Arner Travelers of all ages, nationalities, and income levels readily rely on mobile technology to assist and enhance their travel experience — and there is no shortage of destination-based applications available to assist them. With many convenient, close-at-hand, free broad-spectrum resources like Yelp, TripAdivsor or Lonely Planet, to name just a few, the Convention & Visitor's Bureau (CVB) and Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) face an uphill battle to become the destination for destination information. The demand for a user's attention is fie...
Aimbridge Hospitality Unveils $7 Million Renovation of Sheraton Suites at Country Club Plaza in Kansas City
Aimbridge Hospitality | August 15, 2016
The full-scale renovation includes 257 upgraded guest rooms, redesigned lounge, a new restaurant and lobby concept, and refreshed ballroom and banquet spaces. DALLAS, Texas – August 15, 2016 – Sheraton Suites at Country Club Plaza, located in the popular Spanish-inspired shopping district of Kansas City, has revealed a multimillion-dollar, top-to-bottom renovation of its 257-room hotel. The $7 million project includes: A new lobby and The Gallery restaurant, a casual setting with a continental or buffet breakfast, along with lunch and dinner menus of succulent steaks, sandwiches, salads and desserts Upgraded guest rooms w...
A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Fabric
Beekeeper | August 12, 2016
Choosing the right fabric for your home can be a daunting task. You are probably afraid of selecting a wrong color or a wrong pattern or maybe a wrong texture, which might appeal to you at the store but looks different under the lighting at your home. ...
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Key Members to Executive Team
Dream Hotel Group | August 11, 2016
NEW YORK, NY (August 11, 2016) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group today announced the appointments of Rika Lisslö as Vice President of Development & Acquisition and Katie Fontana as Vice President of Communications. In addition, Bridget Tran has been promoted to Vice President of Ecommerce. Rika Lisslö joined Dream Hotel Group in July 2016 and, as Vice President of Development & Acquisition, she is responsible for developing the company's burgeoning portfolio of brands, leveraging her extensive relationships in the U.S. and abroad. Lisslö has vast experience as a real estate exec...
Quality Is The Only Thing That Makes A Brand Credible
Larry Mogelonsky | August 10, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Soft branding is a popular trend these days, showing no signs of slowing down at all in the face of billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions. Unquestionably, soft brands fill a specific demand within the traveler mindset – those who desire an independent property to add an extra layer of exclusivity to their trips while also expecting certain standards to be upheld. It's a fascinating space and one that has yet to reach full maturity or capacity. Tapping in for a phone interview to elucidate how properties can succeed within a soft branded space is Filip Boyen, the newly crowned CEO of...
Maestro PMS Inks System Installation Agreements with 26 Properties
Maestro PMS | August 10, 2016
Two Multi-Property Groups and 18 Standalone Hotels Select Maestro PMS for Hotel Management August 10, 2016 – Maestro PMS announced it inked agreements to install Front Office and other hotel management system modules in 26 properties since March. New contracts include two 4-property groups and 18 independent hotels. Maestro is the preferred property management system (PMS) of leading independent hotels, resorts, condos and multi-property groups. Click here for more information on how to reserve, engage and socialize with Maestro PMS. "Hotel operators are switching systems and installing Maestro in numbers. Many new clients say the...
Sage Hospitality and BMC Investments Open Newly-Built Halcyon, A Hotel in Cherry Creek, Colorado
August 9, 2016
CHERRY CREEK, Colo. (August 9, 2016) – Sage Hospitality and BMC Investments announce the opening of HALCYON, a hotel in Cherry Creek, an independent concept in Cherry Creek North, the luxury shopping district of Denver. The 154-room hotel welcomes guests to an experience of premier accommodations, locally curated programming and partnerships, Departure Elevated – a rooftop bar, accompanying pool and two restaurant concepts – Departure Restaurant + Lounge and Quality Italian. Unhooked from the ordinary in all the best ways, Halcyon is luxury served on the unassuming side. Well-appointed, inviting, and modern – Hal...
