Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
Debunking Common Myths About AI: Why Human Hotel Staff Are Still Irreplaceable
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | September 17th, 2024
Paramount Lodging Advisors Arranges the Sale of Texas Hampton Inn
Paramount Lodging Advisors | February 10, 2016
Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) has completed the sale of the Hampton Inn, located in the suburban Dallas market. Broker Associate, Subu Thiagarajan of PLA's San Francisco office, exclusively represented the sellers in the transaction. "Completing this transaction in a tertiary oil market is a tremendous win for PLA and the owners. Declining oil prices certainly presented a major challenge for the sales process. Fortunately, we identified early on the hotel was operating well below its potential with a 99.9% RevPar index, while the brand national average is 120.33%. Narrowing the investors' focus on the upside potential allowed us to k...
TripAdvisor’s Sweet 16 in 2016: 10 Facts You May Not Know
February 10, 2016
Infographic provided courtesy of Peter Corcoran of SunSearch Holidays ...
Gourmet Hot Chocolate – A Marketing Boon
Larry Mogelonsky | February 10, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) The harsh cold winds and blizzards demand a hot F&B counterattack. Soup is a good start. But what about beverages? To me, nothing solves the challenge of delivering immediate warmth better than a hot chocolate beverage. Too many restaurants consider hot chocolate to be nothing more than a powdery mix from a pouch, perhaps adding milk instead of hot water. These are probably the same folks who take a generic tea bag and serve it to you with a metal pot of tepid water. As is the way most any other food product, quality goes a long way. Remember the way your mom or grandma used to make hot...
Convenient & Progressive eGifts From Benchmark Hospitality Int’l Take the Guesswork Out of Giving
Benchmark Hospitality International | February 10, 2016
At participating Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® and Personal Luxury Resorts® The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, February 2016 … Digital gift giving takes on new ease, convenience and technical sophistication with exciting new options at 14 luxury hotels and resorts of Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company. Benchmark's new eGift program is a fast and flexible way to send an elegant, exciting gift via desktop, laptop or a range of mobile devices using text, e-mail and Facebook. Or customers can print out the cards and mail, or deliver in person, for those recipients who would...
How Can Hoteliers Maximize Revenue from Google?
HeBS Digital | February 10, 2016
Watch Our One-on-One Discussions at Google's NYC Headquarters Understanding how to maximize revenue from the extensive array of Google's products can be daunting. To help hotel digital marketers navigate the Google landscape, HeBS Digital sat down with Google at their headquarters to discuss their latest advertising formats, case studies from the HeBS Digital portfolio, and how hoteliers can boost customer engagements and revenues from Google. As a result of the discussions, a pair of videos were produced, featuring one-on-one conversations between Google Agency Development Manager Victoria Fabiano and two of HeBS Digital's top online m...
StayNTouch helps Carillon Miami Beach Hotel Deliver on Service Promise through New Mobility Platform
StayNTouch | February 10, 2016
StayNTouch Mobility Platform lets staff interface with guests when and where the guests choose. Bethesda, MD – February 10, 2016 . . . StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology and Property Management Systems (PMS) for hotels, today announced that Carillon Miami Beach, an iconic luxury resort hotel, has implemented its could-based hotel software solutions. StayNTouch's solutions are gaining raid adoption among branded as well as boutique hotels and is now in place at dozens of properties in Nort America and worldwide. Z Capital Partners purchased the Carillon property in late 2014, opening it as Carillon Miami Beach in early 2...
The 118-key Domes of Elounda, Crete in Greece Joins the Autograph Collection
Autograph Collection Hotels | February 8, 2016
February 8, 2016 - Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International's evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels, is celebrating further expansion across Europe and the brand's entry into a new territory with the announcement of Domes of Elounda, Crete joining the Collection. Proud to be the first Autograph Collection hotel in Greece, the award-winning Domes of Elounda is located in the heart of one of the world's most exceptional destinations. Boasting a distinctive collection of 78 lavish suites and 40 villas, Domes of Elounda recently completed a multi-million pound expansion which includes 28 Domes Luxury Resi...
NewcrestImage Appoints Donna Paraliticci General Manager of the New Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown Opening June 2017
NewcrestImage | February 4, 2016
February 4, 2016 - The new Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown continues to progress towards an opening in June of 2017 with owner and developer NewcrestImage naming the hotel's key executive: Donna Paraliticci becomes General Manager of the new hotel effective immediately. Paraliticci has almost 20 years of hospitality management experience, most recently as General Manager of the Courtyard Amarillo Downtown since December of 2010 when the property opened in the historic Fisk Building. The hotel, also owned and operated by NewcrestImage, won an award from the Texas Downtown Association for "Best Adaptive Reuse" project. The Embassy Suites...
Shaner Italia, a Division of Shaner Hotels, & Marcucci Group Acquire Historic Hotel Universo in Lucca, Italy
Shaner Hotel Group | February 4, 2016
Partnership To Begin Multi-Million Dollar Restoration and Renovation Program STATE COLLEGE, PA, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 – Shaner Italia, a division of Shaner Hotels, today announced that it has acquired the historic Hotel Universo in Lucca, Italy in partnership with Italy's Marcucci Group. The two companies, which were the winning bidders in a recent auction sale for the landmark property, plan to develop a branded hotel through an extensive restoration and renovation program valued at approximately seven million euros. The restoration and renovation program for the 70-room boutique hotel is expected to be completed within 12 months. Loc...
Costa Rica’s El Mangroove Hotel Joins the Autograph Collection
Autograph Collection Hotels | February 3, 2016
Miami, Florida - February 3, 2016 - Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International's growing collection of strikingly independent hotels, is celebrating further expansion across the Caribbean and Latin America, and the brand's second hotel in Costa Rica, with the addition of El Mangroove. Exactly like nothing else, El Mangroove, located off the Gulf of Papagayo, is a sustainable boutique, lifestyle resort that boasts a modern design which incorporates Costa Rica's natural beauty through wood and water elements along with bamboo, stone and natural furnishings that merge all indoor and outdoor spaces. The hotel has 85 luxurious guest...
Get Yourself Back to School!
Larry Mogelonsky | February 3, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Attending the last Cornell Hospitality Research Summit in 2014 was a fantastic experience and one that is well worth the trek for any who can make it. As a think tank on the industry at large, there was much learning to be had and I'd recommend the conference to anyone looking for a worthwhile networking event or to catch up on some of the latest research hitting the hospitality airwaves. However, this being held at a hotel school had an unintended effect. It put me face to face with many young, bright minds who will soon enter the workforce, most likely in the hospitality field. Meeting st...
Airbnb Presence Growing According to CBRE Hotels’ Study Estimating Users Spent $2.4 Billion on U.S. Lodging Over the Past Year
CBRE Group, Inc. | February 2, 2016
Los Angeles– February 2, 2016 – Airbnb's presence in key markets throughout the U.S. is growing at a rapid pace, with users spending $2.4 billion on lodging in the U.S. over the past year, according to analysis from CBRE Hotels' Americas Research. Over the study period of October 2014 – September 2015, more than 55 percent of the $2.4 billion generated was captured in only five U.S. cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Boston), represents a significant portion of the lodging revenues in these markets. CBRE Hotels compiled select information for hundreds of U.S. markets to assess the relevancy of this...
TripAdvisor Names World’s Most Romantic Hotels with 2016 Travelers’ Choice Awards
TripAdvisor | February 2, 2016
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Palm-Eagle Beach, Aruba Tops in the World; Henderson Park Inn in Destin, Florida #1 in the U.S. NEEDHAM, Mass., Feb. 02, 2016 -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice™ awards for Romantic Hotels. Unlike any other hotel honors, TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice winners are based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from travelers around the world. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews from travelers on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period with emphasis ...
HRI Lodging Promotes Malia Hamilton to Executive Chef of Hyatt French Quarter New Orleans
HRI Lodging LLC | January 29, 2016
NEW ORLEANS – January 29, 2016 – HRI Lodging LLC recently announced that Chef Malia Hamilton has been promoted as Executive Chef of the Hyatt French Quarter property. Chef Hamilton has served as the hotel's Sous Chef since 2013. Notably, she has been responsible for the preparation, presentation, quality, and execution of food production for all banquet events. Prior to joining the Hyatt French Quarter, Chef Hamilton served as the Sous Chef for the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans. Chef Hamilton's responsibilities will now include the oversight of all culinary operations, including Powdered Sugar, Batch Bar and banquet catering....
Two Benchmark Hospitality International Properties Place on the Prestigious U.S. News & World Report 2016 list of Best Hotels in the US
Benchmark Hospitality International | January 29, 2016
Villas of Grand Cypress and Hotel Contessa The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 29, 2016 … Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has announced that the Villas of Grand Cypress, a Personal Luxury Resort, and Hotel Contessa, a Benchmark Hotel, have received recognition on the prestigious U.S. News & World Report "2016 Best Hotels in the United States" list. The Villas of Grand Cypress, located in Orlando, Florida, received the Gold Badge Award as a "Best Hotel within the USA". Hotel Contessa, situated on the famed Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, received the Silver Ba...
AccorHotels and Huazhu Finalize Their Strategic Alliance
AccorHotels | January 28, 2016
28 January 2016 - AccorHotels (CAC 40 – AC.FR) and Huazhu Hotels Group (also known as China Lodging Group –Nasdaq: HTHT) are pleased to have sealed their extensive, long-term alliance, initially announced to the market on 14th December 2014. Under the arrangement, AccorHotels takes a 10,8% stake in Huazhu and a seat at the Chinese group's board of directors. Huazhu will take a non-controlling stake of 29.3% and two board seats in AccorHotels' Luxury and Upscale operating platform for Greater China. This unprecedented partnership creates a hospitality giant in China whose strength lies in a newly formed joint distribution sys...
AccorHotels Negotiating 85-Hotel Portfolio Sale to New Hotel Investment Company for €504 Million ($551.7M)
AccorHotels | January 28, 2016
A portfolio of 85 hotels in Europe in the Economy and Midscale segments, for an asset value of €504 million, including: 28 hotels assets and the business interest of all 85 hotels, sold by AccorHotels for €146 million. 57 hotel assets covered by the purchase agreements containing a substitution clause for the buyer signed with Foncière des Régions, Axa IM – Real Assets and Invesco, for a total amount of €358 million. All of the hotels included in the transaction will maintain their AccorHotels brand via long-term franchise agreements and will benefit from an ambitious renovation program to be ca...
Benchmark Hospitality International Names Benchmark Hospitality International Global Sales Director
Benchmark Hospitality International | January 27, 2016
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, January 2016 … Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Nicole Beykirch global sales director. This represents a promotion for Ms. Beykirch. Ted Davis, Benchmark's chief sales & marketing officer, made the announcement. "It is with tremendous pleasure that I announce Nicole's promotion within Benchmark Hospitality's expanding global sales organization," said Mr. Davis. "She has an extraordinary ability to develop and grow strategic business relationships, partnering with the professional meeting community to source and service worl...
Google’s New Trip Planning Search Display Underscores the Importance of Maintaining SEO Efforts
the Author and HeBS Digital | January 27, 2016
By Asher Fusco Google has found yet another way to harness its wealth of information to provide more information to travelers – the Trip Planning search display. This experience, delivered for certain search queries on both the desktop and mobile platforms, gives users a step-by-step guide to planning travel to a particular destination. This new search display further reinforces the importance of the hotel website maintaining prime search engine visibility for key terms, and provides another avenue for visitors to find the hotel website via search. How Does it Work? Google's Trip Planning search results appear when users search fo...
Travel Across the Generations
Larry Mogelonsky | January 27, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) People talk. Word of mouth about hotels both good and bad will inevitably percolate up and down through the generations – daughters talking to mothers, granddads chatting with grandsons, uncles conversing with nieces and so on. The central observation was that we, as hoteliers and marketers, tend to compartmentalize our target demographics, oftentimes failing to see them as an interconnected web of nuclear families, extended families, workplace colleagues, neighbors and social circles of like-minded peers. Thinking cross-generationally about word of mouth will help you design better p...
Four Independent Properties Install Maestro PMS
Maestro PMS | January 27, 2016
5-Star Luxury Resorts, Casino Properties Select Maestro for Guest Service, Enhanced Operations, Analytics Profitability Reporting January 27, 2016 – Markham, ON – Maestro PMS announced 4 full-service independent properties installed Maestro Multi-Property Management and Maestro Front Office to strengthen guest service and group processes, refine operations, and optimize profitability. New Maestro PMS clients include 3 Forbes Triple 5-Star Resorts in Rhode Island and a casino resort destination in Bay St. Louis, MS. The Maestro Enterprise Property Management hotel software suite of 20+ solutions is the industry's most robust...
HeBS Digital to Speak on Real-Time Data and Personalization at EyeforTravel’s Smart Travel Analytics North America 2016 Conference
HeBS Digital | January 26, 2016
Summary: HeBS Digital President & CEO Max Starkov will address the most effective ways to utilize real-time data to engage potential guests, de-commoditize hotel inventory and sell on value via the direct online channel at Smart Travel Analytics North America 2016 in Atlanta this February. NEW YORK – January 26, 2016 – HeBS Digital, the leading hotel digital technology, full-service digital marketing and website revenue optimization consulting firm, will present effective ways to utilize real-time data to engage potential guests, de-commoditize hotel inventory and sell on value via the direct online channel at the Smart ...
HRI Properties Begins Construction on New Homewood Suites in New Orlean’s French Quarter
HRI Properties | January 25, 2016
NEW ORLEANS – January 25, 2016 – HRI Properties recently began construction on the site of the future Homewood Suites New Orleans French Quarter. Construction on the property began in December 2015 with a targeted opening date of second quarter 2017. HRI Lodging, an affiliate of HRI Properties, will manage the hotel under a franchise agreement from Hilton Hotels. The Homewood Suites New Orleans French Quarter is a new construction, 207 room extended stay hotel featuring one and two room suites that are equipped with a full kitchen including refrigerators and dishwashers. Amenities include valet parking, flexible meetings spa...
AccorHotels Partners with Hasabi Real Estate to Operate 700-Room Mixed-Use Development In Dubai’s Garhoud Area
January 25, 2016
DUBAI, UAE, January 25, 2016 - Ròya, an international specialist hospitality consultancy firm based in Dubai, today announced the agreement signed by their client, Hasabi Real Estate with Accor Hotels. Roya was engaged by Hasabi Real Estate, a highly regarded real estate firm based in Dubai, to provide hospitality advisory services during the conceptualization and design stages up to and inclusive of the tendering of their mixed-use development. Located in the desirable Garhoud area near the Dubai International airport, the complex consists of a 350 key 4-Star Hotel, 350 key 3-Star Hotel. Speaking on behalf of Hasabi Real Estate,...
